Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

[Aeryn]

Name calling is against terms of this site.

There is only 1 set of lights exiting the M8 tunnel to international and none from M8 to domestic - no idea what weird route driver went to get 12 lights seems like a con man.

1 block from Sofitel to light rail is hardly carting, given 4 wheeled suitcases easiest to manouver. You chose the least efficient route and obviously had a clueless driver yet SYD is the problem, yeah right.

When you choose to fly on busiest day at busiest time then the airport is going to be busy, most people make allowances.

You experience similar congestion at other large airports. Ive never been in danger of missing a flight at SYD arriving on time vs LHR where it once took over 90 mins just to get through security which was an absolute scrum with no priority lane when transfering between terminals. Congestion happens because too many lose all common sense at airports.

Cant wait til we see the whinge post re the $200+ uber and traffic to WSI cause you think it will be better commute and better facilities than SYD. Too funny.

 

[moa999]

Slightly more info on car parking, but no pricing info.

Car parking options | WSI

www.wsiairport.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

There is only 1 set of lights exiting the M8 tunnel to international and none from M8 to domestic - no idea what weird route driver went to get 12 lights seems like a con man.

Ummm... but how do you get onto the M8 from the city? Right through the CBD and its traffic lights.

You chose the least efficient route and obviously had a clueless driver yet SYD is the problem, yeah right.

Uber chooses the route. In the car when I realised we weren't going ED I checked both routes - m8 a bit longer tine due to city traffic lights, but M8 delivered us to Departures, not Arrivals, which I thought OK.

Cant wait til we see the whinge post re the $200+ uber and traffic to WSI cause you think it will be better commute and better facilities than SYD. Too funny.

Not putting up with Sydney Airport and its crowds and inefficacies will be worth something in monetary terms - will see how much. For an international flight, I'm likely to be staying the night before at an airport hotel with a shuttle, and the whole thing will be quite relaxed.

 

[SYD]

Not putting up with Sydney Airport and its crowds and inefficacies will be worth something in monetary terms - will see how much. For an international flight, I'm likely to be staying the night before at an airport hotel with a shuttle, and the whole thing will be quite relaxed.

Sounds like you had a particularly bad experience!

It’s really not that bad usually - not that I regularly fly out on Monday mornings but it really shouldn’t matter what day of the week.

The worst time for me was actually a “Good Friday” - NEVER fly on GF. I can only assume that peeps descended on T1 because it was the only place you could get a drink before noon!

My general rule of thumb is try and be at the QF F lounge for lunch and/or dinner- they’re generally the quietest times.

First world problems that won’t impact WSI for a while yet.

 

[kerfuffle]

The worst time for me was actually a “Good Friday” - NEVER fly on GF.

Even the day before GF sucks for T1. Forget about taking a selfie in front of the SYD departures board with no one in it. I still have PTSD from the queues to Customs; they were probably worse than the queues to the Showbag Pavilion at the Easter Show

 

[RooFlyer]

Sounds like you had a particularly bad experience!

It was bad, but my continuing point is that it must only get worse. Assuming they put some of the smaller passenger aircraft across to WSI and sub passenger planes from freighters which will certainly be going to WSI, you'll just get yet more pax squeezed into these old terminals, under curfew. Monday morning will become every weekday morning, then every morning.

And its still a money sink - the Airport Drive loop & bridges to the north; the Deborah Lawrie Flyover. All just traffic management, nothing improving airport ops.

SYD needs a bold (expensive) plan to do a terminal makeover in situ - like LAX has done, DCA, even LHR. Major PITA for years, but at least makes the airport usable for another 50 or so.

 

[Larko1]

Last Monday 0106 was very busy.
I was in QF First lounge from 10:30 to when QF1 boarded around 14:00 & it was chockers!

 

[SYD]

Last Monday 0106 was very busy.
I was in QF First lounge from 10:30 to when QF1 boarded around 14:00 & it was chockers!

Apparently, Monday’s do seem to be high status PAX intensive - who’d a thought.

But the rest of the week is generally relaxed.

Yes, there’s a flurry of mid morning departures but once they’re called, the F lounge is usually pretty quiet. Evenings are often the best.

Coming back to topic - still no news yet on the specifics of lounges at WSI.

 

[justinbrett]

Not putting up with Sydney Airport and its crowds and inefficacies will be worth something in monetary terms - will see how much. For an international flight, I'm likely to be staying the night before at an airport hotel with a shuttle, and the whole thing will be quite relaxed.

If you hate SYD so much, why don’t you fly out of other ports like MEL, BNE or PER? I assume you already do, but exclusively, since you have strong feelings against SYD.

I cant see WSI offering many routes not already served by at least one of the other three, so why wait to avoid SYD if you have such strong feelings about it?

I much prefer SYD to MEL or BNE but we all have different tastes.

 

[dajop]

SYD needs a bold (expensive) plan to do a terminal makeover in situ - like LAX has done, DCA, even LHR.

Probably the most salient example would be LGA, with water and urban constraints similar to SYD. It's transformation has been quite impressive. I guess with a lot of the freight ops moving west that creates some room at least.

 

[Aeryn]

For an international flight, I'm likely to be staying the night before at an airport hotel with a shuttle, and the whole thing will be quite relaxed.

Something you could have done at SYD, plenty of airport hotels well placed for an evening/night and morning departure. Would have been cheaper and less stressful for you than your uber and city hotel.

FYI whilst uber defaulrs a route you can request an alternate one.

Things have improved heaps at SYD with bridge from m8 exit taking you straight into terminal without the traffic jam that was Qantas drive - it used to take up to 30 mins from exit to terminal 3 on a Monday, now without those 5 sets of lights it like 2 mins max .

The newer scanners at T1 and T3 make screening faster too. And Monday mornings and odd holuday aside its never chockers. Ive certainly never had a problem getting a table at SYD F.

Only T2 at SYD is a zoo (budget carrier terminals are everwhere), but easily avoided.

I dont find MEL (longer commute, just as congested), BNE or PER better for international departures.

 

[RooFlyer]

Something you could have done at SYD, plenty of airport hotels well placed for an evening/night and morning departure. Would have been cheaper and less stressful for you than your uber and city hotel.

FYI whilst uber defaulrs a route you can request an alternate one.

Sure, but I arrived early the day before and wanted a nice afternoon walking near the harbour. Absolutely zip to do near the airport and even the good hotels there have typical ‘airport hotel’ feel and level of care to them.

The Uber drive wasn’t stressful. I was curious as the route he took but once he explained why I was fine with it - it’s only you that seems to be hung up about it.

Yeah, I think I’ve taken enough Ubers to know how it works, thanks

Probably the most salient example would be LGA, with water and urban constraints similar to SYD. It's transformation has been quite impressive. I guess with a lot of the freight ops moving west that creates some room at least.

Yes - I meant to say LGA not DCA.

 

[justinbrett]

Something you could have done at SYD, plenty of airport hotels well placed for an evening/night and morning departure. Would have been cheaper and less stressful for you than your uber and city hotel.

There’s plenty of city hotels that would have been easier - and don’t have that ghastly “airport feel”. Just get one near a station, Hilton Sydney has a light rail stop literally outside. Plenty of nice hotels near Circular Quay right on the rail station.

Not many sensible people get cabs from LHR, they get the train to the city and then either cab or tube from there. I usually stay in Mayfair and get a cab from Paddington.