what time does MEL QF T1 open?

[texter]

Looking at booking a 6am flight. What time does the terminal open? I'll have bags to check in.
thanks

 

[AIRwin]

Given that the lounge will open at 5 am, I guess check-in should be open by then if not earlier?

 

[defurax]

It was open at 4:30am last time I was there for the 6AM flight. I think it opens at 4am.

 

[RichardMEL]

Definitely open 0400ish (I also checked in 0430 recently). Should have seen the punters waiting outside the lounge entrance as 0500 approached.....

 

[texter]

Bumping my own thread!
Oddly enough I didn't book an early flight last Apr but I have one coming up next week.
Is MEL T1 busy at all between the 0500-0600? ie. should I expect queues for check in and security?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Would be.
First flights of the day for QFd.
See about doing OLCI, unless you get the dreaded, "you are checked in, but please approach a staff member as we need to collect more infomration".
Knowing of course, that the BP printing kiosks were removed, so you have to line up, with the other plebs, I/we don't know your status, and whether you can use premium check in if OLCI does not work.
Premium sec screening would probably be open.
Tho, your HLO might go to secondary, even if there is nothing sus in there.
The screening people can put bags to sec even for dom flights, for no known to use reason, maybe they get more $ from our screening levy if our bags get moved to secondary.
One time at MEL, my HLO got moved to sec screening, but the guy then said, all clear, wasting a few mins of my time, while I waited behind the bunting or whatever you call the metal pole and fabric line thing.
Sec screening also now is the side view one, with hands held akimbo, so will take a few more secs per pax.
Not to mention, patdowns.

 

[RichardMEL]

Was this a serious attempt to answer a simple question, or just an excuse to make a ridiculous rant comprising a ridiculous conspiracy theory? Honestly.....

Would be.
First flights of the day for QFd.

And this is all you needed to answer.

Of course, it depends on the day of week - for example, that early on a Saturday or Sunday morning (and being outside of school holidays coming up) would have far less people most likely than a Monday morning for example. Same with midweek at a guess.

While I tend to avoid the very early flights, I've had to take the 0600's on occasion, and going through before five or just after has not been a big issue that I can recall (bigger crowd of lounge lizards waiting to get in...)

See about doing OLCI, unless you get the dreaded, "you are checked in, but please approach a staff member as we need to collect more infomration".

Just because it happened to you once doesn't mean it's a common thing at all. No need to make an issue of this.

Knowing of course, that the BP printing kiosks were removed, so you have to line up, with the other plebs, I/we don't know your status, and whether you can use premium check in if OLCI does not work.

Again, you're assuming here. Pax could OLCI fine and not need a kiosk, unless doing bag drop.

Tho, your HLO might go to secondary, even if there is nothing sus in there.
The screening people can put bags to sec even for dom flights, for no known to use reason, maybe they get more $ from our screening levy if our bags get moved to secondary.

Absolutely ridiculous comment / conspiracy theory. They get paid a set wage. You're making it sound like cops meeting a quota for the number of arrests or even worse, getting a commission.

Your use of "secondary" could mean one of two things as near as I can figure out:

1. Bag was examined post X-Ray by an officer
2. Pax takes bag from belt post X-Ray and is then required to undertake an explosives swab (commonplace)

In the case of 1, there would be a reason for a bag to be examined that came up in the X-Ray. You might think there is nothing suspect in there, but that is likely what they are verifying, and in the case of 2. This is a standard process that is random. IIRC it's either a notify from the magnometer/body scanner and/or the idea that the officer takes the next person (or at random) for a swab that checks for explosives residue. At one point that I recall those officers needed to always be doing a scan, so they finish one pax and grab the next. I'm not so sure that's still a thing, as I've passed through a few times recently and they've just been standing by waiting.

One time at MEL, my HLO got moved to sec screening, but the guy then said, all clear, wasting a few mins of my time, while I waited behind the bunting or whatever you call the metal pole and fabric line thing.

So how do you know that nothing was further verified about your bag? they could have been checking something they saw on the X-Ray image or something.

Sec screening also now is the side view one, with hands held akimbo, so will take a few more secs per pax.
Not to mention, patdowns.

I see, so not the explosives swab, but sounds like you're referring to the body scanners.

Also you've used the phrase "sec screening" (or secondary) to refer to bag exam AND personal exam - two different things but you seem to be confusing them. At the very least *I* am now very confused by what your point actually is.

I'm really not sure what your problem is with security processing or perhaps the staff doing their actual job (so sorry it wastes *your* time), but this was just a ramble with a ridiculous accusation thrown in based on your own experiences of a couple of trips. Reminds me of all the times you told everyone NZ arrivals were horrible because they asked you a few questions this one time. Oyyyyy....

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

HLO went onto secondary, but the guy didn't ask me to open it.
Just the first xray person, the one that's seated watching the screen, moved it with the divider thing, and I had to wait for a few mins.
But mine wasn't asked to be opened.
Long time ago, I saw the A4 paper, with tick marks where they marked the bags going through.
Now its hard to see the sheet of paper.
Not the set wage, but maybe more so the KPI that the person has to move bag to secondary.
No b888 residue done of late, even on VA & QF flights in the past 3/6 months of flying.
About a year, back, when we were allowed to fly again after covid, yes, they were doing the residue test.

 

[TheInsider]

Long time ago, I saw the A4 paper, with tick marks where they marked the bags going through.
Now its hard to see the sheet of paper.
Not the set wage, but maybe more so the KPI that the person has to move bag to secondary.

Because this is in relation to T1 MEL security, the metal detectors, the ones you walk through set off an alarm at random for the random explosion checks.
There is no quotas, it's literally random. The 'A4 paper' is used to match the checks with actual number the metal detectors set off which is to ensure compliance.