BearX220

I too have had some bad experiences with SYD airport taxis -- had one driver claim he could not find the Mercure hotel, which is literally visible from the international terminal, and drive us all over kingdom come. Trouble outside Sydney too: on arrival at the PER international terminal (which, as at SYD, is well separated from the domestic one) I was meeting my family over there but not permitted to ride the transfer bus because I did not have an onward ticket. Got a taxi which promptly ran up a tab of AUD$40 getting me over there, and as it was my first visit to Perth I did not yet know the landscape well enough to see I was being ripped off in grand fashion. Welcome to Australia.

Both taxi culture / regulations and airport terminal transfer protocols in Oz need a bit of work if you ask me.

LTN Phobia

MEL is your friend. It's the only major airport in Australia where International and Domestic terminals are sensibly co-located IMO.

It has its issues such as the lack of railway link to city but as far as international/domestic transfers are concerned, MEL is the best.

Sadly MEL isn't served by all international airlines, even though I'd love them to.

Mwenenzi

And Adelaide, but has limited international traffic. Air Sydney (some times known as Qantas) does not fly international from ADL.
The BNE terminals are relativity new (late 1980's). Why they were built km apart is on known to some faceless government bureaucrat.

serfty

How long ago was this?

About 5 weeks ago I went from International/VA to Qantas using the bus - I just go on and sat down, never had to show any ticket.

BearX220

Hmmm... about five years ago. I came in via MH from KUL, and my family were due in across the field at the domestic terminal via VA, but I wasn't allowed on the free transfer bus because I was not departing on a same-day domestic service. Even when I offered to pay. So the bus lumbered off with about three people aboard and I followed in a $40 taxi.

Assumed at the time the taxi drivers' association had a hand in airport transfer rules. Perhaps they have a little less pull now?

serfty

At PER, VA are now located within an expanded International Terminal on the other side of the runway from where they were. This move happened in November last year. There are new bus routes and services, along with the free transfer between T1/T2 (VA/Int) and T3/T4 (QF Dom.). In fact, if you arrive internationally it's a short walk to VA domestic check-in.

flyerCO

The last time I did this they just simply pointed out the bus stop and said get on it. No questions, no vouchers, no question about paying or connecting to another flight.

I agree with another poster. What where they on to design the domestic and international terminals huge distances apart. It reminds me of MNL airport and the huge time it takes to get between terminals. Being like MNL isn't something to be proud of.

jmoorfoot

It's not so much a question of where the terminals are located. It's more about the lack of provision of universal FREE transportation between them.

serfty

This getting off topic - but there is now "universal free transport" between the PER terminals - this since at least November. http://www.perthairport.com.au/to-an...ring-terminals

BearX220

Thanks for this news. When I was at PER last I thought it was quite a poor welcome -- not only the crazy terminal separation but the lack of transport between plus duplicitous cab driver.

Then again, on that same trip my son and I bought an airline enthusiasts' magazine at a newsstand and found a big article about PER entitled, "Western Australia's Major Embarrassment," or similar, so perhaps the criticism extended beyond lack of shuttles.

flyerCO

Same at BNE. Just went through there two weeks ago.

BearX220

Bumping this thread to clarify how the VA transfer desk operates in the SYD international terminal and who is eligible. Went through the system very successfully a couple of weeks ago.

The desk is located landside in the public area of the terminal, lower / arrivals level. It does not matter which customs hall you emerge from; when out among the meeters and greeters, turn left and proceed as far as you can. It's at the very end of the terminal.

Signage at the check-in desk names a long list of "partner carriers" including CX, SQ, etc. whose arriving passengers are eligible to use the service. We had just come in on CX, but the staff never asked. Nor did they care to see inbound BPs, etc. to prove eligibility. I suspect, frankly, anyone could use it regardless of means of arrival as long as the continuation of their travel is on Virgin.

You get to check in, collect BPs, tag and drop your bags, and you are given tickets for free bus transfer to the domestic terminal. A new bus goes every 15 minutes or so and you do have to have a VA ticket to board. Because you are not leaving from a sterile area you do not get delivered to the airside concourse; you just pull up at the departure-level curb with everyone else. But it's a blessing not to have to pay for the train or handle your own bags.