Perth the worst Airport??

[mavrick9]

But the Virgin terminal (since about November) has Air Bridges. I was a bit shocked with I disembarked, thought I was at the wrong airport.

And parking is about half the rate of Melbourne.

 

[serfty]

...
The MEL rail chestnut. This airport needs rail yesterday, however the agreements struck by previous state governments there with road/motorway developers have pretty much prevented rail to the airport even being considered. I won't rehash what has been discussed and mentioned in other threads on this matter. ...

Actually, there is no agreement in operation to prevent a rail link for passengers being developed or force compensation to be paid to any "road/motorway developers" in the event of such a rail link being built to MEL.

Yes, the Citylink Concession Deed requires the Victorian State Government to compensate Transurban if it acts in some way that may restrict Citylink revenue. However within the 33 year term of the contract, terms indicate an airport rail link would trigger compensation only if it carried freight.

More here: Myth: The Citylink contract forbids airport trains

http://www.contracts.vic.gov.au/major/44/City_Link_Melbourne_City_Link_Concession_Deed.pdf#page=52

...
And let's not forget, you can get from MEL to City for AUD16 using Skybus - and the speeds of that service are compariable with any possible rail service to/from the airport....

That's more the reason - a rail link would be unlikely to cover its construction costs.

 

[wandering_fred]

The upcoming road changes in Perth will help airport access. What I can't understand is why the Tonkin highway did not have full road reserves dedicated to cloverleaf exchanges rather than stop lights. Even if the actual construction was to be "sometime in the future".

I also note that there is railway reserve immediately behind the current international terminal. Though it would connect to Midland (via High Wycombe) rather than more directly to the Perth CBD.

Still wondering while wandering

Fred

 

[Justinf]

The arrivals area feels like a regional airport.
I agree with the poster who said ADL is the best airport in Australia. Spacious, well designed, clean, good array of shopping options, but not too big.

 

[Per_Travels]

Can't see the problem myself. At the domestic terminal it doesn't take more than about ten minutes from stepping out of the taxi to sitting down in the lounge. Arrivals is pretty quick (with carry on only) and I don't often have to wait for a taxi (at least not as often as at other Australian airports). International is similarly quick to get through check in, immigration, customs and into the lounge. They seem to have sorted out international arrivals recently as well so there's not much time spent standing in queues. I even had the rare experience recently of having checked in bags and seeing them come out in the first half dozen or so - straight through customs without having to unpack and into one of the large queue of waiting taxis.

 

[Canny man]

For a bit of perspective.
I had an American visitor at the tail end of the year. He is a very FF in the US with the highest tier in his scheme. We did a Perth Kalgoorlie day trip at peak hours. He was blown away at the speed and politeness of the security lines, the quality of the lounge (during hi viz hour), the short trip from the lounge to the departure gate. All in he 'wished he had Qantas in the USA'.

For me, I'm relatively OK with the domestic - it could do with a business lounge, but in general it works. It never takes more than 25 mins to the city, and I rarely wait more than 10 mins for a taxi.
The international is by contrast an embarassment in terms of facilities and general decor. Immigration is by a long way the worst in any major Australian airport,

 

[oz74]

LAX TBIT is the worst I have ever seen.

PER isn't ideal but I have never had a problem with Taxis or Car Rental.

Agree 100% my wife and I were there in August and it took two hours to get out, just chaos!

 

[codash1099]

Can't see the problem myself. At the domestic terminal it doesn't take more than about ten minutes from stepping out of the taxi to sitting down in the lounge. Arrivals is pretty quick (with carry on only) and I don't often have to wait for a taxi (at least not as often as at other Australian airports). International is similarly quick to get through check in, immigration, customs and into the lounge. They seem to have sorted out international arrivals recently as well so there's not much time spent standing in queues. I even had the rare experience recently of having checked in bags and seeing them come out in the first half dozen or so - straight through customs without having to unpack and into one of the large queue of waiting taxis.

Don't try and get a taxi if you come in on Saturday night (as I often do). And sure it's quick getting through with just carrion, but it's another story if you've got baggage.

Last time I weny through International departures, the whole show was shut down for lunch. And getting through customs and quarantine coming home is hell if there are a couple of flights at around the same time.

 

[jetlagger]

Don't try and get a taxi if you come in on Saturday night (as I often do). And sure it's quick getting through with just carrion, but it's another story if you've got baggage.

Last time I weny through International departures, the whole show was shut down for lunch. And getting through customs and quarantine coming home is hell if there are a couple of flights at around the same time.

Love living, working & commuting airside from Queensland... Seems W.A. Needs some catching up.... Open to protest & debate!!

 

[Happy Trails]

And sure it's quick getting through with just carrion

You'd never get that past quarantine.

 

[travelislife]

+1 on ADL being brilliant. The live music on a Friday afternoon is a grey touch along with the light airy terminal everyone seems in a good mood. I actually wrote to them commending them and received a great email back from the GM, very positive. Pity there isn't a good hotel at the airport.

 

[codash1099]

You'd never get that past quarantine.

I knew someone would bite.

 

[Warks]

A bit late to this party but the things I don't like about PER are the distance to the car rental place (unless that's moved in the last three months?) and the access road out to the highway.
Surely with all the money they spent reconstructing the area outside the DOM terminal they could have actually put in car rental offices. I'm guessing it's the companies themselves who didn't want to pay though. Every capital city airport should be a short walk across the road to the rental car pick up point. BNE now sucks somewhat in moving them so far away but when the work is finished it might be okay.

The road out where it hits the highway is one horrible bottleneck at the best of times. That needs a flyover. Train would be nice too.

As for the internal design I guess there's a lot worse. When you look at a new airport like CNS (Cairns) you can see how badly you can do it. Queues to board planes which stretch out into the 'commercial' areas and block the paths of passengers walking between gates etc.

 

[markis10]

Putting car rental cars a long way from the terminal is a trend in Australia, expect to see shuttle buses in the not too distant future, and of course you will still get that premium surcharge for the pleasure!

 

[Warks]

Putting car rental cars a long way from the terminal is a trend in Australia, expect to see shuttle buses in the not too distant future, and of course you will still get that premium surcharge for the pleasure!

That reminds me of the scene in Planes, Trains and Automobiles where Steve Martin gets dropped off by the bus miles from the airport and his car is gone - meanwhile the bus has left. His discourse with the rental car lady back at the office is memorable!

 

[Justchecking]

My impression of PER intl was "why is the terminal so big when there's so little in it?" Seriously it's like a reverse tardis, so much tinier on the inside than it appears. It's mind boggling that taxi's are still the only [viable] way to transit this airport to the city. It's busy enough to have several links and sorry but one bus an hour is just pathetic for the number of pax. So saying all that the problems at PER are not unique to PER. Australia in general suffers from 'regional port' mentality and continue to under spec terminals for the current traffic let alone future growth. CBR for instance has only just gotten a terminal that looks like more than a tin shed....it's the nations capital for heavens sake!

 

[Moopere]

You have to shake your head and laugh. After all the disruption and cost of the works at PER I can't honestly tell the difference as far as ease of getting in or out. The traffic jams are still there, there is still extremely limited drop off/pick up parking, etc, etc. It looks a bit nicer... maybe, but thats it.

 

[Paddy55]

You have to shake your head and laugh. After all the disruption and cost of the works at PER I can't honestly tell the difference as far as ease of getting in or out. The traffic jams are still there, there is still extremely limited drop off/pick up parking, etc, etc. It looks a bit nicer... maybe, but thats it.

... and then I'll add that after all the changes to the QP it's just bigger and fuller. Wonder why they don't build a Business lounge?

 

[Danger]

... and then I'll add that after all the changes to the QP it's just bigger and fuller. Wonder why they don't build a Business lounge?

A Business lounge was flagged about four years ago but got canned after the GFC. I don't think there will be any additional lounge improvements until terminal changes come through.