MEL & PER APs worst in country

[Hvr]

Melbourne Airport ties with Perth for worst in Australia for service
Melbourne Airport has been ranked equal-worst for service delivery out of Australia's major airports, despite increasing passenger numbers and surging revenue over the past decade.

Tullamarine's Melbourne Airport tied with Perth Airport for the lowest ranking in customer and airline service quality in the 2013-14 financial year, according to the consumer watchdog's annual report on airport performance.



The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission pointed to a trend of "increasing financial margins and lagging quality of service" at the nation's four biggest airports – Melbourne (Tullamarine), Brisbane, Perth and Sydney (Kingsford Smith).
"While all monitored airports have reported significant real earnings over the past 11 years, this has not translated into improvements in quality of service," it said.

And apart from reporting the obvious, the question remains, will anything actually be done?

 

[TomVexille]

Call me skeptical, but I don't know how likely major improvement is when they private for profit companies with essentially monopolies in their markets. AVV is all but dead from a passenger point of view.

 

[dajop]

The obvious question, how is service defined? I bet my bottom dollar that the service metrics have little to do with the operators of the airport and more to do with the airlines , security firms and government. With baggage delivery times and waits for customs/security/immigration being the biggest factor from a passenger point of view.

I assume the area where the airport operator has most control is over security contractors. As for the rest all they can do is expand facilities (which takes time and they are doing at PER and MEL) or not accept more flights (which has downsides for consumers) and hope the government and airlines invest in shorter wait times (for immig/quarantine and bag delivery respectively).

Please don't say the fact that they are privatised is the reason, does anyone have any confidence government owned airports would do any better? Maybe the gouging on car parks would be less, but I suspect investment would be less as well as airport investment wouldn't necessarily be sexy in marginal seats.

 

[JohnK]

And I can't see anything done to improve service.

 

[Himeno]

I do not see how MEL can possibly be worse then SYD.

 

[dajop]

I do not see how MEL can possibly be worse then SYD.

I actually can, I have actually now read the article on laptop and it seems pick up/drop off is a big issue considered part of the service. Lot more kerb space at SYD as there are three distinct terminals each with its own driveway, whereas at MEL there is just one driveway for all three terminals, essentially at the road level it appears just like one terminal. And of course there is the all important rail service.

 

[TomVexille]

The article highlights aerobridges, check-in services, terminal access and pick-up/drop-off from a pax point of view.

A number of services at Tullamarine were rated "poor", including aerobridge standards and check-in services at the T3 domestic terminal. Passenger ratings for landside services – access to and from the airport, pick-up and drop-off facilities – have also continued on a downwards trend in recent years. Ratings for the time it takes passengers to enter the airport improved slightly.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff said he was pleased to maintain average ratings for service, but acknowledged there was room for improvement. "Our airlines have highlighted runway availability as a concern while kerbside access is an issue for passengers, taxis and bus operators," he said.

 

[soorox]

MEL are currently addressing these issues already;

- New T4 will open in coming months to cater for demand/growth from LCC's, JQ and TT as well as ZL
- The whole drop off/pick up area will be entirely revamped with the new Transport Hub
- New Loop Road
- T2 will expand into the current forecourt, with new high roof, cafe, retail, check in facilities and lounges
- Slowly old aero-bridges are getting replaced with new ones, you may already noticed some new glass ones

Theres a lot more other projects too, so at least they are doing something about it, and once all these developments are done, hopefully it enhances the passenger experience.