Fly ahead to connect to reward international flight

[SBD]

Hi all,

I'm booked to fly SYD-MEL-LAX on a VA reward ticket, so VA is the ticket issuer, VA is the carrier for SYD-MEL (VA 800), and UA is the carrier from MEL to LAX (UA 99).

VA 800 is the first flight of the day out of Sydney, leaving 6am, with a scheduled 7:35am arrival in MEL.

UA 99 (scheduled departure time 9:30am) will probably start boarding at 8:40am, and I'll have passport control to visit before then, so any delay and I'll be getting nervous about my connection. Not concerned about luggage as flying HLO.

Obviously I can't leave Sydney before 6am, so is there any chance VA will fly me down the night before? VA Gold, booked in J both flights, not that it matters.

Due to commitments on arrival in the United States I would also consider buying a cash ticket to MEL the night before to be sure of making the connection - is there any way to do that without being taken for a no-show in Sydney?

Finally, is there anyway UA will put me on UA842 from Sydney to LAX? Would they ever just do that if I ask nicely and they have space, or would they only do it if VA re-issues the ticket for it to happen? It seems very unlikely but I suppose it's theoretically possible.

Appreciate your advice, experience, observations, et cetera (even if the advice is just to travel as planned and hope for the best).

(Feel free to re-home this in the right location - thank you.)

Kind regards,

SBD

 

[MEL_Traveller]

VA is unlikely to fly you down the night before.

If it looks like your VA flight is going to be delayed leaving sydney, you’d ask Virgin, not UA, to accommodate you on the non-stop out of sydney.

That can be done on the day of departure once under airport control, and when agents have significant latitude to change and rearrange flights under those circumstances.

While the UA flight may *say* boarding will start 50 minutes before, I’m not sure how realistic that is. But in any event, the gate is unlikely to close until 20-30 minutes before departure. So you have plenty of time.. security takes at most 10-15 minutes. Passport control even less. And the the walk from VA to the international takes 5 minutes.

If there are long lines, they have airport staff managing the queues and for those whose flights are boarding, you’re given top priority.

So you’d need to land later than 815am to even start getting worried about missing your connection. Even if the BA flight pulled up at 830 you’ll be fine!

You could try changing your ticket to fly down the night before, that may cost a little extra, points wise. But if there are award seats available the night before, it might be possible, You have to call VA.

Alternatively, if you bought your own ticket, you’d have to get rid of the existing SYD-MEL, again, you could do that by calling VA. Missing the SYD-MEL award would result in the cancellation of the rest of the ticket.

 

[SBD]

VA is unlikely to fly you down the night before.

If it looks like your VA flight is going to be delayed leaving sydney, you’d ask Virgin, not UA, to accommodate you on the non-stop out of sydney.

That can be done on the day of departure once under airport control, and when agents have significant latitude to change and rearrange flights under those circumstances.

While the UA flight may *say* boarding will start 50 minutes before, I’m not sure how realistic that is. But in any event, the gate is unlikely to close until 20-30 minutes before departure. So you have plenty of time.. security takes at most 10-15 minutes. Passport control even less. And the the walk from VA to the international takes 5 minutes.

If there are long lines, they have airport staff managing the queues and for those whose flights are boarding, you’re given top priority.

So you’d need to land later than 815am to even start getting worried about missing your connection. Even if the BA flight pulled up at 830 you’ll be fine!

You could try changing your ticket to fly down the night before, that may cost a little extra, points wise. But if there are award seats available the night before, it might be possible, You have to call VA.

Alternatively, if you bought your own ticket, you’d have to get rid of the existing SYD-MEL, again, you could do that by calling VA. Missing the SYD-MEL award would result in the cancellation of the rest of the ticket.

Thank you for this very sound advice.

I’m certainly feeling less time-crunched than I realised, assuming the flight is on time - though if we look like boarding late in Sydney I may have some quick decisions to make…

Kind regards,

SBD

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you for this very sound advice.

I’m certainly feeling less time-crunched than I realised, assuming the flight is on time - though if we look like boarding late in Sydney I may have some quick decisions to make…

Kind regards,

SBD

The flights are well padded… flight times are generally around 65 minutes give or take. 70 minutes is a long flight. Very rarely does it go over that unless there’s bad weather (with the Sydney storms the other day our flight times was 1hr35)

It’s not so much the boarding, because your bags will already be loaded if you have them… it’s more if you arrive at SYD check-in and see the flight is delayed or cancelled. Then you’d work with the check in agent to see options.

 

[SBD]

If it looks like your VA flight is going to be delayed leaving sydney, you’d ask Virgin, not UA, to accommodate you on the non-stop out of sydney.

That can be done on the day of departure once under airport control, and when agents have significant latitude to change and rearrange flights under those circumstances.

And this can happen at the Sydney domestic terminal, right?

I’m envisaging a decision point at the gate waiting for a delayed 6am VA flight to Melbourne. I guess my first item is to make sure the 6:30 flight isn’t leaving before the 6am, and try to get on it if it is.

After that point, can I have VA re-ticket me on UA99 while still standing in the domestic terminal? Who’s best to approach - an agent in the lounge, or service desk on the concourse, or T2 check-in (back landside)?

Thank you,

SBD

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And this can happen at the Sydney domestic terminal, right?

I’m envisaging a decision point at the gate waiting for a delayed 6am VA flight to Melbourne. I guess my first item is to make sure the 6:30 flight isn’t leaving before the 6am, and try to get on it if it is.

After that point, can I have VA re-ticket me on UA99 while still standing in the domestic terminal? Who’s best to approach - an agent in the lounge, or service desk on the concourse, or T2 check-in (back landside)?

Thank you,

SBD

Any delays to the 6am should hopefully be known pretty early.

If you are already at the gate, and have bags, your options are going to be limited, because they’d have to get your bags off the delayed flight, and then you might not have time to make the new flight.

You’d make an assessment on arrival at SYD airport.If weather looked bad at either SYD or MEL, and if there were massive delays, you’d ask at check-in hiw they’re going to make sure you get to LAX.

If they agree it looks like you’re gonna miss the MEL-LAX, they may decide to out you on the UA99 out of SYD. Of if the 6am is delayed, they may get you on the 615 or 630. But you’d want to do that before your bags go on their way.

Realistically you have about an hour up your sleeve for delays. If the flight left as late as 7, got to MEL at 830 (disembarking), you’d be at international security by 845, passport control by 855, and at the gate by 905. But there’d be staff helping you along the way if you were that late.

Looking at flightaware for the last 10 days or so the VA800 has been departing early…. around 5.55am pushback from the terminal, and consistently arriving in MEL before 730.

 

[antycbr]

Increasing your comfort levels:

Realistically the 6am flights are the first services of the day, so use aircraft sitting overnight in SYD. This means you are not waiting for inbound aircraft to arrive.

Crew are coming on to shift and standby crew wouldn’t have been generally used for other services unless there’s a mass sick out. Sydney is one of VAs major hubs.

From a weather perspective you can take off even if moderately foggy (long time CBR residents know about this one!)

Storms that could lead to a ground stop at that time of day are rare. Weather in Melbourne would most likely delay the inbound UA service to some extent.

VA and UA will both be aware of the number of connecting passengers. There may well be pax connecting from ADL and HBA as well that will be impacted by delays. You are in VA business so first off, don’t need to fight your way to the door.

Transpac schedules have some flexibility/padding to absorb delays so if there is capacity the flight will be held for connections.

There is a UA flight to SFO later that morning, which would connect on to numerous flights to the LA area. If you misconnected UA would most likely rebook you on to this route so you’d arrive around 12pm ish.

 

[antycbr]

That can be done on the day of departure once under airport control, and when agents have significant latitude to change and rearrange flights under those circumstances.

Finding a suitably qualified and authorised agent to do this at SYD T2 would be the main challenge here. I’d prefer UA agents in MEL to sort it than VA, but if stranded in SYD T2 find the international connections desk rather than the domestic priority line.

 

[SBD]

Any delays to the 6am should hopefully be known pretty early.

If you are already at the gate, and have bags, your options are going to be limited, because they’d have to get your bags off the delayed flight, and then you might not have time to make the new flight.

You’d make an assessment on arrival at SYD airport.If weather looked bad at either SYD or MEL, and if there were massive delays, you’d ask at check-in hiw they’re going to make sure you get to LAX.

If they agree it looks like you’re gonna miss the MEL-LAX, they may decide to out you on the UA99 out of SYD. Of if the 6am is delayed, they may get you on the 615 or 630. But you’d want to do that before your bags go on their way.

Realistically you have about an hour up your sleeve for delays. If the flight left as late as 7, got to MEL at 830 (disembarking), you’d be at international security by 845, passport control by 855, and at the gate by 905. But there’d be staff helping you along the way if you were that late.

Looking at flightaware for the last 10 days or so the VA800 has been departing early…. around 5.55am pushback from the terminal, and consistently arriving in MEL before 730.

Definitely carry on only for this trip.

Appreciate your detailed consideration and advice.

Thank you,

SBD

 

[SBD]

There is a UA flight to SFO later that morning, which would connect on to numerous flights to the LA area. If you misconnected UA would most likely rebook you on to this route so you’d arrive around 12pm ish.

This is a good point. I’m connecting in LAX to an ERW flight, also UA but booked separately (also in J or F - whatever they sell as Polaris on the 757, which I’ve never flown before).

But if I go via SFO I’d take anything that gets me to New York City by midnight.

It’s not the whole purpose of the trip but the next day I’m having lunch with a 98 year old former Pan Am stewardess, who flew Stratocruisers across the Atlantic from the late 1940s on.

I’ll post about this in another thread in coming days. I’ve met her once before, 15 years ago. Her stories are amazing.