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

[tuapekastar]

Smart gate did not work for me the other day, the man suggested (in a friendly way) I get another ticket and try again, he would assist (he may have assumed I was a first time user). True to word he came to the lane I was o was on and talked me through it. It 'worked' and I advised him I had successfully used it many times before, we both had a chuckle and it was a pleasant interaction. I then went through customs and another friendly man walked the short queue advising which cards they needed to be shown and wished us all a nice day. Not always the case at MEL but it was 'nice' all the way.

 

[pagingjoan]

Landed this morning on QF36. Wheels touched down at 5.07am, was in a taxi at 5.25am. If that's the worst airport around ill eat my hat.

To connect the dots for MELi today, after ReLoad's morning experience:

Wheels touched down for QF10 at 20.20pm this evening.
We had goods to declare, so went through the extra step in the process, and had checked in bags at a European airport the day before we flew out of LHR, so were not favoured by the Bags-off-first Gods. After all that, we were home within one hour ten of wheel touch down.

I will trade that against a two hour LHR transfer between terminals (even with Priority Fast Track access!) any time.

No complaints from me on this one.

 

[Austman]

Landed this morning with HLO. Walked to a SmartGate and then walked out through customs, no waiting. All up, about 10 minutes from plane to outside.

It could have been quicker if I had walked faster.

 

[nanaof2]

The WORST ever was DAR, Dar Es Salaam TZ. There is nothing there. We were told to sit on the chairs, first. When the departure time was approaching, we were told to wait. When the departure time past we were told we missed the flight. Lucky for us we were not the only ones waiting. 5 hours later, finally they admitted they forgot the flight and wait. Then they must have found a plane and a pilot to fly us, for the luckily only 20 minute flight to Zanzibar.
Not to mention that it took nearly 3 hours to check in 6 passengers on the return flight in Zanzibar, no wonder our guide was terrible anxious when we were 3 minutes late for 3am pick up, 10 minute drive, for the 6am departure and kept repeating "you will miss your flight". We just made it. Puts SYD or other airports into a different light, we have not complained since.

 

[Julesmac]

Melb Departures puts me in mind of Ikea - where you gotta follow the blue line as it wends and winds and it's impossible to shortcut. All that exposure to stuff you don't want/need. I've no doubt designers & architects learn specifically how to confuse customers & as others have said deliberately use diversions to generate more income for stores.

As for queues, Featheast & dajop got it right - staffing levels. You can't tell me they do not have figures on when & how frequently arrivals or departures bunch. And plan accordingly. Like stores who let their staff take lunch between 12-2 when hey, that's when shops and banks are busiest. And I love the looniness of Melbourne Airport when it used to charge incoming passengers for baggage trollies (how many had a $2Aussie coin with them) Thank heavens they ditched that eventually.

I love the ease of checking in in Hong Kong, where you can do it at the train station. It's a dream, designed to make the process as smooth and hassle free as possible....i
and it's not rocket science!

 

[TomVexille]

Melb Departures puts me in mind of Ikea - where you gotta follow the blue line as it wends and winds and it's impossible to shortcut. All that exposure to stuff you don't want/need. I've no doubt designers & architects learn specifically how to confuse customers & as others have said deliberately use diversions to generate more income for stores.

As for queues, Featheast & dajop got it right - staffing levels. You can't tell me they do not have figures on when & how frequently arrivals or departures bunch. And plan accordingly. Like stores who let their staff take lunch between 12-2 when hey, that's when shops and banks are busiest. And I love the looniness of Melbourne Airport when it used to charge incoming passengers for baggage trollies (how many had a $2Aussie coin with them) Thank heavens they ditched that eventually.

I love the ease of checking in in Hong Kong, where you can do it at the train station. It's a dream, designed to make the process as smooth and hassle free as possible....i
and it's not rocket science!

MEL has a shortcut. You just need an ASIC

And I know all the shortcuts through my local IKEA

 

[soorox]

I was hoping for a rail link to be built for MEL soon, and hopefully when they eventually get around it (probably a decade+ away!!!) they may have airline check in desks at Southern Cross Station.

 

[pagingjoan]

MEL has a shortcut. You just need and ASIC

And I know all the shortcuts through my local IKEA

Cough it up!

 

[TomVexille]

Cough it up!

I don't have it

 

[pagingjoan]

I don't have it

Then lift your game!
And sell a share, afterwards!

 

[TomVexille]

Then lift your game!
And sell a share, afterwards!

Lost the contract. So no more access

 

[pagingjoan]

Lost the contract. So no more access

That's so sad!
The one element that would have taken MEL to the top rung.
How do we regain "the contract"?
May need an AFF GTG to finesse this.

 

[Imw]

Mauritius! On my first overseas trip (going to South Africa to husband family etc so not regular holiday trip) we went via Mauritius. Going through immigration was very scary with two officials heads together muttering looking at passport looking at me then husband. I felt very nervous! No smile! nothing, and we had nothing we should have been worried about I might add. They the stamped my aus passport and gave my husbands South African passport same treatment whispering etc!!! Then stamped, handed back no word etc.

When we landed back in Melbourne 4 weeks later, first words I heard were one if the customs guides saying loudly to a little girl near us "hello possum how was your flight"! What a contrast!!! I have to say you can't beat Melbourne (or any other aus city) for friendliness!!!!

 

[TomVexille]

That's so sad!
The one element that would have taken MEL to the top rung.
How do we regain "the contract"?
May need an AFF GTG to finesse this.

We got undercut at renewal time. I can tell you about it if you come to the dinner on the 26th.

 

[pagingjoan]

We got undercut at renewal time. I can tell you about it if you come to the dinner on the 26th.

How could I resist that?
Done!