Connection Canberra Sydney International

[PaulyB]

Good evening. It's been a while since I have traveled, so like many Q passengers, I'm a little rusty..
I'm planning Sept to go to Koh Samui, leaving from CBR, via BKK.

How does the connection with Sydney work at the moment? Does Canberra currently have an international check-in and would the luggage be booked through? It would be a QF booking the whole way. As there is a different terminal in Sydney I am struggling to see how that could work.

Thanks!
Paul

 

[sqrt()]

On the one QF ticket, no reason why you can't check in in CBR for both flights and have baggage checked all the way through.

That said, I had a bad experience earlier this year where I was checked in for my SYD-SIN flight at the same time as my CBR-SYD flight, but hadn't satisfied a testing requirement so was denied boarding when I got to the gate at SYD T1. Make sure you leave plenty of connection time (obviously).

T3 (QF domestic) - T1 (international) in Sydney is easy on the qantas-supplied transfer bus, as long as you have an international Qantas/Oneworld/Emirates connection. No need to leave the QF terminal to transfer.

Sydney T3 domestic airport guide | Qantas

Find out the parking options, transport connections, lounge facilities and more at Sydney T3 domestic airport.

www.qantas.com

For domestic arrivals, transfers to the international terminal (T1) depart from gate 15 approximately every 30 minutes between 7:30am and 9:30pm every day, with a travel time of approximately 15 mins.

 

[sudoer]

That said, I had a bad experience earlier this year where I was checked in for my SYD-SIN flight at the same time as my CBR-SYD flight, but hadn't satisfied a testing requirement so was denied boarding when I got to the gate at SYD T1. Make sure you leave plenty of connection time (obviously).

I had the same issue checking in at SYD T3 for BNE-SIN. Had to pull out all my paperwork during boarding in BNE, the same for approx 30 others checked in at SYD.

 

[PaulyB]

Thanks for these. Yes. Connection times are a big thing. Am checking and double-checking all our paperwork too!

I assume from what you are saying, that there is absolutely no way to check-in for international from Canberra. Have to do that in Sydney still?

Cheer

 

[sudoer]

I assume from what you are saying, that there is absolutely no way to check-in for international from Canberra. Have to do that in Sydney still?

You should be able to check-in in Canberra by going to a service desk. Just be prepared to show your vax paperwork again when boarding your international flight in Sydney.

 

[sqrt()]

Thanks for these. Yes. Connection times are a big thing. Am checking and double-checking all our paperwork too!

I assume from what you are saying, that there is absolutely no way to check-in for international from Canberra. Have to do that in Sydney still?

Cheer

Yes, you can check in for a QF international connection in Canberra. Flights need to be on the same ticket.

 

[PaulyB]

You should be able to check-in in Canberra by going to a service desk. Just be prepared to show your vax paperwork again when boarding your international flight in Sydney.

Oh! I wasn't expecting that. Arent they different terminals?

 

[dylarr]

Yes, you can check in for a QF international connection in Canberra. Flights need to be on the same ticket.

They can be separate tickets if QF-QF and same day.

 

[sudoer]

Arent they different terminals?

In Canberra you just go to a domestic service desk for check-in.

In Sydney your flight will arrive at T3 and you'll need to transfer to T1, which you can do on the QF bus (from gate 15 from memory). Qantas will take care of transferring your bags.

 

[Ade]

I had the same issue checking in at SYD T3 for BNE-SIN. Had to pull out all my paperwork during boarding

I had the same issue CBR-SYD-SIN-CMB-MAA in March this year. The pax before me was denied boarding and he was sent to a separate queue. When it was my turn, I was denied boarding too. But the agent asked me what my final destination was, I said "Chennai, India", then she asked me if I had a negative PCR test for arrival into India. I explained that India (back then) did not need a negative PCR test to enter the country, when the pax is flying out of AU. She had a moment of realisation and sent me the same queue as the previous pax. A QF FA was walking up and down the queue asking if any of us is travelling to India and had a domestic connection this morning. I raised my hand, I was taken to the front of the queue and boarded immediately. The agent processing my boarding said that the agent in CBR forgot to waive the negative test check when issuing BPs.

 

[Ade]

How does the connection with Sydney work at the moment?

As other AFF'ers indicated, the transfer from QF dom to intl happens easily using the transit bus at Gate 15. During my trip, I de-planed and went straight to Gate 15, there were 2 pax before. BPs checked and went down the stairs to board the bus. Took around 5 mins from arrival gate to into the bus. The bus took around 10 minutes (we had to wait/pause every now and then, for some reason). Arrived at Intl, joined the automated passport gate queue.

Does Canberra currently have an international check-in and would the luggage be booked through?

If all the legs of the journey are on the same ticket, bags will be checked thru to destination & BPs issued thru to destination. There is a "international connections" check-in desk at CBR airport you can use.

 

[RichardMEL]

I think the confusion may be that yes, T1 SYD International is a different terminal, and when the QF bus drops you off at international (after transfer from domestic via Gate 15) you still need to clear international departure formalities - eg: security again, passport control. This is, of course, separate to airline check in - you should receive your SYD-BKK boarding pass in CBR and when you trandfer to international you just go through departures - no need to check in again with QF there.

It's reasonably easy to do for most pax (paperwork snafus aside) and while adds time and complexity to the journey is not hugely inconvenient (unless one has a short connection - I personally would not do under 2h - just in case).

 

[PaulyB]

Thanks, Richard and all. Yes - that totally clarifies it. I hadn't made the distinction betwen airline and security check-in.! Rusty indeed.....
Also supported by this useful article this morning; Qantas Restores Seamless Terminal Transfers at Sydney Airport (see the last para)!

Much appreciation.
Paul

 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks, Richard and all. Yes - that totally clarifies it. I hadn't made the distinction betwen airline and security check-in.! Rusty indeed.....
Also supported by this useful article this morning; Qantas Restores Seamless Terminal Transfers at Sydney Airport (see the last para)!

Much appreciation.
Paul

You'll be match fit again in no time!

 

[PaulyB]

You'll be match fit again in no time!