Sydney Transit - Domestic to International Terminals Route

My wife and I were originally booked on VA MEL-HKG but that service was cancelled and we're being re-routed through Sydney. What a pain! Three years ago on a trip from MEL-LAX we were ferrried by Virgin's bus which went out into the Sydney traffic. It was horrific and took ages, putting stress on us to make the international flight. When we did this transfer with Qantas 15 years ago, the bus took us across the tarmac, avoiding the traffic, and it was a very quick and stress-free trip with close-up views of a variety of aircraft. Does anyone who uses this facility know whether Virgin's bus is across the tarmac or out in the traffic? If it's the latter I'll probably pay to get the train.

Last time I did a 'domestic to international' transit with Virgin in Sydney (July 2019), the bus ran airside: taking much the same route as the Qantas transfer bus, and arriving in the same place at the international terminal. On previous occasions, it was a longer drive out onto the public roads, which wasn't as efficient.

I do the SYD transfer on VA many times per year. My last 4 trips around Nov last year all went on the public roads.

I did an international to domestic transfer with Virgin last year and it was a slow slog through the traffic on public roads. The Qantas transfer on the other hand was all air-side and much quicker.

Hey @GoYouBlues,

Virgin do have an airside bus from domestic to international. This is located by Gate 46 Transfer lounge, goes the same route like the Qantas domestic - international airside bus.

Virgin's transfer lounge does close by 8:30 - 9pm each night however.

Some responded by saying that the Virgin bus from Gate 46 goes out onto the roads in all the traffic while others said that it goes across the tarmac. I am confused!

Ah I did the transfer last week, from domestic to international was airside for me.

I did international-to-domestic last weekend and it was through public roads. Looks like domestic-to international is airside and international-to-domestic is “roadside” (if such a word exists!)

Different route Dom to Intl than Intl to Dom..

Transferring to Intl happens from downstairs at VA domestic gate 43 (from memory) so you are already airside, Probly a security thing - the bus can go around the tarmac, back behind the end of the N/S runway and drop off close to QF Intl bus stop because everyone onboard the bus has been security screened for flamethrowers, rpg's and shoulder-fired stinger missiles.

However, from Intl you get the VA bus once you are outside, thru customs etc, and no longer ‘airside' so the bus goes across to Dom by public roads..

Well, VA must have changed things because three years ago we went from VA domestic at Gate 46 on the Virgin bus to the international terminal using the public roads with dreadful traffic. I will be taking this trip to HKG in February so I'll let you all know which way I went.

Yes they have changed, so that now Dom to Intl goes internal roads around the airport. But the return, Intl to Dom, remains out in the traffic.

The issue seems to be where to put the security scan and bag drop. No obvious easy place at the international. Qantas has quite a big setup to do it and VA may not have the volumes or money to pay for it

Have also done this a number of times in the past 6 months and agree with others: Domestic to Intl was airside with bus departing from Gate 46.

The VA bag drop is at the north end of the International Terminal (the opposite end to QA). It even has its own exit from International arrivals, and is very easy to get to.

A bit too late, for the OP, ((now that VA is cancelling flights SYD to HKG)), ...

... but for anyone else reading this.

From dom T2 to int T1, the bus goes from Gate 46 within the secure zone of the airport roadway, as people would have already passed dom security screening.

But on the way back from int to dom, as there is no VAd security screening at SYD T1, the bus will go via the public roadway, and drop pax outside T2 in the open zone, and this is where time has to be given, as all pax have to then go through Aust dom airport secreening, at SYD T2, either through the normal pleb line, or the Express line, which leads to the VAd the Lounge at SYD T2.

QF is different, from int to dom, as all QF pax are screened at T1 SYD int, while waiting for the QF bus.

Have done this many times, going to and from ADL on QF and VA int to dom and vice versa flights.