Sydney Airport..A Goddam Nightmare

[packrat]

Arrived at Sydney Airport on Sunday at 0830 from JFK ...2 hours late.
What a nightmare.
There were at least 2000 people in the Customs Hall with no organisation whatsoever.
No Qs, masses of people crowding towards 2 exits into the quarantine screening area.
Tempers fraying,babies and women crying.
Customs,Quarantine and Airport mangement need to get their act together.
The situation was absolutely appalling.
I finally emerged from this hell at 01030.
Good Lord....Welcome to Bloody Australia!!!

[Skystar320]

Yawn, :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Wanna beer mate?

[essbee]

Have you ever tried to get thru LAX behind a couple of 747's.............good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!:{:{:{

[knackeredII]

So, as long we're like LA it's ok then?

Considering the user pays system in place in Sydney and the taxes you get hit with when you travel there, I think passengers are being severely ripped off!

The term 'Gouging' comes to mind.

[DEFCON4]

Which LAX terminal are we talking about essbee?
SkyStar320...you live in WA?
Pretty much explains the moronic indifference.
Considering SYD was "made over" for the Olympics it was pretty much out of date and capacity before they finished.
Tourism in our neck of the woods is projected to explode over the next ten years.
It will be crippled by our airports.....in particular SYD.
It will cost this country millions(if not billions)in lost tourist dollars

[ScottyDoo]

Tourism in our neck of the woods is projected to explode over the next ten years.
What are you talking about - have you checked out the exchange rate in the last year or two??? :rolleyes:

[Capn Bloggs]

Skystar320, you may yawn but Peth is just as much a disgrace. Gouging DOES come to mind... Customer Service? What's that?

[DEFCON4]

Do you expect the $A to stay at these levels for the next ten years?
The last two years ...despite the exchange rate ....has still seen tourism grow to record levels.
Try booking a flight to Europe,Asia and the States.

[squawk6969]

I avoid flying via Sydney at all costs, in fact its been so long now, since Brissis came out of the dark ages. But to think Sydney is worse than LAX is really scary:eek:

LAX on 25/12/06, only running a few minutes behind, and at 7am its pretty quiet.... I almost missed my 9.30 connection. And damn lucky my luggage followed:sad:.

It was a mess! Yes it was Xmas day, but still. 2 weeks later leaving and it was THE worst nightmare I have ever seen. Few imes now, and others I know say the same LAX is not a place one should compare to. It should be demolished and reuilt, with at least the 1990's in mind let alone anything this millenium.:ugh:

SQ

[arkmark]

I have to agree - Sydney airport is a disgrace.

I am embarrased to think that this is perhaps Australia's largest gateway to the world.

Arrival is pathetic, poorly organised, and under staffed.
I have had better progress in developing counties.

Departures is always dirty and there is never a working pen. They obviously never clean it - yet I have once again been to developing countries departure halls that you could see your reflection on the floor.

Outside SYD International is disgusting - it's dirty, there are thousands of chewing gum's on the ground, matched by the cigarette butts and staff of all kinds including customs smoking in uniform in full public view. Rubbish including unmarked cardboard boxes is often piled either side of the main entry doors. If this were luggage it would be a security risk. I recall that it took them two years to take down the Sydney 2000 olympic signs when exiting the carpark, and what is with that rotating cube advertisement that is almost constantly torn apart by the wind?

In the car park electronic signs on exit gates are all rooted and have been for many years.

Is this a privatisation / SCAL thing or was SYD International always a national embarrasment?

[VH-ABC]

... and how many bods squeeze into an A380? Have a couple of them arriving at the same time and you just have to run out of room/cabs/toilets/patience at the terminal. Bring on teleportation.

[socks and thongs]

No question in the world it is SACL's doing. They get your dollars regardless of what you think of the place. Anyone notice the 100% price hitch on the luggage trolleys when Mac Bank bought the company?

The place is run by the lowest of the low and that's putting it nicely.

[noip]

Whilst SYD may have problems,

JFK? It's a joke.


My point? If you think SYD is bad, you need to get out more....

N

[Feather #3]

A C/crew member on the bus actually hit the nail on the head.
Have a close look at how the AQIS folk do their x-ray's vs the MAF in NZ. The Kiwi's have it down to a fine smooth art. The AQIS system comes to a complete halt for each individual.
Fix that and you'll find you cut 25% at least from the delays.
G'day ;)

[speedbirdhouse]

Quote-

The place is run by the lowest of the low and that's putting it nicely."

Indeed.

Ex GM of AWB and former Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Just another of howard's trough feeding pigs.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/profiles/moorewilton.htm

[surfside6]

I have been through both.
Compare aircraft movements and pax numbers....JFK is much more efficient.
Sydney is just a cash cow.
Maximize profit...minimize investment.
The duty free is a joke..RM Williams boots..cheaper at retail....by $100.
Sydney Airport is a Cattle Shed

[Taildragger67]

socks and thongs,

Guess who owns (http://www.macquarie.com.au/au/about_macquarie/media_centre/20060109a.htm) Smarte Carte? :ugh:

They own bits of:
The airport itself
The taxi to get you there, or, if you drive yourself,
the car park company
The amenities you need whilst there
(in some cases) the airport at your destination
They just missed the carrier

... are these guys obsessed with air travel or what?

Oh and they've got first go at any new airport development within 100km.
In any other developed country, someone would've said something about competition/monopolies by now. :=

[YesTAM]

....And of course the most irritating part is that about half the people there are transiting to other Australian locations that don't have sufficient direct overseas flights.

[Tom Sawyer]

"My point? If you think SYD is bad, you need to get out more...." NOIP.

In the past 4 months I've paxed through HKG, LHR, MIA, TPA, BCN, LTN & SYD as an international arrival. Got through them all, including the US ports, in under 45mins, APART from SYD which was about 1.5 hours. Need I say more? Can't wait to arrive at the same time as SQ, EK, QF and VS all of whom have 380s on order and may bring them in here.

[Fliegenmong]

Quote "....And of course the most irritating part is that about half the people there are transiting to other Australian locations that don't have sufficient direct overseas flights."

cue SUNFISH yoohoo where are you??:E:p

[Skystar320]

Capn Bloggs

Yes you are right, Perth is a shambles. Guess its all around Australia then?

[socks and thongs]

Sorry taildragger, when I said 'the company', I actually meant smarte carte, not the airport. My bad

[apacau]

Airport facilities are no doubt part of the issue - though the border agencies don't help the process. I am all for strict customs/quarantine but of the 45+ countries in the world I have visited, Australia is the worst!

We have to accept that there has been massive growth in intl traffic (which will only increase with these new Long Haul LCCs) and in many cases the facilities just can't cope! Not to mention the booming domestic market that is equally putting strains on terminal infrastructure.

The case in point is Adelaide's plan to already expand their new terminal barely a year since it fully opened for business!

[Wheeler]

Sydney used to be a great airport to get through. Quick, efficient and polite. Not now! First you are met by the miserable passport checkers (whatever you do dont answer your mobile if you are anywhere near the queue, queue being the operative word! No polite 'would mid not usng your 'phone there.) Then pick up your baggage, quite efficiently even now. Then the worst of all the AQIS Gestapo..... Often thousands of folk waiting for those stoopid Xray machines because only about two of them actually work at a single time. Everyone packed into about an eigth of the baggage hall, folk pushing in the queue, others tired aggressive and fedup, kids screeming. AQIS attitude? who gives a ****? We have a job to do - and you aint getting into Australia until you go thorough our processes in our time! So bloody wait your turn - even if the queue (read crush) is two hous or more. They are a joke and make arrival in Sydney an absolute nightmare these days.

[mach2male]

Arrived in to Sydney last Sunday.
Absolute Chaos
Tired... I was not about to Q up for 2hours.
I was in no hurry.
Found a seat down near oversized baggage and went to sleep for an hour and a half.
Woke up and the hall was empty.
Walked thru in about ten minutes
Might take a sleeping bag next time

[Taildragger67]

Socks,

My point is they're ultimately the same company. :hmm:

[socks and thongs]

Taildragger,

Yes they are, this I am aware of. Was just pointing out the price hitch on trolleys when smartecarte became part of the MacBank empire. Another way of the company (MacBank/SACL) continuing to bleed us for no gain in services.

[Taildragger67]

Cheers Socks

It'd be interesting to know if employees of MBL-group companies get a rebate/discount for purchasing services from members of the group - eg. if they get their $2 taxi gouge back (probably do, if they are using a taxi from that MBL taxi company).

I hate the tall-poppy syndrome, but when someone just starts taking the p!ss, then :mad: 'em.

[HAMO]

Cmon guys be fair to SACL

You know that SYD is no longer an airport .... its a shopping mall where planes happen to pass thru

and its only gunna get worse when they go ahead with the project STAR where pax will be forced to go through the duty free shops ie they have got no other way of getting to the gates

[Taildragger67]

Yeah just love that at LHR T3 - through security and the pathway to the gates is through the booze/ciggies/smells shop with promotions people leaping at you from each side. You can't even get to the newsagent to buy your overpriced bottle of water (as you couldn't bring a useable one in with you :hmm:) or Boots to get a new toothpaste - let alone the gate - without passing by the check-outs.

I wonder when the day will come when the operators put a 'minimum spend' on - ie. you get to the gate and unless you can produce receipts to show that you've spent a de-minimis amount in the terminal shops, they'll charge you there & then the shortfall before you can board. :*

Then, I'll go via YMML or YBNE - anywhere where there are fewer snouts from 1 Martin Place in the trough.

[4PW's]

Agreed, it's a disgrace.

Incidentally, Emirates have approval to increase their 48/week service to Australia to 96/week.

I hope like hell they're not going to bring it all to Sydney.

[flightfocus]

MAC BANK is an evil empire. :( How else can they afford to give 1 employee $30 mill a year? They cant - we pay!!!

Australia is a disgrace in this regard. It is always a pleasant surprise to travel overseas and have access to a FREE luggage cart. I thought that is what my TAXES & CHARGES were for.

Singapore springs to mind as amazingly efficient. Strict controls and higher traffic. You would be unlucky to take longer than 15 mins to get out of that terminal.