QF/AA SYD Transit Times

[Ryobi]

Quick question to the brains trust on transit times. My wife and I are relocating to the USA in a few weeks, and have had tickets booked by my employer when our travel exemption and vaccinations were finalised. (What a ride that process was!)

We find ourselves on a MEL->SYD->LAX->SEA flight booked (AA tickets, on QF for the AU domestic route) with only two hours transit between in SYD. This sounds... extremely ambitious, especially if luggage isn't being interlined between terminals (or across carriers) any more. Does anyone have experience with current dom/intl SYD transfer times in 2021? Is this transit time even humanely possible?

 

[Hvr]

It's possible but very stressful; if there is the slightest delay on your first you'll be worried until you've boarded your SYD-LAX flight.

Can your employer's TA get you on an earlier flight?

 

[Ryobi]

Yeah - I don't imagine there will be much time for the FLounge on this trip! Don't imagine AA would hold the flight if we had delays?

AFAIK the TA could only book what AA would let them, and the two codeshares are AA7311/QF406 at 6:30AM or AA1399/QF410 at 7:00AM to make AA72 at 9:55AM.

I think the QF402 is out of the question due to some strange travel policy (we have a company provided rental car that must be handed back in before the flight, and the earliest that allow that is 6AM).

We might try and drop the car as early as Avis will alow (aim for 5am?) and see if QF would be gracious enough to bump us onto QF402. That's a tactic I've used before but unsure how willing they'd be to play ball given it's essentially an AA booking.

 

[Guvner]

It might just be me but for AA72 I'd be flying up the night before.

As an aside, I'm pretty sure you can just drop the rental out of opening hours at MEL.


"After-hours Returns
Park & lock the car. Place the completed contract & the keys in the Drop Box located in the Returns area. Remember to take your personal belongings with you."

 

[Must...Fly!]

It might just be me but for AA72 I'd be flying up the night before.

In the circumstances, flying up the night before and an overnight at an airport hotel seems to be by far the most sensible arrangement if it can be done.

 

[Ryobi]

It might just be me but for AA72 I'd be flying up the night before.

In the circumstances, flying up the night before and an overnight at an airport hotel seems to be by far the most sensible arrangement if it can be done.

Employer's TA will not budge on this one - bean counters say the flight day can't change. I think they forget that international travel in AU isn't quite like the rest of the world at the moment...

Worst case I guess we miss the transit, get put up in a hotel, wait 24 hours and try again? Seems like an awful run around.

 

[sudoer]

For what it's worth, 95% of QF406 departures over the last 2 months have been on-time, with an average 7m delay.

especially if luggage isn't being interlined between terminals (or across carriers) any more

Do you know for sure that this is the case at the moment? I know the transfer bus isn't running, but I would have thought D-I interlining was assured if booked on same PNR. Perhaps someone more knowledgable can chime in.

 

[Ryobi]

For what it's worth, 95% of QF406 departures over the last 2 months have been on-time, with an average 7m delay.

Great to hear - that does alleviate some anxiety.

Do you know for sure that this is the case at the moment? I know the transfer bus isn't running, but I would have thought D-I interlining was assured if booked on same PNR. Perhaps someone more knowledgable can chime in.

I'm basing this knowledge purely on the combination of Murphy's Law and this post from July last year, assuming nothing much has changed there. Would love someone to be able to confirm otherwise though.

 

[justinbrett]

For what it's worth, 95% of QF406 departures over the last 2 months have been on-time, with an average 7m delay.

View attachment 250022



Do you know for sure that this is the case at the moment? I know the transfer bus isn't running, but I would have thought D-I interlining was assured if booked on same PNR. Perhaps someone more knowledgable can chime in.

There's no mention of this requirement on either QF or SYD websites. I'd say with TT now running they are interlining bags from D-I.

If not, 2 hours is still enough if the domestic flight is on time. I personally would get the train as it's the most reliable form of transport and runs to a set timetable. Just before covid I flew NTL-SYD-SCL flying Rex from NTL-SYD so bags weren't interlined, I went via train and it worked a treat. I didn't want to have to wait for a bus that may or may not come on time.

Game over if the domestic flight is late though.

 

[DC3]

Just make sure that MEL departures are not delayed through fog.

It’s not something that I would do by choice. There’s a lot that can go wrong with that connection, not to mention missing out on the First Lounge. . As already suggested, MEL- SYD on the day prior makes more sense, and with Rydges across the road.

Unfortunate that your employer is being inflexible.

 

[serfty]

ISTR that some US employers operate under US Federal mandates that only USA carrier marketed flights may be booked unless there is no alternative.

 

[madrooster]

You need to be on QF402 ideally, but QF406 can work if you move swiftly.

You will NOT need to collect your bags at Sydney. Domestic to international interlining is operating. You will have to make your own way to international and the fastest way to do that is via the train. You can tap on/off with a credit card/debit card to pay.

When you arrive at international, go to the Border Force desk to confirm your eligibility to travel (near check in row D I think), then over to AA check in. Normal process after that.

 

[justinbrett]

When you arrive at international, go to the Border Force desk to confirm your eligibility to travel (near check in row D I think), then over to AA check in. Normal process after that.

If bags are interlined wouldn’t the BP be issued in MEL and they can go straight to security? Why the need to check in with AA?

 

[madrooster]

If bags are interlined wouldn’t the BP be issued in MEL and they can go straight to security? Why the need to check in with AA?

A lot of the international carriers are currently inhibiting check in due to the need to sight documents / exemptions / COVID-19 test certificates etc. That doesn't stop through-checking of bags, but does stop you getting a boarding pass in MEL.

 

[Ryobi]

Had some argy-bargy with the TA over the past few working days, but no dice. Can't move it outside of the arranged AA codeshare or to even the previous day (because that also isn't a codeshare! ). However they are perfectly fine with us missing the flight and taking a hotel in Sydney waiting 24hrs for the next one as that is covered by policy.

When you arrive at international, go to the Border Force desk to confirm your eligibility to travel (near check in row D I think), then over to AA check in. Normal process after that.

A lot of the international carriers are currently inhibiting check in due to the need to sight documents / exemptions / COVID-19 test certificates etc. That doesn't stop through-checking of bags, but does stop you getting a boarding pass in MEL.

This is awesome info @madrooster, do you know if this is recorded officially anywhere or just how it happens to be? I'm hoping the QF check in people at MEL understand the "we can check your luggage but not your pass", because that sounds like a painful conversation to have early in the morning.

So this is making me feel a lot better. Last question for the brains trust - are they still running express lanes in customs/security for international or is the traffic so low they don't bother? Thanks for all your help!

 

[DC3]

… However they are perfectly fine with us missing the flight and taking a hotel in Sydney waiting 24hrs for the next one as that is covered by policy.

24 hours in Sydney? Now there’s an idea.

 

[madrooster]

This is awesome info @madrooster, do you know if this is recorded officially anywhere or just how it happens to be? I'm hoping the QF check in people at MEL understand the "we can check your luggage but not your pass", because that sounds like a painful conversation to have early in the morning.

So this is making me feel a lot better. Last question for the brains trust - are they still running express lanes in customs/security for international or is the traffic so low they don't bother? Thanks for all your help!

No, it is not recorded anywhere.

No express lanes at the moment due to low volumes.