SYD INT-INT transfer & exit in between

[exceladdict]

Hi All, on a slightly unusual itinerary I'm arriving into SYD on QF 6amish and then connecting onto QF5 to PER around 6pm. Flights on one ticket. It's one scenario not covered on the QF Airport Guide.

I'm wanting to head into the city in between, so I'm assuming I'll need to clear passport control in SYD, but then head through quarantine alongside arrival passengers, instead of going via any transit areas. I also assume I won't be able to visit the lounges until I come back to the airport later. Will feel weird going through quarantine with just a backpack, but can't be the first person to have ever done it.

However, am unclear if bags will be through checked (as it's technically an INT-INT connection) or if I'll need to pick up in SYD and recheck, as you would on an INT>DOM flight - at what point would you normally do a same-ticket connection in SYD?

 

[Ade]

I'm wanting to head into the city in between, so I'm assuming I'll need to clear passport control in SYD

Yes, if you like to visit the city (meaning, exit the airport at SYD), you'll have to clear passport control & immigration

but then head through quarantine alongside arrival passengers, instead of going via any transit areas.

Not sure if I understand this. After you have cleared passport control & immigration, you'll be exiting the airport passing via baggage collection and thru customs control. Given you are only with a backpack and assuming that you don't have anything to declare, you can head thru to the GREEN channel and exit the airport.

Not sure what "quarantine" you are referring to here.

I also assume I won't be able to visit the lounges until I come back to the airport later

Yes, that is my understanding, unless, there is any transit lounges in SYD that can be access on-arrival QF-WP?

bags will be through checked

Given that the transit times between your inbound international and outbound international (albeit domestic to PER, departing international terminal) is less than 24 hours, you would not have to collect your bags on arrival at SYD. And your bags will be checked thru, given all legs under one booking.

 

[Daver6]

Given that the transit times between your inbound international and outbound international (albeit domestic to PER, departing international terminal) is less than 24 hours, you would not have to collect your bags on arrival at SYD. And your bags will be checked thru, given all legs under one booking.

I'm not so sure about this. Given you're entering Australia and need to clear immigration and quarantine, I would have thought you'd need to have your checked bags with you at this point.

You'd then just go to the QF check-in counter to drop them off for QF5 and be on your way into the city.

 

[exceladdict]

I'm wanting to head into the city in between, so I'm assuming I'll need to clear passport control in SYD, but then head through quarantine alongside arrival passengers, instead of going via any transit areas.

Yes, if you like to visit the city (meaning, exit the airport at SYD), you'll have to clear passport control & immigration

Not sure if I understand this. After you have cleared passport control & immigration, you'll be exiting the airport passing via baggage collection and thru customs control. Given you are only with a backpack and assuming that you don't have anything to declare, you can head thru to the GREEN channel and exit the airport.

Not sure what "quarantine" you are referring to here.

Sorry, referred to customs as quarantine. Will have to keep an eye out for the green channel. Had a horror time in that line with all the 6-7am arrivals last time around!

I'm not so sure about this. Given you're entering Australia and need to clear immigration and quarantine, I would have thought you'd need to have your checked bags with you at this point.

You'd then just go to the QF check-in counter to drop them off for QF5 and be on your way into the city.

I guess what I'm worried about is waltzing on through and getting on my merry way while my bag waits on the carousel on the other side of customs. From Qantas' POV, I imagine I'd be treated the same as if I was transiting SYD from one intl flight to another - in that case, I imagine it would be checked through, if handled correctly?

Also appreciate it's a somewhat unusual question for an Australian forum to ask about an INT-INT connection in an AU port! QF5 in the other direction (FCO/PER/SYD) is an example of this, but without enough time for most to exit PER, I imagine..

 

[SeatBackForward]

Wait @exceladdict are you Arriving into SYD, then transferring to another INTL flight (that is QF5 to FCO via PER?) and your question is - rather than spending the day in Transit, can you clear customs etc and then return later in the day?

 

[Ade]

Given you're entering Australia

Correct, however, my understanding is, @exceladdict will have his onward BP for QF5, which also departs from international terminal, so technically he is a transit pax. He just happens to have a long layover ...

checked bags with you at this point.

I understand your point though ... if someone is entering AU, they are expected to collect their bags and go thru customs. The other way of asking this questions is - what if someone brings in something objectionable and leaves it in the airport and disappears into the city ?

I wonder how Changi does transit tours for pax transiting SIN ... they don't collect their bags ... they simply enter the country as a transit pax and do the escorted/guided tours ...

Post automatically merged: Jul 25, 2023

You'd then just go to the QF check-in counter to drop them off for QF5 and be on your way into the city.

Agreed, If bags not checked thru, this would be the way to go ....

 

[Daver6]

I've twice arrived into MEL from DEL connecting to PER on QF9. So intentional to international in MEL. Both times was HLO.

First time I stayed airside and cleared customers and immigration when I got to PER. Second time, even though I had my onward boarding pass, I had to clear customs and immigration in MEL. This only came to light when I got to the F lounge and my boarding pass wouldn't scan. Someone had to come collect me and take me through. I asked about leaving my hang luggage in the lounge and they said no. All bags need to go through customs with me.

So based on this (and it does make logical sense) if you enter Australia in SYD you're going to have to collect your bags.

I guess what I'm worried about is waltzing on through and getting on my merry way while my bag waits on the carousel on the other side of customs. From Qantas' POV, I imagine I'd be treated the same as if I was transiting SYD from one intl flight to another - in that case, I imagine it would be checked through, if handled correctly?

You collect your bag in SYD before customs. Normal SYD arrival process. Just instead of taking your bag to re-check at the domestic transfer desk, you'd go to international check-in. There you'll get your boarding pass with the bright orange D sticker. Once you've done this, leave the airport.

 

[exceladdict]

Wait @exceladdict are you Arriving into SYD, then transferring to another INTL flight (that is QF5 to FCO via PER?) and your question is - rather than spending the day in Transit, can you clear customs etc and then return later in the day?

Yes, correct, but only to PER, not FCO.

I've twice arrived into MEL from DEL connecting to PER on QF9. So intentional to international in MEL. Both times was HLO.

First time I stayed airside and cleared customers and immigration when I got to PER. Second time, even though I had my onward boarding pass, I had to clear customs and immigration in MEL. This only came to light when I got to the F lounge and my boarding pass wouldn't scan. Someone had to come collect me and take me through. I asked about leaving my hang luggage in the lounge and they said no. All bags need to go through customs with me.

So based on this (and it does make logical sense) if you enter Australia in SYD you're going to have to collect your bags.



You collect your bag in SYD before customs. Normal SYD arrival process. Just instead of taking your bag to re-check at the domestic transfer desk, you'd go to international check-in. There you'll get your boarding pass with the bright orange D sticker. Once you've done this, leave the airport.

Very interesting - and yes I imagine I won't get a D sticker from the overseas port on the way to AU. So it sounds like I'll need to follow the process as per your second experience.

It does bring into question what someone transiting say AKL-SYD-HND on one QF ticket would experience, but yes after entering AU I'll be a domestic pax on QF5 so without my D sticker it could be an interesting experience.

Either way I'm thinking it'll be wise to wait around at the carousel for a little while and ensure the airtag is active.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm not so sure about this. Given you're entering Australia and need to clear immigration and quarantine, I would have thought you'd need to have your checked bags with you at this point.

I guess what I'm worried about is waltzing on through and getting on my merry way while my bag waits on the carousel on the other side of customs. From Qantas' POV, I imagine I'd be treated the same as if I was transiting SYD from one intl flight to another - in that case, I imagine it would be checked through, if handled correctly?

That would be my expectation - the bags will be checked through (if they ask at departure port, that's what you'd normally ask for), with the expectation you will be clearing customs and immigration in Perth. The bags then shouldn't appear on the carousel in Sydney.

If you then 'suddenly' decide to clear "customs and immigration" in Sydney, one of two things could happen:

* Your exit through immigration will trigger something in the transfer baggage system and a flag will appear "Hey this guy has abandoned his checked baggage - it can't go onto Perth unaccompanied, so get 'em out and hold them, pending destruction".

* Nothing will be flagged, you'll come back and see your bags in Perth. And lose a fair bit of confidence in the security of flying in Australia.

So I'd suggest to arrange to collect bags in Sydney.

In daver6's second scenario, to get your bags in Sydney, you should ask them to be 'short checked' to Sydney when you check-in. There has been discussion elsewhere here about whether a check-in agent would do this. You'd say something like having to give your mother something out of the bags .... If they refuse to short-check, then I think your plans for a trip to the city would have to be abandoned.

 

[justinbrett]

* Your exit through immigration will trigger something in the transfer baggage system and a flag will appear "Hey this guy has abandoned his checked baggage - it can't go onto Perth unaccompanied, so get 'em out and hold them, pending destruction".

I don't think that's how it works. The check is done on boarding - ie when the flight is closed, they check if any bags have been loaded without their pax. Then they offload them. No different to people skipping domestic connections.

I have left AKL airport on an I-I trip (NAN-AKL-BNE), with bags checked, it was fine. It was a while ago though.

 

[CaptJCool]

from the sounds of what you wrote you're taking advantage of a continuing an international flight (that takes the Big Orange sticker D PAX) but you won't be one of them yourself, it being a connecting flight that just so happens to fly between two australian cities

on my way back from USA a decade ago now, I took the then infamous QF81 from Sydney to Adelaide and cleared customs in Adelaide not sydney.

in Sydney you would be considered a Transfer Passenger and sent down that line rather than passing through Customs there in Sydney, and thus you would clear Customs in your final Australian port, Perth after a long stint in hopefully the FLounge....

Good luck with breaking out and spending time on Sydney Harbour

 

[exceladdict]

I wouldn't be abandoning my bags, just leaving them in transit - however I can see why there might be a perception of a customs issue if I became a domestic passenger (by entering AU and then re entering the transit area with a domestic sticker) without my baggage going through as well - so perhaps to avoid any potential issues, asking for a short check to Sydney is the best way to go.

In this particular case, while the lounges will be a nice bonus, I was just aiming for a late afternoon flight Syd to per and this is what was offered!

 

[dajop]

I think the problem won't be with bags, they should be through checked to PER. It won't be with leaving the airport. But it might be with re-entering airside, as you won't be in the system as departing Australia, thus you might need a D-sticker to re-enter (and therefore pass by checkin to get that),

With the bags, are domestic bags treated any differently to international originating bags? I imagine they shouldn't be as that creates a clear loophole for those who wish to circumvent customs and quarantine regulations.

 

[exceladdict]

I think the problem won't be with bags, they should be through checked to PER. It won't be with leaving the airport. But it might be with re-entering airside, as you won't be in the system as departing Australia, thus you might need a D-sticker to re-enter (and therefore pass by checkin to get that),

With the bags, are domestic bags treated any differently to international originating bags? I imagine they shouldn't be as that creates a clear loophole for those who wish to circumvent customs and quarantine regulations.

This seems to be consistent with what @Daver6 mentioned in his second experience above. I have never connected int to int in AU but wonder if they would provide the D sticker somewhere in the transit process.

 

[justinbrett]

I think the problem won't be with bags, they should be through checked to PER. It won't be with leaving the airport. But it might be with re-entering airside, as you won't be in the system as departing Australia, thus you might need a D-sticker to re-enter (and therefore pass by checkin to get that),

With the bags, are domestic bags treated any differently to international originating bags? I imagine they shouldn't be as that creates a clear loophole for those who wish to circumvent customs and quarantine regulations.

Yes they are. Bags get a D sticker as well (like the BP) which bypass checks.

On reflection I think this will be an issue. If it was true I to I it would be fine, but you will only be able to re-enter as a domestic pax, but the bags will still need to be cleared in PER. It will be a coughshow.

 

[SYD]

Yes they are. Bags get a D sticker as well (like the BP) which bypass checks.

On reflection I think this will be an issue. If it was true I to I it would be fine, but you will only be able to re-enter as a domestic pax, but the bags will still need to be cleared in PER. It will be a coughshow.

Although, I could imagine this scenario is probably not uncommon. Someone from the US has a long layover and wants to pop out to see the Opera house? Less of an issue if transiting to NZ or NOU etc.

 

[dajop]

Less of an issue if transiting to NZ or NOU etc.

Yes, I think the issue here, and uncertainty, is that of continuing on a domestic sector. If it was an issue for people transiting intl-intl (i.e. bags remaining whilst people leave the airport and enter the country for a short visit) that would make Australia a real outlier. I’ve done so at quite a few airports - eg SIN, BKK, NRT, HKG, KIX, IST, FRA. BEG, ZRH that I can remember, although ZRH and FRA were different as only one direction for immigration in those instances.

 

[SYD]

Yes, I think the issue here, and uncertainty, is that of continuing on a domestic sector. If it was an issue for people transiting intl-intl (i.e. bags remaining whilst people leave the airport and enter the country for a short visit) that would make Australia a real outlier. I’ve done so at quite a few airports - eg SIN, BKK, NRT, HKG, KIX, IST, FRA. BEG, ZRH that I can remember, although ZRH and FRA were different as only one direction for immigration in those instances.

and there aren’t that many Oz Int (domestic) sectors. In my example, most inbound probably transfer to a regular domestic flight but those in the know may well choose QF5 for the opportunity to visit the city (could be a business call also) plus access to QF F lounge and generally better product on board. The downside could be the luggage issue and getting back through security/passport control earlier than regular Dom flight.

The only time I’ve ever done Int-Int transfer at SYD was QF81 ex-ADL to UA onto LAX - had to cut short a trip to the vines and head off for work so swapped my QF Dom flight to 81. Worked surprisingly well! QF even checked through my bag on seperate tix (back when that wasn’t an issue).

 

[exceladdict]

I spoke to someone today in one of the QFF call centres, who initially said I could ask for it to be checked through the whole way to PER. However, when I enquired about entering Australia in Sydney, they agreed I'd need to recheck my bag there. I mentioned I'd be wanting to leave the airport a number of times and no issue was raised, so am expecting [read: hoping] this will go okay.

 

[dajop]

I spoke to someone today in one of the QFF call centres,

Which call centre though? I'd be sceptical of anything someone at a QF call centre tells about procedures at an airport.