How much time between domestic & international flight at sydney airport?

[anugirl11]

We've got a Malaysian Airlines flight booked for 6th march Sydney to Rome, leaving sydney at 3:40pm. we're in canberra and I want to fly to sydney but not sure how much time to leave between flights - we're looking at qantas flights a 10:30 out of canberra arriving at 11:20 or an 11:20 arriving at 12:10. I found the minimum connection time is an hour, but sydney airport site says we're supposed to check in for international flights a mimimum of 2 hrs before departure, which means the later flight only gives us 1 1/2 hrs. Doesn't seem like much of a buffer if our domestic flight is delayed due to weather? Does check in 2 hrs before plus 1 hr minimum connection time mean you need at least 3 hrs between flights? When does international check in (with baggage) close?

 

[anat0l]

If I recall correctly, there are new rules which state that QF will not check your bags through to your final destination if your onward flight is on MH. They will only check them in onto SYD.

DJ might be a different story (i.e. I think they might allow through-check).

If you can through-check your bags, then a connection time of 90 minutes will be comfortable.

If not, I'd allow 2-3 hours, preferably 2.5-3 hours just to be sure. This allows some breathing space to collect your bags, make your way to the International terminal (T1) and have some buffer for delays.

Check with MH but as far as I can tell check-in (bag drop) closes 60 minutes prior to departure. This is a fairly standard time limit across most carriers. MH probably says you should check-in at least 2 hours beforehand - this is enough time for people to easily check-in and pass through security with minimum fuss. It's also used as a tactic to ensure they don't get people rushing for check-in when it's about to close . But the bare minimum and book closing time is usually 1 hour before departure.

 

[harvyk]

If it was me personally I'd go the earlier flight... Given they are not all on one ticket you have no protection if something goes wrong, so any extra buffer space you give yourself can only be a good thing.

Don't forget that you'd need to transfer between the terminals, and I'd allow 20 minutes to half an hour for that.

 

[KLN]

would allow as much as is possible. you never know how long that immigration queue is,and if you want to shop at duty free, you need at least 3 hours

 

[JohnK]

As the others have advised get to SYD as early as possible.

Worse case scenario is you will have a few hours extra to kill in SYD airport but if your flight is delayed or cancelled there are later flights that would get you into SYD with plenty of time to spare.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

If I recall correctly, there are new rules which state that QF will not check your bags through to your final destination if your onward flight is on MH. They will only check them in onto SYD.

If the QF CBR/SYD/CBR flights are booked in the same pnr as the MH flights then QF in CBR can through check your bags CBR/FCO. If separate pnrs, QF will only through check bags to other OW carriers which doesn't include MH.

It would be worth calling MH to ask if they "common-rate" CBR with the SYD fare, or even if there's a nominal surcharge to have CBR included in the cost of the international ticket & if so they can add the QF flights into the MH pnr.

Keep in mind that if QF only tag your bags to SYD you can't take your suitcases on the QF shuttle bus to the international terminal so you would need to collect your bags at T3 then buy a ticket on the train around to T1 international, however if bags are through checked to FCO you can take the QF shuttle bus airside which is free.

DJ might be a different story (i.e. I think they might allow through-check).

Check with DJ at CBR Airport rather than ringing res & ask if DJ through check to MH & if so do flights have to be booked in the same pnr or is it ok for 2 separate ones. I would also ask the same question of ZL.

If you can through-check your bags, then a connection time of 90 minutes will be comfortable.

If not, I'd allow 2-3 hours, preferably 2.5-3 hours just to be sure. This allows some breathing space to collect your bags, make your way to the International terminal (T1) and have some buffer for delays.

Ditto with the 3 hours. If your MH flight leaves SYD at 1540 I would want to arrive in SYD around 1240 thus allowing half an hour to disembark & collect bags & half an hour to get from T3 to T1 by train in case you just miss one. This should leave you with a comfortable 2 hours to check in at SIT with MH.

Check with MH but as far as I can tell check-in (bag drop) closes 60 minutes prior to departure. This is a fairly standard time limit across most carriers. MH probably says you should check-in at least 2 hours beforehand - this is enough time for people to easily check-in and pass through security with minimum fuss. It's also used as a tactic to ensure they don't get people rushing for check-in when it's about to close . But the bare minimum and book closing time is usually 1 hour before departure.

Make sure you ask MH if you can allocation your seats now for all your flights & ask if they need your passport details for immigration purposes which will streamline the checkin process. Do MH offer OLCI?

My answers to Anat0l's paragraphs are in blue.

Have you considered flying CBR/SYD the day before on March 5th & overnighting in SYD with friends, family or a hotel. You don't want the stress of potentially missing a flight any time but particularly not at the beginning of a trip?