Recent Experiences with QF’s new terminal transfer at SYD

[AustraliaPoochie]

This makes very little sense to me either. Having flown a number of times through the US where you are required by Federal law to clear immigration, collect your checked bags, clear customs and then re-check your bag, the other airlines seems to have figured this whole thing out.

Some examples from pre-COVID times:
Flying LHR > SYD (via LAX) I land at the TBIT (terminal B). Clear immigration in 5 minutes thanks to Global Entry. Wait about 15 minutes at Carousel for bags to arrive. Walk the 100 metres to clear immigration, show my boarding pass to United baggage connection team, who promptly accepts the bag for onward journey. I then re-clear security at TBIT and head for T7 which is about a 20 minute brisk walk between terminals air-side.

Flying LHR > YYZ (via ORD) with United, I land at terminal 5. Clear immigration in 5 minutes thanks to Global Entry. Wait maybe 5 minutes for bags to arrive in carousel. Walk the 50 feet to clear immigration, show my boarding pass to United baggage connection team who promptly accepts the bag for onward journey. I then catch the inter-terminal bus land-side (damn people mover was down) to make it to my flight taking out of Terminal 1.

I should also note Heathrow and many airports internationally they don't charge you to use the train to go between terminals. Heck even at JFK, which many people argue represents one of the worst airports in the world, their Airtrain system provides free access for inter-terminal transit. Why does Sydney airport always seem to be behind the times?

-RooFlyer88

This is Qantas we are talking about, here.
Cost cutting.
Only till it got out that bad, in the news, that our "friend" AJ decided to do something.
I am sure ST would not have put out the email without the sayso of AJ, warmest regards and all that jazzy feel good wordings.
In the past, when enhancement occurred. we kept quiet.
Remember when ADL - SYD used to earn us 15 SC in whY, and now its 10, remember too that in the news, there wasn't as yet a mention that you can't in future check in at the airport, you MUST do it online prior to reaching the airport...

 

[justinbrett]

This makes very little sense to me either. Having flown a number of times through the US where you are required by Federal law to clear immigration, collect your checked bags, clear customs and then re-check your bag, the other airlines seems to have figured this whole thing out.

Some examples from pre-COVID times:
Flying LHR > SYD (via LAX) I land at the TBIT (terminal B). Clear immigration in 5 minutes thanks to Global Entry. Wait about 15 minutes at Carousel for bags to arrive. Walk the 100 metres to clear immigration, show my boarding pass to United baggage connection team, who promptly accepts the bag for onward journey. I then re-clear security at TBIT and head for T7 which is about a 20 minute brisk walk between terminals air-side.

Flying LHR > YYZ (via ORD) with United, I land at terminal 5. Clear immigration in 5 minutes thanks to Global Entry. Wait maybe 5 minutes for bags to arrive in carousel. Walk the 50 feet to clear immigration, show my boarding pass to United baggage connection team who promptly accepts the bag for onward journey. I then catch the inter-terminal bus land-side (damn people mover was down) to make it to my flight taking out of Terminal 1.

I should also note Heathrow and many airports internationally they don't charge you to use the train to go between terminals. Heck even at JFK, which many people argue represents one of the worst airports in the world, their Airtrain system provides free access for inter-terminal transit. Why does Sydney airport always seem to be behind the times?

-RooFlyer88

Most of those airports have dedicated trains that run between terminals, not a suburban trainline that happens to stop at both on the way. But I do agree, I don't know why they even bother to operate a bus, just get the airport to pay a fee and let pax use the train instead for free. It could be an issue in peak hour though.

I think there's been a bit of over the top drama regarding the new transfer arrangements, the current arrangements are very close to what they were before except you clear security in T3 instead of T1. You're still only clearing security once. Perhaps they don't have enough staff to run T1 domestic security - from what we've seen on the news this weekend. Perhaps it wasn't a question of money.

LAX isn't that much different apart from the terminals being walking distance from each other. The security lines can still be long - and before the TBIT/T4 airside connector that too used to have a transfer bus. I have done the TBIT > walk outside > T4 security connection many times and I don't really see how it's any better than SYD T3 security. The TBIT security can be far, far worse than T4 - depending on time of day.

It's not ideal, but it's far from the travesty some are implying. SYD is not a major airport in the same league as LHR or JFK. The most important component is D>I where connections are limited and I think that service is running pretty well. I>D isn't ideal but if you miss your connection, but at least for most destinations there's regular flights you'll be rebooked on.

 

[Auzzieflyer]

It's not ideal, but it's far from the travesty some are implying. SYD is not a major airport in the same league as LHR or JFK. The most important component is D>I where connections are limited and I think that service is running pretty well. I>D isn't ideal but if you miss your connection, but at least for most destinations there's regular flights you'll be rebooked on.

only now you have to call to get your flight rebooked

 

[Quickstatus]

Cost cutting

Enhancement

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

***Please Alan, can you listen to the people who choose to fly with you, there are a lot of ways that would make us QF flyers, much happier and satisfied, and we would book and fly with QF...***
Grin, as if he would listen or have the time to listen.

 

[Ade]

Flying MAA-CMB-SIN-MEL-CBR on 10/04. Will document my transfer experience.

So, I flew in today SIN-MEL-CBR. Very seamless transfer at MEL. The whole process of transfer itself was easy - flight landed at approx 6 am, immigration was a breeze (smartgate), bags arrived within a few seconds of the belt opening, a quick look into the bags at biosecurity (I declared Y on my incoming pax card) and out of the gate by 06:23 AM. The walk to T1 was under a minute.

But this is where the delays began ... there was a massive crowd in MEL Dom. The priority queue had only 5 pax before me transferring from international connections, but it took me 40 mins to get my bags checked in. Let me repeat, only 5 pax before me & it took 40 mins to get my bags checked in Dom.

The non-priority queue seemed to move quickly. The staff did their best, honestly, but there was a LOT of pax in the terminal. QF definitely needs more staff on the ground. Once cleared security in Dom, it was all good - lounge, a rather 20 minute wait for the showers, quick bite & off to CBR at 0745

Side note : SIN-MEL QF 36, QF WP pax were personally welcomed shortly after take-off from SIN (I'm guessing by the Cabin Manager). He spent at least 3 mins with each WP, welcoming, saying it's nice to have us back and to ask him if we needed anything during the flight. He came back an hour before landing in MEL and asked about the flight, how was our day looking etc, etc

The relevance to this thread is, I double-checked with him if the Dom terminal is just a walk away in MEL - he said and I quote "Yes, we try to make it easier in MEL, unlike SYD which is really a pain to transfer"

 

[stevenaus]

Our company has considerable travel between Vancouver and San Francisco and our travel provider are suggesting Air NZ as its easier to TFR in AKL than to transfer from International in Syd to Domestic and shlep over with your bags and risk missing connecting flights. I real negative to Qantas on change.

 

[justinbrett]

Our company has considerable travel between Vancouver and San Francisco and our travel provider are suggesting Air NZ as its easier to TFR in AKL than to transfer from International in Syd to Domestic and shlep over with your bags and risk missing connecting flights. I real negative to Qantas on change.

That's factually incorrect, in both directions. Bags are checked through on departure and on arrival, they're re-checked in T1. There's no "shlepping bags" at all.

 

[Quickstatus]

Ok so in summary:

SYD Airport QF/EK/OW
T3 to T1 Airside transfer AKA “Seamless Transfer” from Gate 15 and Immigration/Customs at gate15. Bags checked through via initial DOM checkin

T1 to T3 landslide transfer AKA “Seamless lite transfer” from landslide outside T1
Pickup bags/immigration at T1. Transfer bags at transfer desk - bags will check through to final domestic destination. Go outside and take the Tbus to T3. Then at T3 go through security as per usual.

Am I correct?

That's factually incorrect

Yes, Except of course if not eligible for the Seamless transfer.

This happened to a sibling who did a VA to SYD then QF SYD-LHR. He shlepped over from T2 to T3 and tried to checkin. He then rang me because the QF Dom checkin told him he was at the wrong terminal and he wanted me to explain to the checkin agent that he is eligible for seamless transfer because he has a QFi ticket.. trying to explain difference between airside and landslide just made it all very messy.

 

[*A Flyer]

only now you have to call to get your flight rebooked

I hadn’t thought of that. One of the key benefits of the T1 transfer facility was their helpfulness in rebooking onto earlier flights and managing misconnects (including on separate tickets). Pushing everything to the phone line is going to be sub-optimal.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ok so in summary:

SYD Airport QF/EK/OW
T3 to T1 Airside transfer AKA “Seamless Transfer” from Gate 15 and ***Immigration/Customs at gate15***. Bags checked through via initial DOM checkin

T1 to T3 landslide transfer AKA “Seamless lite transfer” from landslide outside T1
Pickup bags/immigration at T1. Transfer bags at transfer desk - bags will check through to final domestic destination. Go outside and take the Tbus to T3. Then at T3 go through security as per usual.

Am I correct?

T3 to T1. you will still have to do outgoing immi and customs and int security screening at T1. they will never do that at gate 15 at gate 15 in T3. no space, and no staffing.
Bag check through from your latest departure airport, to the int plane at SYD T1, we hope will continue, but who knows what will happen in future.
For now, yes, you don't see your plane hold bags in SYD.
If you look at gate 15 now, there is no space to add walk through int security screening, or even add smartgate, unless they do major reno, and extend gate 15 onto the tarmac.
The ideal is to have them move the bus asap on a time scale, and not try to wait and fill the bus, which they usually do.
For T1 to T3, and with no more transfer desk, by the looks of it.
Collect your bags from carousel, go though incoming procedures, most likely they won't look, or if they look at your bags, guess it luck of the pick.
Then with your trolley, take it to the bus stop, put bags onto bus, leave trolley and make a run with tom/dick/harry/mary/shae/sharla/margot/robbo to T3 dom check in with the masses.
Don't know when the QF T1 int to T3 dom zone desks/xray, etc, will be unmanned permanently, items removed, and the space taken over by shops/offices.
Edit, this is from the QF website, see, even now, it already says the transfer bus will drop you at T3 departures level, not gate 15 anymore.
(((For international arrivals, a Seamless Lite service is available for customers arriving on international flights and connecting to a Qantas domestic flight. Transfers to the departures level of the domestic terminal (T3) depart every 15 minutes in the morning and every 30 minutes in the afternoon and evening from bus bay 10, with a travel time of approximately 20 mins.)))

 

[justinbrett]

Then with your trolley, take it to the bus stop, put bags onto bus, leave trolley and make a run with tom/dick/harry/mary/shae/sharla/margot/robbo to T3 dom check in with the masses.

Incorrect, as another member has already posted, bags are accepted in T1 prior to getting on the bus. Literally the only thing that has changed is you do security in T3 instead of T1. Let's keep this in perspective please... The I>D process hasn't changed at all.

You re-check your bags at the Int terminal facility (thankfully!) but must then queue up for the landside bus.

This

This happened to a sibling who did a VA to SYD then QF SYD-LHR.

Sure, if you're not going to book Qantas / oneworld, then you have to schlepp. I've done this flying NTL-SYD on Rex and I just paid for the train. It was quite painless.

 

[SooziQu]

I would class having to carry my bags on the bus a big fat seam, and would rather pay for the train if that was the case.

Surely not though. Otherwise why not just get the T bus. Strangely it says the T bus takes 10 minutes and the QF bus I-D takes 20 minutes.

I did read that the QF bus is outsourced and doesn't have the required authority to travel on airport roads. I know this sounds ridiculous but I read it in the last day or two. I cannot even comprehend how this could be allowed to happen.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I did read that the QF bus is outsourced and doesn't have the required authority to travel on airport roads. I know this sounds ridiculous but I read it in the last day or two. I cannot even comprehend how this could be allowed to happen.

However going the other way the QF bus leaves from T3 gate 15 air side to T1 (=airport property)
Don't believe every thing you read on the web.

 

[stevenaus]

That's factually incorrect, in both directions. Bags are checked through on departure and on arrival, they're re-checked in T1. There's no "shlepping bags" at all

Well I did have to pick up my bags in Sydney and shlep them over to Domestic even though the were tagged to Melbourne. Something to do with customs ! Now if that has changed since early Jan that's great but the whole inconvenience is a pain.

 

[emilbulls]

Just want to check in here regarding the time table of the D>I bus transfer from T3 gate 15. There have been news, the service is suspended for a couple of hours around noon due to no QF operated flights are departing.
I have a 90 minutes connection in SYD next Saturday QF 438 MEL-SYD arrival at 12:55 to QF8693 leaving at 14:25. As this is a codeshare wiht Air Calin, I'm a bin unsure now if the seamless transfer is still operating or if I better should opt for the train to be on the safe side.
(Aside from all the chaos at the airport at the moment, let's hope it will be better at the end of this week)

 

[justinbrett]

Well I did have to pick up my bags in Sydney and shlep them over to Domestic even though the were tagged to Melbourne. Something to do with customs ! Now if that has changed since early Jan that's great but the whole inconvenience is a pain.

There's more recent reports than yours that says there is a domestic bag drop inside T1 now. January is ages ago in context of the pace things change lately.

In January, I know when I travelled (I only went D>I) I didn't even know the bus was back on and was prepared to get the train, but was advised on check in, in Brisbane, that it was. I imagine it took them some time to set up the bag drop.

The one stop connection from BNE to North America is a good business model for Air NZ as it was before covid - as long as you like flying them and hope that you don't miss your connection with only two AKL-BNE flights a day at the moment.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Only one downside, as I can see, is that the AirNZ airpoint $ last 4 years, like SQ, if covid had not happened that they keep extending the life of their KF miles, but other than that (covid), no way to extend the life of it (airpoint $), use it within the 4 years, or loose the bit earnt each year.
Which is a pity, but selavie.
Edit:

I did read that the QF bus is outsourced and doesn't have the required authority to travel on airport roads. I know this sounds ridiculous but I read it in the last day or two. I cannot even comprehend how this could be allowed to happen.

Sad that is now so.
Loved it when we could use the (former) QF bus both ways, to get a very close view of planes, of all types, at SYD T1, even the cargo ones.
Happy days, those were, ...
But I can see QF cheapening all the former experiences that were great of them to let us have, in the past.
If we take a close hard look at it, all the flying that QF is now doing, is cheapening the whole flying experience.
See now, even Alliance is flying sectors on behalf of QF!
Cheaps.
Reducing costs, but then, we don't see fares dropping by any large amounts.
90 mins is quite tight for T3 to T1, no lounge access timings, as its a rush.
Esp if AirCalin uses gate 50 or there abouts at T1, far walk from immi and the QFi J/F lounge.
***

I did read that the QF bus is outsourced and doesn't have the required authority to travel on airport roads. I know this sounds ridiculous but I read it in the last day or two. I cannot even comprehend how this could be allowed to happen.

Double edit: AirCalin dep from gate 35, tomorrow, which is the mid way from the lounge (if you get access) to the far end.
Best of luck anyway.
Haven't done that T3 to T1 transfer for a long time, so can't say what its like now.

 

[justinbrett]

Just want to check in here regarding the time table of the D>I bus transfer from T3 gate 15. There have been news, the service is suspended for a couple of hours around noon due to no QF operated flights are departing.
I have a 90 minutes connection in SYD next Saturday QF 438 MEL-SYD arrival at 12:55 to QF8693 leaving at 14:25. As this is a codeshare wiht Air Calin, I'm a bin unsure now if the seamless transfer is still operating or if I better should opt for the train to be on the safe side.
(Aside from all the chaos at the airport at the moment, let's hope it will be better at the end of this week)

I've not read anything saying it shuts down during the day - in fact quite the opposite, the text on the seamless transfer page has only recently been updated and it says it operates throughout the day.

In any case, go to gate 15, if you can get a bus, get it, if not - head for the train or bus (I'd spring for the train if I were you). There's no pre-planning required.

I did read that the QF bus is outsourced and doesn't have the required authority to travel on airport roads. I know this sounds ridiculous but I read it in the last day or two. I cannot even comprehend how this could be allowed to happen.

The fact it's outsourced doesn't make it ineligible to drive airside - and as another poster has pointed out it is driving airside as it starts from Gate 15. That requires an airside driving permit. Both the vehicle and the driver must be authorised, which would already be the case.

There may be another reason why they want to go the other way, but the fact the driver is outsourced isn't it.

 

[downtheback]

There may be another reason why they want to go the other way, but the fact the driver is outsourced isn't it.

The answer is fairly self-explanatory. PAX don't clear security in T1 anymore, which means there's no point driving them airside as they would still need to be dropped off landside at T3. Additionally, there may be some security issues with a non-screened pax on active taxiways. Educated guess.