Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) - Melbourne Airport Guide (MEL)

This is a little Guide for first time pax using MEL

TERMINALS & AIRLINES
Melbourne Airport has 4 passenger terminals with Terminals 1-3 connect in the main terminal building with the exception of T4, which is a few metres away from T3.
- Terminal 1
Qantas, Qantas Link & Jetstar
- Terminal 2
All International Airlines
- Terminal 3
Virgin Blue, REX, SkyWest & Strategic Airlines
- Terminal 4
Tiger Airways

AIRLINES LOUNGES
Melbourne Airport has 8 Airline Lounges in the International Terminal (T2)
- United Airlines Red Carpet - Level 1
- Air New Zealand Koru Lounge - Level Basment
- Emirates Lounge - Level 3
- Qantas Club - Level 1
- Qantas First Lounge - Level 3
- Singapore Airlines Silver Kris - Level 1
- Cathay Pacific First Lounge - Level 1
- Malaysia Airlines Golden Club Lounge - Level 1
Melbourne Airport has 3 Airline Lounges in combined Domestic Terminals
- Qantas Club - T1, Level 2
- Virgin Blue Lounge - T3, Departures Level
- REX Lounge - T3, Departures Level

CHECKING IN
Passengers are advised to check-in all baggage 3 hours prior to departure time. While at check-in desks passengers are required to have present, Passport (with visa if needed) and Airline Ticket. Check-in counters are located on the departures level of all terminals. Passengers flying Qantas First, their is a land-side check-in desk degsinated for First passengers only in the International Terminal (T2). For Domestic passengers, we advise you to check-in atleast 2 hours prior to departure time, to meet airline cut off times, some airlines are very strict especially Tiger Airways.

DEPARTING MELBOURNE - INTERNATIONALLY
Passengers departing Melbourne to board an international flight are required to have present, Passport (with visa if needed), Airline Ticket and Departues card. Regardless of nationality all passengers are needed to complete the card. Declare Cash of over or equal $10,000 on the departures card, not including credit cards. After Customs Baggage are checked through security screening, Passengers who have brought Duty Free prior, must show a Duty Free representative for process.

SECURITY SCREENING & AEROSOLS & LIQUIDS
At Melbourne Airport, Laptops and other electornic devices are to be placed out and onto a seperate 'tub'. There are certain restictions on Liquids & Aerosols, which must all be able to fit in a small compact plastic bag;
From Department of Transport & Regional Services;
All containers with drinks, creams, perfumes, sprays, gels, toothpaste and similar substances will have to be carried in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag, no larger than one litre, and be inspected separately at the airport screening point.
Each container should not have a capacity greater than 100 millilitres and all containers should fit comfortably in the re-sealable plastic bag. Exceptions will be made for passengers with medical conditions and quantities of baby food required for the flight. However, these items may be subject to additional security checks. Passengers can still take on board items purchased after the screening point, including duty free.

ARRIVING PASSENGERS - INTERNATIONAL
All passengers arriving into Melboune, must have completed an Australian Immigration Arrival Card, where passengers are to DECLARE all items listed on the card as Australia is very tough on Qarantine laws. Once your aircraft has arrived into MEL, simply follow the sign "Arrivals" to Customs, where passengers are required to provide Passport, with Visa (if needed) and Arrival Card. Australian & New Zealand nationals are processed through the left, while other nationals are processed to the right. MEL also has E-passport kiosks. Once completing Immigration, passengers are to collect their baggage, passengers DECLARING simply follow "TO DELARE", passengers having nothing to declare follow "NOTHING TO DELCARE".

TRANSFERRING INTERNATIONALLY - INTERNATIONAL
For passengers transferring internationally from MEL, once you have arrived and disembarked, simply stay Airside and follow the sign "Transit" and follow the escalators up to the departures level. Passengers disembarking from the new concourse (Gates 12-20) simply stay on the same level and follow "Transit". Depending on your Airline your bags may have been transferred to your next flight. Passengers who have not collected their boarding pass for their continuing flight please contact the information desk on the departures level for your borading pass to be issued, if passengers have Lounge access, boarding passes can be issued or be collected at the Gate issued for you flight. As there are no Airline Transferring desks at MEL.

TRANSFERRING DOMESTICALLY - INTERNATIONAL
Passengers transferring domestically, regardless of which flight you have landed you are to complete the same process as of arriving passengers; refer to "ARRIVING PASSENGERS - INTERNATIONAL". Once completed Immigration & Qarantine, simply go up 1 level to the departures level to check-in for your domestic flight; refer to "TERMINALS & AIRLINES" for information.

ARRIVING PASSENGERS - DOMESTIC TO INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS
Once passengers have arrived into Melbourne, simply go up one level to the departures level to Terminal 2. Depending on your airline, they will transfer your baggage onto your International flight, QF, JQ & DJ will automatically transfer your bags if booked into 1 single ticket, passengers flying Tiger Airways, REX & SkyWest are advise to contact their airline.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT STOPS AT ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN CITY
MEL has some international flights that stop over with other Australian cities, once passengers have check-in for your international flight your bags will be connected onto your final destination. Passengers flying United Airlines conneting to Los Angeles are required to change planes at Sydney, bags will connect automatically to your final destination. Jetstar passengers flying to Singapore via Darwin check-in through Jetstar Domestic check-in desks at Terminal 1, where your bags will automatically transfer to SIN. Jetstar flights connecting up with Jetstar Asia flights via DRW or SIN will be automatically checked through. Jetstar Pacific flights are an exception.

HOW TO GET TO MELBOURNE CITY?
Melbourne Airport has taxi & bus service direct to the city centre.
- SkyBus departs every 10 minutes direct to Spencer St www.skybus.com.au
- A Taxi Fare would settle you back 40-45 Australian Dollars to the city

AIRPORT HOTELS
Melbourne Airport has 4 hotels onsite, the Hilton connect directly to the mainterminal building, with Holiday Inn & Hotel Formule 1 across the road.
- Hilton Melbourne Airport (****)
- Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport (***)
- Mantra Tullamarine (***)
- Hotel Formule 1 (**)

CAN I SMOKE IN MELBOURNE AIRPORT?
Melbourne Airport is absoloutely smoke free

WHERE CAN I PRAY?
Melbourne Airport has a degsinated area for praying in Terminal 2

AIRLINE TICKETING OFFICES
Melbourne Airport's Airlines have ticketing desks on Level 2 in Terminal 2 or respective airline ticketing desks in the domestic terminals.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE
In Melbourne the currency is the Australian Dollar ($AUD), their are kiosks near the check-in desks on the departures level, on arrival and after Customs.

RESTAURANTS - WHERE CAN I EAT?
Melbourne Airport is a medium sized airport, and there isn't much choice airside. There are selections of Fast food chains, bars and cafe's around the airport. When Terminal 2 has finished it's expansion a new shopping precinct will open with more choices (expected completion 2011).

GENERAL TIPS
Passengers who are arriving into Melbourne, in peak times (Mornings Tue, Thurs, Sat & Sun & Midnight rush) make sure to get to Customs & Immigration quickly as there would be long queues at Qarantine and would take you up to 2 hours to clear if caught in the rush.

For more information visit: www.melbourneairport.com.au

Hope this Helps & Enjoy your Stay in Beautiful Melbourne! :)

Thanks for this.

To clarify a few points.

All international flights use T2. This includes some flights that have a domestic tag leg to an international destination/from an international origin. A number of airlines have these kind of flights.

Lounges, international - NZ is on the ground floor, UA, SQ, CX, MH, QF (business) are all on level 1, main departures & most gates are level 2, QF (first) and EK are level 3.

Lounges, domestic - QF also has business class lounge which is entered from within the Qantas club.

There is no international transfer desk so international to international transit passengers who have not yet received their boarding pass for the onward flight need to collect them from the lounge (QF & SQ and only if you have access to the lounge) or the gate.

Thanks for this. I agree, thanks for this - just wondering why the OP bothered to post it as a MEL-specific thread, when such information would have been more useful in a general thread, with others feeling free to post info about other airports. As far as I have seen, there haven't been questions asked about these items about other airports in Australia.

Dave

Does it really take 2 hours to clear quarantine inspection during peak times? I've never had it take more than 15 minutes (seems more like 5 is the norm), so do such long delays happen routinely? Also I'm not quite sure what "daily midnight departures" have to do with arrivals delays.

The advice for all passengers to check-in luggage 3 hours prior to departure, even for domestic flights, is a bit suspect. Doesn't check-in open about then -- I've heard of baggage check-in refused more than 4 hours prior to flight time. QF domestic baggage check-in is still 30 min at MEL which is a bit different from 180 min.

JQ domestic won't accept bags more than 2hrs prior to departure.

The best food is to be found away from the QF terminal - the plastic paddy pub is about the pick of landside offerings, up near the DJ checkin area.

Does it really take 2 hours to clear quarantine inspection during peak times? I've never had it take more than 15 minutes (seems more like 5 is the norm), so do such long delays happen routinely?
I've been lucky so far, but a friend of mine was recently stuck for well over 1.5 hours when arriving on EK404 from Singapore, which was slightly delayed and thus landed pretty much simultaneously with a couple of other big birds. I was on the same flight a week earlier, but it arrived a little early and so I breezed through. :eek:

Thanks, that's a handy post, had it down loaded and copied.

Yes, MEL customs and quar can often be a hassle if you arrive after a Chinese or Vietnam flight, People have been so outraged when the queque extended through the duty free, if you don't have a pass, chat to a crew about the weather and oops, before you know it,;) you are out

RE: Can the moderators please make this thread a sticky, to help future fellow forumers to have easy access to this infromation

thanks, soorox

Also anyone with questions feel free to ask, they will be answered on this thread. :)

1) the Mantra Tullamarine Hotel is not exactly "onsite"...it is several km from the terminals (in fact there is at least one other off-site hotel closer).
2) a bit of spell checking wouldn't go astray...

Is the 3 hour checkin before departure for real?

For an 07:30 departure that's rough - this is for MEL-SYD-LAX-BOS on Qantas then AA. Can we reckon on arriving about 90 mins beforehand in real life, which from near Southern Cross station would mean boarding the Skybus about 05:30?

(it's not me travelling, the traveller has no status with any airline, if that is important)

I have checked in 90 minutes ahead for flight to SYD-LAX on United with no difficulties. Usually through in under 30 minutes.

TRANSFERRING DOMESTICALLY - INTERNATIONAL
... refer to "ARRIVING PASSENGERS - INTERNATIONAL". Once completed Immigration & Qarantine, simply go up 1 level to the departures level to check-in for your domestic flight; refer to "TERMINALS & AIRLINES" for information.

I think this heading would be clearer if it said "TRANSFERRING INTERNATIONAL TO DOMESTIC".

In any case, the process for making such a transfer to QF from another airline makes MEL a third world airport. There is no interline belt, and even with boarding passes and checked-through bags you STILL have to repeat what is effectively a check-in process to get your bags on the next part of your journey. The queues can be long and slow. MEL essentially makes baggage handlers out of passengers.
WHERE CAN I PRAY?
Melbourne Airport has a degsinated area for praying in Terminal 2

This made me smile. MEL might have an appalling bag transfer system, but - to my knowledge - it doesn't have 'prayer police'.

So you can probably pray wherever you want ;)

Is the 3 hour checkin before departure for real?

For an 07:30 departure that's rough - this is for MEL-SYD-LAX-BOS on Qantas then AA. Can we reckon on arriving about 90 mins beforehand in real life, which from near Southern Cross station would mean boarding the Skybus about 05:30?

(it's not me travelling, the traveller has no status with any airline, if that is important)

If they are flying QF MEL-SYD almost certainly it is a flight using the domestic terminal at MEL. If you are checked in an hour before departure you'll be fine, so yes taking 0530 skybus should be okay.

1) the Mantra Tullamarine Hotel is not exactly "onsite"...it is several km from the terminals (in fact there is at least one other off-site hotel closer).
2) a bit of spell checking wouldn't go astray...


Surely you mean checking of spelling?

Spell checking is something that would be employed by Wizards & Witches. It has nothing to do with the letters used to compose words.

Surely you mean checking of spelling?

Spell checking is something that would be employed by Wizards & Witches. It has nothing to do with the letters used to compose words.

me spill cheque repours thar it noting wrung wit his posse

SECURITY SCREENING & AEROSOLS & LIQUIDS
At Melbourne Airport, Laptops and other electornic devices are to be placed out and onto a seperate 'tub'. There are certain restictions on Liquids & Aerosols, which must all be able to fit in a small compact plastic bag;
From Department of Transport & Regional Services;

... All containers with drinks, creams, perfumes, sprays, gels, toothpaste and similar substances will have to be carried in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag, no larger than one litre, and be inspected separately at the airport screening point.
Each container should not have a capacity greater than 100 millilitres and all containers should fit comfortably in the re-sealable plastic bag.



Need to clarify that the 1 litre/100ml restriction on LAGs applies ONLY to flights departing from T2 (the international terminal). Flights from the domestic terminals do not have this restriction.

How much time would you recommend for arriving from an international flight and connecting onto a domestic flight at Melbourne ?

It depends what time/flight you arrive from and if you have something to declare or not.

So the morning rush flights I would give about 3 hours+ if you have some belongings to declare to Qarantine. But usually a 2 hour connection time is fine.

Just an interesting aside. There is a JetStar flight to SYD that leaves from the international terminal. It's a very odd process. They give you a special domestic stamp on your ticket and you go through special lines in customs in both MEL and SYD. We were very confused by this.

Just an interesting aside. There is a JetStar flight to SYD that leaves from the international terminal. It's a very odd process. They give you a special domestic stamp on your ticket and you go through special lines in customs in both MEL and SYD. We were very confused by this.

Jetstar operates these flights to align international flight schedules. These flights are operated by Airbus A330, and have landed from an international port to MEL. Flights like MEL>SYD>HNL allow pax to book only MEL>SYD but still have to go through customs.

Anyone can book tickets onboard these flights provided that they must have Photo ID with them to check thru customs, and therefore you receive a Red sticker/Stamp on your boarding pass. Check-In is located at T2.

I have a more specific question about int'l-int'l transfers - I notice that there are shower facilities in lavatories on the departure level (at int'l terminal).

I'd like to know, where you can pay for getting access to the shower facilities? And do they provide clean towel, shampoo, shower gel, etc.?

I have been transiting on the same route through this airport several times (always stayed at an airport hotel), unfortunately, on my next trip in Nov, I'll have to stay at the terminal for about 10 hr because hotel rooms are very tight on the night I arrive (and strong AUD doesn't help).

The airport website does mention there there are shower facilities but it does really give more details that I want.

Thanks.

All the shower facilities are either free or in a lounge that I've seen at MEL; there isn't a barber shop with showers as at some airports, for example. You might be able to buy access to some lounge which has showers. Otherwise using a gym (health club) at a hotel or stand-alone is a popular option for this and generally easy to find. Hilton at airport would probably be arrangable, for example, even if a room isn't available or too expensive.

All the shower facilities are either free or in a lounge that I've seen at MEL; there isn't a barber shop with showers as at some airports, for example. You might be able to buy access to some lounge which has showers. Otherwise using a gym (health club) at a hotel or stand-alone is a popular option for this and generally easy to find. Hilton at airport would probably be arrangable, for example, even if a room isn't available or too expensive.

Thanks for the hint about paying for a hotel's health club for showers. I definitely will try this option.

Thanks for the hint about paying for a hotel's health club for showers. I definitely will try this option.Let us know how it goes if you use the Hilton health club; I've done this at the Hilton at LHR and LAX but not at MEL.

Let us know how it goes if you use the Hilton health club; I've done this at the Hilton at LHR and LAX but not at MEL.

I emailed them explaining the situation and quoting my HH no. a few days ago. They replied that I could use the fitness centre and shower facilities for free (probably because I've stayed there several times). A nice surprise.