Best (on-Time) Domestic Airline - Connecting Flight

[Aumelle]

I'm flying to Europe out of Adelaide mid June on Qatar (OneWorld airline). It's an evening flight and I need to add a domestic flight SYD-ADL on the day of travel.
Initially, I wanted to book a Qantas ticket and get my luggage labelled through to Europe but they don't do this anymore when you fly on separate tickets. So I thought I may as well go for a cheap Jetstar or Virgin flight.
I want to make sure that I arrive in Adelaide at least 3 hours before scheduled departure (perhaps even a bit earlier). My questions:


- For those who regularly fly between SYD and ADL, is there a particular airline that's more on-time than others? I know that overall (2016, nation-wide), Qantas and Virgin flights arrive >86% of the time on time and Jetstar & Tiger sit around 76% and 82% resp.
- In case of a cancellation, which airline would be most accomodating putting us on another (competitor's) flight to avoid us missing our connecting flight? Qantas once put me on a Singapore Air flight from Europe to Singapore for me to then to make my Qantas SIN-SYD flight.

 

[CaptJCool]

Book a one way flight on a reliable, regularly scheduled airline cause it doesn't matter on the way home if you miss the Adel- Sydney home flight . (Lol. You can check on FlightAware for the history of timings)

if a flight is cancelled, often it's hours til the next one.

The qatar flight is usually on-time......

anyhow you can hop the local bus into ADELAIDE or direct to Glenelg
https://adelaidemetro.com.au/Kiosk2/Fares. Day pass is $10, tickets between 9-3 cheap.

Be aware baggage checkin may only open 3 hours out so Our Facilities and Exclusive Services | Adelaide Airport. Are $10-14 per large locker

 

[Aumelle]

Book a one way flight on a reliable, regularly scheduled airline cause it doesn't matter on the way home if you miss the Adel- Sydney home flight . (Lol. You can check on FlightAware for the history of timings)

Thanks but I only need to add a SYD-ADL flight. On the way back, I fly straight into SYD.

 

[equus]

In case of a cancellation, which airline would be most accomodating putting us on another (competitor's) flight to avoid us missing our connecting flight?

None of them will - you do not have a connecting flight if it is on separate tickets, and even travel insurance will probably not help you out because of this.

 

[mannej]

Looking to arrive into ADL around 3 hours prior to the QR departure is very risky.

Is that enough buffer should you get delayed?

 

[Aumelle]

Looking to arrive into ADL around 3 hours prior to the QR departure is very risky.

Is that enough buffer should you get delayed?

I agree, so I want to make sure (ideally) that if my flight is cancelled, I can still jump onto the next one and be there 2 hours before departure.

 

[mannej]

IMHO you are playing with fire with an approach like that

 

[Aumelle]

IMHO you are playing with fire with an approach like that

What approach would you take?

 

[BillytheFIsh]

What day of the week are you flying?

 

[Aumelle]

What day of the week are you flying?

I'm flying out from ADL on a Thursday at 22:25.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

I'm pretty conservative with these things.

I wouldn't consider JQ. Looking at the Thursday flights, if I could, I would take QF1555 1130-1310, head into Adelaide, have a long lunch, drink some Barossa shiraz and head back to the airport.

If time is more of an issue, I would probably take QF761 1500-1640 and stay in the airport which leaves 2 later QF flights that arrive > 2 hours before your QR flight if things go wrong.

VA422 1255-1435 is in the middle of those so not much use.

VA428 1610-1750 is the latest flight I would consider but I would prefer to go earlier.

Yes, I've spent a lot of time hanging around airports/in random connecting cities due to inheriting my father's almost compulsive desire not to be late!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I like CaptJCool's idea of going to Glenelg on the public bus or even into the city. I'd leave late morning on lunchtime, put your bag into a locker at the airport then return around 1930 to checkin which is 3 hours prior to departure of the QR flight at 2225.

A Classic award on QF is 12,000 points plus AUD41.56 in taxes so not sure if you have any points to burn or if you have any charitable family members who might?

In case of a cancellation, which airline would be most accomodating putting us on another (competitor's) flight to avoid us missing our connecting flight? Qantas once put me on a Singapore Air flight from Europe to Singapore for me to then to make my Qantas SIN-SYD flight.

That is a totally different scenario to your upcoming one as you would have originally been on a single QF issued ticket Europe/SIN/SYD all on QF and have been transferred to SQ in lieu of QF on the ex Europe flight. Whichever carrier you fly with SYD/ADL, they are only obligated to get you SYD/ADL as in their eyes that is your final destination. The fact that you hold a separate ticket on QR ADL/DOH is irrelevant to them.

I want to make sure (ideally) that if my flight is cancelled, I can still jump onto the next one and be there 2 hours before departure.

The problem with the above is that you're assuming there's hourly flights SYD/ADL but there may well be a 3 hour gap between flights which means if the flight you're booked on is cancelled taking the next flight would mean you'll miss your Qatar flight. Your flight may not be cancelled just delayed but you don't need that stress so I would look at flying out much earlier in the day.

What flights there are to choose from depend on the day of the week as there are fewer flights on the weekend. What date are you looking at departing?

 

[Aumelle]

The problem with the above is that you're assuming there's hourly flights SYD/ADL but there may well be a 3 hour gap between flights which means if the flight you're booked on is cancelled taking the next flight would mean you'll miss your Qatar flight. Your flight may not be cancelled just delayed but you don't need that stress so I would look at flying out much earlier in the day.

Thank you. I'm not assuming there are hourly flights. Obviously I looked at the various flight schedules. The 5pm Qantas flight is followed by a 6:20pm flight. There's also a 5pm Jetstar fight. All 3 flights would get me to ADL before 8pm. I also looked into using points (thank you) and I'm considering doing this simply because Qantas told me over the phone that with the new OneWorld policy, unofficially, this is the only way to check through your luggage all the way (as they acknowledge that a reward booking can never be part of a paid ticket). I'm flying with 2 small children so going into town may add unnecessary extra stress to the already long journey ahead of us. It's a shame that the new Adelaide Airport hotel hasn't been completed yet, otherwise I would have stayed there for a few hours.

 

[Aumelle]

Decided to avoid any risks and book a Qantas reward flight to Adelaide in the morning and book the Hilton Adelaide for the day ($99 day rate, pretty reasonable & only 15 mins or so to the airport). Now I'm just hoping Qantas Sydney will check through my baggage all the way to Europe, I've heard conflicting stories about this. Thanks everyone for your advice!