Is the Sydney airport as bad as some say it is?

[Catlover54]

This question is for people who know lovely Sydney and its possibly not so lovely airport well.

We are planning a cruise in March which starts and ends in Sydney and goes only to Australian ports. We will be flying from San Francisco, hopefully nonstop, to and from Sydney ( arriving around 9 am on a weekday and departing for home at 1pm).

 

I want to time the day of our booked return  flights, and our class of airline service, based on trying to limit major hassles getting to the airport ( traffic, lack of cabs) as well as likely airport lines and delays.  I have read some nasty reviews about the Sydney airport and its personnel ( link below), so have some concerns ( limited seating, dirty toilets, lines, hostile staff) , but do not know if they are exaggerated. Though neither of us need a wheelchair, my health issues make long lines of standing hard to handle and I also like to have plenty of time to get to my gate ( and sit, and use the toilets) in peace and without anxiety before a  14 hour flight.

 

https://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/sydney-airport/page/1/

 

We have a choice of leaving directly from our cruiseship the day of departure with a cruise provided group bus ( unknown time, unknown dock) or taxi or car, to make a 1pm flight either that day on a Sunday, (possibly a busy airport day) ,  or overnighting somewhere and doing the same 1 pm flight on the next day, a Monday, a workday ( so there would presumably be more AM street traffic).  We are not fit enough to take the train, and we will have heavy bags.

 

We have a choice of doing our return flight in premium economy ( our preference for price) or forking up a lot extra to avoid the worst line risks at SYD that could cause us to miss our 1pm return flight.

 

1. What do you locals think about a Sunday vs. Monday departure? Would we likely actually risk more delays on Monday morning?

2. Does anyone who has flown Premium Economy know if you reliably get into priority security lines, or if you share with Economy, and/or if Sunday or Monday would be more likely to have longer security lines?

3.  Any other comments about the airport?

 

We will be staying in Sydney for 4-5  days before our cruise, our first time.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

This question is for people who know lovely Sydney and its possibly not so lovely airport well.

We are planning a cruise in March which starts and ends in Sydney and goes only to Australian ports. We will be flying from San Francisco, hopefully nonstop, to and from Sydney ( arriving around 9 am on a weekday and departing for home at 1pm).

 

I want to time the day of our booked return  flights, and our class of airline service, based on trying to limit major hassles getting to the airport ( traffic, lack of cabs) as well as likely airport lines and delays.  I have read some nasty reviews about the Sydney airport and its personnel ( link below), so have some concerns ( limited seating, dirty toilets, lines, hostile staff) , but do not know if they are exaggerated. Though neither of us need a wheelchair, my health issues make long lines of standing hard to handle and I also like to have plenty of time to get to my gate ( and sit, and use the toilets) in peace and without anxiety before a  14 hour flight.

 

https://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/sydney-airport/page/1/

 

We have a choice of leaving directly from our cruiseship the day of departure with a cruise provided group bus ( unknown time, unknown dock) or taxi or car, to make a 1pm flight either that day on a Sunday, (possibly a busy airport day) ,  or overnighting somewhere and doing the same 1 pm flight on the next day, a Monday, a workday ( so there would presumably be more AM street traffic).  We are not fit enough to take the train, and we will have heavy bags.

 

We have a choice of doing our return flight in premium economy ( our preference for price) or forking up a lot extra to avoid the worst line risks at SYD that could cause us to miss our 1pm return flight.

 

1. What do you locals think about a Sunday vs. Monday departure? Would we likely actually risk more delays on Monday morning?

2. Does anyone who has flown Premium Economy know if you reliably get into priority security lines, or if you share with Economy, and/or if Sunday or Monday would be more likely to have longer security lines?

3.  Any other comments about the airport?

 

We will be staying in Sydney for 4-5  days before our cruise, our first time.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You would make a 1:00 flight.But if something goes wrong it would be tight.

 

 You have come a long way and spent a lot of money so why not stay a extra night somewhere different and finish your holiday stress free.You can leave the ship leisurely,enjoy breakfast,go back to that little cafe you liked and leisurely arrive at the airport.

 Sydney airport is very congested and that’s why they are building a new one.

[Tara Jane]

Absolutely agree.  I am reasonably fit travel with hand luggage only and only need a domestic flight home to Melbourne.   I never book my flight before 1.30 pm.   After a relaxing holiday the last thing you need is to worry about delayed arrival or traffic or airport congestion.  My sister missed her flight to Melbourne due to a late arrival because of rough seas.   Her flight was to depart at 3 pm.

Be one of the last to depart the ship have an extra night in Sydney check out of hotel and taxi to the airport in plenty of time for check in.   

Yes airport queues are bad but that's international travel and having flown international from Sydney many times I assure you it is a breeze compared to LAX.

You will need 2 plus hrs check in.  Last time I flew to US it was 3 hrs. That means you have to be at the airport before 10 am.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The only trouble I have ever had at Sydney International is trying to negotiate the “duty free shops” without being tempted to buy .....
As above , the terminal is a breeze compared to some . 

[Bizziecruzer]

If you feel anxious, go for the Monday flight. Do the tour of Sydney which may be offered by cruise line. They will drop you at the airport at the end of the day (Sunday) and check into an airport hotel for the night. No worries next day with traffic getting to the airport.

[Chiliburn]

8 minutes ago, Bizziecruzer said:

If you feel anxious, go for the Monday flight. Do the tour of Sydney which may be offered by cruise line. They will drop you at the airport at the end of the day (Sunday) and check into an airport hotel for the night. No worries next day with traffic getting to the airport.

That’s a good suggestion,do the ship tour and they drop you a airport hotel.

 Anyone if fit enough to catch the airport  train with out baggage in to Sydney for dinner 

[Tara Jane]

Bizziecruzer

An excellent suggestion.😀

[thistledoo]

Compared to some US airports Sydney wins by far.

[joybook]

Sydney is no worse than most overseas airports and actually much better than most. Nothing is ever perfect

[GUT2407]

It amazes me that people want the stress of getting to the airport the day they disembark, but if you must make sure you have a plan B.

[Catlover54]

I appreciate all the responses from people in the know about SYD.  If I were alone, ( I am now retired) I would spend at least another week in and around Sydney post-cruise , based on what I have read and heard about it, and not just the few days pre-cruise we have planned. But DH wants to get back to work asap post cruise ( that will help pay for more cruises 🙂).

 

I decided to opt for a discounted business class airfare purchase through the cruiseline, ( SB) which warrants they will not book flights with unrealistic departure times, or they pay for the reroute.  And to minimize risk of lines causing us to miss our flight, in addition to certainty on being able to use priority lines for business class on luggage checkin and for security,  we will plan to get to the airport at least three hours ahead of time ( preferably more, if the ship allows us to get off) . DH is keen to try to plan for a disembarkation day flight so in case something goes wrong that day, our  plan B will be an overnight with a cruiseline guaranteed  business class reroute the next day, and not risk another day’s delay if something goes wrong with the Monday plane even if we are there.

 

The worst thing about cruising is getting there and coming back, as many of you know all too well.  I envy Europeans, who are a one or two hour flight  from many interesting cruiseports and a lot of history. From where we are, it is always a long haul no matter what direction we go to cruise except to Alaska ( four trips) and to Mexico ( two trips, which was one too many). 

 

I look forward to visiting Sydney and other intriguing Australian ports.

[MicCanberra]

Good plan, I hope you enjoy your visit.

[GUT2407]

On 10/4/2019 at 10:40 AM, Catlover54 said:

I appreciate all the responses from people in the know about SYD.  If I were alone, ( I am now retired) I would spend at least another week in and around Sydney post-cruise , based on what I have read and heard about it, and not just the few days pre-cruise we have planned. But DH wants to get back to work asap post cruise ( that will help pay for more cruises 🙂).

 

I decided to opt for a discounted business class airfare purchase through the cruiseline, ( SB) which warrants they will not book flights with unrealistic departure times, or they pay for the reroute.  And to minimize risk of lines causing us to miss our flight, in addition to certainty on being able to use priority lines for business class on luggage checkin and for security,  we will plan to get to the airport at least three hours ahead of time ( preferably more, if the ship allows us to get off) . DH is keen to try to plan for a disembarkation day flight so in case something goes wrong that day, our  plan B will be an overnight with a cruiseline guaranteed  business class reroute the next day, and not risk another day’s delay if something goes wrong with the Monday plane even if we are there.

 

The worst thing about cruising is getting there and coming back, as many of you know all too well.  I envy Europeans, who are a one or two hour flight  from many interesting cruiseports and a lot of history. From where we are, it is always a long haul no matter what direction we go to cruise except to Alaska ( four trips) and to Mexico ( two trips, which was one too many). 

 

I look forward to visiting Sydney and other intriguing Australian ports.

Enjoy your visit and don’t hesitate to throw out any other questions you may have.

[Beejay4016]

We had to transit through Sydney when flying Queenstown, NZ to Perth in June. It would have to be the most shambolic, dirtiest transit area for people changing from international to domestic that I've ever seen. People from various countries had to collect their luggage, walk a long way to the transit area, which was shabby in the extreme, then slowly snake their way, pulling and pushing their luggage and trying to keep a hold of their kids etc, to the few staff who were on duty. After checking in, it was then a case of go sit in the most basic of rooms (could never be described as a lounge) and wait, with no order regarding priority or flight time, for buses to then take you to the domestic terminal. The buses would then be heavily overloaded and certainly not a pleasant place even for a short drive with some of the enormous amounts of carry-on that some people have with them. I think the Sydney airport people need to check out Brisbane, for instance, to see how good it can be. We love Sydney, but were disgusted by the whole arrangement, and felt quite embarrassed that so many overseas visits have to go through that.

[Catlover54]

Beejay, based on your description, I am glad we will not be connecting through Sydney ( at least not this trip), just flying in, and out.

I am equally embarrassed about so many U.S. airports ( though fortunately not by my local San Francisco airport) , especially the many surly airport and TSA personnel.

But at least you got to sit ( unlike in St. Martin at Christmas, when people were on the floors or standing for hours due to flight delays and lack of chairs). 

 

First world problems, I know, but it is good to know what one is getting into.

My fantasy for long-haul trips is to be put to sleep and then just wake up ensconced in soft pillows in the arrival port hotel destination 🙂

 

[joybook]

I must be more tolerant or patient than others as it always seems to be someone else who has the bad experience.

[Beejay4016]

12 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

Beejay, based on your description, I am glad we will not be connecting through Sydney ( at least not this trip), just flying in, and out.

I am equally embarrassed about so many U.S. airports ( though fortunately not by my local San Francisco airport) , especially the many surly airport and TSA personnel.

But at least you got to sit ( unlike in St. Martin at Christmas, when people were on the floors or standing for hours due to flight delays and lack of chairs). 

 

First world problems, I know, but it is good to know what one is getting into.

My fantasy for long-haul trips is to be put to sleep and then just wake up ensconced in soft pillows in the arrival port hotel destination 🙂

 

Hi fellow cat lover.

 

Yes, I was shocked by Sydney's transit area. I have to say, the main airport area is fine, with plenty of places to sit, eat, drink, and, of course, shop. I guess that's why we were so shocked. I'm glad you're not transiting through there, so you should have a good experience. What you mention about St Martin's airport is staggering. As you say, in first world countries we expect so much.

 

Yes, a good sleep on a long-haul flight is a great way to go. The most comfortable lie-flat, and consequent sleep, we've ever enjoyed on a long-haul was Perth to Paris in Air Asia X's "business" class (sadly, they no longer do that flight). The food was - well, it was there, the service left much to be desired, the cabin was a tad hot, but the bed and bedding were superb. I think we got at least 8 hours solid sleep, and hit the ground running when we got to Paris. Air Mauritius was also excellent that way, but Air France was simply a comfy seat that reclined to an extent. The food with them was wonderful, though. Swings and roundabouts. Sadly, I think our days of flying business may be behind us now and premium economy may be the best we can hope for.

 

Anyway, I ramble. Have a lovely time, and enjoy Sydney airport. The views flying in and out are fantastic.

 

Cheers,

Beejay

Edited October 6, 2019 by Beejay4016

[Beejay4016]

2 hours ago, joybook said:

I must be more tolerant or patient than others as it always seems to be someone else who has the bad experience.

It was just the transit experience, Joybook. I see you're in Sydney, so I don't imagine you get to have that transiting pleasure. As I say, Brisbane and Melbourne do it so well. Perhaps when the new airport is built all will be perfect. 🙂

[lyndarra]

I've flown in and out of Sydney many times and have never had anything I could complain about. There have been some long lines but they move quickly.  I have arthritis issues with my feet and cannot stand comfortably for long periods but I've always been able to find somewhere to sit in SYD departure lounges. At one time I needed to carry and use a shooting stick to relieve pressure on my feet.

Dubai was our worst airport experience, over two and half hours to get through arrival immigration! Nowhere for people to sit, there were hundreds of people sitting on the floors of departure lounges. LAX has always been a PIA to negotiate especially if you need to go to another terminal to pick up connecting flights.

Wife and I paid serious attention to what we packed in our luggage and could easily do four week UK and European trips, or cruises,  with smallish suitcases, not too big that I couldn't lift them into overhead train luggage racks. Our suitcase weight, cruising or traveling, would average about 16-17 kgs about 36lbs.

I confess that I have not experienced SYD transit.

 

[The_Big_M]

I think the issue with Sydney airport is that it hasn't been refurbished since the Olympics. It was nicely made up then - when it was also under government control. Once it was sold off though, the private operators haven't maintained it - the only time there's been a refresh is when they rearrange things, mostly for improved revenue opportunities. 

 

Thus, if you're in an area that has been remodelled e.g. for new shopping flows they've put in, then it's okay. However, if you're in one of the older areas that haven't had a revenue upgrade e.g. transit, a fair few toilets, they're pretty disgusting.

 

Macquarie airports appreciates your understanding of their need to make a profit.

[Brisbane41]

It is not a bad airport once you are past the gates and waiting. If you have club access to a lounge then it is even better.

 

Arrivals are not so much of a problem unless you are one of the first flights into the airport of a morning. Sometimes they leave aircraft parked at the gates and have to ferry passengers in buses across the runway for first flights if the staff have been too lazy to remove aicraft from the gates to allow the first flights in to dock and disembark passengers. This is something that may happen on a flight from Japan as the QF26 flight was one of the first in when I was doing that fairly regularly. I know you are not on that flight but it is just one example of how things can go wrong. Situations like this also cause extreme queues in customs and immigration first thing of a morning.

 

Staff may be incompetent from time to time. One experience I had was an arrival from Japan where too many people were in the baggage collection area waiting to clear quarantine inspection. I was queued up for some time before they moved the queue and then allowed people who had not queued up to form a new line and direct them out. This upset a few of us in the line that had been moved twice (a line where they instructed us to wait), not having anymore of this garbage I walked right up to the person at the gate, told them exactly what they did and how long I was waiting and told them directly that I am walking through right now ahead of this new queue and there is nothing they can do to stop me. I said if you don't like it call your manager and I will tell them why I am pushing in. They were completely shocked and did nothing to stop me walking through and by then others who had been waiting followed along.

[MicCanberra]

Like any airport, it really depends on how many other flights are scheduled at the same time as yours.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

1 hour ago, Brisbane41 said:

It is not a bad airport once you are past the gates and waiting. If you have club access to a lounge then it is even better.

 

Arrivals are not so much of a problem unless you are one of the first flights into the airport of a morning. Sometimes they leave aircraft parked at the gates and have to ferry passengers in buses across the runway for first flights if the staff have been too lazy to remove aicraft from the gates to allow the first flights in to dock and disembark passengers. This is something that may happen on a flight from Japan as the QF26 flight was one of the first in when I was doing that fairly regularly. I know you are not on that flight but it is just one example of how things can go wrong. Situations like this also cause extreme queues in customs and immigration first thing of a morning.

 

Staff may be incompetent from time to time. One experience I had was an arrival from Japan where too many people were in the baggage collection area waiting to clear quarantine inspection. I was queued up for some time before they moved the queue and then allowed people who had not queued up to form a new line and direct them out. This upset a few of us in the line that had been moved twice (a line where they instructed us to wait), not having anymore of this garbage I walked right up to the person at the gate, told them exactly what they did and how long I was waiting and told them directly that I am walking through right now ahead of this new queue and there is nothing they can do to stop me. I said if you don't like it call your manager and I will tell them why I am pushing in. They were completely shocked and did nothing to stop me walking through and by then others who had been waiting followed along.

It’s a wonder you were not arrested .