SYD - Connection time

[hummel]

AFF'ers,

I have trip to Europe with the lady friend coming up in July depating SYD. I need to organise flights to/from and just requesting some advice. We depart 10am Friday morning on TG F so flying up the night before would be wise, correct?

On the other end we arrive back in SYD at 8pm Sunday night. I am thinking of getting a DJ flight @ 9:30pm back to Melbourne. Will this 90min be enough time providing plane arrives on time, clearing customs then checking in etc?(Note: We will be arriving on TG F) I'm trying not to have to stay overnight at both ends of the trip.

Thanks in advance

 

[kpc]

AFF'ers,

I have trip to Europe with the lady friend coming up in July depating SYD. I need to organise flights to/from and just requesting some advice. We depart 10am Friday morning on TG F so flying up the night before would be wise, correct?

A 6am flight from Mel up to Syd will get you in about 730am so that will be enough time to make the 10am TG flight but to allow for delays etc on your inbound, I would suggest coming up the night before and staying at a cheap hotel near the airport; also avoids a very early start from Mel!!

On the other end we arrive back in SYD at 8pm Sunday night. I am thinking of getting a DJ flight @ 9:30pm back to Melbourne. Will this 90min be enough time providing plane arrives on time, clearing customs then checking in etc?(Note: We will be arriving on TG F) I'm trying not to have to stay overnight at both ends of the trip.

Thanks in advance

If you inbound is on time, you will make this connection easily as Syd airport is very quiet at that time of the night. You should check that the trains are running between the 2 terminals that w/e as sometimes they are not running for track maintenance (Trackwork - CityRail). Otherwise, I think there is a bus or failing that, a short taxi ride between the terminals.

 

[hummel]

Thanks KPC, much appreciated.

I think we'll fly up the night before and get the latest flight on Virgin out of Sydney. Time to move some points across from Amex MR!

On a similar note. Similar points for a Virgin J vs Qantas Y reward booking.. :shock:

 

[tuapekastar]

AFF'ers,

I have trip to Europe with the lady friend coming up in July depating SYD. I need to organise flights to/from and just requesting some advice. We depart 10am Friday morning on TG F so flying up the night before would be wise, correct?

On the other end we arrive back in SYD at 8pm Sunday night. I am thinking of getting a DJ flight @ 9:30pm back to Melbourne. Will this 90min be enough time providing plane arrives on time, clearing customs then checking in etc?(Note: We will be arriving on TG F) I'm trying not to have to stay overnight at both ends of the trip.

Thanks in advance

Separate tickets? While SYD is quiet at that time of night, there is no wiggle time at all should the inbound be delayed. Connection to DJ flight too short for my liking...

Agree with fly to SYD the night before on the outbound.

 

[hummel]

Separate tickets? While SYD is quiet at that time of night, there is no wiggle time at all should the inbound be delayed. Connection to DJ flight too short for my liking...

Agree with fly to SYD the night before on the outbound.

Yeah seperate tickets. Couldn't get the positioning flights on the same PNRs unfortuantly. If the flight is delayed and we miss the connection, what's the worst that can happen... Book the hotel at a stupidly high rate

Also, wow airport hotels aren't anywhere near as cheap as I thought they would be. May be better to get a room in Melb CBD then cab it in the morning!

 

[Simo]

I prefer at least 2 hours between an international and domestic flight.

I have done it with just over 1 and a bit hours Qantas domestic to a Qantas international flight and it was tight.

No lounge time...bugger

 

[Simo]

IMHO i would do the fly up to Syd on the morning before you go overseas but I would not risk it on the way home.

 

[The Rok]

I think you would be depending on too many ducks to line up for that connection. Over night it.

 

[an*g-bne]

Being an early winter morning (in July), I wouldn't risk the fog affecting the early morning flight for the outbound and overnight it.

For the return, if you have DJ gold or platinum, I would book the next morning's flight and a hotel overnight on a cancel 6pm day of arrival rate. Then, when in BKK, if it looks as though the flight will get off on time and you'll make it in time for the last DJ SYD-MEL service, then I would cancel the hotel, and upon arrival in SYD, make use of the DJ Fly Ahead benefit and switch to the last night flight.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I think we'll fly up the night before and get the latest flight on Virgin out of Sydney. Time to move some points across from Amex MR! On a similar note. Similar points for a Virgin J vs Qantas Y reward booking. :shock:

Is the Virgin J award ticket changeable to the next morning if you can't make it ie can you be a noshow but still use it?

Separate tickets? While SYD is quiet at that time of night, there is no wiggle time at all should the inbound be delayed. Connection to DJ flight too short for my liking...

Agree with fly to SYD the night before on the outbound.

Yeah seperate tickets. Couldn't get the positioning flights on the same PNRs unfortuantly. If the flight is delayed and we miss the connection, what's the worst that can happen... Book the hotel at a stupidly high rate

Also, wow airport hotels aren't anywhere near as cheap as I thought they would be. May be better to get a room in Melb CBD then cab it in the morning!

Not so much a stupidly high hotel rate, but potentially high cost of last minute airfare SYD/MEL for the next morning plus possibly the loss of the non-refundable airfare for the night prior unless that airfare permits rebooking after noshowing.

Re the airport hotels, do you have any IHG Priority Club points you could use for Holiday Inn at MEL or SYD Airports eg 15,000 points plus USD60.00?

 

[hummel]

Unfortuantly no PC points but do have a little left in Amex. Maybe it's worth using them?

Thanks for all the suggestions though

 

[harvyk]

I would almost consider taking the first MEL-SYD flight of the morning, as it gives you 2.5 hours in SYD, which should be ok. (Whilst I would be more comfortable doing it all on one PNR, some things can't be helped).

Also chances are a 6am flight out of MEL had o'nighted in MEL and thus not so likely to be delayed.
Coming back however, 90 min is not enough to be comfortable. All it would take is the flight arriving late, or customs giving the 3rd degree, or missing the terminal transfer train by a minute and that 90 minutes will seem very short.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Unfortuantly no PC points but do have a little left in Amex. Maybe it's worth using them?

Thanks for all the suggestions though

PC points are one thing however often using ff points for hotel accommodation is a total waste. How many Amex MR points would it cost for a nights accomm somewhere.

If it was me I would look at what the same amount of points would be in JASA redemption tickets eg HNL/xSYD/MEL for 72,000 points plus AUD467.32 pp. It's then up to you to decide if it's a better idea to wear the cost of one night in a hotel vs getting a better return on investment/bang for your buck in terms of JASA travel.

I would almost consider taking the first MEL-SYD flight of the morning, as it gives you 2.5 hours in SYD, which should be ok. (Whilst I would be more comfortable doing it all on one PNR, some things can't be helped).

Also chances are a 6am flight out of MEL had o'nighted in MEL and thus not so likely to be delayed. Coming back however, 90 min is not enough to be comfortable. All it would take is the flight arriving late, or customs giving the 3rd degree, or missing the terminal transfer train by a minute and that 90 minutes will seem very short.

Wonder what city the operating aircraft comes in from immediately prior to flying MEL/SYD? Hope it's not a red eye PER/MEL!

FWIW when flying ex BNE to LAX via MEL we opted to fly down on the Sun evening before taking QF93 the next day as opposed to waking up at 0200 to leave home at 0300 to arrive at airport 0400 to depart at 0500 to arrive in MEL at 0830 as it didn't really have the appeal when doing a long flight to the US straight after. It was far better to get a good nights sleep in the hotel, not get up too early & enjoy breakfast before getting the hotel shuttle across to the terminal feeling refreshed.

People still keep turning up at BNE Dom with only the minimum one hour connection from a QF dom flight to QF11 SYD/LAX. :evil: It's bound to all end in tears.