How easy is it to transfer from domestic flight to International flight in Adelaide and vice versa?
Was wondering if people have been using Adelaide as an International transit point rather than Sydney or Melbourne to avoid the delays at Immigration and Customs. Now that more airlines are using the more popular A350 to Adelaide, are people from places like Canberra and Hobart chosing Adelaide as international gateway instead of 777s or A380s from Sydney or Melbourne?
Transfer wise it is all the same terminal so very easy and small there is no line ups to go through customs. Automated gates at customs. Secondary screening as per normal due to the transit bit ver relaxing compared to the bigger hubs.
what an interesting question - and to be honest hilarious if you are from adelaide - as it has to be the easiest transfer i could think of. i have never done an international transfer in adelaide but international is part of the domestic terminal and therefore easy to go between the 2 (arrivals is downstairs so up an escalator and you are at checkin for the next flight)
It is very easy to transfer from Domestic to international. Especially if you are traveling on one ticket and do not need to transfer your bags by yourself. The international departures are from Gates 16 - 20 within the domestic terminal. These gates are closed off and opened throughout the day to make a mini-international departure area as needed. The passport control and security screen are from a single point at the entry to the temporary departure lounge (Similar to what you find at singapore airport prior to entering the departure area for a flight) I'd say absolute max. time from existing a plane at farthest gates to the security point would be 10 minutes unless you have mobility issues. The lines are generally not too bad as it is only a couple of flights departing at any one time. My checked luggage often beats me to the carousel on qantas (I can't speak to virgin but it has slightly longer to travel) from the baggage claim it is 5 minutes to navigate from the arrival area to the check in area so it is all rather painless.
Doing the reverse is also relatively painless, beyond having to deal with the general hassle of inbound customs, though a friend who travels hand luggage only is routinely in to terminal in about 5-10 minutes from stepping off the plane.
I've not flown Singapore Ex. Adelaide so I cannot speak to the quality of their small Silver-Kris Flyer lounge. The Qantas and Virgin lounges are okay but as they are domestic grade they are not at the level you'd expect from a proper international business lounge and they lag far behind the first lounges you get in Melbourne and Sydney (which is something I value as part of my flying experience, though not if there is a large saving to be had flying via my hometown)
The transit experience is easy as you don't even need to complete a full security check again. Yes, there's an international checkpoint inside the secure domestic departures area, but the X-ray is just looking for prohibited liquids, with passengers selected for a body scan at random and as available (much the same as at any other Australian international airport, just that you've already gone through a metal detector) - same as at the Gold Coast.
Only downside is the lack of international lounges, with only Singapore Airlines having one (and it's nothing swanky). There's a slight advantage for Chairman's Lounge members in that it provides an otherwise-rare chance to use a Chairman's Lounge directly before an international flight (as opposed to a Qantas First Lounge or other lounge in an international terminal), but that's about it.
It could not be easier. Lounge access airside of international is probably the only downside, as Chris indicated. That being said, you could very easily clear international during boarding call without a problem. The international terminal at ADL is created by manouvering a couple of glass sliding doors and brushing some koalas out of the road (damned things are everywhere here). You could walk the length of adl terminal in 10 minutes.
Coopers bar is always good if you don’t have lounge access and there’s a cracking kid’s playground in domestic if you (or the young ‘uns) need to kill some time. They has a good slide.
Oh and there’s still no beer on tap in the VA lounge.
Why would any one want to transit here, especially coming into ADL internationally. There is only one baggage carousel so if SQ or MH or any of the others that fly here are late or early its chaos. Even flying out, why would you have an extra flight when MEL and SYD have so many more options
Indeed! So disappointing when QF pulled out of flying internationally out of ADL. I wrote to Alan Joyce (and actually got a response) about it! It was when QF started it’s EK alliance. As an Adelaide resident and a QF fanboy it is a pain to have to tack on a flight to the east coast every time we want to go somewhere.... bring back at least an A330 to SIN or HKG (and AKL)!
aniljak
aniljak
Member since 15 Sep 2012
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airADL
airADL
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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Transfer wise it is all the same terminal so very easy and small there is no line ups to go through customs. Automated gates at customs. Secondary screening as per normal due to the transit bit ver relaxing compared to the bigger hubs.
drsimon50
drsimon50
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Oct 2013
Total posts 81
what an interesting question - and to be honest hilarious if you are from adelaide - as it has to be the easiest transfer i could think of. i have never done an international transfer in adelaide but international is part of the domestic terminal and therefore easy to go between the 2 (arrivals is downstairs so up an escalator and you are at checkin for the next flight)
Theresnormissin
Theresnormissin
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 14 Oct 2016
Total posts 153
It is very easy to transfer from Domestic to international. Especially if you are traveling on one ticket and do not need to transfer your bags by yourself. The international departures are from Gates 16 - 20 within the domestic terminal. These gates are closed off and opened throughout the day to make a mini-international departure area as needed. The passport control and security screen are from a single point at the entry to the temporary departure lounge (Similar to what you find at singapore airport prior to entering the departure area for a flight) I'd say absolute max. time from existing a plane at farthest gates to the security point would be 10 minutes unless you have mobility issues. The lines are generally not too bad as it is only a couple of flights departing at any one time. My checked luggage often beats me to the carousel on qantas (I can't speak to virgin but it has slightly longer to travel) from the baggage claim it is 5 minutes to navigate from the arrival area to the check in area so it is all rather painless.
I've not flown Singapore Ex. Adelaide so I cannot speak to the quality of their small Silver-Kris Flyer lounge. The Qantas and Virgin lounges are okay but as they are domestic grade they are not at the level you'd expect from a proper international business lounge and they lag far behind the first lounges you get in Melbourne and Sydney (which is something I value as part of my flying experience, though not if there is a large saving to be had flying via my hometown)
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
The transit experience is easy as you don't even need to complete a full security check again. Yes, there's an international checkpoint inside the secure domestic departures area, but the X-ray is just looking for prohibited liquids, with passengers selected for a body scan at random and as available (much the same as at any other Australian international airport, just that you've already gone through a metal detector) - same as at the Gold Coast.
Only downside is the lack of international lounges, with only Singapore Airlines having one (and it's nothing swanky). There's a slight advantage for Chairman's Lounge members in that it provides an otherwise-rare chance to use a Chairman's Lounge directly before an international flight (as opposed to a Qantas First Lounge or other lounge in an international terminal), but that's about it.
Brassy
Brassy
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 15 Apr 2016
Total posts 36
It could not be easier. Lounge access airside of international is probably the only downside, as Chris indicated. That being said, you could very easily clear international during boarding call without a problem. The international terminal at ADL is created by manouvering a couple of glass sliding doors and brushing some koalas out of the road (damned things are everywhere here). You could walk the length of adl terminal in 10 minutes.
Red Cee
Red Cee
Member since 15 Feb 2018
Total posts 151
Would be nice if Qantas used ADL to SIN and AKL.
plad
plad
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Member since 16 Jun 2017
Total posts 59
Why would any one want to transit here, especially coming into ADL internationally. There is only one baggage carousel so if SQ or MH or any of the others that fly here are late or early its chaos. Even flying out, why would you have an extra flight when MEL and SYD have so many more options
plad
plad
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
Member since 16 Jun 2017
Total posts 59
Oh, and that VA lounge has more the feel or a truckies cafeteria than a lounge
airADL
airADL
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 25 Mar 2014
Total posts 208
It may have one carousel but it beats customs in MEL and SYD by a million miles.
SimonFrost
SimonFrost
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Jul 2013
Total posts 70
Indeed! So disappointing when QF pulled out of flying internationally out of ADL. I wrote to Alan Joyce (and actually got a response) about it! It was when QF started it’s EK alliance. As an Adelaide resident and a QF fanboy it is a pain to have to tack on a flight to the east coast every time we want to go somewhere.... bring back at least an A330 to SIN or HKG (and AKL)!