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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.
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