Airport day: check-in times, ID and what to check

A smooth airport day starts the night before. Here's what the airlines' own pages say about check-in and timing for domestic flights, as at 30 October 2026. Times differ by airline, airport and terminal, so check your booking.

1. Check in early, online if you can

• Qantas: app and online check-in open 24 hours before departure and run until 30 minutes before Australian domestic flights. Qantas
• Virgin Australia: domestic online check-in opens 48 hours before departure and closes 30 minutes before. Virgin Australia
• Jetstar: domestic online check-in opens 48 hours before departure. Jetstar

2. Know when check-in closes

• Qantas: for Qantas-operated domestic flights (QF400 and above), check-in closes 30 minutes before departure, 40 minutes for Qantas codeshares operated by Jetstar, and 60 minutes for domestic flights from an international terminal. Qantas
• Virgin Australia: domestic check-in closes 30 minutes before departure. Virgin recommends being checked in with bags dropped at least 60 minutes before departure, and says bags won't be accepted more than 3 hours before departure at Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. Virgin Australia
• Jetstar: if you're not at the boarding gate on time, you won't be able to board and may lose your fare. If you have checked bags, arrive earlier to tag and drop them. Jetstar

3. Check your terminal

Some domestic flights leave from an international terminal. Qantas says flights QF1 to QF399 depart from an international terminal, and Jetstar says some domestic flights leave from international terminals, so arrive earlier and have valid photo ID. On these flights, Qantas says photo ID is required for passengers 18 and over. Qantas, Jetstar

4. Have your name and ID right

Virgin Australia says the name on your booking must exactly match your passport, government-issued photo ID or travel documents. Virgin Australia

5. Carry-on only?

Qantas and Jetstar both say that if you've checked in and have only carry-on (Jetstar: with a digital boarding pass), you can go straight to security. Qantas, Jetstar

Checklist

• [ ] Checked in online and boarding pass saved
• [ ] Know your terminal
• [ ] Name on booking matches your ID
• [ ] Bags within your allowance (see our guides Carry-on-only fares: what's really included and Carry-on packing checklist: what to check first)
• [ ] Left time to drop bags and get through security

We don't list fares here, because they change all the time. Check the airline's own website for current fares and conditions.

Sources (checked 30 Oct 2026, Melbourne time)

• Qantas, Check-in: https://www.qantas.com/en-au/manage-booking/check-in
• Virgin Australia, Check-in information: https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/bookings/check-in/
• Jetstar, When to get to the airport for domestic flights: https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/when-to-get-to-the-airport-for-domestic-flights