Transit time SYD-PER-SIN sufficient?

N0mad

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Posts
243
I managed to get an economy reward flight from SYD to SIN via PER on a single booking reference.

flying QF643 Sydney - Perth arrive in Perth 10:20am
QANTAS have changed the flight time from Perth to Singapore and made it 1 hour earlier
QF 71 PER-SIN depart 11:25am

while 2 hours layover seemed safe, i'm a little worried this may not be. I'm not even sure when we go through immigration as we depart from Terminal 3 in Sydney which makes me think we do it in Perth.

Would they wait for us or do i need to call QANTAS?
 
I did this transit a few times in both directions many years ago.

I'm not sure what happens now post Covid but this one time I was waiting for the transfer bus on the domestic side and it was running late and they started boarding and we went to international via the airport runway, rush through immigration and security and made boarding as they were waiting for me.

I think the airport has changed since then but I'm guessing there wouldn't be many international departures at that time of the morning and if everything is on time you should be fine.

I also think they'd wait for you as they'd know you're on the way. Worth a call to get clarification.
 
Pre covid I would be worried but now I would ring up and see if there is a earlier flight
 
The Qantas flights all arrive and depart from T3/4 now. It's the same building structure. No need to transfer to T1. Your bags should be checked the entire way through so just need to clear international security. It's not that bad.

I've not connected domestic to international before but accidentally checked in for my PER-MEL 787 flight via domestic. (It's one of those domestic flights that leaves from international). From domestic I followed the signs down the corridor through to international security. As long as your flight lands reasonably on time you'll be fine.

Qantas flights Perth terminal
 
can confirm both flights arrive/depart terminal 4, so may be doable if they wait for us. unfortunately that looks to be the first flight out of Sydney so can't get an earlier flight.

Will flag with the flight crew Syd-Per of the transfer so hopefully they prioritise us getting off first.

thank you all
 
Assuming no flight delays, you'll be fine. In any other city T3 and T4 would just be considered one terminal. If you arrive and the furthest possible gate to immigration it would be at most a 5 minute slow walk. Immigration should be quick. If there's a queue then it means there are other people in that queue on your flight as there are no other international departures from that terminal at that time.

If however you arrive late and miss your flight then I suspect you're either hanging around for 24 hours (I don't think QF have a second flight?) or convincing QF to get you to T1 and put you in a SQ flight.
 
The minimum connection time for this type of transit is 60 minutes, so technically this is OK.

As T3/4 are quite close to each other this should be fine as long as the inbound flight is on time. (If it's not on time, at least your connection will be "protected" if it's on one ticket - as @Daver6 says this doesn't necessarily mean you'd arrive in Singapore on the same day but QF would have to rebook you at their expense.)
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

When I was looking, there were options SYD-MEL-PER-SIN. That you might be able to change to but it required an o/n in MEL but the MEL flight departs at “sparrow’s” - so offered a longer layover.

I was tempted to do it for the extra SCs (as PC) and the chance to try the QF Int transit lounge but I snagged a SYD-SIN non-stop that appeared from nowhere.

Did you get similar return routing? Some further discussion of transiting PER T3/4 here:
 
I wouldn't sweat it. As Daver6 mentioned, this would take you 5 minutes if you walked slowly. Just remember to have your passport and boarding pass PER-SIN at hand in your carry-on and you'll be fine.

Obviously it can't hurt to flag it with the cabin crew on the SYD-PER leg, but if your flight is on time you won't have any problems making that connection.
 
I wouldn't sweat it. As Daver6 mentioned, this would take you 5 minutes if you walked slowly. Just remember to have your passport and boarding pass PER-SIN at hand in your carry-on and you'll be fine.

Obviously it can't hurt to flag it with the cabin crew on the SYD-PER leg, but if your flight is on time you won't have any problems making that connection.
Effectively, T3 and T4 are in the same building, separated by the baggage carousels between them.
 
Effectively, T3 and T4 are in the same building, separated by the baggage carousels between them.

Landside that is the case, but not airside. The T3 gates airside actually get used for T4 flights as they are swing gates.
 
In SYD, your passport would be swiped through the QF check in system, and then you would be give a through process BP for both flights.
Just make sure you keep your BP for both flights safe and secure, and don't loose them.
You can't get through if your passport is not swiped into the QF computer in SYD anyway, and that is your starting point.
So when your plane arrives into QFd T4 in PER, deplane, and walk straight to immi and outwards security screening, no need to approach check in at QFi T3 in PER.
Through flights, on the one PNR are very good, preferable than on separate bookings.
I have done QFd T4 to QFi T1 many years ago, departing ADL, didn't know my passport had to be swiped in the check in system in ADL, kept getting the red beep at the gate, had done OLCI, didn't realise passport needed to be swiped, so had to go to service desk and they swiped my passport, and then it was green, after and I got the little slip.
Taxi from T4 to T1, this was years ago, now that QFi departs from T3, no worries, just next door.
T3 used to the ANd terminal, many years ago, then it was VAd, then they just upgraded it for QFi flights.
Practically next to each other.
 
When I was looking, there were options SYD-MEL-PER-SIN. That you might be able to change to but it required an o/n in MEL but the MEL flight departs at “sparrow’s” - so offered a longer layover.

I was tempted to do it for the extra SCs (as PC) and the chance to try the QF Int transit lounge but I snagged a SYD-SIN non-stop that appeared from nowhere.

Did you get similar return routing? Some further discussion of transiting PER T3/4 here:
I'm flying SQ J on the return, unfortunately only had enough points for 1 leg, wish my points were reversed as QFF are hard to redeem from AUS.

definitely feeling more at ease and will follow all the tips suggested in the above
 
Back
Top