Connecting in Melbourne to Vaustralia

[woolnough04]

I will be going from Brisbane to Melbourne in June on Virgin Blue connecting to Vaustralia to LAX on a through ticket out of Brisbane.The transfer time is only 1 hour 20 minutes in Melbourne which doesn't seem long enough to transfer to international.Has any one else done this connection.

 

[notmensa]

Hi,

I've done this connection within that timeframe.

Melbourne Airport is actually one building. Your domestic flight will arrive in T3. You need to exit security, go up the escalator to the Virgin check-in area (rather than down the escalators to baggage claim), and then turn left. Keep walking and you'll see the international check in counters on your right. Check the big overhead boards to find out which check in desks are being used by Virgin Australia.

Maps of Melbourne airport are here:
Maps of Melbourne Airport - Airport Facilities - Melbourne Airport

 

[samh004]

Despite being one terminal, I’d give Virgin Australia a call and see if they can switch you to an earlier flight to allow a bit more flexibility, otherwise you could have problems if the first flight was late.

 

[woolnough04]

Despite being one terminal, I’d give Virgin Australia a call and see if they can switch you to an earlier flight to allow a bit more flexibility, otherwise you could have problems if the first flight was late.

Thanks for the info as well notmensa. As i went through Flightcentre Vaustralia told me to get them to contact Vaustralia and get me on the earlier flight out of Brisbane.Seeing them tomorrow

 

[notmensa]

There's a brief thread
here as well.

Posts #2 & 5 have some info on how Virgin Blue handled a late flight from BNE into SYD for a pax transferring to VAustralia. Personally I'd leave things as is - especially if Flight Centre hit you up for all the change fees. But that's me...

I'm booked to do the same BNE-MEL-LAX trip with 1 hr 20 min connection on May 21. I'll post here to let you know how it goes!

-notmensa

 

[woolnough04]

I will be going from Brisbane to Melbourne in June on Virgin Blue connecting to Vaustralia to LAX on a through ticket out of Brisbane.The transfer time is only 1 hour 20 minutes in Melbourne which doesn't seem long enough to transfer to international.Has any one else done this connection.

Thanks for the info everyone.As i have never done a connecting flight like this(all other internationals have been direct from Sydney) i was a concerned about the time frame.Flightcentre got me changed to the earlier flight out of Brisbane without any problems.According to V Australia the boarding passes for both legs are issued in Brisbane.

 

[Justinf]

Just wondering why you wouldn't fly straight to LAX from BNE direct?

 

[docjames]

Just wondering why you wouldn't fly straight to LAX from BNE direct?

VA flight isnt daily would be one reason.....

 

[woolnough04]

Just wondering why you wouldn't fly straight to LAX from BNE direct?

Thats what i thought but thats the one Flightcentre got me on.But all fixed now hopefully.

 

[HKGNZL]

1 hr 20 min should be fine for Melbourne.
Our problem from Perth is that a lot of flights into Sydney (then USA) are about 90 min. Always a bit anxious as have to wait for the inter-terminal bus, immigration etc.

 

[woolnough04]

1 hr 20 min should be fine for Melbourne.
Our problem from Perth is that a lot of flights into Sydney (then USA) are about 90 min. Always a bit anxious as have to wait for the inter-terminal bus, immigration etc.

And Kingsfordsmith isn't the best airport to get around.My return flight comes into Sydney with 1 hr 20 min connection to Virgin Blue or i should say Virgin Australia now i guess back to Brisbane but they have flights every hour so not to concerned about missing a connection there.

 

[hardtolose]

Glad all sorted. Did this once from BNE with Virgin and had hours to spare to transfer to Qantas in SYD. After three announcements that aircraft had a fault and it was being fixed the flight was eventually cancelled. We then had to do an Olympic sprint down to the baggage collection and reclaim our bags and get in line and start all over again and luckily allocated seats on the next flight. When we arrived in Sydney and did it all over again, baggage, bus to international etc we had no spare time to enjoy the start of our trip. Much easier to leave from home port.

 

[woolnough04]

Arrived in Melbourne on an earlier flight which ended up late into Melbourne anyway.Que at Vaustralia checkin for 30 to 45 minutes.No choice of seating position as just about everyone had checked in.On my return lucky Vaustralia at LAX checkin open 6 hours prior to flight so checked in real early with seat i wanted.Much better flight on the way home due to exit row seat.Late into Sydney so missed my connection to Brisbane.They got me on the 1pm flight Sydney / Brisbane.Wouldn't do the transfer bit again but Vaustralia i found were very good for an economy pax.

 

[notmensa]

Que at Vaustralia checkin for 30 to 45 minutes.No choice of seating position as just about everyone had checked in.

This is one of the big drawbacks in flying VAustralia and 'partners'. You can't check in for the VAustralia flight at the initial feeder flight, and so end up being one of the last to check-in on the VAustralia flights. The choice of seat selection is dramatically reduced.

I flew VS from ORD to LAX to connect with a VAustralia flight a few weeks ago. We landed at LAX 1.5 hrs before the VAustralia flight, however another VAustralia flight was getting ready to board so they wouldn't let us check-in straight away. By the time we did check in - about 1hr 15 mins before the flight, there were no window seats left.
Although I am Velocity Silver & booked through the call centre, they told me I couldn't choose my seat when I booked and could only do it at check in.