QF MEL
 

Well this is my first trip report where I only got as far as the airport! No I wasn't denied boarding or arrested for terrorism or something like that, I was taking my grandmother to the airport for her trip to MCY. (Yes this will probably be extremely boring for most but I'm bored!)

I wasn't sure how to go about everything, as my elderly grandmother wouldn't be able to walk all the way from the carpark, and I didn't want to drop her off. In the end a compromise was made, she got dropped off, then I would go to park.

I put her suitcases onto a trolley, and walked with her to a bench around a couple of metres inside the terminal and walked back to my car to have a traffic attendant screaming at me "Do you know that what you did was against the law?!?!" pointing to the sign that said 'For security reasons cars must not be left unattended'. After explaining what just happened, she let me go.

I found a parking spot and went back to the terminal. My grandmother wanted to check in at the Qantas Club/Business Class check-in, as there were no lines. I didn't think we'd get away with it because she was flying economy, even though she was elderly and walking with a walking stick (cane), so we trudged on to the long lines at the economy check in.

There was a QF employee 'directing traffic', but having been told that my grandmother wouldn't be able to stand so long, took us out of the line to the Quick-check station. The boarding pass came out read seat 2C, so for a second I though she'd been upgraded bt I realised that is was an all economy plane (717). She then asked whether my grandmother wanted a wheelchair to be taken to the gate, or if she'd prefer a golf buggy after going through security. She picked the golf buggy and off we went.

At security, while my grandmother was busy explaining her hip replacement, I was being asked to strip, piece by piece, bordering on indecent exposure http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif.

We went doesn the escalator the the buggy station. We got a lift to gate 6, and waited for boarding. The QF attendant working boarding volunteered to keep her carry-on, so my grandmother wouldn't have to shlep it all the way on to the plane which was nice of her.

Her plane (VH-VQE) departed on time.

The END.

goodo

First trip report but already baring flesh - oooh la la! So what was it that set off the detectors?

what formalities have to been made, to allow an accompanying/assisting grandson to pass security at MEL (and could you do that also if departing internationally, and then, later to have to 'immigrate' again?)

Non flyers can go all the way to the gate at Australian domestic terminals. It is not possible however for international departures. You should be able to organise someone from the airline to help them though.

Cheers

After removing all metal objects, i went through and it beeped, and was told to remove my jacket. Once removed it still beeped, and removed my belt. This did the trick and I didn't have to go for the shoes this time. I know I exagerated above, but it sounded better, right?

As vander555 correctly answered, in Aussie domestic terminals, one doesn't have to be a flyer to go to the gate. I remember last year in JFK I had to get a gate pass to take my younger sister flying solo to the gate. (And they made me take off my shoes!) I'm not sure what the rules are for international flyers.

goodo