Sydney Airport

Immigration for non Australian passport holders is extremely slow. Sydney Airport doesn't seem to have enough people doing the assessment.

Not sure why so many posts are that harsh on SYD airport. International arrivals always processed in a speedy way, for both customs and luggage. Much better than any US airport. Departures well signed, quick safety checks, and yes, indeed, quite a shopping mall thereafter but those not interested can simply ignore it. The airport does look a bit dated, true, and certainly not the looks of LHR T5, Changi, Hong Kong. Longer walking distances also fuel the design of the airport building, but all in all an efficient airport.

I have been able to avoid Sydney airport for years, as I prefer to fly through MEL or BNE to avoid Sydney airport entirely. I have had an easier time in Dhaka International Airport. It is the most expensive airport in the world with the worst services in the world.

This is definitely one of the most unpleasant airports in the civilised world. It seems like they are always doing some form of renovating, with loud banging and barriers. The food courts have an unpleasant ambience to them, and there is nothing visually pleasing. The absolute worst thing is the cost of parking and transportation. Just to take a one way ticket from the airport to anywhere costs about $17 one way, and almost $6 just to transfer to the Domestic Airport by train. For a country like Australia, this airport is very poor compared to overseas airports.

Kingsford Smith Airport is an absolute shambles once you clear immigration and even immigration is understaffed most of the time, then you get to Customs/Airport security which has even less space than immigration and just as under resourced with staff, so expect delays and frustration. Quite possibly the worst airport I have had the misfortune to use, other than Melbourne's Tullermarine. Parking charges are outrageous, Drop off facilities are practically non existent and the price of alcohol beggars belief, particularly as there is little service other than opening the bottle, tables are left dirty and refuse uncollected. The airport is a huge shopping mall with limited facilities but they have the monopoly on flights now and into the future, so you have to put up with shoddy airport, you have no choice and no way of changing it.

Arrived at the very narrow gate 8/9/10 area on a full 747, on either side was an A380 one also unloading passengers. Due to renovations this area is narrower then normal to the extent that it was impossible to even get to the main concourse without queuing. The only staff was one very angry man attempting to get everyone to move right to allow a transportation cart to move in the other direction. There simply was not room for this to happen so his response was to get even angrier with the extended queue. A diabolical queue for a Smartgate and then a bigger wait for the bag. The baggage carousels are that old that they cannot cope with a full wide bodied jet and if those whose bags are off first are delayed in the never ending queues the carousel comes to a stop because it is full. All the privatised airport operator proudly announces is that more duty free shops are being built to enhance our shopping experience. How about operational efficiency first. An embarrassing first impression for travellers to Sydney.

I have travelled through Sydney airport on all but my flights out of New Zealand on Singapore Airlines - they overfly Australia and take you directly to SIN. On all other flights involving Air New Zealand and even on Emirates flights like CHC/SYD/BKK/DXB one has to deplane and endure - a tired overcrowded airport with rude security and border control staff - ripoffs that start with AUD 2 for an undersized trolley, pay to use the scale to weigh your bags and pay to travel between terminals. All of this is of course free in international airports like SIN and DXB. All Aussie international and domestic terminals are separated, sometimes as in Perth, miles apart. Food and drink outlets are expensive and there are the never ending duty. Free liquor shops one is forced to walk through both arriving and leaving. Not a good option for connecting to other international flights. Take the direct flights into and out of a next generation airport like Changi instead.

Flying SYD-SGN we arrived in good time on the train. The train is the most convenient way to the airport but is an absolute rip-off. I believe it’s the most expensive train trip in the world per passenger kilometre. After check in, immigration and bag security were quite smooth and efficient. Then through the duty-free maze to gate 37. On 2 visits to the mens toilets I found 4 others waiting for the cubicles, so I ventured to the nearest toilets only to find they were for women. There was a walk or about 100 metres to the nearest Mens’ room. Later, while waiting for my wife, I saw 7 men of different nationalities walk into the corridor for the women’s toilet. .

Traveling to Bangkok, and due to a late arrival from AKL, we had 45 minutes to connect to our next flight. Asking for directions was useless, the staff gave conflicting instructions and we ended up sprinting from one end of the terminal to the other, through dangerous construction. Signs were removed for painting, detours lead to walls, and lifts were out of service. After a 4th set of bad instructions, we finally found where we needed to be, which was down a long staircase. Construction gear was pushed to one side on the stairs, and all the safety tape removed. My mother tripped on the unsecured stairs, and landed at the bottom. Staff nearby laughed, and I had to help my injured mother into the Emirates lounge, where we received assistance. Utterly appalling.

My mother and I arrived in Sydney on a flight from London via Malaysia. I am a dual citizen (British and Australian) but my mother only holds a British passport. Upon arrival at the airport, we decided I should go to the queue for Australian passport holders so I could quickly collect our luggage while my mother queued with the other passport holders. In hindsight, this was a huge mistake. I, myself took about 30 minutes to get through passport control and immediately went to collect our luggage. I waited for my mother at the bottom of the stairs for a further 20 minutes before becoming concerned. I had no choice but to leave my luggage unattended and return up the steps to passport control to see if she was okay. At the top of the steps I was promptly told by a customs official that I couldn't stand there. I told him I was waiting for my mother. He just smirked at me and just said she should have gone through with me as family can go through with citizens. I explained there were no signs stating this until you actually got to the passport official by which time it was too late. His manner was awful, he couldn't have cared less. I went back down to my luggage and waited a further 10 minutes, becoming more and more concerned. I told a second official that my mum needed assistance. He escorted her to the front of the queue and I once again returned to our luggage. A further 5 minutes passed, I went back up and saw my mum being made to fill out an 'ebola document'. Finally, she was ushered through, hardly able to stand up and was provided with a wheelchair. I find the behaviour of the staff appalling.