Sydney Travel Forum

Hi all,

I need a bit of help. I am traveling to Sydney from US on Qantas. I arrive there at 8:05 am on a Friday. I want to buy some tickets to go to Christchurch, New Zealand flying Emirates. The flight is at 10:15 am. Do I have enough time to clear the immigration/customs and check in on the other flight? I guess both flights use the international terminal, right?
So would 2 hours and 10 mins be enough for this? I've never been to Sydney (or Australia for that matter) and have no idea how busy the airport gets.
Btw, I need an Australian visa being a citizen of Romania (even though I am a US resident). Would this result in a longer immigration line?

Thank you!

Hello,Australian international travellers are advised to check in 2 hours before departure...
However,the Qantas arrival terminal is separate to the international departure terminal...in that I think the Qantas arrivals are either in another building across from the main departure terminal or it is underneath the departure...
I do know that Qanatas domestic arrivals is way away from the departure terminal but I don't know if this applies to Qantas international arrivals as well...Sorry to be so vague..!!
So,timewise...I would not muck around shopping and so forth...You do have enough time but you will be cutting it fine...!!
It will be fairly busy going thru customs,so rush to the customs gates...
Sorry,can't help with immigration...!!..Just makes your changeover slower..!!
Buying tickets,immigration,customs,waiting in lines...If everything runs smoothly,you'll be ok...!!

Thanks a lot! No I do not need to buy any tickets there... I wanna buy them now but I wanna know if I have enough time in between flights before buying them!
Let's see maybe I get another answer from somebody who did something similar: arriving with Qantas and leaving directly to NZ ...
Thanks again!

HI, if you are just in transit (and do not leave the airport) you should not need a visa. If you book at qantas (or one of their partners) flight from sydney to NZ you will be able to check you bags straight through which will save you time. I think 2 hours should be enough time as long as your flight is on time.

Just wondering why you are changing airlines. Is it time that suits better or cost.? You will have a double whammy with customs if you are coming out to Australian soil to book a flight and then going back to International territoy. Can you not book Emirates before hand and have your tickets? If you were just in transit be simpler. Marg

It all hinges on whether you can book your bags through or not
If you can book your bags through from QANTAS onto the Emirates flight, then it is easy, you have enough time and you do not need a visa. I think this is unlikely as Emirates and QANTAS dont cooperating- so you may look at the cost all the way on QANTAS.

If you can not book your bags through all the way, it is risky. I regularly use Sydney international airport and I would not cut it this fine. You may make it, but you may not too. You do not need to change terminals- it is all in one building. But the issue is clearing immigration ( 10 minutes good day 30 minutes bad day), and then getting your bag ( 15 minutes post landing great day, 40 minutes bad day), then clearing customs (10 minutes great day, an hour bad day- yes I have had this several times , it all depends on the number of flights landing at the time you arrive, probably early morning from USA when many flights arrive due to the curfew at Sydney airport), then get out of arrivals, stay in the same building, take escalator up to departures, find your counter ( say 10 minutes if you are good, 15 if you fluff around), get to immigration and clear through ( 5 minutes if not busy, 25 minutes if busy) , then through security and bag check (5 mins if easy, 15 mins if very busy), then get to your gate lounge ( 5 mins). Ok so lets add it all up- all the bests are 10+15+10+10+5+5+5=60 minutes=OK you make it, add all the bads and you get 30+40+60+15+25+5=175 minutes or 3 hours. Well it would never take that long as all the bad planets will not align against you, but on a bad day it could be 2 hours which is too fine for me.

Well if it a matter of bags as the other VT has said you will most likely have to collect the bags yourself to put on Emirates which will involve customs so that is risky. Marg

Gaby, as I understand it from your second post here you plan to buy the tickets for both legs before you start your journey.

That means you can check your bags direct to Christchurch, you will only be in transit so you will not need an Aussie visa as you will not go through Immigration. Changing flights like this is normal and you will have time to do it.

You could also consider booking direct to Christchurch on Qantas rather than changing airlines.

Can bags be checked thru from Qantas to Emirates Colin?
I did wonder in my earlier post why the change of airline...?cost saving or maybe convenient time. MArg

Hey guys, thank all of you for your help! This is amazing - I did not expect such a turnout of replies! (As you can tell I'm not a regular around here)...
'Sydney' your reply where you calculate the worst/best scenario is great! That does help a lot.
And to ask your questions: I've already bought the US-Sydney tix for an Aus/NZ trip. I am trying to maximize the time I spend over there and I want to travel to NZ in the first part of my 16 day trip. So now I'm looking for tickets for SYD-CHC. The Qantas flight not only makes me wait 7 hours in Sydney but costs ~US$450 while Emirates/AirNZ are around (or less than) US$200...
Again thank you all!

...by 'Sydney' I meant RobSydney...

from US to Christchurch on Qantas (same PNR) probably it might have been cheaper then having two tickets, it happens often to pay less to be in transit for going further then having a stop where the air carrier has its home (Australia for Quantas, France for AirFrance and so on) and the big advantage to do only one check-in and to have protection for delay of first flight.
Did you already bought your ticket to Sidney? if not why not having a look also Air New Zealand USA for deals/offers? maybe one or two days before/after, otherwise check for indirect flight to Christchurch not two tickets without a night (or plenty of hours) in the middle.
If you did already have your ticket look also at www.virginblue.com.au for flight between SYD and CHC, Keep more time between those two flight, it could be a "good day" but the flight from US could be late and the Emirate's check-in closes not just a minute before the flight goes away.

Thanks cgf but I already have the US-Sydney tickets ... :(

Hi
With a ticket to travel onwards you would not need to clear immigration.

At international airports you can arrive, collect baggage, (or not have to collect baggage if the booking is made as a connecting flight), and then book in for ongoing flight at a transit counter where u obtain a boarding pass. Alternatively some airlines now allow you to check in, select seats and PRINT your own boarding pass online from home. If emirates do this you are laughing.

The only problem i see is if your flight in arrives late which can happen at times. Usually 3 hours is safe between flights but 2 will work if all is well. I go for 2 if i have a connecting flight as it minimises the travel time.

Australia is a long way form everywhere....

good luck
j