Sydney Airport voted the country's most unpopular, again

[Ryan N]

Sydney Airport voted the country's most unpopular, again
By Melissa Jenkins
AAP

March 31, 2009 07:23am

SYDNEY Airport has achieved a dubious hat-trick, being named the country's most unpopular airport for three years in a row.
Airport users rated Brisbane Airport the most popular for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, then Sydney.

The consumer watchdog's report into airport performance, released on Monday, also found - again for the third year running - an overall decline in the reported quality of airport services and facilities, despite ballooning profits.

Travellers at Melbourne Airport were the happiest with parking, while they were unhappiest at Sydney.

Parking accounted for $244 million, or 11 per cent, of combined airport revenue of $2.2 billion.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Graeme Samuel said that as passenger numbers grew at the monitored airports in 2007-08, so too did the airports' charges to airlines.

”Interestingly, the financial performance of the airports does not appear to be strongly related to the quality of service they provide,” he said.

Perth Airport had the highest passenger growth rate - at 13.5 per cent, or 1.1million passengers.

But Sydney and Melbourne airports had the highest increase in absolute numbers, with about 1.8 million extra passengers passing through each of the airports in 2007-08.

Satisfaction levels related to such things as passengers' experiences while waiting in check-in lines and passing through security points.

The ACCC report relates only to terminals run and owned by airport operators.

Some of the domestic terminals are leased and operated by airlines and are not subject to monitoring, including the Qantas domestic terminals in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

All international terminals are subject to monitoring.

[Tim C]

Not really a very good survey when it doesn't include Sydney, Perth or Melbourne's Domestic terminals. Still surprised any airport could be voted worse than Perth's Terminals.

[Michael Mak]

Not really a very good survey when it doesn't include Sydney, Perth or Melbourne's Domestic terminals. Still surprised any airport could be voted worse than Perth's Terminals.
It includes domestic terminals, just not Qantas' terminals as they are run by QF according to the article.

Some of the domestic terminals are leased and operated by airlines and are not subject to monitoring, including the Qantas domestic terminals in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

[Bill S]

And last week it was apparently the most dangerous as well!

[Simon L.]

No surprise at all, Sydney Airport has actually been ranked poorly at many international travel and industry polls over the last few years as well, and every time SACL would give a classic response to those media enquires by only saying conditions would improve once the international terminal upgrade has finished etc.

[Joseph D]

It must be said though, the current international terminal is an absolute shambles with the construction going on. It looks very third world and extremely congested. Not surprised at all by this survey.

[Grahame Hutchison]

The article above has no specifics at all. I have no problem with either the QF Domestic or the International terminals. I generally use Park & Fly for international trips and find the experience through both terminals to be quite acceptable. The Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane QF terminals are not substantially better or worse than Sydney in my opinion, the sooner you get through any airport terminal the better. If you want an excellent experience, try the QF First lounge in Sydney International, I have not seen anything better anywhere I have travelled in the world.

If you want pathetic try Heathrow or Frankfurt, and I know there are worse still.

[Bob C]

I agree with you Grahame

I've been through the Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin domestic terminals in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Coolangatta and Hamilton Island in the last twelve months and have not encountered a problem with staff, service or facilities. The experiences were really been quite enjoyable and I have nothing to complain about.

Come to think of it, the only problem I've had in more than 35 years flying was way back in April 1981 when there was a strike by Ansett hostesses which left me stranded in Sydney for a week after spending Easter with friends.

I returned to Darwin on QF B747-238, VH-EBK, which I think was one of the first occasions that QF 747s were used on domestic sectors, in this case to move a huge number of stranded passengers.

But that was not a problem with an airport.

[Rhys Xanthis]

If you guys have been to Perth and haven't had a substandard experience...then frankly, you haven't been to Perth Domestic Airport!

[Montague S]

Perth domestic airport is appalling, I know, I work in it everyday.

[Bob C]

What are you on about Rhys ?

I've lived in Perth since 1988 and have used the airport many times both as a visitor/spotter and traveller. I won't be critical when it's not warranted.

I know what I've experienced and like I said, I've never had a problem there - perhaps I've been lucky or don't have the high expectations that others have.

Monty obviously sees much more because he works there but the only way to change things is to start at the bottom and get everyone kicking to the same end.

[Mike W]

To me, Sydney Airport a bit of a two edged sword. On one hand it's fantastic we have an International Airport serving a city of 4 million odd people (well some of them are odd :p ) so close to the actual city. What other city in the world of this size is so fortunate?

On the other hand, because of this proximity to the city, we have the associated problems with traffic, parking etc. However I think the Airport itself is great and I believe we have to expect disruptions if we want ongoing improvements as with the current upgrades to the International Terminal.

[Sarah C]

My problem with the upgrades is all they are doing is adding more shops.

As for the transport, it is purely the cost that makes it so unattractive and the "traffic police" outside the terminals fining you for picking up passengers instead of parking. The traffic congestion is a problem but can't be fixed quickly - I think you will find the surveys done about the airports really has to do the the cost to get there and the parking.

[Wayne Bishop]

Hi Sarah,
Are these "traffic police" actually NSW Police Officers or NSW Govt appointed traffic wardens? If not, I think people will find that although employees of MacQaurie Bank (sic SACL) can issue "fines", they cannot actually legally enforce payment thereof.

Even the Rail Police actually had (I say had as in this instance the laws may have been changed) no legal right at all to demand your details or detain people..it only became "official" if they called an actual NSW Policeperson to the scene.

Remember Krispy Kremes trying to fine people...the upshot was that they could do what they liked on their property, ie issue fines, but the fines were not legally enforceable....so they gave up.

Cheers
Wayne