Holidays and Airport 'Chaos' since COVID

[Sprucegoose]

Really, you'd think they would realise that half the world wears bra underwires and have technology that can cope with that. I always get that too, even with a very modest bust, but then, I always get the full treatment

Well that’s just Canberra………

 

[dylarr]

I flew ex-SYD on Fri 8th (QF) and security was a shambles as reported at 9am when I went through but baggage was worse. Luggage didn't make it on my flight to CBR and I didn't get it until Sunday morning, on the same day I was flying back to SYD!

I wasn't the only pax... apparently there were container loads of bags not making flights all over the network due to no staff in SYD.

 

[jakeseven7]

Melbourne T4, T3 and T1 were rammed last night - unsurprisingly, we were flying out people from the biggest, most successful Grand Prix ever - on all airlines. Felt like half of Australia was in Melbourne.

It wasn’t as horrific as Sydney though IMHO.

Some good celebrity spotting on Qantas - will post in other thread

 

[Pushka]

Heard this morning that no baggage was loaded onto a flight last Thursday from. Sydney into Adelaide. Four days later and there has been no contact from Qantas, phone won't answer, airport just says they will tell them when it arrives. Emails unanswered.

 

[Carrots]

This is exactly what they did in Canberra. We now have the new body scanners, and truly, they are usually much better and much faster, especially for those of us that used to get the full shoes off routine before. However, as I mentioned before, in my recent travelleing experience, they are still quite inconsistent about whether you have to take out lap tops and battery packs for separate scanning. It has been lap tops out on 2 out of 4 recent trips. They seem pretty standardised that iPads don't have to come out.

Adelaide security missed the memo on iPads... then again it does depend which way the wind is blowing and how itchy my knee is!

 

[Carrots]

Heard this morning that no baggage was loaded onto a flight last Thursday from. Sydney into Adelaide. Four days later and there has been no contact from Qantas, phone won't answer, airport just says they will tell them when it arrives. Emails unanswered.

Ol'Alan will blame that on the contractors... he planned well ahead by outsourcing ground handling!

I'll see if the other half can find out anything when she's onsite in ADL this week.

 

[daft009]

Just domestic or international too at SYD?
Got a friend travelling tomorrow (12/4) in J on SQ

He is thinking of getting there 5hrs before lol

 

[Seat0B]

Well that’s just Canberra………

Oh dear, it's a bit too soon for reminders of our inferior status here in the seat of government @Sprucegoose! At least we aren't being shot at, I suppose (tongue is firmly in cheek).

 

[Sulzerman]

Perth was no better last week, nearly an hour at 0600 to get through security, they had opened up the international lane in the Qantas domestic terminal and put some of us through that system. Lines were back out past the baggage collection areas in both directions.

 

[FishFood]

Perth was no better last week, nearly an hour at 0600 to get through security, they had opened up the international lane in the Qantas domestic terminal and put some of us through that system. Lines were back out past the baggage collection areas in both directions.

Was that during a weekday? Normally early morning security is really quick since it is mainly FIFO who all know the process well

 

[Sulzerman]

Was that during a weekday? Normally early morning security is really quick since it is mainly FIFO who all know the process well

It was when I was flying to work Tuesday morning, and it was nearly all FIFO's. I have never seen it that bad in my 12 years flying through this airport, (the worst in Australia in my opinion), the staff at the Business lounge said that it had been even worse the day before. The guys that joined here on the Thursday had the same problem, Qantas staff were pulling people out of the lines to rush them through to catch their flights.

 

[Astro]

Apparently tonight the Melbourne Qantas lounges weren't accepting guests. Not even guests of P1.

I reckon they'll be getting some heat from that 'enhancement'

 

[Saab34]

Been a while since I’ve seen it this busy 9pm on a Monday evening. Look at Tulla, chockers.

 

[levelnine]

Did a single Qantas MEL-SYD flight depart on time today? Look sporadically throughout the day most were departing ~2 hours late. What a disaster.

 

[jrfsp]

Did a single Qantas MEL-SYD flight depart on time today? Look sporadically throughout the day most were departing ~2 hours late. What a disaster.

Apparently alot of baggage delays, swissport flying employees around east coast bases daily at the moment to meet demand, hugely understaffed. Planes leaving without bags, piles of baggage left at SYD and MEL

 

[Daver6]

I have a bit of insight into some of the issues yesterday. Lack of ground staff and baggage handlers certainly didn't help issues. Apparently the out-sourced catering company in Sydney wasn't putting bin liners into the bins on outbound aircraft. This was discovered on arrival in MEL. As it turns out, this is a safety issue. When the crew in MEL discovered this they could not depart. Apparently sourcing bins in MEL became an issue and a big part of delays.

 

[levelnine]

the out-sourced catering company

Out sourcing leading to chaos, delays and expense? Who would have thought!

 

[jakeseven7]

I have a bit of insight into some of the issues yesterday. Lack of ground staff and baggage handlers certainly didn't help issues. Apparently the out-sourced catering company in Sydney wasn't putting bin liners into the bins on outbound aircraft. This was discovered on arrival in MEL. As it turns out, this is a safety issue. When the crew in MEL discovered this they could not depart. Apparently sourcing bins in MEL became an issue and a big part of delays.

Apparently there was chaos for all airlines in LST the other day - I think they all use the same ground contractor there and bags were left for hours!!?

A customer was telling me this AM. Anyone experience this? I think Swissport does LST?

 

[Harrison_133]

Apparently there was chaos for all airlines in LST the other day - I think they all use the same ground contractor there and bags were left for hours!!?

A customer was telling me this AM. Anyone experience this? I think Swissport does LST?

I fly out of LST a bit, I’m pretty sure JQ & QF are Swissport but VA are somebody else, can’t remember the name though.

LST can be notoriously slow with baggage delivery even on a good day. I’ve waited up to an hour for bags more often than not, and when any of the airlines have multiple aircraft on the ground at once it’s even worse.

 

[jakeseven7]

I fly out of LST a bit, I’m pretty sure JQ & QF are Swissport but VA are somebody else, can’t remember the name though.

LST can be notoriously slow with baggage delivery even on a good day. I’ve waited up to an hour for bags more often than not, and when any of the airlines have multiple aircraft on the ground at once it’s even worse.

Totally agree, its not the fastest even on a good day - I arrived a couple of weeks ago before all this mess, there were 2 QF 717's, 1 VA 737 and 2 JQ A320's on the ground and it was a DISASTER . Granted that was an unusual amount of aircraft for Lonny.

So, apparently, all the outsourced ground crew for all airlines in LST the other day had people MIA (Excuse = Covid... sigh) and bags literally sat on the tarmac, out the bag, piling up so people were left waiting there for 1.5 hours....