TRS Sydney Inspection

[serfty]

I am having to fly dom to SYD and have 1 hour 40 mins before my SYD/HKG flight departs

Is that 100 minutes total time (scheduled arrival into T3 to scheduled departure from T1)?

If so you should be more concerned about making your flight to HKG, let alone dealing with TRS.

The HKG flight would start boarding 55 minutes after your scheduled landing into SYD, the using the transfer bus from Gate 15 can take 15-30 minutes to get to T1 and getting airside at T1 another 30 minutes (much of SYD T1 emigration/security is close for renovations currently).

 

[Daver6]

Thanks kpc and Daver6 for your updates. I was hoping that they may still be using the drop box for when the queues are too long, but it doesn't sound like it. It will be around 9am Monday morning, so I will just have to take pot luck with the queue.

Regarding drones Daver6, mine has removable lithium batteries, which of course have to be taken in carry on luggage. The drone itself is subject to different rules by different airlines - Emirates won't accept it in carry on bags but will accept it in checked luggage. Qatar (with whom I am flying back from Europe) only accept it in carry on bags but not checked bags. Both airlines' websites state this is for safety reasons. Go figure.

Qantas do not seem to have a clear policy on drones on their website.

Thanks for this heads up. It never would have occured to me to be an issue as carry on. Having said that, how would the airline even know what I have in my bag? Mine's a Mavic Air, so tiny and compact. I have it in its bag in my backpack. Security don't know which airline you're flying with, so not sure how the airline would know or care.

 

[Steveinparadise]

Thanks for this heads up. It never would have occured to me to be an issue as carry on. Having said that, how would the airline even know what I have in my bag? Mine's a Mavic Air, so tiny and compact. I have it in its bag in my backpack. Security don't know which airline you're flying with, so not sure how the airline would know or care.

We're flying HKG/DXB/BCN on Emirates. My concern is that when they do the hand luggage screening at transit in Dubai, they may pick it up then. I just don't want to take the risk of it being confiscated there. Mine's a DJI Spark - the drone battery is removable, but for the remote control it's not.

 

[Steveinparadise]

Is that 100 minutes total time (scheduled arrival into T3 to scheduled departure from T1)?

If so you should be more concerned about making your flight to HKG, let alone dealing with TRS.

The HKG flight would start boarding 55 minutes after your scheduled landing into SYD, the using the transfer bus from Gate 15 can take 15-30 minutes to get to T1 and getting airside at T1 another 30 minutes (much of SYD T1 emigration/security is close for renovations currently).

Oh, I wasn't aware of the renovations at T1. Yes, it's 100 mins total time.

There are 4 earlier BNE/SYD QF flights before ours, so we are going to get to the airport in time for all of them, and plead/grovel at the service desk to transfer us to one of the earlier flights. We originally booked a direct BNE/HKG flight that day (QF97), which QF subsequently cancelled and re-booked us through SYD, so hopefully they will be accommodating. We are only bronze QFF members so that's of no help.

Interestingly, they are still selling BNE/HKG flights for Monday routed through SYD, but on a later dom flight that only has 70 minutes transit time. From what you have said above, I would hate to be one of those pax.

 

[Daver6]

Oh, I wasn't aware of the renovations at T1. Yes, it's 100 mins total time.

There are 4 earlier BNE/SYD QF flights before ours, so we are going to get to the airport in time for all of them, and plead/grovel at the service desk to transfer us to one of the earlier flights. We originally booked a direct BNE/HKG flight that day (QF97), which QF subsequently cancelled and re-booked us through SYD, so hopefully they will be accommodating. We are only bronze QFF members so that's of no help.

Interestingly, they are still selling BNE/HKG flights for Monday routed through SYD, but on a later dom flight that only has 70 minutes transit time. From what you have said above, I would hate to be one of those pax.

Given the change is involuntary, I'd actually now and request one of the earlier flights. Nothing to lose.

 

[Steveinparadise]

Given the change is involuntary, I'd actually now and request one of the earlier flights. Nothing to lose.

I took your advice and rang the Customer Service line last evening. The recorded message said the wait was an hour, but encouraged me to use the SMS service which had operators "ready now to answer your call".
So i hung up and SMS'd my request to switch to an earlier BNE/SYD flight. I got 3 "we'll get back to you soon" type messages, then nothing. After 18 hours I followed up asking for a response, which ended up being the standard line that one hour is sufficient for transit in SYD, and because i have 1 hour 40 mins then I have nothing to worry about.
So, it was worth a try as you suggested. But I will now have to go back to plan B which is to plead/grovel at BNE airport on Monday morning.

 

[Steveinparadise]

Thanks for this heads up. It never would have occured to me to be an issue as carry on. Having said that, how would the airline even know what I have in my bag? Mine's a Mavic Air, so tiny and compact. I have it in its bag in my backpack. Security don't know which airline you're flying with, so not sure how the airline would know or care.

Queried the Emirates policy re drones via their online chat. The result is that my drone has to travel in my checked baggage (minus any batteries), but the remote controller must be in hand luggage because it has a non-removable Li-ion battery.
As you say, how does security screening know exactly who one is flying with, but in DXB they would presumably be acutely aware of Emirates' drone policy, and they also scan through-checked baggage so I wanted to be sure.

 

[Daver6]

I took your advice and rang the Customer Service line last evening. The recorded message said the wait was an hour, but encouraged me to use the SMS service which had operators "ready now to answer your call".
So i hung up and SMS'd my request to switch to an earlier BNE/SYD flight. I got 3 "we'll get back to you soon" type messages, then nothing. After 18 hours I followed up asking for a response, which ended up being the standard line that one hour is sufficient for transit in SYD, and because i have 1 hour 40 mins then I have nothing to worry about.
So, it was worth a try as you suggested. But I will now have to go back to plan B which is to plead/grovel at BNE airport on Monday morning.

I realise being on hold is a pain in the proverbial but I'd call them back and push you care. It makes sense logical sense that one hour is never going to be enough given the TRS queue time. You can point out that you wouldn't be in this situation if you were on your original flight and to kindly put you on an earlier flight. Stand your ground on this.