My Worst Airport - Tullamarine, Melbourne. What's Yours?

[shannan94]

Also regularly takes me over an hour and a half to get out of JFK.

Took me 2 hours just to get into the secure departure area once (around 10am in the morning) - people crying and yelling that they will miss flights, pushing through people as they're so desperate... tempers rising. Line snaking endlessly it seemed.

 

[dodgeyhack]

Let's face it, Macquarie run Sydney airport and they have some class about them and some semblance of customer service (smokers are customer too).

You're having a laugh there right? Have you seen where the pickup area is at the international airport? Not going to make money out of that so we'll put it in the far reaches of the car park.
I would rate Macquarie very lowly in terms of class.

 

[cory]

Perth intl is the worst intl airport in Australia in my experience. Ironically melbs is my fav ...

You get 3/4 intl flights land within half an hour in Perth and the lines turn into chaos! Wouldn't want to be on the A380 if a few planes have landed just before!

 

[Himeno]

Depends what you mean by "worst". I can't pick between LAX, JFK, SYD and LHR.
MEL is one of the best airports in Australia.

 

[Renato1]

There are no smoking areas in the SYD international terminal once you have entered the secure area (ie - there is no where for you to smoke after you have gone through immigration).

Smoke before you get to check-in!

I guess they must have closed it - because I was in it, either in 2005 or 2009.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

I don't mean to be super argumentative, but you are honestly saying that people will not revisit a city like Melbourne because of the lack of in terminal smoking facilities?

If some place makes it clear to me "You are not welcome", I won't be going back.
And I'll tell others.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Well I guess we all have to get use to it, arrivals into MEL T2 (especially in the mornings) will get quite fun. Quite a lot of new flights will be added during the morning and afternoon departure bank from this year and bus gates will be quite common. In addition to Gate 15, we now have 2 more bus gates located near Gate 10.

MEL should get better though, they are in the process of totally revamping the entire T2 terminal with new high roof and all, it will look fantastic.

​

Source: https://urban.melbourne/transport/2...entation-reveals-a-new-international-terminal

Thanks for that. It's about time Melbourne had something decent.

I wonder if they'll put on buses so that smokers can be ferried out to Essendon for their cigarette?
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

I think Melbourne and sydney airports are a triumph of design... from a commercial perspective forcing passengers through unnecessary journeys through duty free and other concessions on their way to find their gates.

we all remember the old MEL... immigration and then a short 2 second walk to the gates. Now? loop the loop and considerably longer walking time, which now requires one of my parents to get a wheelchair for no other reason.

i can't think off he top of my head another major airport where commercial comsiderations are compulsory rather than incidental?

Very good observation on the design.

And I wonder if it really works - going in one can be in slight panic mode about whether you'll get through the queues in time, and duty free shopping drops to lowest priority. Coming out of there after a long trip and tortuous queues, well, I've wanted to spend a few minutes in duty free, but my wife has had it and just wants to get the hell out of the place.
Regards,
Renato

 

[TomVexille]

Very good observation on the design.

And I wonder if it really works - going in one can be in slight panic mode about whether you'll get through the queues in time, and duty free shopping drops to lowest priority. Coming out of there after a long trip and tortuous queues, well, I've wanted to spend a few minutes in duty free, but my wife has had it and just wants to get the hell out of the place.
Regards,
Renato

It's not really aimed at you and I. It's all about a certain inbound tourist market.

 

[andye]

...
i can't think off he top of my head another major airport where commercial comsiderations are compulsory rather than incidental?

In LHR T5 there is a door for F pax to enter the lounges avoiding the roundtrip via shopping outlets other passengers have to make. The story is that BA had to compensate Heathrow Airports very handsomely to allow the door to exist

 

[amaroo]

Very good observation on the design.

And I wonder if it really works - going in one can be in slight panic mode about whether you'll get through the queues in time, and duty free shopping drops to lowest priority. Coming out of there after a long trip and tortuous queues, well, I've wanted to spend a few minutes in duty free, but my wife has had it and just wants to get the hell out of the place.
Regards,
Renato

Yes, according to the 1H 2014 results for SYD - many retailers would've like to have had that growth.

http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/investors/~/media/files/investors/reports%20and%20presentations/investor%20presentations/2014/140821%20asx%20release%20-%20interim%202014%20results%20presentation%20aug%202014(1).pdf

Performance

• Revenue grew 7.4%, strong growth reflectingincreasing penetration and passenger spendrate improvement
• Strong performance due to:
  • Increased passenger spend rates of12.7%
  • Complete cycling of tobacco law changes
  • Increase in Chinese passengers
  • Tailoring of brands and products acrossour retailers

I recall reading years ago that SYD airport retail was one the best retail centres in the country.

 

[anat0l]

In LHR T5 there is a door for F pax to enter the lounges avoiding the roundtrip via shopping outlets other passengers have to make. The story is that BA had to compensate Heathrow Airports very handsomely to allow the door to exist

Yes indeed - a very expensive compensation and soon to be extended to a further group of elites (and the compensation accordingly will be upped). Bit of a rip, really, though I could see the same happening here (well, not really, once the airlines are threatened with the bill for "potential loss of revenue", their backsides will close up more tightly than a snare drum).

I understand the airport's gotta make money and certainly exposing people more to things to buy will increase your chances that stuff will be bought and thus dollars come in. But there is still the issue of customer satisfaction and, to a somewhat minced degree, safety as well. That is, think about the foot traffic that needs to negotiate between end of customs and the gate area. Some need to go faster than others, some will have more or less than others. All of them need to navigate through a crowded shop without knocking anything - including the odd customer who does stop to sample the booze or steal a spray - and they all have to know where to go to get to the gates.

MEL is awful in this respect. At least SYD gives you a clear path and you can see the exit and gates. BNE has a clear path for now, although it is somewhat lateral. AKL probably has a good balance in this respect - when you exit the customs area, you go along a short path and the duty free opens up to either side, but keep going straight through to the area you can see clearly and there are the gates.

All in all, consumers don't have much choice in this regard. It's not like a shopping mall where if you don't like one place you can simply go to another. I suppose the domestic terminals aren't so bad so if you really want to you can fly to another international gateway that doesn't annoy you, though sometimes this is not a practical solution. For tourists who may not want to stuff around as such (and won't know much better), they have little choice at all.

Ironically, since Australia often is just a destination than a transit point as such, I suspect this is why airport design and flow - amongst other characteristics - along with customer satisfaction don't seem to make any impact on the brass compared to if we were in some location like, say, Singapore or Hong Kong.

 

[paxman]

it's not hideous, it's brutal!

http://****yeahbrutalism.tumblr.com/post/116927664043/international-terminal-john-f-kennedy-airport

Glad someone finally mentioned it. Flew into T1 a few weeks ago. A circular, concrete escapee from the 1960s school of concrete architectural design. Stark concrete with dated features that were barely acceptable in the simpler times back then. The 2CV of airports. Massed queue started when uniformed types were checking passports at the end of the aerobridge from the aircraft. Who knows why when there was a later, offical immigration check point. Walking around in circles was great fun, not knowing if I was actually getting anywhere useful. the rubber mat travelator was an experience for sure, then the long travelator up a level across the empty void in the center of the terminal. Then, after doing about 5 laps, it's out to the crowded terminal transfer train.

In terms of clear paths IST was down there towards the bottom. Doors marked with Exit signs and with no entry signs.



YNAB? Does that still exist? Thought it might have been rehabilitated a few years ago. Have you been to YBEE?

 

[dajop]

I suppose the domestic terminals aren't so bad so if you really want to you can fly to another international gateway that doesn't annoy you, though sometimes this is not a practical solution.

So all else being equal (i.e. assuming fare is the same, and status runs and lounges don't come into it), people would take a detour that is hours long via another airport just because they don't like the 3-6 mins the detour through the DF shop at MEL international .... I very much doubt that .

 

[anat0l]

So all else being equal (i.e. assuming fare is the same, and status runs and lounges don't come into it), people would take a detour that is hours long via another airport just because they don't like the 3-6 mins the detour through the DF shop at MEL international .... I very much doubt that .

Well, most won't, so you are right in a sense, but there's enough people (even here) who would definitely do so.

Remember we have heard lines thrown here before to the tune of that people would rather fly out of MEL than SYD and will take steps to ensure that is so...and the reason is not because the QF F Lounge in MEL is more cosy.

Similarly people will actively avoid LHR and rather fly into (or out of) CDG and take the train, even though (especially now with the changes to the APD) the economics quite often are marginal if the final destination in earnest is London.

 

[dajop]

Well, most won't, so you are right in a sense, but there's enough people (even here) who would definitely do so.

Remember we have heard lines thrown here before to the tune of that people would rather fly out of MEL than SYD and will take steps to ensure that is so...and the reason is not because the QF F Lounge in MEL is more cosy.

I very much doubt that , all else being equal, someone originating in SYD would prefer to fly out of MEL just because they don't like the airport, or vice versa. I can understand for connecting passengers, say from ADL or CBR to actively avoid one or the other airport. But if the cost was the same, status credits weren't an issue, would someone flying to, for example to LAX, from SYD, go "oh I'm going to fly to MEL or BNE on domestic flight to connect to LAX ...... all just because I don't like SYD airport". I find that doubtful. Maybe a minute percentage, but not enough to warrant the airport doing anything differently. I am sure there are other underlying real reasons (status credits, cost, shorter flight from BNE, did I mention status credits?) for people to do this.

 

[Altair]

Personally I prefer SYD over MEL.
1) Far better shopping/dining airside services, both T1 & T3 at SYD. MEL landside offerings hardly exist.
2) MEL awful oversize luggage drop off, eg. check in then need to walk all through the check in area to get to the luggage drop off in the back corner fighting through the JQ/VA/TT pax waiting to check in.
3) split level for domestic makes going from check in and security/lounges to departure gates troublesome, with wheelchairs or prams difficult the couple of lifts are out of the way and slow
4) international arrives passenger journey not efficient and too few biosecurity lanes
5) terminal space too dark, low ceilings not conducive to a welcoming ambience
Sure SYD means you need to wait for the bus, I do not mind the trip across the airport solely due to close look at aircraft but it is a decent break from being in an aircraft/airport for hours.
When I did my MBA I studied one of the LON airports and their view of the customer experience. In summary, customers hate waiting in lines, better for them to have spare time to purchase goods at the airport, eg food or other goods. Airport did not charge rent for the shops, instead they received a % of the takings so therefore the airport was interested in a shop mix that had a high $ sale per metre. Even popular shops were encouraged to broaden their offerings and to ensure people were not waiting long at counters. People going on holidays do spend money buying things at the airport even though they could get the same thing at their regular shops eg. clothes, jewellery, they just were in some sort of mind space that reduce their wallet constraints that they normally had.
Regarding smoking areas, when I was backpacking I smoked the most. Hated FRA but laugh at their smoking areas and how dense the smoke, as opposed the comfortble areas at MUC. Best was in PNH where there was a very comfortable lougne, equivalent chairs to Qantas lounges. and even had BAT girls give me cigarettes to smoke while in there:shock: Of course not smoking now so immaterial to me.

 

[JohnK]

Everyone rates airports differently.

MEL is OK. If you want to see the pits then visit MNL.

To me it doesn't matter that terminals are not interconnected. A bus/train between terminals is the least of my problems. Now getting to/from airport is one of my biggest problems. Give me a cheap option and I am happy.

Arriving back into BNE after 10:30pm next week. My choice is overpriced ConXion bus that may get me in time to Roma St Station for last train to Milton or an overpriced taxi!

Neither. I have booked a hire car for ~$45 and fuel may cost another $10. I will earn some KrisFlyer miles and keep my sanity in check. Wish the train ran until midnight but not complaining. Used to be 8:00pm when I first got here in 2008.

 

[dajop]

I could think of 20 airports worse than MEL, and that's purely in LOTFAP.

I'd rate pretty much every airport in the USA below MEL.

For all you dislikers of many US airports (and that includes me too) it's all a matter of perspective and expectations .... I've been following a thread on FT, and a discussion incidental to the thread (and incidental to this thread, so I won't bother linking it) it was concluded by a poster that:

If it makes foreigners happy to think that the USA airports are "awful," they can. But it's not true. As I said, you can find a bad airport in America (I'm looking at you, LGA), but they're rare. We spend lots and lots of money on our airports, and it shows. Yes, spa treatments and other bells and whistles aren't that prevalent, but they shouldn't be either: unless there are pax willing to pay for such services, of course. I've been to hundreds of airports on 6 continents and I don't prefer the foreign airports to the USA airports.

and from same person:

Wow, you must not travel much to the USA. Our airports are fine. Nice, actually, if you exclude less than a handful (like LGA).

I had a good chuckle from reading these.

 

[Himeno]

Talking of US airports... I like DFW more then ORD in terms of layout and ease of movement around the airport, yet for the last few years, I've been routing via ORD because DFW doesn't have a Flagship lounge.