2-hour connection in Sydney from United international flight to Virgin Australia domestic flight
We, husband, 11-month old and I, are going to fly SFO to Adelaide via Sydney. Since my SFO to Sydney is on FFQ points, I'm unable to book my Sydney to Adelaide Virgin flight on the same ticket.
Is 2-hour sufficient time for this connection from T1 to T2 with customs and immigration? The next flight on Virgin is 6 hours later. Qantas offers a flight but the connection time is only 1 hour 40 minutes. They have a later flight but it's only available in Business class right now.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Best Answer
I wouldn't book this, doubly so if you have checked luggage, and doubly so again with a small child.
You'll need to go through immigration and customs/quarantine, collecting any checked luggage, change terminals (which requires a stop at a ticket machine or local currency), check in any checked luggage before the deadline, go through airport security, and get to your gate before boarding closes 10 minutes before departure, all with an 11-month old in tow. It might be possible, but even a brief flight delay or a moderate wait at any of these steps could be enough to cause a problem.
And since you've arranged your own connection on separate tickets, Virgin Australia won't be responsible in any way if you miss the flight. Last-minute tickets for the next flight are likely to be expensive, if space is available. I would allow more time.
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How long does it take to transfer from Sydney international to domestic?
The journey takes only two minutes and there are frequent services between 5am and midnight, seven days a week. For information on 'GatePass', please refer to the AirportLink website. A taxi journey between T1 International and the T2/T3 domestic terminals will take up to 10 minutes, depending on the time of day.Do I have to go through customs for a connecting flight in Sydney?
For those arriving internationally and connecting to a domestic flight: You will need to clear customs and immigration, which can take upwards of an hour if busy. You will need to transfer on the airside bus, which can take ten minutes when it arrives.Is 2 hours enough time between connecting flights?
Two hours. Mayers recommends two hours as a standard buffer between flights to be safe. This gives you a cushion in case things go wrong during your journey. You'll definitely want at least a two-hour window if you've booked a \u201chacker fare,\u201d as opposed to flying with the same airline your entire trip.What is the minimum connection time for domestic flights?
For domestic flights in the U.S. minimum connection times range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and for international connections, from 1 to 3 hours.FULL FLIGHT | Cairns to Sydney | B737-800 | Virgin Australia | VA1418
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Answer 2
I've flown that leg quite a few times and I wouldn't attempt a 2h transfer in a pink fit. You basically have a 1% chance of making your connection. You haven't mentioned when you're landing but if it's when the curfew is lifted at 6am you'll basically be joining a couple of thousand people trying to get through baggage, immigration, and customs. Ditto for other busy periods, and it can be much worse if there are any bottlenecks. Most people has their bags x-rayed or searched at customs.
You're also assuming there will be no delays on your SFO flight. Unfavorable winds can easily add an hour or two to a 16 hour flight. SFO can be congested. Those old 747s tend to break down.
6 hours actually seems like a reasonably comfortable connection. Time will fly by.
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