Immigration and customs

MCD

I will be taking this tour in October, arriving several days early so that I can spend a couple of days in Tasmania. There are no direct flights from the US to Hobart, so I will have to change planes (and probably terminals) in Sydney or Melbourne. It looks like I will have to book the internal flights separately from my international flights, so I will have to collect my luggage, go through immigration and customs and maybe transfer to a different terminal. Does anyone have suggestions about how long all of that might take? (I anticipate that I will fly business class from the US, but economy class internally.)

There's a similar issue returning to the US. Some flights go from Aukland to Sydney, then on to the US. Do I have to go through immigration and customs in Sydney, or can I avoid those stops because I'm not staying in Australia, but merely passing through on the way to the US?

Thanks for your thoughts.

BKMD

I was on this trip 2 years ago and flew to Melbourne via Sydney. Going through customs/immigration in Sydney wasn't terrible. If you have Global Entry, you can get through quickly but ONLY if you have your Global Entry card with you (they don't have kiosks like in the US). Transferring to the domestic terminal was a hassle. I flew Business as well (including from SYD to MEL), but you get pushed through the same overcrowded room, and not particularly well-behaved line of hundreds of people, that Economy does, to wait for the transfer bus. I'd give that process (Customs/Immigration plus shuttle to domestic) two hours.

Coming home, I flew directly from Auckland to LAX, without stopping in Australia on Air New Zealand. If you fly Qantas, you will stop in Australia, but just in a transit area, so you won't have to go through Immigration.

MCD

Thanks, BKMD. Your information is very helpful. I just dug out my Global Entry card and paper-clipped it to my passport. I had no idea that it could be used for entry into countries other than the US.

Richardb

Ahhhh! Thank you BKMD at last we know the true definition of economy class - the great unwashed without bottomless pockets, perhaps. I must say I have travelled on airlines where even Business class customers have been less than polite too.

JohnT

MCD
Here is a link to arrivals information and use of SmartGate and ePassports at Sydney airport:

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/ente/goin/arrival/smartgateor-epassport

Here is also a link with information on getting from the International terminal to the Domestic at Sydney. In Melbourne, they are in the one building:

https://www.sydneyairport.com.au/info-sheet/getting-between-terminals#

MCD

Thank you, John. Very helpful!

SusanLG

My question is somewhat related....we’re traveling through Auckland with a 9 hour layover. Flying in on American Airlines and onto Melbourne on Quantas. Do the airlines accept luggage 8 hours in advance (I assume we will have to claim it first and go through customs?) If not, does anyone know if there are luggage lockers at the Auckland Airport?

SusanLG

My question is somewhat related....we’re traveling through Auckland with a 9 hour layover. Flying in on American Airlines and onto Melbourne on Quantas. Do the airlines accept luggage 8 hours in advance (I assume we will have to claim it first and go through customs?) If not, does anyone know if there are luggage lockers at the Auckland Airport?

British

SusanLG wrote:

My question is somewhat related....we’re traveling through Auckland with a 9 hour layover. Flying in on American Airlines and onto Melbourne on Quantas. Do the airlines accept luggage 8 hours in advance (I assume we will have to claim it first and go through customs?) If not, does anyone know if there are luggage lockers at the Auckland Airport?

Yes they do, we have had layovers of longer than 8 hours, it's no problem.

Richardb

I agree with British. The only disadvantage I have found by checking luggage in very early is that early bags get loaded to the cargo cassettes first (because they are there and ready). A consequence has been that being at the back of the cassette those bags come off last to the carousel at the arrival destination. I got frustrated recently with this happening to me when arriving at Heathrow and had to make a timed rail connection - my bag was almost last, making me at the back of the immigration line. I did make it with just 3 minutes to spare.
You will be fine at Melbourne because the Tauck hire cars will just wait for you. Enjoy this super tour.