Sydney Airport review by P McDougall

27 April 2007   Customer Rating :

I am sure the jobs in customs and quarantine can be tedious, but a simple smile and being polite will result in a much more pleasant experience. I think that multi lingual immigration officers need to be employed. I have been to quite a few airports in Asia recently and all have wireless free internet. Sydney airport appear to charge for everything. They charge taxis for pulling up to pick the airport customers up. The food and beverage are well overpriced. Paying for trolleys is appalling! The way the bags come out on to the belt results in damage. I had a fragile record box that had fragile stickers all over it and they put it through the baggage system. They just don't care! Cityrail need to look at putting on their millenium trains on the airport line. To pay close to $15 to travel on tatty old trains isn't a good look.

Sydney Airport review by Kevin Tunnicliffe

20 April 2007   Customer Rating :

I like Sydney airport although it does need to rethink the arrivals hall as this is shabby. The staff at immigration were a trifle surly but in that respect no worse than many others in the world. The baggage came through fast and efficiently, far better than Heathrow or Manchester for example. We used the Emirates Business Class Lounge at the airport and this is a model of how such lounges should operate. It was clean, with comfotable seating, excellent food and drink options and pleasant staff who were helpful and not too in your face.

Sydney Airport review by Alasdair Brooks

10 April 2007   Customer Rating :

With direct international flights from Melbourne to the rest of the world becoming increasingly rare (with Austrian and BA dropping flights to Melbourne, no European airline now flies to Victoria), passengers flying to and from Melbourne frequently have to transit through Sydney. Sometimes they have to transit through Sydney even when travelling on an airline that does fly to Melbourne (some Thai flights to Melbourne, and all United Flights to and from the US). The following comments are also valid if transferring from flights to and from any Australian city via Sydney. In my experience, the experience of the transit through Sydney depends on several factors. If transferring from a domestic Qantas flight to an international flight in Sydney on the way out of the country, the shuttle bus takes you between terminals quickly and efficiently. If transferring from an international flight to another international flight on the way out (for example, if transferring from the United flight from Melbourne to LAX - which stops in Sydney - to the United flight from SYD to SFO), then you never leave the international terminal (though you do have to go through security again). In both of these cases the system is simple and straightforward, though sometimes - as I posted in March 2005 - passing through security when transferring between international flights can be somewhat slow and frustrating due to understaffing and the use of only one x-ray machine. It can be far more frustrating to transfer in the other direction, when returning to the country. If staying on the same flight, but forced to disembark, you will probably find yourself going through that previously mentioned single X-ray machine again. Passengers should be careful to check their flight number if transferring to a Qantas flight on the way back in to Australia. Flights above a certain number actually leave from the international terminal, and customs and immigrations will only be cleared at your final destination - many's the unsuspecting passenger whose travel agent has forgotten to tell them this and has nearly (or entirely) missed their flight by trying to go through customs in Sydney. Far worse is the system used to get between the international and domestic terminals if that change is necessary. The most convenient and best sign-posted shuttle bus is only open to Qantas and other Oneworld passengers; signposting for all other shuttle buses is unclear, and staff not entirely helpful - last time I ended up on a free charter bus taking a school group between terminals, though no one thought to ask me to leave (you can also take the train between terminals, though I'd only recommend that to people with little luggage). Domestic check-in staff on my last transfer also seemed to think it strange that my bags hadn't been checked through all the way to my destination, and that I wasn't travelling on an e-ticket (I was transferring from Korean to Qantas) - though they were friendly and helpful once they overcome their surprise. Unlike most other passengers commenting here, I've never had a problem with immigration queues (I'm not an Australian citizen), which are certainly processed more efficiently than their US counterparts. There can be a scrum at customs, where signposting is unclear, and the placement of one luggage carousel near the entrance to the red queue occasionally causes problematic blockages of foot traffic. In sum, I've seen better (in Asia), but I've also seen considerably worse (in the USA), and the main problem is the need to improve signage and instructions for those transferring to the domestic terminal on the way back in to Australia. Those of us who are forced to use Sydney a lot know what to expect, but I can see where it would be tremendously confusing for someone transferring for the first time.

Sydney Airport review by Miles Gordon

7 March 2007   Customer Rating :

My partner and I are very frequent flyers, and SYD is our home port, and while other airports have renovated and extended over the years, it seems that SYD is left to deteriorate. For sure, the departures side of the airport is all new-looking and shiny, with clearly defined queues and lots of signage. But the arrivals hall at SYD is an international embarrassment, and needs urgent renovation. Immigration formalities are similar the world over, and SYD has no real problems there. However, once one steps down from immigration into the baggage-claim area, everything changes. For a start, the sprayed-concrete textured ceiling is so dirty it's grey, and the areas around the aircon vents are black. Not enticing. It just looks drab and ordinary, and in desperate need of some TLC. The true horror is waiting to clear customs/quarantine. I applaud AQUIS and customs, they do a very important job, and considering the facilities they have they do it well. But I can't help thinking that there has got to be a better way of organising things at SYD. No real direction is given to pax, signs are only in English (!!), and there are no clearly defined queues for people to wait in. This results in the 'nothing to declare' queue crossing (and mixing with) the 'items to declare' line, and it's a total mess. To make matters worse, the X- ray examination of luggage by AQUIS seems to be almost routine now, but the whole process has been set up without any thought for the inpact on the flow of passengers through the arrivals hall. In short, it's a disaster. In fact, it's such a disaster that for our last couple of Asia trips, we have flown back into Brisbane to clear customs and immigration, and connected with a domestic flight to Sydney.

Sydney Airport review by Armin Gotttwald

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

We arrived in Sydney on an MH flight from Kuala Lumpur on a Sunday evening and immigration/quarantine/baggage collection/getting a taxi were a breeze. Touchdown was at 7:52, and we arrived in our hotel room in Darling Harbour at 8:45 (and that included check-in at the hotel!). The airport itself seemed OK, without being anything special. I know there are times when the airport is overcrowded or almost comes to a standstill, but we were lucky to have chosen the day flight to arrive in the evening. Coming all the way from Austria, I can recommend an evening arrival in Australia to all travellers. You can have a good sleep and wake up the next morning ready to explore Sydney, wihout suffering from jetlag.

Sydney Airport review by Alfred Kobylanski

13 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrived 9:05am from Buenos Aires. The arrivals process was particularly disappointing it took approximately 50 minutes mins for priority baggage to make it to the luggage carousel. The customs and quarantine inspection required another 50 minutes. In all it took over 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete formalities due to the Airports in ability to process passengers politely and efficiently. Please note Sydney airport has charges for all activities that is disguised in the price of airline tickets. The fee is clearly in access of any of the services that are being provided. In addition, due to the inefficiencies of the Airport further insult is added when car parking is included in the experience as it is priced at an extortionist rate that exponentially rises from a very low time increments. You end up paying substantially more because of delays incurred at the airport.

Sydney Airport review by Les Brock

5 February 2007

Arrived by BA on Feb 2nd at 06:50. Small queue at Passport Control then down to baggage reclaim. Bags arrived within 5 minutes. Collected bags and was out through Customs and in the city by 07:45. Maybe I was lucky but could not fault the airport systems at all.

Sydney Airport review by Lin Hsu

26 January 2007

T2-Domestic from Cairns and then out from T1-International to SGN. It's annoying to have to pay for a Dom to Int'l transfer. I took the train for $4.70; paying by credit card at a $10 charge and getting the change in cash. There were lots of food options in the SYD departure area - mostly $6-8 sandwiches and $9-12 hot entrees. There are comfortable seats at Starbucks and longer cushioned seats downstairs in arrivals (where I saw people laying out and sleeping). 5 out of 6 free internet kiosks I saw were out of order. Check-in and immigration were quick.

Sydney Airport review by James Faulkner

26 January 2007

Fantastic,except for customs. Shuttle to domestic terminal works great too, people very helpful, directions excellent. The shops and food options the best I've seen (except for Singapore). At domestic terminal there is a noodle restaurant that serves the best food.

Sydney Airport review by Neil Ramsay

9 January 2007

Arrived mid evening from SIN with no other aircraft in sight so immigration was a breeze and baggage was soon available. Obviously customs and quarantine had little to do as they were "interviewing" passengers as they waited for their bags. May I suggest to these two institutions that it is not a good introduction to Australia for tourists who have little command of the English language to talk to them in such a condescending way. I was pretty ashamed to see a number of people harrassed in this manner. When I stood up for myself under some pretty purile questioning, the official was quick to back down.

Sydney Airport review by Tony Maddern

2 November 2006

I'll avoid the international terminal when flying into Australia next time. I arrived in the morning and there was no organisation of the 6 - 8 loads of passengers arriving within 20 mins of each other. (I arrived at 6:20am.) This lead to a 30 - 45 min wait in the immigration queue resulting in missed connections for many. The next stage was the wait for baggage... not too bad, then the long line at quarantine. Overall the staff were rude and disinterested, but I had 2 good experiences with staff. I got out of the terminal at 8:45am. Leaving the country at Sydney terminal was a different matter - lengthy checking queues, but warm welcoming staff, a bright pleasant atmosphere. Great observation area, and it was easy to move through the terminal. Sydney airport also had a lot of free internet points.

Sydney Airport review by John Sweet

27 October 2006

I was surprised to be expected to pay for luggage trolley. Thought that is why airports charge such high departure taxes.

Sydney Airport review by David Percy

19 October 2006

Arrived on Monday morning 16 October @ 6.30 from BKK at about the same time with what seemed like about six 747s. Emerged into the fresh air outside the terminal at 9.00am. Even the new BKK airport is more efficient than this! First there was the big queue at immigration, then the big wait for the baggage, then the final battle to get through customs. It was suggest by some petty official that some of the flights were "unscheduled" hence the big crowds. Advice here is to avoid arriving at this dog of an airport on Monday( or Sunday morning) Try and get in on an evening flight if possible. Airport score 4/10

Sydney Airport review by Neil Ramsay

19 October 2006

Mid evening arrival from SIN with no other aircraft. Immigration was quick for both locals and foreigners. Then the fun started. They used one belt for a full jumbo. What a scrum! Someone will really get hurt one day. Baggage piles up 3 high on the belt and it is almost impossible to get a heavy bag from the top of the stack in one single movement. They need someone at the belt entry to get the bags into one layer. Customs and quarantine moved quickly. I still protest at the lack of pick up facilities for passengers who are able to communicate with their rides by mobile phone. Being forced into paying $7 for 30 minutes parking is a rip off. Macquarie bank should go to phoenix, az airport and see how it is done properly, but then they wouldn't get their $7 would they?

Sydney Airport review by Chris Jackson

10 October 2006

Arrived Sydney 7am from Tokyo. Had to wait 25 minutes on tarmac as bay was occupied. Immigration okay, baggage collection good, but then disaster caused by Customs deciding to scan all luggage, with no queuing system. About 1000 baggage-laden passengers from 3 jumbos in an angry scrum. After 30 minutes of chaos, a couple of sensible Customs officers decided to avert a riot by opening an unofficial green channel for those they could reach at the back of the mob with nothing to declare. Welcome to Australia!

Sydney Airport review by Neil Ramsay

14 August 2006

Early morning arrival at T1 from Canada with many other aircraft. And for the first time in a decade we were delayed from disembarking due to being sprayed. Welcome to Australia! Cough cough, splutter splutter! Long lines at both Australian and foreign passport control. But extra staff soon appeared to reduce the backlogue. Baggage was soon available and delay at customs and quarantine was minimal although the search area was very busy. Here there seemed to be a distinct ethnic profiling policy in place. Early morning arrivals at Sydney show how stretched facilities are at this airport. Will only get worse when the new generation of double decker jets comes into service. And something has to be done to allow curbside pickup of arriving passengers. They have banned this on the departures level virtually forcing drivers to pay $7 for 30 minutes parking in order to pick up passengers. It's a rip off!

Sydney Airport review by Andrew Wright

24 July 2006

Sydney's T2 - Virgin Blue/Jetstar/other - terminal has really improved since our previous visit one and a half years ago. There is now a decent food court with a wide range of cuisines. However, only the coffee shops/hot breakfast places were open at 7am. Also there aren't enough flight information displays across the terminal. However, there is still ongoing construction work on the terminal so perhaps this wll be rectified.

Sydney Airport review by John Shultz

3 June 2006

When the rail track to Sydney airport was being planned and built, it was assumed by many that dedicated trains (with luggage racks) would be run on a shuttle service to city stations. The fools at Cityrail not only dismissed dedicated trains, they ended up running regular services from the East Hills lines through the airport to the city. This means that during the peak arrival time of 0600-0900 at the airport, passengers using the rail service find the trains already full with commuters when they arrive. This is just sheer stupidity. Compared to other major airports around the world with rail links, it doesn't even rate a mention at the bottom of the scale. The distance between the airport rail stations and the city is such that a mere 6 dedicated trains would be sufficient. The cost of these trains would be less than 1% of the cost of building the track. All of us in Sydney are astounded when the airport rail link consortium can't seem to figure out why the line has been a failure. Well the answer is simple - Good line, stations okay, train service a disaster. Get a brain Cityrail!

Sydney Airport review by Peter Dowling

6 May 2006

I would question Peter Snow in saying that AUD 12 from SYD INTL to the city on the train is a good deal. These trains are suburban commuter trains, and are quite dirty, may be very crowded, and usually run late. Has he considered that for a couple, it is cheaper and much more convenient to get a taxi to the city? The trains are a huge rip-off in my opinion (and I am an Australian citizen).

Sydney Airport review by D Voss

22 April 2006

Sydney airport is quite simply the worst airport if you have to transfer from a domestic to international flight. We arrived from a domestic Virgin Blue flight, got our baggage and then found no signs whatsoever on how to get to the international terminal, a security guard pointed out a bus stop across the road. carrying luggage and kids we got to a bus only to be told that the stop is a walk away through the car park crossing roads and negotiating the cars. We then waited and loaded ourselves on a bus for $20 for the two minute ride after dumping our $6 worth of trolleys. At the international terminal we then have to wrestle everything off the inadequate buses. Coming back we decided to pay our way on the train, but this was even worse as the attendants make all passengers go through impossibly narrow barriers, then up and down several long passages and small lifts and agian you pay and pay. I would suggest to anyone outside of Sydney to fly from any other airport in Australia and you'll at least save $50 or more dollars.

Sydney Airport review by Peter Snow

20 April 2006

My advice to all is to choose the time of day that you are arriving if you can. Mid-afternoon from New Zealand, arrival is a breeze. No other flights arriving, immigration staff very friendly, baggage quick, and quarantine staff/security efficient. Transfer to Domestic is now better because Virgin Blue are also running a shuttle service from International to their domestic terminal. I usually use the train into the city - its so easy and not expensive at AUD12 single. AND, much quicker than a taxi if you stay close to an inner city station, as I do.

Sydney Airport review by Nick Brodie

7 April 2006

Sydney International Terminal to Domestic Terminal transfers are nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. The Qantas transfer arrangements are akin to being caught in a rugby mall. Forget anything like orderly queuing or staff pleasentries. Preferential treatment of Qantas Club, Business and First is non-existent let alone Oneworld Ruby, Saphire etc despite signage. After a long haul flight and queuing for Duty Free, then Immigration, waiting for bags then queuing for Customs nothing is worse than being hearded through haphazard domestic checkin ushered into a sterile waiting room, crowded onto a bus and driven across a tarmac! Sydney Airport should get with the program and introduce driverless trains like in Singapore and other airports.

Sydney Airport review by Peter Dowling

25 March 2006

One of the main problems at SYD is the poor (and expensive) inter- terminal and airport-city transportation options. Edmund Carew states that "One unpublicised ticket is a weekly 'gate pass' allowing access for an unlimited weekly number of times to the airport rail stations, for little more than a normal return fare." I'd like Edmund to explain exactly how one gets such a ticket. In reality, I think it might be figment of the imagination. I'd buy one straight away if I could. Failing that, it will cost you AUD 4.00 to travel from Int'l to Dom terminals (and vv) and approx AUD 12 to the City. Not really competitive with most other "civilised" cities around the world. Quite a rip off really.

Sydney Airport review by Adam Wright

1 January 2006

Having recently returned from Australia, I can attest to problems arriving into Sydney's International Terminal. We arrived at 10:30 am and had one and a half hours to connect to our flight to Melbourne. This was definitely not enough time to go through the long immigration lines, customs, the trail to terminal three, and then the final line to check in with Qantas. In the future, I would allow for three hours connecting from the International Terminal to Terminal 3. Fortunately, we were placed on another flight an hour later than our original flight, and all was well. Upon leaving Sydney a couple weeks later in our return to Asia, the process couldn't have been simpler. Given our earlier problems, we allowed for 3 hours but easily could have gotten through to the gates in 2 hours.

Sydney Airport review by Greer Kemp

5 December 2005

Sydney Airport has improved a lot over the years, but I can only second the comments about the poor efficiency in Immigration both arriving and leaving. The attitudes of the officials seem a little better than in the past, but there is still room for improvement - if you work at the airport and had a bad day, that's your problem, not mine - don't inflict your bad attitude on the customers who pay your salary! As for the Duty Free, I at first thought it might not be too bad, but was shocked to find that the aftershave I bought at Duty Free for A$99, could be purchased in Myers department store, retail, for A$85. Prices for alcohol are fair in comparison to those at discount outlets around the city, but high in comparison to my home airport in Thailand. Overall service is fair, but taxi queues are not handled as efficiently as they should be, especially in the morning rush hours with many flights arriving after the curfew ends at 0600. On reading some of the comments about transfers from Domestic to International, I am somewhat concerned as I will be doing precisely that on a flight home after Xmas. I will be on an interstate flight arriving into Sydney domestic, and have 1.5hrs between arrival and departure - I hope all works well.

Sydney Airport review by Andrew Quinn

5 December 2005

We arrived at Sydney about 8.00-8.30 am last Friday morning and like others have mentioned on this page found a very long the non- Australian/NZ passport queue lined back to the duty-free shops. We are Australian passport holders and the Australian/NZ passport queue was not so bad. I can't remember seeing a queue this long anywhere and not where we had just come from - Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. As also mentioned by others on this page, as a result of the slow processing of passengers, the baggage carousels were piled high with bags. I must congratulate one passport official who moved a couple with a baby to the front of the queue so they did not have to wait so long. The scanning of bags at quarantine was quick and there were plenty of staff there to guide and assist.

Sydney Airport review by David West

25 October 2005

We recently used Sydney and I can only confirm the problem getting between International and Domestic terminals. It is mainly the trip coming from Qantas Domestic to International it is a fair walk plus a bus ride and then the signs disappear when you are in Terminal 2. Be warned it takes time to get between these terminals. We have done it twice in the past 7 months and still find it confusing.

Sydney Airport review by Neil Ramsay

8 August 2005

Early morning arrival with numerous other flights saw only 3 Australian and 3 Foreigner immigration gates open. As a result the lines snaked back down the arrival hall. Due to the slow processing of incoming passengers baggage carousels were piled high with luggage making it difficult to retrieve bags. Customs/Quarantine however did their bit by moving things along in both red and green lanes thus clearing the limited space. I think you can do better than this, Sydney. We pay enough airport taxes for the system to work more efficiently.

Sydney Airport review by Edmund Carew

4 August 2005

Karen Martin is spot on: the train from the airport to the city is generally fine, except for the annoying lack of a memory timetable. One unpublicised ticket is a weekly 'gate pass' allowing access for an unlimited weekly number of times to the airport rail stations, for little more than a normal return fare. Every time I go to SYD I am amazed by the businessmen who stand waiting for a cab for 15 or 20 minutes, when if they caught the train, they'd be close to or in the CBD.

Sydney Airport review by Rob Chapman

28 July 2005

We arrived at SYD at 0645 on 27 July from overseas, at terminal 1. The whole arrival area was jam-packed, and it was taking at least ½ hr to reach Immigration, where our Customs Department officers always do a fine job. Then, after picking up luggage, there was a further similar delay due to the large numbers, particularly as I had my $4.00 Electric Fly Swatter seized as a dangerous item! We were due to catch a domestic flight at 0835, from Terminal 2, and were assured by Customs that we still had time as there was a 30 minute window to check in with Qantas transfer desk. When we reached the transfer area, there was a huge queue, again, and we were informed that the window was 45 minutes, and that we should catch a cab. So we rushed outside to see the huge queue for cabs, and accepted the inevitable that we would miss our flight, along with many other passengers. It took at least another ½ hour to check in at the Qantas transfer desk, where the 6 employees were obviously overstretched (but doing a great job). We finally caught the transfer bus at 0850. And the distance and maze-like path from the bus drop off in terminal 3 to Gate 56 in terminal 2 has to be experienced to be believed - it must be about 1 km, with stairs. I believe there should be a transfer bus from terminal 1 to terminal 2 for Regional travellers. How about it, Qantas? It would have been a most intimidating experience for newly arrived visitors, particularly if they spoke little English, and I was embarrassed for them and frustrated with the experience.

Sydney Airport review by Karen Martin

23 April 2005

I must say I'm surprised by the complaints abut the high cost of the airport express train. While I agree that the AU$12 cost to the city centre is outrageous in itself, it certainly compares well to the 14GBP at Heathrow, the 8 Euro at Fiumicino, and CDG in Paris is about the same I think. You'll get a cheaper and quicker trip into the city by taxi, also, than you do in the major European cities.

Sydney Airport review by Michael Smolders

6 April 2005

Whilst Sydney has great facilities and shops the outbound immigration area has to be the slowest in the world. Peak afternoon flight time and only three officers on passport duty. Took about 30 minutes to clear through the screening process. On the return flight, passed through immigration and customs a lot quicker.

Sydney Airport review by Alasdair Brooks

7 March 2005

Just to add something to Kurt Müller's comments. The requirement for passengers to deplane and go through security again is not limited to that Thai flight (which I've done twice now). At least with the Thai BKK - MEL flights via SYD, it can be vaguely excused in principle for the reason that the flight doesn't just drop off disembarking passengers in SYD, it also picks up passengers flying SYD-BKK via MEL, so for that SYD to MEL leg only, the plane contains passengers flying BKK-MEL and SYD-BKK. While I agree that the single security queue at Sydney is woefully inadequate, I can at least vaguely see where the airport authorities are coming from. Sort of. Far sillier is if you're flying from MEL - SFO on United, which requires you to change planes in Sydney. But even though you've gone through immigration and security in Melbourne, and you never have to leave the international terminal or go through immigration in Sydney, and everyone on the flight is flying to the same country (well, unless they're going on to Canada or Mexico, but I stand by the basic principle) you still have to go through precisely the same inadequate single x-ray machine security check point that you do if you're transiting SYD on Thai. So this procedure - however unnecessary it may seem - is hardly uncommon in Sydney, which raises the question of why they persit with such inadequate facilities in order to undertake something that they have to do at least twice a day.

Sydney Airport review by David Lim

1 March 2005

I am surprised that Sydney airport was once named one of the best in the world. If you need to go from the domestic terminal to the international terminal, and you are not flying with Qantas, you will see how bad this airport is. There is no sign and no regular shuttle run by the airport. I only realized after I reached the international terminal that I could take a train, but again there is no sign. And the train that day was not in service (Sunday afternoon) Also because this is Sunday, the informational center was not manned. I did not have too much baggage that day, but just imagine how a passenger with two big bags can move around. I would without any doubt vote it one of the worst, a shame of a city as fantastic as Sydney.

Sydney Airport review by Hans Evers

9 January 2005

Sydney must the worst airport I have been to when transferring to a domestic flight from an international one. Customs and quarantine are the most cumbersome I have come across. You need at least 2 hours to get onto a domestic flight and it seems travel agents/airlines are not aware of this. If you can avoid transiting through Sydney, then do so!

Sydney Airport review by Kurt Müller

1 January 2005

Travelled in transit on TG on their BKK-SYD-MEL via Sydney on 21st December 2004. Arriving at around 9.30pm and with only one hour on the ground, all transit pax were forced to deplane, pass through security and re-board. Clearly, the airport is not geared up for this and seems to be competing against other former colonial facilities, such as in India, for the dubious distinction of the world’s longest security queues. Only one X-ray machine to cater to 200+ passengers, and  bizarrely, a machine that was so outdated that all laptop computers had to be removed from their cases for inspection, adding yet more length to the long line of transit passengers. After this ordeal, take the escalators upstairs to the departure area and enjoy the sight of most shops being shuttered down – despite numerous departures around 10 p.m.

Sydney Airport review by E Jade

21 November 2004

Sydney is a pretty ordinary airport. Arrival procedures for Australians look to be less wearisome than for those visiting. Last time I was there, arriving though terminal A/B as opposed to the newer C/D, the immigration queue for non residents stretched right back through the duty free shop - everyone looked very annoyed. I'm not sure if airlines are assigned to a particular part of the terminal (Kind of one international terminal with two seperate parts fro processing arrivals and departures) however, often I've seen one very busy, while no one is emerging from the other. Much of the interior decor is tacky and gaudy - Real Aboriginal art is much more tasteful than the Disneyesque motifs on the walls and carpet. Customs is stupid - chaotic when anything bigger than a 737 arrives. As I usually fly SYD-NRT and the QF flight leaves SYD quite late (by Sydney standards - no Mumbai crowds at 2am here!) everything in the departures area closes by 8:30 ish. Back to arrivals: transport into town is VERY substandard. The old Green airport buses were good for budget travelers but they are no more. Now one has to put up with mini bus touts who rival those in many far flung & exotic destinations. DON'T consider taking the train into town. WAY OVERPRICED, often crowded and Sydney trains - if they run - are some of the filthiest I've seen anywhere in the world. Best to just pay a bit extra (or much the same if there are 2 or more of you) to get a Cab into town (also some of the filthiest taxis in the world).

Sydney Airport review by Anthony Miller

21 October 2004

This must be the worst airport I use on the arrival side. I only fly with JAL (3/6 flights per year) so my comments only apply to arrival hall C/D, as most people know when you arrive at Sydney you have been on a long haul flight, in my case it is always from Europe or Japan, customs and baggage collection is about on par with London, Paris and certainly better than Tokyo (queue time to immigration is very slow). However it takes the cake when you have collected your baggage, when you then go to nothing to declare area you have to pass through what is called quarantine and you have to unload your baggage and have everything x-rayed, that is great when you have 4/6 bags and people like me who are 60 years old or people with children great after sitting on a plane for 22 hrs yesterday it took an hour from arrival to get past this stupid area and very annoying, London, Paris take about 45 min for clearance. When is Sydney going to wake up it is in the real world and not in its only little world, to top it off not all machine were working some had people just standing there and not working, Its not as if Sydney is a major mover of people on the world flying stage.

Sydney Airport review by B Hayes

18 August 2004

As a (very) frequent flyer both domestically and internationally with exposure to a lot of airports around the world, I would say that Sydney stacks up pretty well. Since the update of the international terminal for the Olympics, it looks modern and clean with many facilities other airports would dream of. I can use the Qantas Lounge but have no problem finding a seat or desk of lounge standard if not flying Qantas. There are not many airports around the world where you can say that. Sure, the prices are a rip off - but name me an airport anywhere you can say differently? Outbound customs is at time a bit understaffed by Singapore standards but is luxurious by Heathrow standards. Security going out is thorough but curtious and efficient - again, compare it with the organised chaos of Heathrow. Inbound, Customs could do with a few more staff at times, but baggage is usually waiting for me on teh belt; and moving thorugh the quarantine/security check is very efficient when you consider virtually every bag is X-rayed. I agree that having spent a fortune on an airport rail link, they should price it to attract more patronage - but, regardless, most cities in the world would kill to have a world class airport a short 12 min train trip from the CBD. So, all in all, Sydney Airport, keep up the good work, improve the small deficiencies noted (especially customs staffing levels and train fares); and keep developing the facilities to keep ahead of the pack.

Sydney Airport review by Edmund Carew

16 August 2004

Peter Dowling (26/7) may not be aware that the private operator of Sydney's Airport line sells a 'gate pass' valid for a week for $12 which entitles the bearer to use the Airport line stations as many times as he/she likes. It is not publicised. Patronage is improving, but the operator is in receivership with the State Govt essentially assuming responsibility. Peter is correct that fares are high: making it normal suburban rail fares would stimulate passenger usage enormously and reduce traffic congestion.

Sydney Airport review by Peter Dowling

26 July 2004

Sydney is my home international airport. I transit Sydney several times a year and find its ground transportation facilities to be quite substandard and grossly overpriced. For example, if you are not flying Qantas or one of its affiliates, it costs $4 each way to transfer from Domestic to International (or vice-versa) on a rather inconvenient and sometimes very crowded suburban rail system. I have not come across any other airport in the world (apart from one or two in Australia such as BNE) where there are such charges imposed to transfer from terminal to terminal within the same airport. Should you wish to travel to or from the city, the suburban train will cost you around $12 each way for a 10 minute trip. Very poor value indeed!

Sydney Airport review by Patrick Callioni

13 May 2004

It is always a pleasure to come home and KS stands up well to comparisons with all but a very few airports in the world (eg Schiphol). Immigration processes are very quick and easy. The x-ray machines in quarantine are a pest, however (pun intended).

Sydney Airport review by Tim Cook

15 April 2004

SYD Domestic T3 very busy on Monday night of the easter long weekend. The line for check-in was the length of the terminal. However the self check-in for passengers with a Frequent flyer card, or an internet booking number, or the credit card used for the booking on the net allows for check-in in a matter on minutes without having to line up. I would strongly recommend this for anyone who can use it as it allows you to pick your own seat with the help of a seating map and print your own boarding card. Very convenient, other airports should plan to adopt as saves time lining up. QF is leading the way of check-in in Sydney.

Sydney Airport review by barry hackett

14 April 2004

Having used Sydney as our departure point from Australia for many years we have become used to sprawling layout of the terminal complex. What we can't comprehend is the fact that having arrived on a flight from northern NSW and connecting to a flight to Phuket, we could find nothing to eat after 8.30pm in the main international building. After passing through immigration into the departure lounge area there were some places open but the food was ordinary and very overpriced. The people that work there also seem to begrudge the fact that they have to serve you. That includes everyone from toilet cleaners to immigration and customs.

Sydney Airport review by Xuess Wee

31 March 2004

Certainly one of the best airports in Australia. Lots of stores to amuse yourself to wear the hours away. Big and sprawling - the International Terminal T1 is quite some distance away from the Qantas dominated T2 & T3 which does not make things any easier for passengers from opposing airline alliances! That's my main gripe. No issues with departures and arrivals - everything is done crisply - so far in my experiences. The airport is quite some distance away from the city so generous allowance must be given - say at least to arrive 1.5 hrs before actual flight time. There have been debates to built a bigger airport to meet demands in a few years further away - while it's great news for the noise-sensitive residents along the flight paths - it ain't any great news for travellers! Who wants to sit in a coach/car/train for 3 hours just to get from the airport to the city?

Sydney Airport review by N Harvey

12 February 2004

Sydney airport is big and impressive but my main gripe is the length of time it takes the immigration controllers to check a flight through. Mine was the only flight (B777) and it took 1hr 15mins to reach baggage reclaim , not what you need after a 22 hr flight - at least there was no waiting for my case. Departure was also interesting. If you were honest and said you were carrying matches or a lighter they were confiscated - if you lied and said you weren't they never bothered to check.

Sydney Airport review by G Rhymer

11 February 2004

Flew out of Sydney International on New Years Eve. Cannot believe that the airport CHARGES A$2 for use of a trolley - what a blatant revenue gathering exercise on top of a ridiculous A$100 plus tax levied on ticket purchase. Immigration hall was depressing and run-down, only three counters with queues of people at least 15-deep. Air-conditioning was switched off or not working. The Immigration officials were shocking.  Security screening staff were rude and surly. The facilities once past all the officials were good - nice and spacious. Too bad the areas mentioned really let the airport down. But the MAFF quarantine people (arrivals) deserve a pat on the back - they were excellent.

Sydney Airport review by Robert Cooper

10 January 2004

There are actually 4 terminals at Sydney Airport and each one offers a different level of service. Overall the Sydney Airport complex which has been developed over many years. Its main failing is that even though it is not a huge airport the international terminal is a long way from the the domestic terminals - and does create a lot of confusion and time consuming connections (yes nothing like LHR, JFK, LAX but they are so much bigger and busier) The international terminal has been completely rebuilt and added to for the 2000 Olympics. It is bright and airy and attempts to capture the spirit of Australia through its large windows and interior colour schemes. The airport feels spacious and is well sign posted. There is very good arrival duty free in both parts of the international terminal and passengers are encouraged to spend. The international transfer section can get very congested during busy times and does not seem to be well thought out. Customs and immigration get very congested at busy times and do not seem to cope well with more than one full 747 arriving. I have taken over an hour to clear and claim baggage - baggage halls are large with large belts accommodating wide bodied passenger loads well. Arrival screens can be confusing as all you get are the airline logo and flight number (not everyone is expert in airline coding). The green/red lane system gets very crowded and congested and once again does not cope very well at busy times. In the arrivals concourse once again during busy periods is very congested due to lack of space, but there are plenty of shops, banks, seats and maintains that light airy feel The departure level is becoming increasingly congested with some airline check in queues reaching very long lines. Once through this and into the shopping/eating area there is a lot of choice (food grossly overpriced) and shops. There is also a large bar with beer garden Through immigration once again very spacious and airy, with plenty of stores, although a lack of seating.

Sydney Airport review by Tony D'Arcy

15 December 2003

Sydney, LAX, Miami, Narita, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bangkok, Amsterdam among others. Sydney compares very favourably to all of these, and immeasurably better than some. It is helped, of course, by its boutique nature - its easier to be good when you're small! I enjoy the modern interior, the wide open spaces and the comparative emptiness of it. Customs are okay -  you're hard to please if you don't reckon they're as good as the Europeans and better than the Americans! Lines - have you ever lobbed into Hawaii and watched the masses take an hour to get through the barrier while the locals take five minutes!  I have never taken more than fifteen minutes to clear passport control in Sydney - with carry on luggage I can be into a taxi within fiteen minutes of leaving the plane.

Sydney Airport review by Peter Ingram

8 December 2003

Sydney International and Domestic airports are some of the best in the world. The rail Link to and from both airports and the City is no problem. There is a train every few minutes. And there are connections between International and Domestic terminals. The food is a little overpriced (as in all airports). But the openness of the Airports is great. Lots of space.

Sydney Airport review by Michael Smeeton

20 October 2003

Sydney airport is vastly different between domestic and international. International is always efficient and clean, right from the minute you drive into the car park or departure drop off point. Never fly Qantas if I can avoid it and as a result check in is always friendly and helpful. Domestic Terminal is a joke, with no drop off point for Virgin Blue passengers makes instant chaos as cars double and triple park in limo and taxi areas to drop off passengers. Why did they close off a perfectly good drop off section? Despite the renovations for Olympics the airport still looks unfinished from the outside, especially with the old Virgin 'Shed' still sitting at the entrance. Inside is pleasant enough and Qantas area is very spacious and comfortable - although shops are terribly over-priced for domestic side.

Sydney Airport review by Christopher Wilson

28 September 2003

While having no issue at all with extra security checks - there seems to be a problem managing them at SYD. Transferring from an international flight from Melbourne to an international flight out of Sydney I suffered a 40 minute wait to get through the transit security check as there was only one x ray machine in use. There was a tremendous queue. With many people being forced to remove their shoes it would appear that some strategic manpower planning and customer service training would be pertinent.

Sydney Airport review by Glen Vallance

22 September 2003

This is my home airport, and it's really quite good, but there are two things which irk me: Toilets are not kept clean enough. Sometimes sickeningly dirty. Confusion about the train system abounds. I'm sure many visitors to the airport get off at 'Mascot' or 'Domestic' when they need to go to 'International'. On that point, it also confuses people that they can't catch trains for connecting domestic flights, you take a bus across the tarmac. Finding which check-in counter to go to can be a bit of a trial initially. Other than that, the duty free and food options are great, if that's your thing. The staff are always friendly and helpful.

Sydney Airport review by Alan Jones

22 August 2003

While Sydney's international and main Qantas domestic terminals are good the terminal for internal regional flights is awful and finding your way between the two Qantas domestic terminals is very poorly marked- thank goodness for helpful staff. The departure areas for country flights are dark and depressing.

Sydney Airport review by M Devor

25 July 2003

Sydney is one of the world's better airports. It is easy to get around, staff are friendly( as are Australians), shopping is great, and a fun place to be. My one complaint toward the airport is with Australian customs and immigration. They need a larger arrivals hall with more desks and they need to waive more people through customs, by using the Green/Red and being more selective as to who they 'give the works to.' My most intense inspection was at Sydney, and after coming in from New Zealand, please. Qantas lounge in the domestic terminal is one of my favorites. For those who don't know, it is gigantic and even has a small store inside of it. Great food and drinks all the time. Hilton at the airport is ok, a bit old, but they need more hotels at the airport. For an airport its size there are too few hotels. Nice to stay by the airport after a 15 hour flight and deal with the city the next day. Duty Free and shopping is good, as is the array of shops and eateries landside.

Sydney Airport review by Chun Siu

26 June 2003

The first time I used my airline's Internet check-in service, which saved a lots of time. But there are certain thing not really happy! Firstly the security staff assisted me to the wrong place to do my check-in, Secondly that is lots of problem with the lady who done the confirmation of my check in - I was not allow to bring my hand carry with my small shoulder bag that carry my documents. Then the most confusing thing is about my check-in luggage. As my connection flight to HK is delayed till the next morning because of SARS (decreased flights), I was asked to checked my bag only to Singapore so that I can get out for the afternoon and the evening, but that lady said that sorry sir as your destination is Hong Kong the luggage will only checked to Hong Kong!

Sydney Airport review by Geoffrey McNab

25 May 2003

Simple and easy to use. Car to check-in desks is nice and short. Self service ticket check in machines simple and user friendly. Can change allocated seat if not satisfied. Departure areas have plenty of seating by each gate. Good range of eating places. Gate staff seem to be able to board passengers quite quickly, even if a wide bodied aircraft. Disturbing, however, to find in most Australian domestic terminals that friends and relatives, meeters and greeters etc. can go through the security checks and right down to the departure gates. In these post 9/11 days of increased security very surprising and worrying.  All in all an easy, user friendly terminal, when all is running smoothly.

Sydney Airport review by P Potts

13 April 2003

After an 18-hour flight from Vancouver, I arrived in SYD around 7am and waited for my connection to Melbourne. Customs and Quarantine were efficient and not overly friendly or unfriendly. The thing I disliked the most was we needed to exit the secure area of the terminal to transfer to the domestic terminal. I would have preferred an 'internal' transfer, if you know what I mean. I needed to recheck everything at the domestic terminal and go through security again - not really a huge problem, but just inconvenient after such a long flight. SYD's domestic terminal was clean and comfortable.