SYDNEY AIRPORT  Passenger Reviews and Customer Opinions

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 10 June 2009 : by R Cooper

Customer Rating :  3/5

Early morning arrival so the airport was very busy - immigration long queues but they moved relatively quickly. Baggage came through quickly - however, customs queues were huge and snaked around the arrivals hall. Once through arrivals halls overcrowded and cramped with people waiting arriving passengers. Evening departure airport fairly quiet quick and friendly check in. Major renovation works being undertaken. Airport looks dirty and messy, most food outlets closed and many shops closed even though there were a number of flight departures. Immigration and security was quick. More shops and sitting area airside. Lots of windows and light and airy feeling. It is amazing how quickly this much renovated airport has aged. Current expansion and modernisation will result in a better airport but at the moment it is not a great experience

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 6 June 2009 : by S Quek

Customer Rating :  3/5

I am appalled by the fact that I had to pay 15AUD for parking 30minutes 40seconds in the airport car park - implying a rate of over 30AUD an hour! This is even more expensive than Sydney CBD! The pay stations are widely spaced and located in unusual locations - making it a real effort for one to get to if in a hurry or when try to keep within the half hour charge block. On top of this, one has to pay 4AUD for use of trolley which is free in major airports of nearby Asia. This is another one of those blatant Sydney Airport schemes to rip off passengers and guests.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 18 May 2009 : by R Hensley

Customer Rating :  2/5

What a welcome after a 14 hour flight - no passenger pick up zone. This forces family members who are there to greet you into the parking garages - pockets emptied once again.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 27 April 2009 : by A Whiteman

Customer Rating :  3/5

I have used Sydney airport several times recently. Overall, I think it's OK - it's big enough, reasonably clean and the train service into the city is very good compared with the challenges and cost of getting into town at many other big international airports. One thing that did disappoint me on my last visit was the exchange rate used in the duty free shop. I went to pay for something quite expensive by credit card and they offered me the choice of AUD or my home currency. I chose my home currency and when I checked later, the exchange rate was terrible (and the rate wasn't clearly explained to me before I made the purchase but only appeared on the receipt afterwards). My own fault I suppose (should have known better, but it was an early flight and I wasn't fully awake). I just resent these sneaky little ways that airport operators try to extract every last cent they can from the customers (neatly packaged as providing you with a "service"). Needless to say - I wont be using their duty free shop again and others should be warned about this.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 23 April 2009 : by A Ho

Customer Rating :  2/5

Haven't been to the airport in a while & was disappointed at the hum-drum Terminal 1 which has been desperately needing a makeover since forever. Dull & gloomy, it lacks the liveliness of other airports that I've been to. Arriving from HKG, I was startled by the fact that trolleys were $4 & that all pick-ups had to be made through the very inefficient car-park of which incurred another $7 fee. Leaving SYD, I was amazed at the un-extravagence of the entrance to the departure hall. But, the friendly ground staff is the only compliment to this aging establishment.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 15 April 2009 : by K Wong

Customer Rating :  2/5

Sydney Airport is one of the worst airports I've been to. The service is terrible and the staff unfriendly. Sydney International is just too small and it would not be able to cope with the amount of passengers in the coming years. Also, usually you can get a trolley for free but now you have to pay $4 for a trolley. The parking is insanely expensive. The only good thing that I can say about Sydney Airport is that at least it has got enough duty free shops. But overall as a Sydneysider, I think the Sydney International Airport needs to improve drastically because passengers from overseas will be shocked by how bad the airport is and the service is just terrible.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 7 April 2009 : by J Cobcroft

Customer Rating :  5/5

Sydney airport has improved markedly since our last visit fifteen months ago. Departures was efficient. Food good. Toilets very clean and available. Arrivals was excellent with much more efficiency displayed by all staff. Overall we are very impressed with the improvements. People should remember that this airport is the gateway to Australia and is by far the busiest. Morning arrivals can be problematic but the increase in staff attitude and efficiency is great to see.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 6 April 2009 : by Chris McQuaid

Customer Rating :  3/5

If you come by train, there are three long escalator rides from the railway platform to the departure level (lifts/elevators are also available), followed by several hundred metres to walk if you are travelling with an airline (e.g. Emirates) whose check-in desks are at the other end of the terminal (no trolleys were visible to those who came by train). Canberra's food might be overpriced, but their sandwiches are still a dollar cheaper than Sydney! The food court in the check-in area is part of the terminal redevelopment, and it looks well short of being finished (only five or six outlets at the moment). An unsmiling Customs officer who only grunted a perfunctory "Cheers, mate" when he stamped my passport and waved me through was not a good farewell when leaving Australia. Much better attitude at Security, with a scanner that was rather less sensitive than Canberra's. Departure gates well laid-out and no great distance to carry hand luggage. Plenty of toilets, and more food outlets in the centre of the star-shaped gate lounge area. Free internet access - several computers available. Overall impression pretty good, but points deducted for lack of trolleys, food prices and attitude of Customs staff.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 17 March 2009 : by Mike Simpson

Customer Rating :  2/5

Flew out of Sydney airport after business trip back to NZ. Arrival was fine but departure was delayed so had a bit more time to look around. The refurbishments must be way behind time as everything just feels awkward and messy and inefficient.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 12 March 2009 : by Kevin Tunnicliffe

Customer Rating :  4/5

I think Sydney International is a good airport, let down by the lack of consideration for people collecting passengers. When you think that Sydney, like most Australian entry ports sees huge family reunions the practice of charging extortionate sums for car parking is really out of order. In all other respects I have found this to be a great airport. Courteous staff and efficient at both immigration and departures. A lot of European and US airports could learn a lot. Shame about the parking rip off though!

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 10 March 2009 : by Peter Walsh

Customer Rating :  2/5

Sadly this airport has shown little signs of improvement since my last post. I have travelled in and out of the international terminal twice so far this year. Pretty efficient as far as he arrival processes go however on departure little change. My check in lady embarrasingly apologised for the clump of dust which fell from above my head onto the counter - apparently this is a regular occurance. Do they have any cleaners at all in this building? I appreciate that this terminal is undergoing major refurbishment but has anyone seen how filthy the floors are? I am not a clean freak but the whole place looks like it needs a good clean.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 5 March 2009 : by Neil Ramsay

Customer Rating :  3/5

Andrew Cran's comments on the parking and passenger pick up situation at Sydney Airport reflect a constant source of annoyance for airport users. There is no pick up facility at all. The ploy of picking up arriving passengers at the departure level has been prohibited by the airport's private owners who police the situation and issue substantial fines for anyone attempting that method. So yes, we are forced into paying the exorbitant rate of $7 per half hour to park and wait for arriving passengers in the terminal. There has been much public discussion about this situation but the airport owners stand firm.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 5 March 2009 : by Chris McQuaid

Customer Rating :  3/5

Arrived from Auckland and had an easy passage through all the duty-free shopping areas before reaching the official welcoming area - friendly Immigration officer, only waited a few minutes for my suitcase, and Customs waved me straight through the crew lane (I must have an honest face!). Bad point was the currency exchange - I decided to change my New Zealand money in Australia, and couldn't believe that there was nearly a 6% difference between the two countries selling and buying rates! I know airports are renowned for high priced foreign exchange, but this was extortionate. When I enquired about a shuttle to my hotel, I was directed to Bay 31 where all the private shuttles depart. When you exit from the international terminal turn right, and walk about 300 metres (all the bus bays are numbered). Very reasonable rate - however, it didn't make up for the baggage handlers who had "removed" one of my suitcase padlocks.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 3 March 2009 : by Andrew Cran

Customer Rating :  1/5

I dropped my wife off for a trip to Brisbane, had to pay the minimum $7 parking fee just to drop her off, and then the signage was so poor inside that we were completely lost for a few minutes. Absolutely useless for what should be our best airport facility in the country! I'm taking my 3 kids back today to pick my wife up, and as far as I can work out, there is no passenger pickup area at T3, so I will have to pay the $7 dollars again and drag 3 young kids thru the airport when I should be able to pull up, throw 1 bag in the boot and drive off with my wife in the passenger seat. Absolutely disgusted with the lack of facilities - give me my old home airport of Townsville and day of the week. Clean, easy to read signage, and friendly staff to boot. Why must I pay $14 dollars just to drop off and pick up someone from an airport?

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 23 February 2009 : by D Kong

Customer Rating :  3/5

Have recently used Sydney Airport. International terminal is undergoing an major expansion and renovation but appears to be taking some time. Airport appears well prepared with signs and detours for passengers. While there are a few complaints about the length of queues and customs, I've noted most passengers have arrived or boarded in the morning, so if you can, try to avoid morning arrivals/departures which is when customs officials are just doing their job. Arrived late about 6pm, declared every possible thing I had and cleared customs in less than 30 seconds. However, I don't refute the rail system comments, Cityrail couldn't possibly complement the 4 star rating Sydney Airport has - the cost is too high, it is inefficient and the services can be infrequent and unreliable, hate to think that some tourists see the tin can rattlers as their first image of a world class city/airport. Domestic Airport is a joke, $4 for a trolley which you only use for luggage prior to check in, you'd think Macquarie Airports Holdings would make enough from their taxes.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 23 February 2009 : by Neil Ramsay

Customer Rating :  3/5

In answer to P Leroys comments about the Sydney Airport train service and its high cost, the explanation is that the airport to central station rail route and stations, despite being part of the state government rail network, are under private ownership and thus they have negotiated the right to a surcharge. The citizens of Sydney (especially ones commuting on this short section of line) agree that the tickets costs amount to a ripoff.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 18 February 2009 : by P LeRoy

Customer Rating :  3/5

The train to the city is the biggest concern. It costs $15pp one-way and the trip is barely 10 minutes. It's nothing short of highway robbery. It wasn't like the train was express or even a train that was in good condition. I don't mind paying what's fair and usually the airport comes at a bit extra, however why such a rip-off?

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 16 February 2009 : by Eric Simpson

Customer Rating :  5/5

Arriving and departing Sydney was speedy and trouble free. No queues at passport control or MAF on arrival at 6.30pm. Thirty minuets after leaving the plane we were being driven out of the airport. Departing was equally trouble free with the experimental Express Path speeding up progress through passport control and security. My only grumble is having to pay for the use of a luggage trolley when departing.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 7 February 2009 : by Simon Smith

Customer Rating :  2/5

Have recently arrived twice at each of the international and Qantas domestic terminals. At the international terminal, late evening arrival is far better - there are no queues for immigration, and baggage arrived quickly, whereas arriving early morning with most of the other long haul flights, there's a long wait at both. Domestic terminal is OK but I was amazed that they charge $4 for a luggage trolley - I've never come across this level of shameless money-grabbing anywhere else. The train to the city centre is not pleasant but at $15 is much cheaper than a taxi.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 2 February 2009 : by S Srinivasan

Customer Rating :  3/5

I expected better from SYD - both domestic and international terminals. First of all, if you have to transfer from T3 to T2, there's no signposting indicating which airlines use which terminals, and the transfer between terminals is also poorly signed and hard to figure out. Second, although the hotel shuttle bus ticket counter is easy to find, the queue is next to impossible to locate. You have to go outside, turn right, and walk a ways - and figure out on your own where the pick-up area is, which isn't even marked. At the international terminal, check-in wasn't bad, though the "Express Departure" lane at immigration actually had a longer queue than the regular lane, though the officer was pleasant enough. At security, they apparently consider waiting for your traveling companion to get through the metal detector "suspicious behavior", as they tagged me for a full baggage search.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 2 February 2009 : by D Voss

Customer Rating :  1/5

This airport appears on the surface to be a modern facility, but it operates no different to anything in the third world. Formal exit fees paid as you leave a country are rare, but Sydney airport makes sure you need to have a pocket of cash just to get through the immigration barrier. For three people to transfer from domestic to international with luggage, costs over $30 with Trolleys and a train ride, then there is the inconvenience of the train station which you effectively have to walk through without any luggage assistance at all. returning to Sydney they throw a few other curve balls. Why don't they offer small trolleys as you arrive, given the long distances between the gate and immigration. Then immigration is an almighty mess with little organisation, queues in all directions trying to get tired passengers through declaration clearance in a room that is at least half the size required. Overall if there is only 1 or 2 ratings above 3 stars in 2 years of comments this airport cannot be considered anywhere near a 4 star facility.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 1 February 2009 : by Oscar Thach

Customer Rating :  3/5

Arrived at the airport at around 11am and the crowds were moderate. It was disappointing to see that out of roughly 12 Customs booths, only 5 or so were open, resulting in long waiting times. Baggage came through the carousels quickly. Quarantine was (finally) organised but the staff-members managing the lines and entry points were still incredibly rude. After seeing that we had declared food and medicine, we were given a very stern "Where do you think you're going?!?" after being asked to step aside. Quarantine check was nice and quick and we were out of the terminal in no time. It has to be said that the waiting zone outside the terminal is small, which is a problem when crowds are big. Overall some improvements but still not great.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 1 February 2009 : by A Donnellan

Customer Rating :  1/5

Shocking airport, long wait in line for passport, baggage claim then AQIS. No where to be picked up from unless you have a hire car or taxi. The car park is a rip off. The prices at the food concession are extortionate. The airport train is $15.20 one way to the city, 10 min trip - train was un-airconditoned, dirty and graffiti marked. When you leaving SYD, again long lines for check in, long lines for passport and the foulest, aggressive security personal. Yes there is a lot of construction going on, but it would be nice to know your food choices are limited when going airside, if you can afford to buy anything.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 30 November 2008 : by Terry Stokes

Customer Rating :  3/5

This airport is expensive, unattractive, and for the most part, disfunctional. I was however pleased by how Customs control and Quarantine inspections were much faster on this occasion than I have experienced in the past. Within 35 minutes of arrival we were out of the terminal.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 6 November 2008 : by J Bailey

Customer Rating :  3/5

Really overcrowded check in areas, expensive parking, reasonable facilities. Works on the occasional good day, fails on bad days. Pack your patience and take it with you - it's a haul. Average lots of room for improvement.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 30 October 2008 : by Peter Walsh

Customer Rating :  2/5

The international terminal is simply dismal. I have travelled through this terminal 4 times in the last 3 months. Whilst the considerable construction taking place will no doubt bring benefits the place borders on being filthy. As far as costs go you might want to take out a small loan for what the food outlets charge - its outrageous.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 7 October 2008 : by L Verhage

Customer Rating :  1/5

The three worst things when coming through international are queues at passport control (but with many empty counters?). Queues at AQIS up to the stairs at passport control and waiting times of up to 1 hour. Check in for domestic - shabby undermanned area in the basement with 1 x-ray machine that is a lot more sensitive than the one in international departures. All up it must be a very surprising and negative experience for people coming to Australia the first time. As I frequently travel to Asia, I have started to fly through Melbourne lately - a bit of a long stop-over but that's compensated by the far better infrastructure.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 22 September 2008 : by N Desailles

Customer Rating :  3/5

Regarding "no pick-up" at Sydney airport Arrivals, one way to beat this is to climb the escalator and go to the Departure kerb-side and tell the car to come there.

SYDNEY AIRPORT review : 6 September 2008 : by Hugh Glass

Customer Rating : 1/5

Be aware! There is no free arrival passenger pickup by private passenger vehicles at Sydney's International airport. (ie your relatives, friends etc cannot drive to the airline arrival gates and momentarily stop and pick you up at the kerb.) All private passenger pickup vehicles are being routed through the parking area, entry to which will cost you $7.00 minimum. Seven dollars just to momentarily stop and pick up a passenger and baggage. If they can find you in the parking lot! The "Welcome to Sydney" is the rip off.