Melbourne Airport

We flew Jetstar from Cairns to Melbourne on December 27 and out again on January 5 and experienced the joy of Melbourne Airports new Terminal 4. From Jetstar Gate 49 it is about a 2 kilometre walk to baggage. Very little seating in that walk through the terminal. Jetstar is one of the most used airlines in Australia so it is very disappointing that they cannot arrange for better service for their customers. I have a Jetstar Credit card and enjoy the $200 vouchers I get from Jetstar several times a year. But considering that we fly into Melbourne several times a year we will now consider flying with an airline that can get its passengers to their destination without a forced march being part of the package. We are in our late 60s and suffer the normal ravages of time (athritis, hip replacement, etc) and we were put off the plane at gate 49 without any warning of what was to come next. Jetstar should be obliged to inform their passengers of the walk that is required to be undertaken at the end of the journey,

Electronic passport control made for an almost direct walk from the plane to the baggage collection. This was a huge relief, being used to large queues with my non Australian passport. Baggage collection was fairly quick too. Again, I'm used to waiting a very long time at Melbourne before any bags show up, and that's with the usual long queueing at passport control. Maybe the improvement is down to my midnight arrival, it's hard to say. A very pleasant surprise this time around.

Entered a whole new world in Melbourne Airport's new T4. The drop off is a little walk from the entry to the terminal but has escalators and a lift for those who cant use them. The Ground Floor houses both Jetstar and Tiger Airways check in areas and the space is well utilized. Jetstar check-in is like its sister carrier Qantas, with computer module check-in booths. Printed out boarding cards and from there, you either head outside for a breather or upstairs to go through security. Once through security, you forfeit the right to exit unless you want to go through security procedures again but why would you when the new T4 is exceptional with many eateries and good shopping. Tiger Airways terminal is at minimum walking distance but Jetstar requires a good 5 min pace to arrive at the gates. Escalators or travel carts needed for elderly to access Jetstar terminal but modern otherwise.

A nice Airport. Its very clean and there are lots of food options. Very efficient, got to the gate and out of the plane very quickly. Lots of technology and staff always smile. I fly to Melbourne a lot and it is always a pleasure to arrive at MEL.

Clearing customs at Melbourne Airport is consistently a debacle. After clearing passport and picking up baggage I had to wait in a 45 min queue to get my card looked at so I could be sent through to the exit. There were hundreds of people and one person checking cards. There was also an ISS staff member directing people through all sorts of directions and adding to the delays. This is a common experience at this airport. I understand the importance of customs but this process, incompetence and seemingly lack of care is a common experience at this airport.

Melbourne Airport is a pretty average airport to depart from. No seating landside (apart from in restaurants - we'd had a meal and didn't need alcoholic drinks), and the entire landside terminal is noisy and rushed and crowded. Customs had no pens for filling out departure cards (I'd lost mine) - this is a minor thing but you don't need more stress. Airside is slightly nicer, until you get up to the Cathay/Singapore/Jetstar area, where it feels like a barn again.

The Jetstar section of Terminal 4 at Tullamarine is worse than Avalon airport. There's a good part if the new Terminal where Tiger and Rex etc are but then there's a 'country airport' section used by Jetstar which is ~10-15 minutes walk from the post-security retail area (no travellators) then you go down to the tarmac level into what is basically a widish corridor with external doors with hardly any seats (~10 per gate from what I saw) which was barely wide enough to handle the plane load waiting for my plane and others getting off. I flew into Avalon the other day and that was comparatively pleasant and well appointed.

Melbourne airport traffic management is abysmal. Queues back to airport entry. 7/12/15. Arrived at airport at 9.15am for 10.25 flight. Could not access departures due to traffic congestion, taxis, cars, buses etc. in both departures and arrival lanes. Taxis also clogging up 1 min pick up points. Dropped partner off where l could. No one to assist in Virgin terminal re. luggage acceptance 48 mins. prior to flight leaving. Self serve would not accept baggage. No Virgin staff available to assist as other airlines have. Waited in Help desk line for 15 min. Virgin assistance counters reply was "bad luck". Could not even board flight although seats allocated, without luggage. Unhappy travellers.

Boarding area was awful with many people standing for some time before boarding, inadequate seating, a long walk from the waiting area and no moving walkways to assist. Boarded my flight in very windy conditions, almost lost my boarding pass. Hard to believe that they would build such a facility in this day and age.

Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport is a cheap throwback to the '80's. Once you leave the main food court area it becomes a steel and aluminium storage bay. Virtually no seating or facilities after a 10min walk to a gate. Any mild delay sees the elderly, children and everyone else marooned in a air conditioned shed - can't board and can't go back due to distance. This place is an embarrassing addition to Melbourne Airport. To top it off any delay has Jetstar staff blandly and robotically apologising and advising everyone to relax near the gate - there are 12 seats nearby for 150 passengers.