Short conection Mel Int. Mel Dom.

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dolfie2

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Hi All
Qantas has just put us on an earlier flight from Mel to CBR after flying into Mel from LA which arrives at 0735 with the flight to CBR departing at 0830.

Is 55 min enough time to do Immigration ,baggage and customs then get to Domestic ?

Any advice

thanks
dolfie2
 
In my humble opinion, MEL is the best airport in Australia for Dom to Intl transfers (or vv). I haven't looked at what the minimum connection time is for MEL for quite a while, but I would like like to see at least 1hr 15m connection.

The two Terminals are connected, so an easy walk out of the Intl along to the Dom.
 
I think it is going to be tough.. need all your ducks in order
- front of plane, walk fast, smart gate works, baggage out quickly or no check in baggage, no wait at customs, no wait to drop bags off again

If you are on one ticket/PNR you will be looked after well if you miss the flight
 
That connection I believe is illegal (fails MCT) at MEL. I would ring them and ask for a later flight.
 
A fair chance you wouldn't make it if there are delays at any point. Onward flight will start boarding at 0810.

I had a *very* short connect at MEL once due to a late departure from AUH (back in the good old days when EY codeshared with QF). First Class luggage took an eternity to appear on the belt, rushed upstairs to recheck and had to run to board my MELADL flight (all ADL flights always depart Tullamarine from gate 9 onwards of course). I made the flight but my luggage didn't.
 
I think it is going to be tough.. need all your ducks in order
- front of plane, walk fast, smart gate works, baggage out quickly or no check in baggage, no wait at customs, no wait to drop bags off again

If you are on one ticket/PNR you will be looked after well if you miss the flight

Agree. Would only accept the earlier flight if on the one ticket. A delay in any one of the above processes and you won't make it. Too tight for my liking.
 
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I was going to try that, arriving in J on TG at 8pm and connecting on the last full service carrier out at 9pm... Didn't like my chances so I'm overnighting in Mel
 
My wife and son had a better but unexpected experience on January 22.

Flying LAX-MEL-SYD. QF 94 then QFDom at 12pm giving a transit time of 2h20m.

QF94 had to divert to Sydney because fog in MEL resulted in a backlog of flights and airplanes waiting in the sky. The CSM was incredibly proactive and said to my wife tha. He knew that her final destination was SYD and Qantas is trying to get SYD bound passengers off at the remote refuelling stop. They managed to get a mobile stairs and bus and my wife and son got off.

The bags had to go the long way via MEL as it would not be feasible to search an aircraft hold for bags amonsgt bags belonging to a full QF A380. (You know when its a full flight when the CSM announces that sleeping on floor is not allowed).

QF service recovery was excellent. Without any phone calls from my wife, they updated us about the missing bags several times a day, and all bags arrived 2 days later. Also QF refunded the MEL-SYD legs.

Additionally going through the green line at Sydney with nothing to declare and no checkin lipuggage was too easy!!!

So if you are on an QF LAX-MEL-SYD or LAX-SYD-MEL, there's just a chance you could be diverted and this is one divert that I would want.



to answer the OP question:
If you have lounge access in MEL you may want to delay your MEL-CBR flight to partake in a final few drinks in the lounge. Otherwise leave it as it is.

you dont need to be on the one ticket/PNR as long as you are flying Qantas. QF will rejig your flight if you are late, and they tend to be proactive about it.
 
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My wife and son had a better but unexpected experience on January 22.

Flying LAX-MEL-SYD. QF 94 then QFDom at 12pm giving a transit time of 2h20m.

QF94 had to divert to Sydney because fog in MEL resulted in a backlog of flights and airplanes waiting in the sky. The CSM was incredibly proactive and said to my wife tha. He knew that her final destination was SYD and Qantas is trying to get SYD bound passengers off at the remote refuelling stop. They managed to get a mobile stairs and bus and my wife and son got off.

The bags had to go the long way via MEL as it would not be feasible to search an aircraft hold for bags amonsgt bags belonging to a full QF A380. (You know when its a full flight when the CSM announces that sleeping on floor is not allowed).

QF service recovery was excellent. Without any phone calls from my wife, they updated us about the missing bags several times a day, and all bags arrived 2 days later. Also QF refunded the MEL-SYD legs.

Additionally going through the green line at Sydney with nothing to declare and no checkin lipuggage was too easy!!!

So if you are on an QF LAX-MEL-SYD or LAX-SYD-MEL, there's just a chance you could be diverted and this is one divert that I would want.

The odds are quite low (I've done that sector many times, and not diverted yet). Also, being able to disembark is not guaranteed.
 
The odds are indeed low, and the CSM did say he could not guarantee irregular deplaning. As always the planets have to align, but align sometimes they do. Sort of like the Swiss Cheese scenario but in reverse.

On that QF94 flight departing Jan20, I speculate that because of good tailwinds the aircraft took on less fuel and then got done by the longer than usual hold times due to fog causing a divert back to Sydney. The turn around point was around Albury.

JB747 is CBR an A380 divert airport?
 
The odds are indeed low, and the CSM did say he could not guarantee irregular deplaning. As always the planets have to align, but align sometimes they do. Sort of like the Swiss Cheese scenario but in reverse.

On that QF94 flight departing Jan20, I speculate that because of good tailwinds the aircraft took on less fuel and then got done by the longer than usual hold times due to fog causing a divert back to Sydney. The turn around point was around Albury.

JB747 is CBR an A380 divert airport?

Near Albury is the normal point of no return for Sydney. Canberra could be used in an emergency, but not for normal planning purposes.

You simply can't get enough fuel on (without offloading stuff, be it cargo or passengers or both) to carry the holding and alternated needed if there is fog at Melbourne. Going past Sydney would normally mean that the crew had a reasonable hope that the requirements would be lifted...otherwise you make the call early and drop in for a splash and dash.
 
As a linked ticket, I am surprised they would do it.
I was on a linked ticket from WLG to MEL late last year, the plane was supposed to leave WLG about 1pm or so, but because of heavy rain, didn't leave until 3pm or so, and got to MEL about 5.30pm or there abouts. Getting to a loo, then running to incoming immigration processing, and hoping I didn't get asked aside, which I wasn't.
I just had to run from T2 to T1 for my flight to ADL, leaving 7.05pm, ...
Next time I will leave WLG in the early am.
Scary if you missed the flight, but they would have to put you on the next one to CBR that time of day anyway, if its the last flight of the day, then if you miss it, you have to wait that night in MEL, but for the day flights, there would be several from MEL to CBR.
ANZ (Air NZ) also has a habit of leaving very short connection times, for linked domestic via VA to international, or the other way around.
Edit: NOTE that QF701 now leaves MEL at 8.15pm, when I did it, it left at 7.05pm.
 
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not that likely.. takes a while to clear immigrations and customs.. best not to I think
 
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