I was totally unaware of the double-decker bus as it was introduced while I was overseas but I ended up getting one after my return flight.
I'd decided to go for the 901/train option and, as there often is, there was a 901 waiting at the airport. I didn't know the exact departure time but walked briskly towards it pushing my trolley. I was 50 metres away and there was noone else in sight when the bus' indicator went on. It couldn't pull out because of the traffic but as I ran towards it waving with one hand and coping with the trolley in the other it pulled out. I looked at my watch and it was a few seconds after the 20 minute mark which, I guessed, was the scheduled time. It would have been greatly appreciated if the driver could have delayed the departure for 30 seconds. An annoying welcome home to the most livable city.
Rather than waiting for the next 901 I headed back to get the Skybus and, of course, the one that had been there had just pulled out so I had a 10 minute wait and it was the double-decker that rolled in.
All but one of the very few seats on the lower level were taken so I took it and spent the next 10 minutes or so watching the driver having to do extensive reorganisation of the luggage rack unbeknownst to all of the passengers that had headed upstairs.
I spent the journey staring at the luggage racks, the only view that is offered for most of the seats downstairs. The good thing is that it's a quick exit if you take those seats while all of those travelling upstairs make their way down.
I didn't hang around to find out but I imagine that it was pretty chaotic as people descended in different directions from the 2 flights of stairs and then had to find their cases. I would think that there would have been people backed up standing on the stairs.
From a regular passenger's viewpoint I can't see any benefit in the double-decker. For a visitor it may feel a bit more value for the $18 having a better view of all that can be seen along the Tulla!
I'd decided to go for the 901/train option and, as there often is, there was a 901 waiting at the airport. I didn't know the exact departure time but walked briskly towards it pushing my trolley. I was 50 metres away and there was noone else in sight when the bus' indicator went on. It couldn't pull out because of the traffic but as I ran towards it waving with one hand and coping with the trolley in the other it pulled out. I looked at my watch and it was a few seconds after the 20 minute mark which, I guessed, was the scheduled time. It would have been greatly appreciated if the driver could have delayed the departure for 30 seconds. An annoying welcome home to the most livable city.
Rather than waiting for the next 901 I headed back to get the Skybus and, of course, the one that had been there had just pulled out so I had a 10 minute wait and it was the double-decker that rolled in.
All but one of the very few seats on the lower level were taken so I took it and spent the next 10 minutes or so watching the driver having to do extensive reorganisation of the luggage rack unbeknownst to all of the passengers that had headed upstairs.
I spent the journey staring at the luggage racks, the only view that is offered for most of the seats downstairs. The good thing is that it's a quick exit if you take those seats while all of those travelling upstairs make their way down.
I didn't hang around to find out but I imagine that it was pretty chaotic as people descended in different directions from the 2 flights of stairs and then had to find their cases. I would think that there would have been people backed up standing on the stairs.
From a regular passenger's viewpoint I can't see any benefit in the double-decker. For a visitor it may feel a bit more value for the $18 having a better view of all that can be seen along the Tulla!
