How much time to allocate to get to SYD from BNE for International flight

[darkice]

Hi All,

Have booked a ticket from
-Syd to TPE which departs at 10:10PM on New Years Day 2024 (China Arilines)

We live in brisbane so need to get a ticket down to sydney. When booking the classic reward flights (Qantas) there was a number of options available. The below are arrival times in sydney

5:45pm (4 hr 20 min to int flight)
6:45pm (3 hr 20 min to int flight)
7:50pm (2 hr 20 min to int flight)

What are your thoughts given that we'll need to go from domestic to international, including picking up luggage and checking in again? Would arriving at 7:50pm be cutting it too tight at the airport?

 

[Hvr]

5:45pm (4 hr 20 min to int flight)

This is the only one I would even consider. It allows for a flight delay and changing terminals at SYD.

IMO the others are too tight and I would be stressed until I was in SYD INT terminal.

 

[RooFlyer]

I would definitely choose the first option. You'll need to allow for possible delay inbound from BNE, collect your bags at SYD, change terminals, check in, clear security, clear immigration and be ready to board I'm guessing 30 mins prior to departure.

4H20m I would regard as a minimum.

 

[exLXCXFF]

Hi All,

Have booked a ticket from
-Syd to TPE which departs at 10:10PM on New Years Day 2024 (China Arilines)

We live in brisbane so need to get a ticket down to sydney. When booking the classic reward flights (Qantas) there was a number of options available. The below are arrival times in sydney

5:45pm (4 hr 20 min to int flight)
6:45pm (3 hr 20 min to int flight)
7:50pm (2 hr 20 min to int flight)

What are your thoughts given that we'll need to go from domestic to international, including picking up luggage and checking in again? Would arriving at 7:50pm be cutting it too tight at the airport?

Option 1 - no discussion

 

[darkice]

wow damn, didn't expect that.

There's also a flight that lands at 4:50pm as well as another option. Allows 5hr 20 mins. Does that seem extreme?

 

[Hvr]

Allows 5hr 20 mins. Does that seem extreme?

No, it's getting towards comfortable timing.

 

[AIRwin]

Would arriving at 7:50pm be cutting it too tight at the airport?

Check-in closes 40 minutes before scheduled departure:

https://news.china-airlines.com/bvct/atairport?country=us&locale=en

There's also a flight that lands at 4:50pm as well as another option. Allows 5hr 20 mins. Does that seem extreme?

Given that check-in should be open around 7 pm, a 4:50 pm arrival will give you more time/options to make your way to T1...

 

[VPS]

If it was me I'd be going in the morning or the night before but I'm very risk averse

 

[Brissy1]

Your earliest consideration departs bne at about 3:15 (EST). As I write this the time is about 2:15 and there are storms approaching bne, maybe stopping all flights in an hour's time. Mmm.

 

[RooFlyer]

If it was me I'd be going in the morning or the night before but I'm very risk averse

Same for me.

 

[AIRwin]

As I write this the time is about 2:15 and there are storms approaching bne, maybe stopping all flights in an hour's time.

The storm is delaying some flights by at least an hour this afternoon:

 

[drron]

We might go on the day if we have an evening flight but if even early afternoon we go down the night before. So Option 1 or even the flight before.

 

[darkice]

thanks for all the advice guys. Will look to book the early flight I think and maybe we can pay for lounge access to make the wait a bit more comfortable

 

[justinbrett]

I would say 4 is nice, 3 is the minimum, 5 is heaps.

The actual process of transferring only takes about 30-45 minutes, you can always pay and get the train in which case you could do it in under 30 minutes.

But.... the reason for the fat is not for the travel time, it's to absorb delays in case the arriving flight is late.

And if you're on one ticket and not terribly concerned about being rebooked, then go with the flow. I did book a 4:00 transfer in June that's now 3:30 due to schedule changes, I'm not going to stress (going to the US so plenty of options if I miss the flight).

 

[flydoc]

...clear immigration...

“Passport control”

 

[JohnK]

My wife was flying SYD-SIN on Scoot at 10:00pm recently and I was going to book Qantas award for her BNE-SYD that afternoon.

I looked at the flight arriving 5:45pm and thought any delay and she'll be pushing it. The next earliest was arriving 3:45pm so chose that one.

In the end everything went smoothly and she had a few hours to kill so the 5:45pm would have been fine but I think best to be safe than sorry.

 

[NM]

In my recent experience with QFF Classic Rewards flights, you will be the first to be impacted if there are flight delays/cancellations. Even as a Lifetime Gold FF, Qantas has changed several of my Classic Reward flights for no specific reason. A few times they have implied the flight was cancelled and I had to be moved to a later flight, only to find that the original flight did operate - suggesting they wanted our Classic reward seats for other paying passengers and moved us to a less popular flight.

And EVERY time Qantas has moved our classic rewards flights to a different flight, it is ALWAYS to a later departure. Trying to convince Qantas that you need to be on an earlier flight rather than a later one is going to be headache you don't need. QF will have no visibility of your onward flight from Sydney and as they are separate bookings they have no responsibility to get you to Sydney in time for your onward flight. They can say "sorry, your flight was delayed/cancelled and the next available seat for you is at 8pm.

Go s early as you can and plan a relaxing wait at SYD with a good book and an overpriced meal, unless you have lounge access at SYD which will help with the layover time.

 

[justinbrett]

In my recent experience with QFF Classic Rewards flights, you will be the first to be impacted if there are flight delays/cancellations. Even as a Lifetime Gold FF, Qantas has changed several of my Classic Reward flights for no specific reason. A few times they have implied the flight was cancelled and I had to be moved to a later flight, only to find that the original flight did operate - suggesting they wanted our Classic reward seats for other paying passengers and moved us to a less popular flight.

And EVERY time Qantas has moved our classic rewards flights to a different flight, it is ALWAYS to a later departure. Trying to convince Qantas that you need to be on an earlier flight rather than a later one is going to be headache you don't need. QF will have no visibility of your onward flight from Sydney and as they are separate bookings they have no responsibility to get you to Sydney in time for your onward flight. They can say "sorry, your flight was delayed/cancelled and the next available seat for you is at 8pm.

Go s early as you can and plan a relaxing wait at SYD with a good book and an overpriced meal, unless you have lounge access at SYD which will help with the layover time.

Strangely enough if you read the T&Cs they use the wording of booking “next available” rather than “closest available”. I’ve had auto rebooking on AA and they give you the option of anything 7 days after but nothing before.

Yes if you ask you can get earlier but I think all the systems are coded for this.

 

[NM]

Strangely enough if you read the T&Cs they use the wording of booking “next available” rather than “closest available”. I’ve had auto rebooking on AA and they give you the option of anything 7 days after but nothing before.

Yes if you ask you can get earlier but I think all the systems are coded for this.

Yes, I think the computer determines that a change to an earlier flight may be considered a "voluntary" change, so can only be achieved by calling and if there is classic award availability, where a change to a later ("next available") flight of their choosing of the definition of "next available" has a little more flexibility for them to determine which future flight they are willing to make space available for you classic award seat.

 

[Quickstatus]

Work backwards

Flight departs 22:10 - that does not mean you can rock up at 22:10
40min You need to be at the gate 40min prior = 21:30
30min Allow time for Immigration and security check and walk from security to gate = 21:00
45min travel from DOM to INT = 20:15
30 min getting your bags at SYD DOM= 19:45

1930hrs arrival allows approx 15 min for delays
1845hrs arrival = allows 1hr for delays
1745hrs = allows 2hrs for delays

The 1745 would be a comfortable flight to take and gives you some padding with respect to delays. Cancellations are ok too if as there are later flights you can be put on. However it will not cover a cancellation where you are shunted to the next day.