Commiseration event - 1 year after the loss of anytime access.

[FuzzyAUS]

Confirm i am now in, flights booked, i wont be staying in Melbourne overnight but instead am booked on the 19:00 QF flight back to Sydney

See you all tomorrow morning, i have done the web checkin bit that says this isnt your boarding pass, are there a bunch of people going to SYD T2 in the morning?? trying to get reprints or is there another plan i might be able to tag along on?

Thanks

 

[serfty]

Since it requires no additional fiduciary outlay for myself, I know what I am likely to be doing. (See my quoted posts below)

Some options are:

• $0 for those with an active "MiKi "Pass"
• $3.30 for those with a MyKi
• $6.50 for a 2 zone metcard
• $12.00 as [sup]1[/sup]/[sub]10[/sub] of a Ten Trip Skybus ticket
• $13.00 as ½ a two trip skybus ticket
• $13.50 (approx.) for those who share 4 to a taxi (http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/taxis/customers/taxi-fare-estimator)
• $16.00 with a one trip Skybus ticket

For those using the Skybus, a 5:05pm departure (T3) should arrive at Spencer St ~5:30pm.

FWIW, as a local of "Mexico", my plan is to use my Myki to catch either the 16:25 479 bus to the city or 17:00 478 bus to Essendon R/S then train it to the city.

Cost for me is nil as I have a Myki 'pass' with validity; others with MiKi "Money" cost is $3.30 (all day zone 1/2 weekend pass.)

I do have a spare Myki I can loan, otherwise 2H Z1/2 Metcard fare is $6.50 and can be purchased on the bus.

Unfortunately Myki's cost $6 + stored credit to 'buy' ($3 concession). i.e. You buy one, then "top it up" with $.

This cannot be done at the bus stop. I could pre-purchase some and load with $4 to cover the fare for $10 a pop, but at that rate a Metcard at $6.50 has less short term pain. Note that by 2013, this will be the only way to pay for travel on Melbourne metropolitan public transport - this would be an investment for some.

How to buy - myki

... The 479 bus at 4:25pm gets one to the city by 5:15pm, the 478 5pm bus and train gets you to the city around 5:45pm.

Per trip the Skybus costs $13 ($26 two trip ticket) or $16 - takes 25 minutes.Carry-on is fine; I've never seen more than a dozen people in these buses - even checked luggage would be fine (the only issue being lugging it the 400 metres to the bus stop).

 

[anat0l]

Did anyone get around to booking a group table somewhere?

Good point - as far as I can tell, no consensus yet.

Someone mentioned this would be done on the fly. I'm not recommending me to pick something since I'm not a Melbournian.

Personally in the interests of general health and mine, I'd probably be going for something very light after the F Lounge. So if that's useful for anyone to keep in mind, so be it.

 

[anat0l]

Since it requires no additional fiduciary outlay for myself, I know what I am likely to be doing. (See my quoted posts below)

Some options are:

• $0 for those with an active "MiKi "Pass"
• $3.30 for those with a MyKi
• $6.50 for a 2 zone metcard
• $12.00 as [SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]10[/SUB] of a Ten Trip Skybus ticket
• $13.00 as ½ a two trip skybus ticket
• $13.50 (approx.) for those who share 4 to a taxi (http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/taxis/customers/taxi-fare-estimator)
• $16.00 with a one trip Skybus ticket

For those using the Skybus, a 5:05pm departure (T3) should arrive at Spencer St ~5:30pm.

Skybus seems the easy way out, though I'm not completely a dummy using the public transport system (but don't have a myki and it also requires carriage of cash, i.e. the polymer stuff that is also legal tender but you tend to forget because you're mostly pushing credit card transactions as far as possible to get points). From Spencer St station it's a short few blocks walk to the Crowne Plaza where I'm going to be staying.

The taxi idea good for those who are going to a single location. $48.00 seems quite low compared to my last taxi experiences in MEL (though these were quite a few years ago, but I earmark about $60-$66 for taxi between airport and city in MEL, including credit card surcharge).

 

[KitKat]

Hahaha perhaps!! I haven't decided what one to get yet. Have you picked a time?

Depends on when I crawl out of bed and how long I take to walk to the Skybus terminal

 

[Alanslegal]

Hi folks, unfortunately due to a last minute family commitment tomorrow that I cannot get out of, I will have to scratch myself from this event For those in row 45, last night when I was still confirmed to attend, I checked into 45G, so there might be a seat free/available.

I hope everybody has a blast of a time and enjoys the bubbles in the F Lounge!!!

 

[awilcockson]

<whisper>

Sichuan prawn and crab stack

</whisper>

 

[serfty]

...

The taxi idea good for those who are going to a single location. $48.00 seems quite low compared to my last taxi experiences in MEL (though these were quite a few years ago, but I earmark about $60-$66 for taxi between airport and city in MEL, including credit card surcharge).

That figure was incorrect; it's actually a bit more ~$13.50pp ($53)

(Taxi fare estimator | Department of Transport)

 

[serfty]

Same here. Maybe we will meet on the Skybus tomorrow morning!

Hahaha perhaps!! I haven't decided what one to get yet. Have you picked a time?

Depends on when I crawl out of bed and how long I take to walk to the Skybus terminal

I hope to be on a Skybus to the airport departing at 6am.

 

[awilcockson]

I hope to be on a Skybus to the airport departing at 6am.

If it makes you feel any better I'll be up at 3am (tha's 2am MEL time) to catch my 5am flight from BNE

 

[penegal]

<whisper>

Sichuan prawn and crab stack

</whisper>

Did someone say Chilli?

Maybe someone should preempt this and make a booking for a big table (10/12 ??) to avoid disappointment on the night?

 

[serfty]

Skybus. Especially since I discovered (thanks Bundy Bear) that they do free connections to and from CBD hotels.

Note these 'free' connections cease on Saturdays after 5:30pm.

To be sure of making it you'd need to be departing MEL by 4:45.

SkyBus - Hassle-free transfers to and from your city hotel

 

[nlagalle]

If it makes you feel any better I'll be up at 3am (tha's 2am MEL time) to catch my 5am flight from BNE

I think you need to go back to school to learn about telling the time! it's actually 4am in Melbourne when it is 3am...

And you wonder why we always make jokes about Queenslanders!! :mrgreen:

 

[nlagalle]

I hope to be on a Skybus to the airport departing at 6am.

I'm hoping to still be in bed at 6am! I was looking at around 7.30am

 

[serfty]

I'm hoping to still be in bed at 6am! I was looking at around 7.30am

That's when I'll be thinking about heading to the boarding gate (or will be already on my way for gates 8 - 12).

 

[anat0l]

Note these 'free' connections cease on Saturdays after 5:30pm.

To be sure of making it you'd need to be departing MEL by 4:45.

SkyBus - Hassle-free transfers to and from your city hotel

Yeesh! Since when did they change the rules?

Luckily for those staying at the HSW, it is not a bad walk of about 15 minutes from Spencer St Station.

 

[serfty]

Yeesh! Since when did they change the rules?

Luckily for those staying at the HSW, it is not a bad walk of about 15 minutes from Spencer St Station.

It's always been like that since the transfer bus service started AFAIK.

As for the HSW walk, one way is to head down Spencer st to "Jeff's Shed" then walk along the river to the HSW.

There is a shorter (less picturesque) way and that is to head West along the north side of Collins st. past the R/S, cross the bridge over "Wurundjeri Way" and past one more building until you get to the bit that passes over "Aurora Lane". To the right there are steps leading down to "Aurora Lane". Head down these stairs then follow the lane to the South. Cross Flinders St (watch out for Trams), head down "Siddely St." past the Seaman's church and over the Yarra on the bridge there and you are basically at the HSW.

Southern Cross Station, Docklands VIC 3008 to Collins St - Google Maps

Aurora Ln to Unknown road - Google Maps (Walk between the two white dots, ignore the loop to Spencer St)

 

[anat0l]

It's always been like that since the transfer bus service started AFAIK.

ISTR arriving later than 1730h at Spencer St Station and still being able to use the shuttle service. Certainly no recent experience but whatever it is...

 

[serfty]

I'm referring to Weekends.

On weekdays they run up to 10:30pm (ISTR it used to end earlier, maybe 9:30pm).

 

[Mal]

Walking to hsw and holiday Inn should be simple. 5mins walk to hi at most. Seriously. No need for shuttle.

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