Biggest Airport Rip-Offs?

[Mal]

Not really MAP pays decent dividends in their own right and I think that MACBank no longer manage MAP and so don't get any management fees. (unless that was MIG)

Yeah, after doing some research saw they restructured in Oct last year and pushed Mac Bank out of the way. But I'm sure there's still cream for them somewhere in the accounts.

 

[medhead]

Yeah, after doing some research saw they restructured in Oct last year and pushed Mac Bank out of the way. But I'm sure there's still cream for them somewhere in the accounts.

Yeah of course there is cream there somewhere. I was invested in MAP and MIg, but got out once I realised how dodgy their structure is/was. Luckily I got out well before the GFC.

 

[sweens]

SYD a total monopoly.

T1 Issues:

• Limited access to departure drop off...traffic a nightmare at peak times.
• No pick ups allowed.
• Duty Free often as cheap or cheaper on the street...extremly high rentals the issue.
• Parking $7 for up to 30 mins $15 up to 60 mins and on it goes.

Compare to LHR:

Heathrow Short Stay Parking prices (all terminals)
Duration
Price
Up to 30 minutes
£2.50
30 minutes - 1 hour
£4.30
1 hour - 1.5 hours
£6.30
1.5 hours - 2 hours
£8.00


The only message the consumer can send is, stop buying there, catch taxis or a train, don't park unless no there is no option and maybe they will feel a bit of heat.

 

[Leumas]

he only message the consumer can send is, stop buying there, catch taxis or a train, don't park unless no there is no option and maybe they will feel a bit of heat.

I'd say stop catching the train too. This 'station access fee' is ridiculous.

I've heard that on a per mile basis, the LHR Express is one of the most expensive rail routes. I suspect the Central to SYD route won't be far behind.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

At least pretty much all other airports (except maybe in Singapore) give u a dedicated train so that during peak hours your not trying to get your bags in amongst the cattle.

The good thing about singapore is they don't rip you off for the privilege of getting the train either, and I was surprised to read how few people use the train when it's so cheap.

As for the train to SYD airport, once there's 2 or 3 people the economics of a taxi start to look real good, esp if you need to change trains at some point and have to lug around some international sized baggage.

We can blame westpac for the high change surcharge - they bought the airport line and in their infinite wisdom decided to increase the fare in line with the CPI increase allowed to under it's terms of operations. Considering the low patronage levels I'd have thought they'd reduce the charge.

I'm just glad I live fairly close to the airport so a taxi is only $8-10 more and saves me at least 30 mins travel time and the effort of changing platforms at central and then getting my luggage up the roughly 50 steps at my local station.

 

[serfty]

... The good thing about singapore is they don't rip you off for the privilege of getting the train either, and I was surprised to read how few people use the train when it's so cheap. ...

Before the train, there were still the Public transport buses.

I remember paying SGD1.60 one evening - Changi to Bugis (it did take ¾ hour).

 

[Groundfeeder]

I've heard that on a per mile basis, the LHR Express is one of the most expensive rail routes. I suspect the Central to SYD route won't be far behind.

Brisbane's Airtrain is up there currently at $14.50 from Central Station to BNE Dom.:evil:

 

[medhead]

Brisbane's Airtrain is up there currently at $14.50 from Central Station to BNE Dom.:evil:

Given that brisbane central to domestic is at least twice the distance I would say it is a long way behind.

Personally I don't know why people complain about the train fare to Sydney airport. Sure it is a bit much. but then someone had to build the tunnel and it is less than the taxi fare even from the city. And is much less than the taxi fare from most other places on the sydney train network

 

[sweens]

Compare London with Sydney...LHR to the city

Heathrow Express (15 mins to Paddington) £16.50 one way, expensive but it offers:

Trains with ample space for luggage, Wi-Fi availability and comfortable, ergonomically designed seats. You can even catch up on the latest news or weather and stay entertained with their Express TV programmes.

Heathrow Connect (30 mins to Paddington) £6.90

Lots of carriage and luggage space, air con.

The Tube (50 mins to the city) £4.50

Cheap if time and luggage space is not an issue.

Bus...National Express £4.00

Cheap but it depends on the time of day with the motorway traffic...could take a long time.

The bottom line is you have some reasonable choices.

 

[docjames]

The Tube (50 mins to the city) £4.50

Cheap if time and luggage space is not an issue.

We always use the tube for inbound - you're on at first stop so luggage space not an issue. More of a problem on the return if you're travelling in peak hour, but early AM or late PM and it's fine. Peak hour ok if only one of you and pending which station you need to board at.

 

[Leumas]

Personally I don't know why people complain about the train fare to Sydney airport. Sure it is a bit much. but then someone had to build the tunnel and it is less than the taxi fare even from the city. And is much less than the taxi fare from most other places on the sydney train network

Except my taxi fare will take me door-to-door. Unless you're very close to a CBD station, you'll need to add time to get to and from the station.

If I'm lucky, I may even get a smile from the taxi driver. The only smile I get when catching the train is likely to from some fruitcake wanting to rob me.

BTW, can you park, pick somene up who likely will have luggage, drive out in under 15 mins at T1?

Free parking at Sydney Airport ... but only 15 minutes

 

[medhead]

Except my taxi fare will take me door-to-door. Unless you're very close to a CBD station, you'll need to add time to get to and from the station.

If I'm lucky, I may even get a smile from the taxi driver. The only smile I get when catching the train is likely to from some fruitcake wanting to rob me.

All important considerations. However, they have nothing to do with the cost of the train fare or the contention that it is a rip off. The fact that you're paying extra for a taxi doesn't mean that the train fare is a rip off.

Luckily I do go to and from the airport to very close to a CBD train station. But when I lived in Sydney I also lived very close to another train station. So the extra travel time to get to the station was nothing.
I've also travelled on Sydney trains at all hours and I'm yet to see anyone who i thought was going to rob me. Especially on the airport line.

 

[DrAndyC]

As Leumas alluded to, Macquarie have today announced 15 minutes free parking at Sydney. The $7 for 30mins is still in effect however.

Still cheaper to park in Norway Macquarie!! ...and that says something!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Cost of food at PER DOM is crazy.
DJ Terminal, a bacon and egg muffin is $8.50. That's nuts.
QF terminal, there is a cafe before security and some of those sandwiches are in the high $9 range.
Thank god l've got QP access.

If l go to BNE and there is more than 2 in the group, l share a cab as it's cheaper than the airtrain and also gets me door-door.

 

[anat0l]

Still cheaper to park in Norway Macquarie!! ...and that says something!

Does it say that Australian-based enterprises are headed by pig-headed capitalists who are bent on profits only with no sense of being a good corporate moral citizen, as opposed to those in European countries?

 

[anat0l]

Cost of food at PER DOM is crazy.
DJ Terminal, a bacon and egg muffin is $8.50. That's nuts.
QF terminal, there is a cafe before security and some of those sandwiches are in the high $9 range.
Thank god l've got QP access.

That's about the same as you'll find in any airport in Australia, barring some of the fast food venues which may give you "better" value (well, not really, because you're getting the same price as you would in any other branch of said fast food place, so that could be per se cheap or expensive depending on your tastes (no pun intended)).

When I was at PER Domestic as a PS one time, I paid $6 for a museli and yoghurt - can't remember how big it was but that was expensive. Then just as I was about to tuck into it my supervisor turned up and offered to guest me into the QP *do'h*

 

[DrAndyC]

Does it say that Australian-based enterprises are headed by pig-headed capitalists who are bent on profits only with no sense of being a good corporate moral citizen, as opposed to those in European countries?

Hehe...if that is your take...sure!

Or just that Norway is ridiculously overpriced generally and can still let us park reasonably affordably....I'll let you choose.

 

[david870mdg]

O'Hare comes to mind.
Any way of exiting that airport other than friends picking you up or taking the CTA metro train just costs $$$ thanks to hire car / taxi duopoly...

 

[serfty]

... while SEA and JFK have "cell phone" parking lots where it's free to await your call from an incoming passenger.

 

[david870mdg]

... while SEA and JFK have "cell phone" parking lots where it's free to await your call from an incoming passenger.

I Thought most major US airport (or at least every major port which I have flown in/out of) has a cell phone lot?
Haha wonder when we will ever see these in Australia? Not if M.A.C has its ways.