Changing Airlines in Sydney
 

Does anyone know if 1 hour 15 minutes is enough time to change from Virgin Blue to Qantas in Sydney? I believe it would be going from T2 to T3. We would also have to pick up bags and recheck them. I called Qantas they they suggest 1 hour or 1:45 depending on the terminals. I thought I'd check here for real world information.

I am hoping it will work out becauase there aren't very many other options for us at this point. Thank you!!

Are they both domestic flights?

My brother changed from virgin (t2) to qantas (t3) on tuesday. Took about half an hour to
pick up baggage ex virgin
walk to t3 and check in at qantas.

this was non peak on a tuesday afternoon.

t2 and t3 are about 150 metres apart.

It's a bit of a risk, isn't it? Both T2 and T3 are, to my knowledge, in the domestic terminal complex (the Internationl Terminal, at some distance away, is T1), so it's not the geography that might foil your plans: it's the delays in baggage, in any other formalities that might be necessary on checking in, and, of course, on any delays on the VirginBlue route. These can happen any time, but are more prevalent in peak periods.

You might just make it -- and, if you have no other options, then you're just going to have to leave it in the hands of Fate -- but I can foresee a lot of fingernail-chewing!

One encouraging note to finish up with: Qantas ALWAYS says to allow MUCH more time than is actually needed... for international flights, for instance, they demand three hours. I think they must get a kick-back from the McDonalds just near their check-in counter!

Thank you for the quick replies. It does seem like a toss up here. Has anyone had experience with missing a Qantas flight (thinking the worst here...) and how they are about rebooking you? Thanks again!!

Qantas will be accomodating if there are seats avaialble on the next flight (and if there is a next flight) and the ticket conditions allow.

Most rock bottom,internet flights don't allow changes.

What day are you travelling on and what specific flights?

Our Sydney to Cairns leg is part of a Frequent Flier ticket. We are booked on a direct flight on 3/1/05 from Sydney at 12:50pm. There seem to be MANY flights (through Brisbane) later in the day. Our reason for wanting to make the 12:50 is that it's direct, and we would rather not arrive in Cairns when it's dark since we have to drive 2 hours. Thanks :-)

Are you travelling ist march or Jan 3 2005? where u coming in from?

I'm sorry - I wrote the date in the US way. We are traveling 1st of March. We'll be coming in from Launceston, Tasmania. Originally, we were booked on JetStar with a nice 3 hour layover, but they changed their schedules (hence my panic to find an alternative).

Ok on a quiet tuesday 1st march the flight out of Launceston will be on time, sydney domestics will be quiet and you will do it easy.No worries.

If you are late on the qantas flight just tell 'em you have had a week in the cold and rain of tassie and must get some warmth and sun up north.

The hard part will be getting the checked luggage and THEN rechecking in, unless there is some other way to do that. (would one check straight through onto the other airline?) Our connection was less hassle, because we had 4 hours. But it took an hour of that to find the bus to the international terminal.

I don't know the Domestic-to-domestic arrangements.

The different airlines will not check through your luggage.

You'll have to check in in Launceston, pick it up in Sydney, and then race across the road to check in with Qantas. Watch for feral taxis!

Thank you to everyone for your information and suggestions on this. My husband does not travel as much as do, therefore was uncomfortable with such a "risky connection". We are flying to Sydney the evening prior, and leaving for Cairns on an earlier flight on Qantas in the morning. It will all work out. Thanks again!