Empty airports this week...is no-one flying?

[2muchplastic]

Over the last 6 days I've had 6 flights taking in BNE-SYD-HKG-PVG-HKG-SYD-BNE. And during this week, I have probably set a few records in getting from one terminal to another, transitting from one flight to another and exiting airports.

Is no-one flying any more??? The airports seem empty, and this is at peak Australian holiday time.
I had no delays to speak of (all flights departed/arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. I even had that most rare of rare events, a Virgin Blue flight arriving early.

Take the flights on Friday/Saturday as an example, from getting off the Dragonair flight at HKG from PVG to collecting my VS boarding pass at the transit area, going through the security check, heading into the Duty Free shop, to parking my butt in the VS Clubhouse took 20 minutes. Unbelieveable! I've had some fairly quick transits there, but this was an all time record.
Even at SYD, I was one of the first off, no queue for immigration (straight to an agent), no quarantine check (had an express pass with all NOs ticked on incoming passenger form), no queue to get boarding pass at Virgin Blue transfer area, straight outside onto the bus which closed it's doors as I got on. 20 minutes in total from getting off the plane to sitting in the T2 QP.
Then arrival at BNE. Flight arrived 5 minutes early at 10.25. I paid for my parking ticket and was in the car at 10.32!

What's going on? Have I entered a parallel universe where all flights depart on time, all customs agents are happy and smiling regardless of the time of day, and airports have been emptied purely for my pleasure???

I just guess that I'm going to wake up with a nasty shock on Monday when I fly again.

 

[Durin's Bane]

Don't jinx me!! I fly Sydney to Perth tomorrow - most flights I've caught on this route in the past 18 months have been very poor schedule wise...

 

[Evan]

hmmmm, i was going to say are you kidding, every flight i have had in the last 2 weeks has been completely full, be it SIN-ICN, KIX-SIN, SIN-MEL, SIN-HKG etc, all of them full.
Maybe a different airport crowd, less frequent travelers may have different patterns and as such maybe the appearance if of less busy.

E

 

[2muchplastic]

hmmmm, i was going to say are you kidding, every flight i have had in the last 2 weeks has been completely full, be it SIN-ICN, KIX-SIN, SIN-MEL, SIN-HKG etc, all of them full.
Maybe a different airport crowd, less frequent travelers may have different patterns and as such maybe the appearance if of less busy.

E

I think having slightly different flight times to what I normally have helped. Normally I would leave PVG late afternoon, but on Friday it was early afternoon. Normally, I'm on a late flight out of HKG to either BNE direct or SYD, but on Friday it was early evening. And normally if flying SYD-BNE it's mid-morning rather than early morning.

I guess it's surprising to see the difference that adjusting your flying patterns by just a couple of hours can make.

But it's the first time that I've ever got to a security check at a major airport to find all the staff sitting around waiting for someone to check!

 

[Evan]

I know what you mean, if you look at say MEL international its flights morning and evening, almost nothing during the day at all, just about a ghost town, i was amazed also to see the same thing.

E

 

[austrider]

Me thinks you are lucky! Actually I agree with previous posts that it's likely due to the flight times. Just returned from DONE4 (nov/dec) and most of the airports seems to have "average" traffic... wouldn't call them empty though.

MEL, morning, weekend - average
BNE, morning (after 9), weekday - average
CNS, noon, weekday - average
NRT, afternoon (before 6), weekday - quiet
TPE, afternoon, weekend - busy (suspect most tour groups departs on weekends)
HKG, afternoon, weekend - average (prob busy but thanks to the enormous terminals it doesn't look that busy)
CDG, noon, weekday - average
AMM, noon, weekday - average
BUD, totally packed due to strike... stuck there for > 14 hours.
MAD, noon, weekday, average
ORD, totally packed due to snow storm...
MCO, busy due to US holiday season
JFK, not sure if it's ever not busy at JFK
LAX, night, weekday - busy busy as most transcon want to leave at night

 

[Mal]

I've seen it relatively quiet - but put it down to:

School holidays having started, but not yet finished.
Business being in a quiet time.
And of course, the "recession" in the U.S and UK affecting travel.

I'm actually slightly salivating at the possibility of great Qantas sales early this year - and U.S hotels being at a reasonable price (even with the $A being at a bad rate).

Will see .

 

[pauly7]

I'm actually slightly salivating at the possibility of great Qantas sales early this year - and U.S hotels being at a reasonable price (even with the $A being at a bad rate).

Will see .

I agree, apparently the big 2 for 1 sale just before Xmas was a huge sucesss for QF and there are rumours that another one may be in the works - here's hoping!!

 

[2muchplastic]

.....I just guess that I'm going to wake up with a nasty shock on Monday when I fly again.

But no I didn't! Ok, so the flight this morning from BNE-SYD was 15 minutes late, meaning that my time in the SYD FLounge was limited, but BNE was not busy, SYD was reasonably busy, but not overly so. PVG was empty, deserted, like a ghost town, so much so that there was tumbleweed blowing across the customs area.
Long may my luck continue!

 

[2muchplastic]

Ok, so now the luck stops. But with good reason - Chinese New Year. The whole 1.5bn population of China appear to have descended on HKG airport all at once, so needless to say it's pretty busy here.

Retreated to the calm and tranquility of the VS Clubhouse (yes, this is another of those "I'm sitting in xx_x lounge posts").
Really getting to like this place, the waiter service - friendly and attentive without being over the top, small but tasty menu cooked to order, nothing too much trouble.
The CX Pier Flounge is good, but find the service a little stiff and formal.

 

[oz_mark]

Ok, so now the luck stops. But with good reason - Chinese New Year. The whole 1.5bn population of China appear to have descended on HKG airport all at once, so needless to say it's pretty busy here.

I flew out of HKG on the eve of Chines New Year once. I have never seen so much luggage/carry on in my life. How our plane got off the ground is one of those eternal mysteries to me

 

[Evan]

I flew out of HKG on the eve of Chines New Year once. I have never seen so much luggage/carry on in my life. How our plane got off the ground is one of those eternal mysteries to me

I was on an SQ 777 2 days ago and i was about to loose it at the people in the front of the cabin, i had to put my small bag on top of somebody elses as the only way, all bins were full ! crazy, i have no idea why these people in whY were allowed to bring so much carry-on, oh well i am in China for Chinese New Year (No i am not Chinese) so i hope its going to be interesting.
E

 

[clifford]

I think it's an Asia/Australia phenomenon where the enormity of the financial crisis hasn't sunk in yet (but it will...). I have been trying to get a flight from SIN to SYD next week at a half decent price, but no go. So I'm flying JHB-CGK-SYD instead. More hassle but less cost.

I'm currently sitting in my hotel room in the UK. A few days ago I flew HHN-KIR-STN on Ryanair (FR) and both flights were less than a third full. Good for me in that I had 3 seats to myself, and the fare was only 10 euro all in, but maybe not so good for the airline. I also recently flew ORD-IAD on a 777 and there were maybe 5 PAX in C class.

Enjoy the full planes while you can!

 

[oz_mark]

I think it's an Asia/Australia phenomenon where the enormity of the financial crisis hasn't sunk in yet (but it will...). I have been trying to get a flight from SIN to SYD next week at a half decent price, but no go. So I'm flying JHB-CGK-SYD instead. More hassle but less cost.

Bear in mind it is Chinese New Year, and folk will be returning home from visiting family up in Asia. On top of that you have school holidays ending around this time as well.

 

[2muchplastic]

And on top of that the long Australia Day weekend, meaning it was pretty busy early yesterday morning in SYD

 

[Tooner]

School Holidays, lack of business travel - all in a January's work my friend. Last week on Tuesday, I flew to MEL on the 6am flight (no 6:30 because of school ... ), and there was almost no-one in the J Lounge, few on the plane, no cab queue the other end. Thursday of that week flew to MCY on the 8:40am flight. T2 QC pretty well full (Mr & Mrs Tooner and the 3 little Tooners took over the play room), and the flight full.

This time of year is quiet for QF and always has been. This time of year is flat-out for JQ.

Then along come events like the Australian Open (all of a sudden the suits are flying to MEL again), and Chinese New Year and the Lunar NY Holiday, and the year kicks off again.

As Drron said, the GFC will be felt in Asia (but not just yet thanks!)

 

[Kendall Roy]

And on top of that the long Australia Day weekend, meaning it was pretty busy early yesterday morning in SYD

Exactly!

If you query SYD-MEL on Tuesday morning, all flights are fully sold up until 9:30am (with the exception of a couple of J seats on the 8:30am service).