Public Transport to our airports - what's cheapest?

AIRwin said:
BNE Airtrain Return for Free offer is coming to an end on April 30th:
www.airtrain.com.au

Return For Free Ended | Brisbane Airtrain

Offer ended – Return For Free – Updated 1 May 2024 Offer ended as of 1 May 2024. See Offers & Discounts for current promotions. Other Special Offers
www.airtrain.com.au www.airtrain.com.au
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Shame but lasted much longer than I’ve anticipated.
Was lucky to take great advantage of this deal and save on my frequent domestic trips.
 
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CaptJCool said:
some of us get free trips to Adelaide airport ... fore life
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I'll have to plan my flight arr/dep times around off-peak :)
"...visiting Adelaide from interstate, if you have a state-issued Seniors Card, you can access a MetroTicket for 14 consecutive days of free off-peak travel during your visit"

FAQs

www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au
 
Brissy1 said:
I'll have to plan my flight arr/dep times around off-peak :)
"...visiting Adelaide from interstate, if you have a state-issued Seniors Card, you can access a MetroTicket for 14 consecutive days of free off-peak travel during your visit"

FAQs

www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au
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No Saturday visits for you. It's peak all day.
 
Its a bit of a troublesome way for interstate visitors to Adelaide, in relation to the Seniors Card system, as either having to have the 14 days pass posted to you, or you have to go to the Railway Station and get the 14 day Seniors interstate visitors pass issued to you.
Tapping the interstate Seniors card onto the Metrocard reader o the bus, will most likely get the invalid buzz, if the person does not go to the info centre at the Railway Station, or have the interstate visitors Seniors card posted to them.
Local South Aus Seniors, will have the card ready for free travel, Sat included.
 
AustraliaPoochie said:
Its a bit of a troublesome way for interstate visitors to Adelaide, in relation to the Seniors Card system, as either having to have the 14 days pass posted to you, or you have to go to the Railway Station and get the 14 day Seniors interstate visitors pass issued to you.
Tapping the interstate Seniors card onto the Metrocard reader o the bus, will most likely get the invalid buzz, if the person does not go to the info centre at the Railway Station, or have the interstate visitors Seniors card posted to them.
Local South Aus Seniors, will have the card ready for free travel, Sat included.
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You should check out the pedantic BS it takes to get the Gold Opal card in Sydney …,
 
CaptJCool said:
You should check out the pedantic BS it takes to get the Gold Opal card in Sydney …,
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I'm sorry, what is that BS? If you're a NSW/ACT resident it's quite straightforward (as my wife and I know from experience).

So what's the issue with you?
 
AustraliaPoochie said:
Its a bit of a troublesome way for interstate visitors to Adelaide, in relation to the Seniors Card system, as either having to have the 14 days pass posted to you, or you have to go to the Railway Station and get the 14 day Seniors interstate visitors pass issued to you.
Tapping the interstate Seniors card onto the Metrocard reader o the bus, will most likely get the invalid buzz, if the person does not go to the info centre at the Railway Station, or have the interstate visitors Seniors card posted to them.
Local South Aus Seniors, will have the card ready for free travel, Sat included.
Click to expand...
I suspect you have not had to get a SA Seniors metrocard when an Interstate Seniors card holder.

It is really easy.

FAQs

www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au www.seniorscard.sa.gov.au
 
clifford said:
I'm sorry, what is that BS? If you're a NSW/ACT resident it's quite straightforward (as my wife and I know from experience).

So what's the issue with you?
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  • Please submit at least three to four weeks before travelling to NSW

Seniors

Seniors with a Gold Opal card pay $2.50 a day with Concession fares when travelling on most public transport in Sydney or regional NSW.
transportnsw.info
 
Interstate Seniors Card holders (to South Aus) have to "apply" for the 14 days Adelaide free public transport card.
This/that is the troublesome thing, either have to show interstate Seniors Card via scan and send, or bring it to the Adelaide Railway Station, to get the 14 day pass issued.
This is what I mean by troublesome.
Interstate Seniors Card visitors to SA cant just tap their interstate Seniors Card onto Metrocard readers on our buses, trams and trains, ...
Wish it was that simple.
Its the having to go to ARS, or to apply for the 14 day card online that is the thing.
Interstate relo, once I told them, decided to use (((not ideal, and maybe a bit "illegal"))) my dads Seniors Card for 2 or 3 trips recently.
She was from Qld.
 
At least senior visitors to NSW and Qld get the actual local senior's card, (therefore once only for life?) so all the same benefits as local senior. Of course no discount to/from the private airport line portion (until 2030 SYD, 2036 BNE, I won't hold my breath waiting!).
 
Hopefully in NSW they buy out/ subsidise the remaining contract so it will be equal treatment to both airports when WSI and Western Sydney Airport Metro opens.
 
I dont feel that the NSW govt will buy back the system, or compulsorily acquire it/take back control of the stations.
They at the moment take their cut, ie, the profits, and have no part in the running of the system, which probably suits them, as its cheaper than also having to pay staff and their entitlements.
Even after 2030, its very likely that the NSW govt and the Qld govt, will continue with the current franchisee.
Either the curret franchisee will get an extension, or maybe another operator will take over.
 
AustraliaPoochie said:
I dont feel that the NSW govt will buy back the system, or compulsorily acquire it/take back control of the stations.
They at the moment take their cut, ie, the profits, and have no part in the running of the system, which probably suits them, as its cheaper than also having to pay staff and their entitlements.
Click to expand...

For NSW, the Government has indicated the intention to end the Airportlink contract (as always planned) when it expires in 2030, and operate the stations trhough Sydney Trains just like all other stations. While possibly the staff are on different conditions, I can't imagine it's that significantly different, and that can be resolved amicably for the small number of staff impacted. One important reason for this is to remove the cross-subsidy arrangement where the Government pays a certain amount for every passenger that uses Green Square and Mascot, funded from the revenue obtained at Domestic and International - this becomes more and more expensive as patronage at those stations goes up. What the Government hasn't said is whether they plan to keep the fee at the airport stations, but it's widely assumed they will. Reference: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/8768/AQON_Transport for NSW.pdf

Note: another benefit of fully scrapping the Airportlink contract is that it also removes the prohibition on competing bus services. I'm not sure whether buses make sense or not, but at least it will be an option back on the table.
 
I think buses (in re to SYD T1/T2&T3) does make sense, not everyone will want to get to the city.
Some might live in East Gardens or Burwood, which would still be faster with the wind(e)y and hilly bus services, can be a bit headachy too using the bus/es.
Granted that there are ways of getting to a change point, to get from T1/T2/T3 at SYD to Burwood, bypassing Central, but not everyone lives on a rail line or close to a stop.
Of course, what ever the new name of Airportlink is, or if they keep the name, or change is, will still make money, as overseas travellers will gravitate to the train, no matter what.
Think that PER got it right tho, right from the start, it was decided, no gate fee.
6 more years, but I would say that behind the scene, the NSW govt would be close to making a decision.
Which is more beneficial to the NSW govt, the cross subsidy from Mascot and Green Square, or the nearly $20 odd gate fee, I would say the gate fee wins, seeing the number of pax that go down the escalators to the train station, min of people gravitate to the 350/420 bus stop at T1.
 
But most/many people are willing to pay for convenience (or are unaware of the alternative)
You might save $15 but it will take an extra 10-30 minutes depending on connection and you have to lug a suitcase on a mostly uncovered pavement and across a couple of roads (for the Mascot connection).

My understanding is the gate fee from the airport stations that goes to the government roughly offsets the cost of subsidising the fee at Mascot and Green Square.

My comment on WSI is more about the political pressure the government might face, particularly from airport workers, if Western Sydney Airport opens with Opal fare base fees only, and Sydney still has the expensive gate fare arrangements.

Of course nothing to say that they mightn't apply a gate fee at both
Kind of like the paid off Harbour Bridge toll is now in combination with the Harbour Tunnel (whose PPP expired in 2022), but is all kind of paying for the under construction Western Harbour Tunnel.
 
I thought I might walk to Wolli Creek from SYD Intl a few days ago, as I had plenty of time to waste.

Well, as I discovered, the route I had used many times pre-Covid had been closed off, and another route had been established, by bridge from T1.

However, by the time that this had sunk in, I had run out of time for my planned travels from Wolli Creek, so I just went on a return ferry trip to Manly before catching my train to CBR at Central (I had lots of time to kill).

The things that we Gold card holders will do to save money. However, when I'm next in Sydney with a few hours to kill I will definitely check out the new walking route to Wolli Creek. I mapped it out clearly on the new Google maps 3D moving thing.
 

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