Brisbane Airport has two terminals, about 2 km apart on opposite sides of the airfield. The Domestic Terminal handles Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex domestic flights. The International Terminal handles every international flight. You cannot walk between them.
The free terminal bus
This is the default transfer, and it costs nothing.
| How often | About every 10 minutes |
| Hours | Every day, 04:00 to 01:30 |
| Ride | About 5 minutes |
| At International | Drops on Level 4; collects on Level 2 |
| At Domestic | Orange stops outside the Qantas and Virgin ends |
Allow 20 to 30 minutes door to door once you include the wait and the walk inside each terminal. If you are connecting to a flight, add the time your airline needs for check-in and bag drop.
The hotel shuttle is a different service
The precinct hotel shuttle is run by Specialised Transport Australia. It is not the free terminal bus, and it costs $9 a person.
At Domestic, it picks up in the commercial bus lanes outside arrivals. Cross the zebra crossings over the passenger pickup roads and look for the Bus & Coach Charter Bays or the Orange Terminal Transfer Bus stops at the Qantas and Virgin Australia ends.
At International, it picks up on Level 2 (Arrivals): exit past customs, follow the Bus and Coach Zone signs down the ramp to the coach charter bays. It drops at Level 4 (Departures), near check-in.
It runs every 40 minutes in the early morning, roughly 03:35 to 09:55, with most runs between 04:00 and 09:00. Book a seat in advance.
The Airtrain
The train does the same trip in about 5 minutes for $5. It is useful if you have a tight connection and the bus has just left, but it is not faster enough to justify the fare on a normal transfer.
The Airtrain also runs to the city in about 20 minutes. The adult fare is $23.30, and children 14 and under travel free. Trains run from about 05:04 to 22:04 on weekdays, and from about 06:04 to 22:04 on weekends.
At International, the station is on Level 3. At Domestic, take the Skywalk across to the station.
Taxi or rideshare
A taxi or rideshare between the terminals is a short fare, but Brisbane Airport adds a $4.86 fee to fares collected at the airport. Use it when the bus has stopped, when you have too much luggage for the bus, or when the wait for the next bus is longer than the fare is worth.
Taxis wait outside both terminals. Rideshare pick-up is signposted: at International, exit Level 2 and follow the path behind The Coffee Club; at Domestic, cross to the central road between the taxi rank and the passenger drop-off.
What we would do
- Domestic to International, daytime: take the free bus and allow 30 minutes.
- Before 04:00: the free bus has not started. Take a taxi or rideshare.
- After 01:30: the free bus has stopped. Take a taxi or rideshare.
- A tight connection: the Airtrain is worth the $5 if the bus is not there.
The terminal transfer is only one part of the journey. If you are staying overnight, the hotel's own shuttle may be more useful than the airport bus. See where to stay near Brisbane Airport for the hotels on each side.