Long Overnight Transit at Melbourne Airport

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clifford

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I've just booked a United business class award which involves a long transit at MEL (10 pm to 7 am).

It hardly seems worth booking a hotel for what would be about 4-5 hours sleep at most, so I was wondering if it would be possible to go airside around midnight, given that I will have checked in online and received a boarding pass (SQ business class).

I know that virtually nothing will be open, but it should be quiet and the SKL will open by 5 am.

What thoughts?
 
There are no outside seating at T2, there is the inside seating.
Not sure what security will do, if they let people hang around on the ground floor (inner area) of T2, or do they make an effort to chase people out.
Its a hard choice.
If you have ever been to T2 at Tullamarine, you will know what I mean.
Upstairs on T2 dep, its just the spot for people to drop people off, on the ground floor, nothing.
If you want to walk to the mutistorey carkpark and sleep there, yes, there is seating there, but not sure what the guard/s if they have them there will say or do.
Its a very open area, and can be quite cold and windy.
At T2 on the ground floor, on the inside of the glassed in part, there is or was an area that had seating, but this might have been removed.
10pm might also be too late to have the person check you in at the Ibis Budget, that is walkable, bit noisy, but a good secure place to sleep, paid $179 for a 2 hour slot there in Jul!
But they have a lock box system out the front, and the way to it from T1 is not that far.
===
You cannot go into T2 airside, T2 Tullamarine is not like SIN Changi.
After int security, and immi & customs, they close that part off, once the last int flight has left, no access till 4.30am when the EK DXB flight dep.
 
AustraliaPoochie said:
… they make an effort to chase people out … on the ground floor, nothing .… walk to the mutistorey carkpark and sleep there …
… and can be quite cold and windy.. once the last int flight has left, no access till 4.30am …
Click to expand...
You know how to paint a rosy picture, Poochie
 
Not sure when this was last updated, but might be worth a look
www.sleepinginairports.net

Melbourne Tullamarine Airport Guide

Our Melbourne Tullamarine Airport Guide contains information about airport lounges, wifi, nearby hotels, hours of operation, facilities and things to do on a layover.
www.sleepinginairports.net www.sleepinginairports.net
 
Done it all, DC3.
Living in ADL, with no QFi flights for a long time, a person has to do a lot.
Also that AirNZ is not flying daily out of ADL, and now with the 321, so no J, have to transit eastern states.
My Rex flight was supposed to arr into T4 at 15.45, but didn't get in till 19.00, and my QFi flight to get out of MEL to AKL was at 23.45.
I had already booked the Ibis Budget, at $179, so had to use it for 2 hrs!
Have used the SQ MEL - WLG before, too, before they closed off that loophole.
Also stayed at the Ibis Budget that time, got up at 3.45, got to T2 at about 4.00, nothing was open.
Even the kiosks machines all had dark screens, I believe even with OLCI, passports still need to be swiped, my SQ BP at that time, had the words, "this is not a boarding pass" plastered over the page, so OLCI was partly done, but still needed passport insertion into kiosks, and then the actual BP came out.
Must admit, I have (er, edit: never overnight(ed) within Tullamarine airport itself, so can't say for sure what will happen.
===
Also, Tulla is easier to do the overnight (hotel wise) from D to I/I to D, terminal wise, than say BNE/SYD/PER.
 
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With a 10pm arrival and 7 am departure I would just book a room at the Park Royal. It is connected to the terminal via a walkway and the SKL in MEL is not a place I would choose to spend anymore than 10-20 minutes in. Just my thoughts.
 
Some would find the $350 too steep.
Also, their reward points are not that good/ideal
If Ibis Budget is too below standard, I can see why some do not like it, there is the Holiday Inn on the other side.
Holiday Inn One rewards I believe has a link to either QFF/VFF, so the points earned are not lost.
The most I have seen at that Holiday Inn is about $275 or so, still pricey.
Ibis Budget Melbourne Airport is now $205!
No Accor benefits here, ie, no membership discount, no points earned.
Certainly its a price gouge, with no lift, and no staff after 10pm.
 
AustraliaPoochie said:
Some would find the $350 too steep.
Also, their reward points are not that good/ideal
If Ibis Budget is too below standard, I can see why some do not like it, there is the Holiday Inn on the other side.
Holiday Inn One rewards I believe has a link to either QFF/VFF, so the points earned are not lost.
The most I have seen at that Holiday Inn is about $275 or so, still pricey.
Ibis Budget Melbourne Airport is now $205!
No Accor benefits here, ie, no membership discount, no points earned.
Certainly its a price gouge, with no lift, and no staff after 10pm.
Click to expand...
You are paying for convenience though especially in regards to the Park Royal
 
@AustraliaPoochie I get you maybe adding value from a budget point of view. You seem to forget that some may be willing to pay extra for convenience or comfort. Like you I am also based in ADL and have spent years traveling ADL-MEL/SYD- to somewhere. The MEL Park Royal and SYD Rydges are convenient. Just saying.
 
I would book a hotel room. Even 5 hours of sleep in a proper bed will make a huge difference to your enjoyment of SQ business class the next day.

If the Park Royal is too expensive, there's also the Holiday Inn and Ibis Budget within walking distance.
 
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OK, thanks everyone. I get the message.

I'll look for a hotel close to Tulla and leave there about 5 am for my 7:15 am flight to SIN. Hopefully will give me enough time to make the flight comfortably.

It's not ideal, but with UA Mileage Plus awards, availability of flights to London in business class is pretty rare, so you grab what you can as soon as you see it, as they can disappear in an instant. The routing is MEL-SIN (SQ), SIN-CGK (SQ), CGK-IST (TK), IST-LHR (TK).
 
I would book the hotel.

There are quite often a lot of people set up sleeping in various corners at MEL so I don't think security move people on.
I did an over night in MELB when I was 21/22 and it was horrible. Found a carpeted corner near Virgin and it was cold, it was uncomfortable and the cleaners came by with their loud machines around 4-5am. Do not recommend.
 

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