Recent Experiences with QF’s new terminal transfer at SYD

[LinaLee]

Mine was 11:15 am from T3 on Christmas Eve so looks like it's every half hour?

Sorry not sure.

Post automatically merged: Dec 30, 2022

Mine was 11:15 am from T3 on Christmas Eve so looks like it's every half hour?

Sorry not sure

 

[RichardMEL]

Seemed to me on recent connection to QF11 around 0800ish, because there's a bunch of flight connections in the a.m. they were doing a shuttle with a number of busses in rotation and basically filling and going and not waiting fo a set time or anything. Seemed quite demand driven. Perhaps after the morning rush it does revert to a more set schedule.

 

[whughes3]

Seemed to me on recent connection to QF11 around 0800ish, because there's a bunch of flight connections in the a.m. they were doing a shuttle with a number of busses in rotation and basically filling and going and not waiting fo a set time or anything. Seemed quite demand driven. Perhaps after the morning rush it does revert to a more set schedule.

That is consistent with my experiences: from around 0600 to 0900 they run as much as needed to clear the backlogs, but then revert to twice an hour (15 mins before/after the hour.
I have vague recollections that in pre-Covid times it used to run more than 2/hour during the day: does anyone else recall this?

 

[serfty]

I have vague recollections that in pre-Covid times it used to run more than 2/hour during the day: does anyone else recall this?

Yes, back when it used to depart Domestic from near gate 1 it was reliably every 20 minutes after 12 noon.

I often used to catch the domestic leg of an evening SYD-MEL-HKG flight after flying in from, say, BNE and would leave the QP exactly six minutes before the hour (or 20, 40).

 

[justinbrett]

No. Everything is back the way it was in the beforetimes.

Probably time to close the thread then.

 

[ZenFlyer]

Probably time to close the thread then.

If the thread is closed, I hope a new one is started to catalog more recent experiences. I've been saving up my questions related to a transfer I will be doing in several months

 

[FishFood]

If the thread is closed, I hope a new one is started to catalog more recent experiences. I've been saving up my questions related to a transfer I will be doing in several months

I agree that for transfers it can be useful to have the reassurance of others' experiences, so I think a thread of some sort is warranted

 

[Lemon_Party]

My parents land in Syd flying in on Asiana and I’ve booked them onward flights to BNE. Seperate bookings and PNRs and a reasonable gap between them.
QF and Asiana seem to have a light partnership - does anyone know if they’ll get access to the seamless transfer?
I’ve been trying to work out if they can check their bags through to Brisbane - is that impossible to do with 2 separate bookings?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

My parents land in Syd flying in on Asiana and I’ve booked them onward flights to BNE. Seperate bookings and PNRs and a reasonable gap between them.
QF and Asiana seem to have a light partnership - does anyone know if they’ll get access to the seamless transfer?

[Moderator hat]

Disclaimer:
Information in this post is disputed and may be incorrect.​

[/Moderator hat]

There is no such thing as a seamless transfer in Sydney irrespective of airline when doing international to domestic. The process is: clear immigration, collect your bags, clear customs/bio-security. Then you take a terminal transfer bus to the domestic side of the airport (in your parents case Terminal 3), check the bags in for that flight and clear security.

 

[Beano]

For anyone traveling on with Qantas the experience is a bit better as you go through domestic security at the transfer lounge, which is less crowded that the terminal, and you enter domestic in the middle of the concourse.

There is no such thing as a seamless transfer in Sydney irrespective of airline when doing international to domestic. The process is: clear immigration, collect your bags, clear customs/bio-security. Then you take a terminal transfer bus to the domestic side of the airport (in your parents case Terminal 3), check the bags in for that flight and clear security.

 

[justinbrett]

For anyone traveling on with Qantas the experience is a bit better as you go through domestic security at the transfer lounge, which is less crowded that the terminal, and you enter domestic in the middle of the concourse.

Exactly how it used to be

There is no such thing as a seamless transfer in Sydney irrespective of airline when doing international to domestic. The process is: clear immigration, collect your bags, clear customs/bio-security. Then you take a terminal transfer bus to the domestic side of the airport (in your parents case Terminal 3), check the bags in for that flight and clear security.

Incorrect

 

[PuravidaTC]

Guess each to there own on what a “seamless” transfer means.. so long as your on QF metal leaving SYD domestically after arrival, its about the best transfer process anywhere (for those with e-chip enabled passports)..

I’d say 10mins from deboarding through to baggage via the egates (no human interaction ever), then your in the baggage handlers hands which can be anything from 10mins to hours but more often then not the lesser.

Customs with bags is at most a few mins (provided your not flagged), quick few steps to the right in the terminal to the QF transfer section (It’s past McDonalds and you really can’t miss it).. express lanes for status if needing to get change or have been changed flights, and very quick bag drop lane for everyone.

Next, quick slip through a fast painless security check (drinks now enable to pass through so don’t be like I see countless do and throw your water bottles etc. away) and into the bus waiting area for either no wait or 10mins.. then as above taken directly into domestic terminal gates.

if things go right, it’s literaly a 30-45min whole timeline from deplane to domestic gate.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

My parents land in Syd flying in on Asiana and I’ve booked them onward flights to BNE. Seperate bookings and PNRs and a reasonable gap between them.
QF and Asiana seem to have a light partnership - does anyone know if they’ll get access to the seamless transfer?
I’ve been trying to work out if they can check their bags through to Brisbane - is that impossible to do with 2 separate bookings?

What is the time frame of the transfer?
8.30am is a very busy time, lots of int flights come in then.
If QFi staff at T1 inter termninal transfer say no, then its a taxi or uber to T3 is the next best step, for 2 pax with bags.
If 1 pax, I would say get the T-bus (free) or the train.

 

[Daver6]

What is the time frame of the transfer?
8.30am is a very busy time, lots of int flights come in then.
If QFi staff at T1 inter termninal transfer say no, then its a taxi or uber to T3 is the next best step, for 2 pax with bags.
If 1 pax, I would say get the T-bus (free) or the train.

Or take the train. If I'm going to be paying, that seems way quicker and less hassle than dealing with a taxi.

 

[Quickstatus]

Customs with bags is at most a few mins

I've never experienced "a few minutes" customs with bags except for one time

Twice now I have timed exiting aircraft door to immigration, (using eGate), bags, customs, bio security of 50min and 1.5hrs. And the green lane to boot. It's a veritable s***show especially with morning arrivals.

The one time Ive done a "few minutes" was coming off the (now defunct) EK AKL-SYD.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

The main point, is that we are not sure, or maybe some colleagues are 100% sure, that OZ Asiana to QFd at SYD will be eligible to use the T1 to (dom) secured zone T3 at SYD by the QF bus.
If we are all 100% sure, and some people who have flown in on OZ in the recent past have said yes, eligible for the QF bus, then I will accept that.
Ideally, even if eligible for the QF bus, I would leave it at least 3 hours or more, from touch down of the QFi/partner airline into SYD, for the QFd departure from SYD T3.
But, each time I have done it, with a partner incoming EK last incoming CHC - SYD, or QFi from NZ, they have never asked for the past BP, only the next one, so, maybe if parents don't mention they have been in from ICN, it might be ok.
But there is a bit of hoodwinking here.
Ie, not to mention the past incoming airline provider, ie, OZ.

 

[clifford]

I've never experienced "a few minutes" customs with bags except for one time

Twice now I have timed exiting aircraft door to immigration, (using eGate), bags, customs, bio security of 50min and 1.5hrs. And the green lane to boot. It's a veritable s***show especially with morning arrivals.

The one time Ive done a "few minutes" was coming off the (now defunct) EK AKL-SYD.

Well, I arrived into SYD early last month on QF138 from CHC at 07:40 and the time taken from aircraft door to the outside was easily less than 30 mins (I was in J).

There were absolutely no delays at any point, though I was travelling HBO. It was a dream run and I don't necessarily expect it to be repeated anytime soon (although it may be).

So YMMV.

Edit: The flight did arrive into the 50's gates area, which was probably quieter and the "Qantas" part of the terminal.

 

[Quickstatus]

does anyone know if they’ll get access to the seamless transfer?

(I think that the "light partnership" is only recognised if the flight numbers on the tickets are codeshared as QFxx_x)

QF does not completely stipulate the eligibility for Seamless Transfer™

However their website states this:
Note that QF does not define "customer" nor does it define "international flights". It is reasonable to surmise that this means QF, OW and EK customers. However, QF is silent on this. Is it any "international flights" including non QF, non OW and non EK?
It can also be argued that your parents are QF customers because they hold QF tickets for an onward journey and they are connecting to a QF flight on the same day. One could argue that they are eligible for Seamless Transfer™

I’ve been trying to work out if they can check their bags through to Brisbane

Regardless of whether they can or not, they have to land at SydT1, present to Immigration, pick up their bags (even if tagged through to BNE), present at Customs, Quarantine before they can proceed to the next flight at SydT3

As you can see from the various comments here, the time it takes to get through the above can be variable.

May I suggest this:

1)Ask OZ if they will check bags through to BNE. Likely they won't but worth asking

2)Your parents should present themselves at the Syd T1 Qantas Domestic Transfer Area (look for signs) and ask to recheck their bags to the QF flight to BNE

3)If unable then either take the publicly available T-Bus or take the train/taxi

that OZ Asiana to QFd at SYD will be eligible to use the T1 to (dom) secured zone T3 at SYD by the QF bus.

they have never asked for the past BP, only the next one

They would/should if the argument is accepted that:
1)They are a QF customer because they have a onward and same day QFd ticket
2)They are coming off an international flight (QF is silent on the operator of the international flight for the purposes of eligibility)
3)Your experience suggests that the important defining factor is the onward ticket which defines the "customer" status

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Its also where a pax is coming from, if they get asked aside for a bag inspection.
Green lane pax could still be moved onto red queue for bag inspection, but with my NZ trips, via the MEL/SYD/BNE green lane, they just collected my small print out off me and IPC, and that was it.
When you put your passport into the waist high reader, you need to enter your passport into slot.
Need to tell your parents how to do this, on incoming, if they have not had it done, or go via the staffed immi lane, seeing they are older, this is even before bag collection.
This can take time as it is.
If they have used the waist high small tag e passport system, its half way there.
After immi, its a long trudge via down to the small ramp/steps to baggage reclaim.
Then its baggage colletion, this can take a lot of time, waiting.
Then its the trudge down that slight ramp, to the red/green lane.
Hopefully, if they go through the green lane, they wont get asked aside, and their small tag print out is take off them, with the IPC.
Lucky we have done away with the I(pax)declartion (the digital one) for now, or for ever.

 

[Mwenenzi]

QF have a good market for selling *separate* tickets for SYD-xx_ flights to pax who arrive on the many international airlines into SYD. Most of these airlines are not QF partners or OW.
Before CV19 I had checked in for SYD-MEL flights at T1, without any prior international flight (was more convenient for my ride to the airport)