MEL questions

How busy is MEL? We have a 7:15 am flight to SYD and I'm wondering what time we need to arrive at the airport. We'll travel from SYD to LAX. Thank you!!

How busy is MEL? We have a 7:15 am flight to SYD and I'm wondering what time we need to arrive at the airport. We'll travel from SYD to LAX. Thank you!!

 

Is the 7.15 am a domestic flight to Sydney followed by an international flight from Sydney to LAX on same day, on one booking?

It can vary a bit by airline, but I think last time I looked most domestic flights wanted you at the airport about an hour prior to flight time, (someone r3cently told me QANTAS now say two hours, I’m not sure that’s right or not.

 

But if you are flying straight on to LAX then that may count as an international flight and require earlier arrival.

I’m unsure if you mean you are having a few days in Sydney prior to the Syd-LA flight or on the one day.

Yup first you need to tell us if you are simply doing a domestic flight (and which airline - as each will tell you exactly how long you need to arrive before check in) - or if you are doing an international flight with a connection in Sydney.

 

If its an international flight then 3 hours is the minimum - more if you plan to be joining the tax refund queue which can be very long.

 

If its a domestic and you are checking in luggage - then I like an hour to be safe. If I am only travelling with carryon I reduce it to 30 min.

 

Melb is the second largest capital city in the country - so yes - busy airport.

Is the 7.15 am a domestic flight to Sydney followed by an international flight from Sydney to LAX on same day, on one booking?

 

Yes it is; Qantas to SYD and AA to LAX

Is the 7.15 am a domestic flight to Sydney followed by an international flight from Sydney to LAX on same day, on one booking?

Yes it is; Qantas to SYD and AA to LAX

The Qantas website is very specific about this:-

 

Domestic (QF400 and above)

Recommended check-in time: 45 minutes

Latest check-in: 30 minutes

 

Domestic connecting to international travel (QF400 and above) For example: Canberra to Sydney to Los Angeles

Recommended check-in time: 60 minutes

Latest check-in: 45 minutes

I don't use MEL very much, and definitely not often at that time of the morning. It's usually very quiet and fast when I'm there.

 

But I believe that domestic departures can be busy on weekdays around the time of your flight; this is the time of the day when QF has a flight to SYD every 15 minutes. Personally, with those guidelines I think I'd be planning to get to the airport around 6.00 am, just in case there are any unexpected issues somewhere along the line.

 

If I were only flying to SYD (which is what I normally do), I'd be more relaxed about cutting it fine.

 

More information on the airport here: https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/airport-guide-melbourne-domestic/global/en

Thank you very much! I should have thought about checking the Qantas website. 6 am isn't nearly as bad as 4:30 am which is what I was thinking we'd need to do.