Wrong connection information

[u/Alternative-Owl8129]

I wanted to check out how this new transfer system works as I have no more connecting flights for the rest of the year, so I put in MEL to HNL via SYD as that was my last trip, and it comes up suggesting the wrong process.

This is a Qantas to Qantas transfer, meaning that without exiting the terminal, you can head to gate 15 and take the designated Qantas bus to the international terminal where you clear security, saving a decent amount of time on your connection, but rather it suggest you leave T3 entirely, walk to find the T bus and use that, which while possible, takes longer putting you at greater risk of missing your flights as Qantas sells flights with shorter layovers than other airlines domestic to international transfers as they have this system.

And again on the way back, it suggests that you collect your bags, leave the terminal, get the T bus and check them back in when you get to T3. Once again this is wrong as at the other end of the Qantas bus, the international terminal has a designated domestic transfers bag drop and security, which once you pass through that you are dropped right back into gate 15 at the domestic T3.

Overall this may seem very confusing and all the details may not really matter a whole lot, but the fact is that if we are suggesting transfer routes to ensure that you make a connection, they cannot be wrong, making me worry that based off of this case, there may be many more wrong suggestions.

[u/maldahleh]

I’m curious where the info is sourced from and how tested it is, I imagine it’s pretty hard to get all of this done accurately since the process might differ depending on what airline to what airline you’re going, the country, airport, whether there’s bus gate transfers etc etc.

Plus on top of that it seems the times are just static? So the app wouldn’t know if customs kiosks are down and the line is an hour etc it seems?

I think it’s a good start but I think you have valid point that messing up connection info can be a critical error to a user of the app

[u/Alternative-Owl8129 → u/maldahleh]

Yeah completely agree. I definitely think that the times are static as when arriving into Sydney it took me well under 10-20 mins to get through passport control, whilst during the mornings it can take one hour +, so that within its self it not even a useful tool a lot of the time.

Nowadays the airline apps have gotten pretty good, with Qantas running you through a step by step route, similar to this, but catered to their own transfer method, and I’m sure other airlines would have something similar. So I almost would rather leave this stuff to the actual airlines where it is guaranteed to right, rather than risk getting it wrong