I did this on Saturday morning, VA309 (7am MEL-BNE) then VA7 (10:50am BNE-LAX),
Checked in at 05:45am, after some time in the lounge we headed off for boarding, no queue and we departed on time out of MEL, took off at 0705 off 34, into BNE early and after a long taxi, at the gate by 09:10am...