Virgin Australia Sydney Seamless Transfer Domestic to International

[yolapol]

Hi Everyone,
So I've freaked myself out over a booking I made with Virgin Australia and hope that you can put my mind at ease.
I am flying from Melbourne to LAX via Sydney and all flights are under one booking. I arrive in Sydney at 12.25pm and then need to transfer to the International terminal for my LAX flight departing at 2.40pm. This gives me 2 hours and 15 minutes to transfer terminals, go through customs and make my international flight. Do you think this gives me enough time? I am so paranoid that if the domestic flight is running late I will miss my flight. To make matters worse, it's during school holidays - my departure is Friday 3 January. Unfortunately I can't change to an earlier domestic flight unless I pay another $1,000! I understand that I can used Virgin's seamless transfer - any experiences / tips?
Thanks so much for your help!

 

[drewbles]

You should be fine. Done this many times before, although it won't hurt to ask when you get to the airport if you can jump on an earlier flight up to SYD.

The connection area at SYD is 'gate 46' (which is actually downstairs). Just follow the signs in the terminal and go down the escalator and turn left. There you'll board the bus over to T1 (International) and you'll be dropped off at the far end of the check-in area. Make your way to the back-middle of the terminal and go through immigration and security, and you're all set. The bus leaves every 10-15 minutes, and it's as smooth as it can be (Same as QF's procedure really). Just have your outgoing passenger departure card completed prior to going through SYD immigration to speed it up. And if you're not in Premium/Business and don't have an express card, perhaps someone here can assist you in getting one. It may help speed things up in SYD (and you can use the 'Express Pass' queue to immigration, which is just past the regular departure area).

And to put your mind to rest further, as you're all on the same booking, you're protected if you do miss your connection.

Oh, and welcome to AFF!

 

[yolapol]

Thanks for your quick reply. Very helpful information. My husband is flying out of Melbourne next week on business class so hopefully he will be able to get an express pass for me - assuming the one he gets in Melbourne can be used in Sydney and used 6 months later?

 

[a330j]

mmm...did Bne-Syd-LAX December in Y last year (arriving Syd 1235 Dep LAX 1440). I have to say my experience was anything but smooth, ended up running with my family through Sydney international with Virgin staff from the plane telling us to move it. They were walking through the terminal calling for missing passengers. Connecting flight wasn't late in but the connection area must have had everyone from the LAX flight there, about 200 people and 2 staff to process them. In the end they just gave up and herded everyone onto buses. The bus route left the domestic airport and traveled by the traffic jammed public roads to the international terminal. In the end the plane pushed back on time. The flight and service was great. So agree that if you can get an earlier flight, take it.

 

[yolapol]

Yikes that sounds stressful. Surely the plane wouldn't have departed if there were ~200 people needing to check in? I am pretty annoyed that Virgin offer such a connection if it's so tight!

 

[kamchatsky]

Sydney Domestic to International transfer is NEVER seamless.

 

[drewbles]

Sydney Domestic to International transfer is NEVER seamless.

It is really. It's not ideal but it works smoothly providing you have enough of a connection time.

The old QF one was; it dropped you off at immigration past security in SYD, then they re-routed you back to landside with a change. So annoying.

 

[JaneS]

Yikes that sounds stressful. Surely the plane wouldn't have departed if there were ~200 people needing to check in? I am pretty annoyed that Virgin offer such a connection if it's so tight!

I am booked through to Victoria via Vancouver and Sydney from melbourne and am looking for help re Sydney transfer from domestic to international terminal. I land at 8.10 from melbourne and my flight departs 10.10. I will have already checked my luggage through in Melb so that will save time. All I have to do is work out how to get from domestic to international. I am flying Virgin , so can I use their seamless transfer? And if so, how do I do that?
Thanks.

 

[JaneS]

Sydney Domestic to International transfer is NEVER seamless.

I hope it is as I need it to get to international for a flight to Vancouver!

 

[Denali]

All I have to do is work out how to get from domestic to international. I am flying Virgin , so can I use their seamless transfer? And if so, how do I do that?
Thanks.

https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/experience/at-the-airport/connecting-flights/

Sydney: Domestic to International
When you check in at a domestic port with connection via Sydney, your bags will be checked through to your final destination and you may receive a boarding pass for your international flight. You will receive a transfer wallet, which contains a map of the transfer port and a bus pass to use in Sydney. Upon arriving in Sydney, make your way to the Transfer Lounge at Gate 46 where the transfer bus will take you to the International Terminal (T1).

If you are already holding a boarding pass for your international flight, you can proceed directly to Customs and Immigration. If you are not holding a boarding pass, you need to proceed to the check in counter of the airline operating your international flight.