Let's assume that my flight from SFO arrives in Sydney on time at 6.30 AM, and I don't have much trouble getting through Customs. Do you think I have enough time to make an 8.10 AM Virgin Blue flight to Nadi? Thanks!

No. I believe international > international minimum connection time (MCT) at SYD with bag claim/recheck is 2 or 2.5 hours.

Plus IIRC if you miss the Virgin Blue flight you'll have to buy another ticket. Feel lucky?

Chances are slim - not zero, but slim.

Try for a later flight.

Who are you flying with from SFO?

If it is United, you can code share (Get points hopefully as well) on Air NZ from LAX direct to Nadi. No need to go to Australia first.

If it is Qantas, you can again code share, this time with Air Pacific (should definately get points), LAX - Nadi direct. Again no need to add around 6 hours flying time to your journey.

I realise both are ex LA vs SFO, but they get you directly to Fiji. You can ravel on from there on Air Pacific/Qantas to Australia easily as well.

As the others have said it may be a bit tight. Though I have found Sydney to be fairly efficient airport, I would not risk it.

I would say it entirely depends on factors out of your control, and probably unresearchable. Basically this: how many other 747s are going to be emptying in the hour before and the hour after yours?<br>
When we were there last February we would not have been able to make that connection. Customs is very efficient but there were simply too many other people. At the time your plane would be taking off the ground, you'd be just about collecting your things after customs. Don't do it!<br>
Having said that, if you take our advice and schedule a later connection, you will find that your flight will be half-an-hour early and you'll be past customs, footloose and fancy free, by 6:45! It's one of the corrollaries of Murphy's Law, I can't remember which.

If you book the later flight and have fnarf's run of good luck, you can always see if you can fly space available on the earlier flight. The airline may or may not allow it, and there may or may not be a fee - but its worth a try...

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but do you always have to reclaim you bags when connecting through Sydney? You can't check your bags all the way through from SFO to Nadi? We have done this many times before at other destinations.

The reason I am asking is that we also have a similiar situation. We connect though Sydney on to Christchurch.

I wouldn't risk it. We got back to Sydney last week and it took 2 hours to get through Customs and I know there were people on my flight who had to get connections. I asked an official if it was always like that and he said that since the airport was taken over by a prominent bank recently they have put off a lot of staff resulting in delays. Possible to stay in Sydney first?

24Lisa

Not a supid question at all. Generally if you are on the same carrier and you are just changing planes for a connection, you can check your bags through.

If you are coming in on Qantas and changing to Air Pacific you should (I say should, but don't bank on it) be OK as they code share (Qantas also owns a big chunk of Air Pacific).

The OP is changing carrier so will have to pick up their bags and be screened then go to checkin to get on the next flight. Can be 15 minutes can be two hours.

I recall arriving at Sydney and waiting for an extremely long time for our baggage. I asume Virgin Blue to Nadi DOES use the international terminal?

Also, VB is happy to charge you an overweight charge on luggage, while I found Quantas to be more forgiving of international customers. (They assume you might have arrived on their plane, and were allowed that weight on the way over.)