SkyBus gone up again [Up to $23.90 one way]

Buzzard said:
If the sheep dog was stuffed why didn't you just bin it :D
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Because it's better behaved than the missus and kid! :cool:

It certainly stopped people in their tracks as we traipsed through the various airports, as it's remarkably realistic!

Border Collie.jpg
 
Got a little bored so played with google maps a little bit...

MEL to Southern Cross is 23km for $19, which is 82.61 cents per km.
SYD-MEL is 707km on the great circle, with a QF Y flex fare being $410. That is only 58 cents per km.
 
Anyone else used the 479 bus either to Sunbury or Airport West?

During the week I caught the 479 bus to Sunbury, where I had a 20 min connection to Bendigo train. Cost of trip was $14 (MEL -> Bendigo). So it was $5 less than Skybus just to Southern Cross. Curiously PTV trip planner didn't bring up the 20 min connection, it only ever brought up 1:20 connection at Sunbury (odd when the walk from bus to platform took about 3-4 mins).

Of course, if I'd followed PTV trip planner I would have caught Skybus into Southern Cross, (leaving 45 mins earlier than I did) and caught the same train ... total cost would have been $40 ...
 
dajop, apparently at the bottom of the journey planner on the PTV website there is a series of tick boxes (it's below the 'arrival station, stop or location' area).

Untick the 'airport' option and it will no longer annoyingly display the Skybus option (that you did not want). I had to have this explained to me: it's hardly obvious.

As with any timetable search with most public transport operators worldwide, you can also individually look up (in this case) the bus 479 timetable and then (on the V/Line site as well) the Bendigo line train timetable.

The 479 bus isn't very frequent - often only hourly if I recall - so it's usually the 901 to Broadmeadows railway station for me.

There's always multiple ways to skin a cat.
 
Melbourne Airport seem to have made it as difficult as they can for the public bus by giving it the furthest bay in the new transport hub outside T4. It's about a 15 minute quick walk from the most distant QF gates.
 
Melburnian1 said:
dajop, apparently at the bottom of the journey planner on the PTV website there is a series of tick boxes (it's below the 'arrival station, stop or location' area).
Untick the 'airport' option and it will no longer annoyingly display the Skybus option (that you did not want). I had to have this explained to me: it's hardly obvious.
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Yes I found this, but still curiously brought up the long connections at Sunbury. If it gave the 20 min connection (which it usually does for bus->train transfers in most circumstances) it would/should have appeared alongside the Skybus options, without needing to select the tickbox!

As for the 479 bus, apart from two SLR equipped plane spotters who must have come from Airport West and alighted at the viewing area, one other person joined the bus at MEL and also connected to the train at Sunbury.
 
dajop said:
Anyone else used the 479 bus either to Sunbury or Airport West?
.
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Are programmed into my Tripview app (it has Melbourne as well under Region - and you can save both Sydney and Melbourne in the paid version)... but schedules have never aligned compared to the 901..
On weekends only 2 buses to Sunbury..and only hourly to airport West, versus half hourly to Broadmeadows and quicker journey times

As a comparison for CBD travel (using the closest train/tram station within the city loop) -- note all are much longer than a typical 30min Skybus journey

Say landing at MEL at 9am on a weekday.
901, Broadmeadows-Flagstaff -- 9.13 - 10.08, then mostly 15min frquency connecting to 15-20min train frequency
479, Sunbury-Flagstaff -- 9.02 - 10.22, then hourly connecting to 40min train frequency
482, 59Tram -- 9.07 - 10.25 (Melbourne Central), then half hourly, connecting to 7-10min tram frequency

Say 9am on a Sunday
901, Broadmeadows-Flagstaff -- 9.10 - 10.03 then half hourly to 20min train
479, Sunbury-Flagstaff -- 9.02 - 10.18 but then nothing to 4pm
482, 59Tram -- 9.05 - 10.06 (Melbourne Central) but nothing at 10am, then hourly, to 8min tram
 
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moa999 said:
Are programmed into my Tripview app (it has Melbourne as well under Region - and you can save both Sydney and Melbourne in the paid version)... but schedules have never aligned compared to the 901..
On weekends only 2 buses to Sunbury..and only hourly to airport West, versus half hourly to Broadmeadows and quicker journey times
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Yes infrequent on weekends, hourly on weekdays. I've also used it (in lieu of 901 which had just departed) to get to Moonee Ponds with a perfect transfer to the 59 tram at Airport West, it took 35 mins.

Of course, most of the time I'm a bit more tight on time, and it's usually a taxi to my partner's mothers place, a car rental or a pickup by someone .....
 
Apologies if this can also be found in another thread but Skybus is to start going further afield with a bus direct to St Kilda:

https://www.skybus.com.au/st-kilda-express-service/

It's even free for a week. It's not often that Skybus is worth the cost of the journey but that sounds like a better deal!
Just get yourself to St Kilda by public transport (not that easy) and the rest is free for the week.
 
gizzard said:
Apologies if this can also be found in another thread but Skybus is to start going further afield with a bus direct to St Kilda:

https://www.skybus.com.au/st-kilda-express-service/

It's even free for a week. It's not often that Skybus is worth the cost of the journey but that sounds like a better deal!
Just get yourself to St Kilda by public transport (not that easy) and the rest is free for the week.
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Noice!

I happen to need to get from MEL to the city next Friday, so that works quite well for something different.
 
JessicaTam said:
gizzard said:
Apologies if this can also be found in another thread but Skybus is to start going further afield with a bus direct to St Kilda:

https://www.skybus.com.au/st-kilda-express-service/

It's even free for a week. It's not often that Skybus is worth the cost of the journey but that sounds like a better deal!
Just get yourself to St Kilda by public transport (not that easy) and the rest is free for the week.
Click to expand...
Noice!

I happen to need to get from MEL to the city next Friday, so that works quite well for something different.
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Works for me too - this Thursday I need to get from near St. Kilda Junction to the Airport around 6pm.
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JessicaTam said:
Noice!

I happen to need to get from MEL to the city next Friday, so that works quite well for something different.
Click to expand...
I'm arriving off QF643 @ 11.55am and picking up a car at Avis and going to the Intercontinental Hotel, Collins St. If that helps I've got room for you
 
If I use the Skybus or the Broadmeadows route then I end up with a 10-15 minute walk from the nearest station back to my place.

I might use the St Kilda option when I have luggage. I could then jump on bus 246 (Elsternwick - Clifton Hill) that goes along Punt Road and Hoddle Street and it would mean that I'd only have about a 3 minute walk with the bags.

Similar connection options could be useful for others rather than trying to get to Southern Cross.
 
What is the current story on Uber at MEL ? Are they allowed ? Is it a viable alternative to SkyBus ?
 
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