Saving a few dollars getting to Syd airport...

[AustraliaPoochie]

SA (Adelaide) does have a card, but its got rules to it as well, you might as well buy a papery bendy ticket from the driver, for once off rides.
The Metrocard as averse to the Metroticket.
Metrocard is the one where you can put money into it, its cheaper over all, but you have to, as I mentioned, put money into it, if you are not going to use the Metrocard regularly, you might as well buy the Metroticket, and then throw it away or into a paper recycling bin after the 2 hours or day of use.
Re: Opal, pity the buses in Sydney are so slow to implement it, all the train stations have it, all the ferries have, the buses are the slowest to have it implemented.
I was told by a bus driver, every second bus on the #400 route bus has Opal.
And as we now know, but still, not a cheap option, Opal can now be used for paying Sydney Airport train services. $$$$. Cheaper to get the #400 bus, but I still see many people use the Sydney Airport train, so no matter how expensive it might be, either people are richer than we think, or they think there are no other options, or are willing to pay for the convenience.
That said, the #400 bus, when I used it, has been quite full too with people with huge suitcases.
Maybe the NSW govt should either put back the #350 bus, or have bendy buses on the #400 route, or force the Sydney Airport train service to be cheaper!

 

[moa999]

Re Opal bus implementation. The train rollout to 300 out so stations took over six months.
The bus rollout is even more complex - over 5000 buses and probably 25000+ readers, so no wonder it is taking time.
The government has only ever set broad deadlines with buses due to be completed in 2014, but at current pace it will be somewhat sooner and I expect light rail will be completed as well

 

[QF WP]

$14.91 - off peak. I was sitting in the VA lounge when you did that...

Damn, I was in The Lounge from 8:20 to 9am - pity we missed one another

 

[medhead]

Damn, I was in The Lounge from 8:20 to 9am - pity we missed one another

Damn. I wandered in there at 8:35

 

[Denali]

Re Opal bus implementation. The train rollout to 300 out so stations took over six months.
The bus rollout is even more complex - over 5000 buses and probably 25000+ readers, so no wonder it is taking time.
The government has only ever set broad deadlines with buses due to be completed in 2014, but at current pace it will be somewhat sooner and I expect light rail will be completed as well

And I learnt on the weekend, if you are a pensioner, Opal cards wont be available until new year (fingers crossed) so they are removing the monthly paper tickets from the network but no Opal option for them. My adult nephew has Downs Syndrome/has a pension card and hes hanging out for an Opal card and he was a wee bit pissy that I had one but when they are finally released, they will be a sexy gold colour.

 

[medhead]

SA (Adelaide) does have a card, but its got rules to it as well, you might as well buy a papery bendy ticket from the driver, for once off rides.
The Metrocard as averse to the Metroticket.
Metrocard is the one where you can put money into it, its cheaper over all, but you have to, as I mentioned, put money into it, if you are not going to use the Metrocard regularly, you might as well buy the Metroticket, and then throw it away or into a paper recycling bin after the 2 hours or day of use.
Re: Opal, pity the buses in Sydney are so slow to implement it, all the train stations have it, all the ferries have, the buses are the slowest to have it implemented.
I was told by a bus driver, every second bus on the #400 route bus has Opal.
And as we now know, but still, not a cheap option, Opal can now be used for paying Sydney Airport train services. $$$$. Cheaper to get the #400 bus, but I still see many people use the Sydney Airport train, so no matter how expensive it might be, either people are richer than we think, or they think there are no other options, or are willing to pay for the convenience.
That said, the #400 bus, when I used it, has been quite full too with people with huge suitcases.
Maybe the NSW govt should either put back the #350 bus, or have bendy buses on the #400 route, or force the Sydney Airport train service to be cheaper!

I can't even understand your point. You have to load money on the SA Metrocard? So what? You have to load money on Opal, Go and Myki cards as well. Why is that bad for South Australia and not bad anywhere else?

As for getting the train to the SYD airport using Opal. That has been possible since at least April. The combination of airport weekly gate fee cap and general weekly travel cap could negate any savings to be had by taking the 400 bus.

Tax deductibility of the trip is also a consideration. That makes the real cost as little as $7.95 versus $5.40 (about $3.20 after tax) on Opal using train and 400 bus.

 

[BadgerBoi]

...
Re: Opal, pity the buses in Sydney are so slow to implement it, all the train stations have it, all the ferries have, the buses are the slowest to have it implemented.
I was told by a bus driver, every second bus on the #400 route bus has Opal...

Gladys hates bus users

I've been carrying three different bus tickets around with me for months now, an Opal card and two different Travel Tens - it's picked up in the last month as Our Glad has finally come around to doing a proper roll out for us second class citizens. I love it and feel like I've won the lottery when I see a bus with the Opal sticker turn the corner.

 

[UP4014]

She hates train users even more, just ask the poor sods in Newcastle. :evil:


Matt

 

[moa999]

And I learnt on the weekend, if you are a pensioner, Opal cards wont be available until new year (fingers crossed) so they are removing the monthly paper tickets from the network but no Opal option for them.

I think Gladys has stated that the pensioner card will be out this year.

I suspect once the bus rollout is complete as otherwise with a $2.50 cap you would have lots of complaints that they had to buy two tickets (as got a book-Opal bus).

Student concession is still slated for next year, probably with uni enrollment so they can limit distribution

 

[cove]

I enjoyed the $2.50 all day deal in Sydney over our long weekend there. I saved enough to go limo service to bypass the airport train. Too bad about the Dockers playing Sydney in the AFL.

 

[Dan_]

Re Opal bus implementation. The train rollout to 300 out so stations took over six months.
The bus rollout is even more complex - over 5000 buses and probably 25000+ readers, so no wonder it is taking time.
The government has only ever set broad deadlines with buses due to be completed in 2014, but at current pace it will be somewhat sooner and I expect light rail will be completed as well

Doesn't help that they ran out of terminals. I know of one bus company that had 10 brand new buses ready to roll, except the government couldn't supply any Opal machines lol

 

[BadgerBoi]

Doesn't help that they ran out of terminals. I know of one bus company that had 10 brand new buses ready to roll, except the government couldn't supply any Opal machines lol

and at the same time they've had M40s rolling along Oxford St for months with the machines sitting there with signs over them saying "not yet in use". Pack of amateurs...

 

[moa999]

and at the same time they've had M40s rolling along Oxford St for months with the machines sitting there with signs over them saying "not yet in use". Pack of amateurs...

Part of the rollout - a few stages.
1. Install wiring and oval grey mounts and GPS and 3G systems
2. Install back to base equipment at depots
3. Install the actual readers
And for State Transit buses (m40 among them)
4. Replace the old white datafare driver terminals with new grey wayfarer terminals

That said I agree with you that they should have done the Mxx buses (mostly based at Tempe for the M10/20/30/40) earlier in the rollout.

And the STUPID Opal now on buses in this area, is downright confusing as it doesn't mean all buses. They would have been better saying " selected routes " like the original signs that mentioned specific route numbers

 

[BadgerBoi]

Part of the rollout - a few stages.
1. Install wiring and oval grey mounts and GPS and 3G systems
2. Install back to base equipment at depots
3. Install the actual readers
And for State Transit buses (m40 among them)
4. Replace the old white datafare driver terminals with new grey wayfarer terminals

That said I agree with you that they should have done the Mxx buses (mostly based at Tempe for the M10/20/30/40) earlier in the rollout.

And the STUPID Opal now on buses in this area, is downright confusing as it doesn't mean all buses. They would have been better saying " selected routes " like the original signs that mentioned specific route numbers

Many of these seem to have been at stage 3 for quite a while, if I'm reading your post correctly, with a number still at stage 1.

 

[Denali]

Got my first Opal red screen of death on the scanner today. Free ride for all Opal users.

 

[moa999]

400 bus added to the list of Opal active routes - so 100% of buses should have Opal

 

[Jacques Vert]

And I learnt on the weekend, if you are a pensioner, Opal cards wont be available until new year (fingers crossed) so they are removing the monthly paper tickets from the network but no Opal option for them.

I think Gladys has stated that the pensioner card will be out this year.

I suspect once the bus rollout is complete as otherwise with a $2.50 cap you would have lots of complaints that they had to buy two tickets (as got a book-Opal bus).

So does anyone know what a pensioner/senior does at present? Can you still get the paper $2-50 (plus the station access fee) at the domestic airport or do you get a Opal and pay full fare?

 

[moa999]

Can still buy PET tickets wherever they were previously available (apart from on STA buses that have the new ticketing machines)

 

[SFSC]

So does anyone know what a pensioner/senior does at present? Can you still get the paper $2-50 (plus the station access fee) at the domestic airport or do you get a Opal and pay full fare?

We bought a few $2.50 paper pensioner excursion tickets from a Newcastle newsagent. We dip one of these tickets each in the green machine on the 400 bus when travelling from the airport. The ticket will then take us all the way home on the train from Mascot or Rockdale and another bus from Fassifern on the same day if required. When travelling to the airport, we buy our PE tickets on the bus to Fassifern and thus keep our blank ones for travel from the airport where you can't buy them on the 400 bus.
edited to add: We have not attempted to buy at the airport stations but expect that they would be still available. If not, we would use our blanks and just buy a concession station access. We might have to do this later this week if time is tight.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Can still buy PET tickets wherever they were previously available (apart from on STA buses that have the new ticketing machines)

We bought a few $2.50 paper pensioner excursion tickets from a Newcastle newsagent. We dip one of these tickets each in the green machine on the 400 bus when travelling from the airport. The ticket will then take us all the way home on the train from Mascot or Rockdale and another bus from Fassifern on the same day if required. When travelling to the airport, we buy our PE tickets on the bus to Fassifern and thus keep our blank ones for travel from the airport where you can't buy them on the 400 bus.
edited to add: We have not attempted to buy at the airport stations but expect that they would be still available. If not, we would use our blanks and just buy a concession station access. We might have to do this later this week if time is tight.

Thanks guys, had tried the govt sites with little success; better information on this site, as always.