Domestic to Internation connection - Syd

[Mitch_W]

I hope you make the connection although it will not be easy.

Have you considered how much a one-way car rental SYD-TMW booked at the airport (+ fuel) will cost you? I would spend the extra money now to change flights and have peace of mind.

The 15:40 SYD-TMW flight is $180 and assuming you purchased the 12:20 flight for $95 then to book the later flight will cost you $129 per person or $258 for both of you. There is a 19:00 SYD-TMW flight for $135 and to change to this one will cost $84 per person or $168 for both of you. Can you find something to do in SYD for a few hours?

Hi John,

One way rental is $260 plus fuel. The 15:40 & the 19:00 flights on 7/3/10 are now at $228 each plus a $50 change fee each. At this equation, I will take my chances. If it all turns pear shaped I will hopefully enjoy a nice drive back. But thanks for your thoughts. If I was thinking clearly when I booked, I should have booked the 15:40 which was at $175 back then.

Regards,

Mitch

 

[JohnK]

One way rental is $260 plus fuel. The 15:40 & the 19:00 flights on 7/3/10 are now at $228 each plus a $50 change fee each. At this equation, I will take my chances. If it all turns pear shaped I will hopefully enjoy a nice drive back. But thanks for your thoughts. If I was thinking clearly when I booked, I should have booked the 15:40 which was at $175 back then.

Please excuse my ignorance as I do rave on sometimes. Car rental in a way is not that different to the trend of airfares on a flight as you get closer to the day. So your one way rental today is $260 + fuel.

If you are lucky you may get that price at the airport on the day. Just a thought....

 

[Mitch_W]

Yes, ticketing is separate. One is SQ(KF award) & one is QF. Both booked on airline websites.
Phoned QF and they confirmed the $50pp would stand. As it is, it will cost $300 to change to the later flight (QF regional flights are so expensive!). After much deliberation, I have decided to stay with the tight connection & take my chances. If all fails, I will hire a car & drive home & arrive around the same time as the 15:40 reaches Tamworth. I will repost when I return 2nd week March & let you know how it went.

Regards,

Mitch

Hi All,

I have returned and pleased to say was successful in making this tight connection.

It went like this: SQ Arr SYD 10:47 (was due in 11:10) So early as usual.
Travelled J so in the first 15 people off the plane. Walked briskly overtaking all others including F (only 2 in F anyway with 6 spare beds!)
Straight to empty priority immigration counter and straight thru after quick service. Walked briskly to baggage carrosel which had not even fired up. As we wait for priority marked bags we are approached by Quarrantine man who asks if we have anything to declare which we don't. He then marks our cards and tells us to proceed to the last exit, hand card to the guy there & we can go straight thru without check. Bags arrive after 5 or so mins and off we go as planned. Out into the terminal pushing trolley quickly to Qantas domestic transfer area. Arr there with no queue! Straight to check in person, drop bags, she tags them to TMW & off we go thru security checks ( had already checked in online before we left SIN so already had printed boarding passes) Got thru security & onto a bus that was about to leave! Arr T3 then walked quickly thru carpark across to T2. Upstairs to Dep lounge, to security again, thru quickly, quick check of Dep Board & note Gate 56...right at the end of the terminal. Made way to gate. Arr gate at 11:43. Boarding starts 12:00. We board at 12:10 and sit on gate until 12:35 (Dep was 12:20 planned). We both pray & give thanks for all green lights! Then catch breath! If SQ was on time & not early it may have been touch & go. But in the end had a great trip and all good. Interesting point is we travelled over with Air Asia in their version of J (OOL to KUL). Not too bad for $600 each one way but not a patch on SQ in J.

Regards,

Mitch

 

[Mal]

I have returned and pleased to say was successful in making this tight connection.

Good to hear it worked out - but that was a very close one. If you missed that bus, you would have been 10-20 mins delayed. If the flight had've been on time - that's another 20 mins you would have lost. Any small delay could have ended up with a different story.

50 mins for the transfer is very good timing though.

 

[RB]

Congrats. Reckon it proves that 99.9% of the time it would not happen.

 

[JohnK]

I have returned and pleased to say was successful in making this tight connection.

Glad it has all worked out. Would you risk that type of connection next time?

 

[Mitch_W]

Glad it has all worked out. Would you risk that type of connection next time?

Hi John,

Good question. Probably not but considering every SQ flight from SIN to SYD that I have travelled on in the past 3 years has arrived 20 to 30 mins early, the law of averages says give it a go. Sure beats sitting around for 4.5 hrs for the next one but still....probably not. The whole equation changes soon anyway once we finish daylight saving.

Regards,

Mitch