Why you’ll need more time between connecting Qantas flights

The arriving international - domestic connection time is already a mess.  I do this regularly and have always allowed a minimum 2 hour connection but the combination of luggage arriving very slowly into the baggage hall and the useless outsourced  landside terminal connection has meant I have never made the 2 hour connection in 3 attempts this year and have had to be moved onto a later domestic flight.  It's not a huge problem heading to MEL but it would be a pain if you were connecting to somewhere with less frequent connections.

Even 90min isn’t enough in BNE and SYD with a transfer via rail/bus and a 45min wait in security / customs 

I have a 1 hr 40 min transfer next week but will just have carry on baggage so hopefully I'll be ok.

I would like to book a 3+ hour connection flying from MEL via SYD outbound, but all too often I can only find very tight connection times are offered. Hopefully this will change with this change in policy.

Not as worried about the return leg arriving into Australia as if I don't meet the minimum connection time they will rebook me onto a later flight (which happened on my recent return to Australia. I booked a flight to go 2 hours after landing in SYD, but ended up getting rebooked onto a flight about an hour after arriving at the transfer desk).

Considering my experience back in May with connecting at Sydney, you’ll be lucky to pass through the immigration and security screening process in 90 mins, much less the duty free experience or lounge stay. 

There would be plenty of time for the luggage, the wait is the pax snaking queue and the automated immigration gates shutting down every 10 mins

BTW the 90 min I mentioned above does not include the 30 mins to ride the QF bus connecting the terminal (15 minutes interval, 10 mins ride but takes at least 10 min for pax to embark and disembark, does not include lining up in the queue for the bus, probably about 30-40 pax capacity)

avoid awful SYD at all costs. Worst airport in OZ by far. If you can't allow 3.5 hours minimum to change terminals.

Considering boarding commences 60 mins (well it says on the boarding pass) the old 60 min connection time was never realistic and only causes anxiety for travelers.

I would allow at least 120 mins (if you want to transfer without any stress)

TRAVELZ

no no no

2 hours is not enough. 3.5 hours or more & go to qantas club. Many int destinations have 1 flight a day. If miss that could be day or 3 waiting in busy periods.

I would rather pay my worst enemy a years salary than haggle through that third world experience domestic to international ever again at Sydney Airport. Its complete Amateur hour with every conceivable part of the process outsourced to any Tom Dick or Harry who bidded lowest in the tender process. Even with the benefit of an APEC card and using the crew lane at immigration, its a half hour wait if there is a few flights due. I had Korean Air pilots in front of me who were absolutely mad, and I noticed that flight took off 2 hours late !The best part is the full to the brim Covid Skybus (another outsource) and the disorganised bus boarding process. All the while, Joyce sits at home with his beagle on his lap internet shopping for new homewares. Albo had 4 of a possible 24 immigration officers on for at least 700 pax. Its Australia, near enough is good enough.     

Typical lazy headline in ET’s email ‘Qantas delays connections’!?! They are increasing minimum connection time to help avoid customers missing flights because of security and immigration delays. Sounds very reasonable to me and I’d think some balanced reporting reflecting this would help take some of the hysteria out of the obsession to destroy our only Australian owned airline. 

there is absolutely nothing special about qantas & it's only 51% australian by govt decree, isn't it ?

I wish they would extend this in Heathrow currently you can book a through ticket with an onward connection with another carrier with a minimum connection of 90 minutes even if that is from a different terminal. It’s impossible to get from t3 to t5 on the internal transfer bus and through security in that time, especially with the QF01 and QF09 always late. This adds up to missed flights and then no possibility to rebook on BA as they have stopped ticket sales due to the cap. It’s a disaster every day if they could extend the minimum time to 2.5 or 3 hours even if temporarily it would help.

I knew the 1h30 to 2hr minimum existed for years but are there ways to avoid that packed to the brim transfer bus?I am think GM CAB or Train or Uber if transferring Domestic to International.

My daughter-in-law and I had a 70-minute connection from domestic to international in Sydney on October 1, but a call to Qantas's Hobart call centre a week ago resulted in being switched to an earlier domestic flight. Here's a shout-out to the fantastic Darren at the call centre!