SYD minimum connect time

[StevePER]

Can anyone tell me the minimum connect time for SYD international (TN) to domestic (QF)? Is there anywhere on the web that has this sort of information? I couldn't find it anywhere.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Dave Noble]

Can anyone tell me the minimum connect time for SYD international (TN) to domestic (QF)? Is there anywhere on the web that has this sort of information? I couldn't find it anywhere.

Cheers,
Steve

I believe it is about 90 minutes. The best way to find the relevent info is to use Expert Flyer and see what it lists as a valid connection for the itinerary you wish to do

I have noticed it does vary on carriers; I have found that a connection which is invalid to do as MEL-SYD-HNL on QF , is perfectly acceptable if booked on AA

Dave

 

[simongr]

Dave where would you find that on Expert Flyer? I have a premium account and am not sure where it would validate an itinerary?

 

[Dave Noble]

Dave where would you find that on Expert Flyer? I have a premium account and am not sure where it would validate an itinerary?

for a MEL-SYD-HNL itinerary, for example, do MEL-HNL with SYD set as the connecting airport. It will retuirn legal connections for MEL-SYD-HNL.

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

some, but not all, airlines publish MCTs in their timetables (pdfs) - unfortunately QF isnt one of them

 

[simongr]

Ahh - just tried a MEL-SYD-LAX and the minimum time was 80mins.

I just have to wonder why people would seek to minimise the connection time. I normally start with where I need to be and when, what flights get me to that point and work backwards.

 

[StevePER]

Thanks Dave - that works nicely! Apparently there has been a schedule change since I last looked (less than a week ago) so everything connects now.

Steve

 

[Dave Noble]

Ahh - just tried a MEL-SYD-LAX and the minimum time was 80mins.

I just have to wonder why people would seek to minimise the connection time. I normally start with where I need to be and when, what flights get me to that point and work backwards.

I try to minimise connection times since they reduce the journey time. If I was taking a flight from MEL-HKG, I would want a flight from SYD-MEL which keeps the time spent connecting to a minimum

Dave

 

[StevePER]

I just have to wonder why people would seek to minimise the connection time. I normally start with where I need to be and when, what flights get me to that point and work backwards.

The reason I was interested was that I was looking for award flights, there was a 75 minute connection with availability and the next one wasn't for another 11 hours. Also this was coming home so there was no specific time that I needed to be there. Now there's over 2 hours between flights so no problem.

Steve

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I try to minimise connection times since they reduce the journey time. If I was taking a flight from MEL-HKG, I would want a flight from SYD-MEL which keeps the time spent connecting to a minimum

Dave

Agree. Note that some airlines MCTs are ridiculous in some situations (both too high and too low).

For example AC->NZ connection at LAX has 3 hour MCT despite being in the same terminal and no immigration to clear. That very nearly stuffed up an award earlier this year (until I was able to get availability via SFO instead).

Another example, but too small, LH->LH at FRA used to be 45 minutes no matter where came from and where going to. Some connections involve usual air traffic delays (busy period), bus gate, bus drops off in one part of terminal, 3 lots of security to pass through to get to gate for US or TLV bound flight. It is almost physically impossible to do this under 45 minutes (well under allowing for doors close 10 minutes prior). There are other cases (airport/airline) where MCT is 20 minutes, or even less. There is no allowance for any delays, and in some seasons delays are inevitable due to fog or snow.

 

[simongr]

Thanks for the input guys - always a learning experience for me. Again comes down to lack of complex itineraries historically. Looks like my trip next March is going to be interesting planning I just planned a ridiculous journey on a DONE4 (for experimentation) taht had 40K miles flown :shock: I think that there will be a LOT of fine tuning of that before I get even close to booking.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

40k flown isnt ridiculous, some I've played with have been over 70k flown (and could have been even longer but for wanting to optimise QF SCs - which means favouring shorter AA 2-class us flights over longer AA 2-class caribbean/central america/mexico/canada flights).

 

[serfty]

Getting OT a bit here, but the complete routing in relation to the DONE4 I just completed hat a total of 7 PNRs'.

It went thus (Actual DONE4 Segments shown as = ):

MEL-SYD-SIN-CMB=SIN=HKG=NRT=HKG=AKL=MEL
MEL=PER=CNS=MEL
MEL-SYD=HKG=LHR=DXB=LHR=LAX-MEL
MEL-AKL-LAX=DFW=SEA=DFW=ANC=DFW=JFK=YVR=HKG-MEL
MEL-HKG=BKK=CMB-SIN-HKG-MEL.

(This shade represents stops within the segment route e.g. CX703)

Total distance of over 105,000 miles.