Folks I'm flying Qantas from Sydney to Melbourne in business, then connecting onto Emirates for first class up to Singapore.

Folks I'm flying Qantas from Sydney to Melbourne in business, then connecting onto Emirates for first class up to Singapore. As it's a Qantas ticket on an Emirates-operated flight, do I still get a call from a first host the day before to sort out the spa etc? Does anyone meet you when you are connecting? Any help/advice would be gratefully received, want to make the most of the experience! Cheers

No calls/escorting to be expected. Just make your way to the QF lounge at MEL instead of EK as this will be overcrowded.

Get your bags tagged through to SIN at a QF domestic check in.  Proceed directly to the international terminal in MEL.  You should be issued a express path to access immigration.  Agree the QF lounge is best bet in MEL.  The QF lounge will not generally call unless you are travelling on QF first.

17:35 to 19:00 is not really a lot of time, considering you have to go through immi & int security.

Having Expresspath helps, but its a pity you have (possibly) that timing, if thats on your flight itineary.

Ideally, if it was me, I would have ($$$ yes) booked it a separate tix, so that you could spend more time in the QF MELi F lounge.

Though you will be in Zone A on the plane, first to board, you don't really have that much time to spend lazing in the lounge.

SYDd plane touches down, yes, you will be first off, but you will have to be very quick to get from T1, practically run acoss to T2 initial security check by the guy/girl that mans that sliding doors, he looks at your documents, few mins, line up for immi (outgoing pax card filled, ready to pass acorss), if you have not been issued an Expresspath, you would hopefully have gotten it somehow..., then pass int security, Expresspath, by this time it might be 18:10, see, you get my drift?

If your SYDd flight is an earlier on that the one that I think you are on, lucky, then ignore my waffle.

If you are on the SYDd flight that arrives at 17:35, see if you can change it to an earlier SYD dep.

I have been into the SYDi J lounge many times, and yes, QF lounges are very good, F I am sure are better than J ones.

Best of luck in getting the change, paws crossed for you.

The spa won't be open - it only operates in Melbourne during the few hours before QF's flights to LA and Dubai and departing to Singapore at 7pm will have you there a bit too early.

Regarding connections in MEL, if I'm in Qantas Business (on a single Qantas ticket), connecting domestic to international, will I be issued an Express Path card or will I need to seek one out?

Also, how much of a zoo is it in MEL T2 in the late morning?

Just thought of couple more points.

QF should give you the express path and EK bp at check in in SYD. 

To save time in MEL, don't head to the arrivals floor. Go upstairs and cross back through security (through a side door there). You will be on the same level of departures and won't have to leave the terminal.

Don't leave the QF F lounge until your flight is called as EK have their way of boarding and hold off F/J passengers.

You should be eligible for the chauffeur drives both at SYD and SIN. QF may say no, so try doing it through EK website.

For the ExpressPath, if you are not provided, ask.  The Qantas Club had them when I did ADL to SYD to CHC.

I forgot to ask at "show passport" at the Premium check in in ADL, got through ADL domestic security, then the thought hit me, didn't ask for the Express Path did I?  Went to Qantas service desk, they said go to the Qantas Club.  Qantas Club had them.

So, for your J check in, as above suggested, askfor the ExpressPath card.  You will also need a green Outgoing Passenger Card, this should be given to you, as a rule of thumb, in SYD.  Fill in the Outgoing Passenger Card on the domestic flight, saves time at MELi.

Even with ExpressPath, you still might get a body scan, (maybe less chances than general travelling population though) but everything out of pockets, so only have your passport in your hand, or pop it into hand luggage.

If you are lucky and snap one of the ever diminishing SYD to MEL international, lucky, ie, your SYD to MEL flight is in the range of QF1-QF399.  You don't say which flight your domestic one is on.

QF 421, so I will need to make the short walk over. Ta muchly, I'll get the Express Path slip and Outgoing Passenger Card in SYD when I check in at the premium desk.

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice - I've switched my SYD-MEL section so that I'm now getting into MEL at 4pm, which gives me much more time to relax in the first lounge before departure. It looks as though the spa opening hours in Mel were changed in Feb to extend until 7pm, so hopefully I'll manage to get a session before I fly out. Sounds like the transfer from domestic to international is easy enough - thanks for the tips re luggage check-through and express boarding cards! cheers