Question about a connecting flight, Canberra International Airport to Sydney Airport onto Bangkok

[marty344]

Hello everyone, i'm hopingyou can help me out. Im wanting to catch an international flight from Canberra International Airport to Sydney International Airport, onto Bankok on the one ticket, itinerarary with Qantas. The stopover in Sydney is 2 hours.
Im a bit confused i have never caught a connecting flight before.

When i arrive in Sydney, will i arrive in Sydney International Airport or the Domestic Airport.

Will my checked in luggage be transferred onto the Airbus, or will i have to go collect it. And most importantly will i get to skip Immiigration and Security having done it in Canberra, or will i have to go through it again in Sydney? Will 2 hours be enough time. I would very much appreciate any help.

 

[yachty]

Hey mate. Think about the Canberra-Sydney leg as a normal domestic flight. You'll pass through security in Canberra and arrive at Qantas' domestic terminal (T3) in Sydney. There's a Qantas shuttle bus that will take you to the international terminal (T1). They leave every 30 minutes, and the trip takes about 15 minutes. There's info under the Transfers section on the Qantas website here.

Once you arrive at the international terminal you will proceed through security (again) and then immigration.

Your bags will be checked all the way through. Two hours should be OK if everything goes smoothly. Other members may have more informed thoughts than me on how long is a comfortable transit time

Welcome to AFF!

 

[justinbrett]

Will my checked in luggage be transferred onto the Airbus, or will i have to go collect it. And most importantly will i get to skip Immiigration and Security having done it in Canberra, or will i have to go through it again in Sydney? Will 2 hours be enough time. I would very much appreciate any help.

It's an airside transfer, that goes from the domestic gate (so you don't need to walk to baggage claim / outside) and drops you off at the bottom of an escalator that goes straight to passport control. It's reasonably seamless in this direction (D-I), less so on the return.

2 hours would be the absolute minimum I'd accept, ideally you'd want three. 2 hours is plenty of time just to be clear, the issue is padding in case your domestic flight is late.

 

[marty344]

Hey mate. Think about the Canberra-Sydney leg as a normal domestic flight. You'll pass through security in Canberra and arrive at Qantas' domestic terminal (T3) in Sydney. There's a Qantas shuttle bus that will take you to the international terminal (T1). They leave every 30 minutes, and the trip takes about 15 minutes. There's info under the Transfers section on the Qantas website here.

Once you arrive at the international terminal you will proceed through security (again) and then immigration.

Your bags will be checked all the way through. Two hours should be OK if everything goes smoothly. Other members may have more informed thoughts than me on how long is a comfortable transit time

Welcome to AFF!

Thats great, mnay thanks for the reply.

 

[marty344]

It's an airside transfer, that goes from the domestic gate (so you don't need to walk to baggage claim / outside) and drops you off at the bottom of an escalator that goes straight to passport control. It's reasonably seamless in this direction (D-I), less so on the return.

2 hours would be the absolute minimum I'd accept, ideally you'd want three. 2 hours is plenty of time just to be clear, the issue is padding in case your domestic flight is late.

Thats great, many thanks for the reply.

 

[Himeno]

You'll arrive in Sydney at the Qantas Domestic terminal (T3). Go to gate 15 for the transfer bus.
T3 map: https://syd-airport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sydney-Airport-Terminal-3.jpg

Once the bus is ready (if you're lucky, a bus will arrive just as you get to gate 15), you go downstairs and board the bus (you will need to scan the boarding pass for your international flight before going downstairs).
The bus travels on the internal airport roads, past the cargo terminal and then to T1.
Once off the bus, you go upstairs to the T1 departures level. Follow the corridor around, it opens into the back of the international check in area beside the international security/passport control area (behind check in C on the map https://syd-airport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/T1-International-Departures.jpg)

 

[RooFlyer]

The stopover in Sydney is 2 hours.

Welcome to AFF @marty344

Your '2 hrs' includes:

* Gate arrival in SYD on time (this is the weakest link)
* You de-plane-ing at Sydney Domestic, then making your way to the shuttle bus
* The shuttle bus being on schedule, not full or you not just missing it and you then having to wait for the next one (30 mins right there)
* Clearing international security and passport control
* Make your way to the International departure gate (probably will be a hike)
* Being at the international departure gate I think 45 mins before departure. (I stand to be corrected).

So, in effect your 'connection time', for the first 5 above, is actually 1hr 15 mins; 1hr 30 mins tops.

Canberra to Sydney flights are currently suffering a high cancellation rate. Sydney airport is notorious for congestion due to weather and other factors.

I wouldn't book a two hour connection time to International at Sydney (sorry ...), unless you are a very cool customer . Four hours for me, including the possibility of my CBR-SYD flight being cancelled or substantially delayed. If I got a good run, then I just chill somewhere and watch the harried masses run by.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If its a/as its a linked PNR/tix, you will show your passport and etix to the QF check in staff at CBR dom, fly to SYD on either a Dash8 or the 737, if Dash8, bag limits might apply, so choose wisely.
As others have said, you will arrive into T3, which is still dom, but as you have shown your passport and have a BP for the bus and then the int flight, you do not have to approach staff at SYD T1, just go straight through outgoing int sec screening, and then outgoing immi.
CBR int, as international, is no longer it now, as there are no longer any int flights coming out of going into CBR, except the VIPs.
Get the bus at gate 15 at T3, it drops you off at T1, you rush up the escalators, and go straight to the outgoing pax area, and do int sec screening there, and outgoing immi, and then the long walk to the dep gate.
Coming back, its more or less the same process, at T1, you do incoming immi, and incoming quarantine, and the SYD - CBR flight is also again QFd.
===
You providing your passport to be dipped and swiped at QFd CBR checkin, is not passport control, or outgoing immi.
It just covers QF that you are the right person, and have your data, the <<<>>> data page data, is then on QF's system.
Immi will still have to be done in SYD, via Smartgate, or via the staffed booth.
No liquids and min clothing will see you pass outgoing int sec screening fast.
Its the hands akimbo type of screening, then if unlucky, a patdown as well as the *omb residue test.
QFd staff at CBR might be able to put you onto an earlier flight, if you get to CBR airport earlier, and there are spare seats.

 

[Seat0B]

I do the CBR-SYD domestic connection to international fairly often and I agree all the advice upthread that 2 hrs may be stressful for your transfer. I always want 3 hrs and at the moment due to cancellations and delays leaving CBR I agree it’s better with longer.

When you check in at CBR you will have to use a staffed check in (you can’t do bag drop for international connections - or you couldn’t last time I did this) and they will check your bag all the way through to your final destination. You will also have to show your passport to QF check in at CBR even though you will also have to do the full immigration thing in SYD international terminal.