DPG
Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2005
- Posts
- 172
Well I managed to get myself to the new Adelaide Airport today... It was an adventure in itself getting here! Flying via MEL on O7.
I have taken some pictures, but I need to wait till I get home, as I left the cord at home.
I arrived on QF685 from MEL and the first major difference is the glass aerobridges... They are pretty cool, as you can see everything that is going on the tarmac... It took a little while for QF to get it to the plane, as it is obviously new to them!
Inside the terminal, it still has the 'new' smell, even though it is 4 months old! It is bright, spacious, and relatively well laid out (everything the old terminal was not!)
I headed through to landside, and had a look around at the baggage carrosels, there are 4 of them, 2 Virgin/2 Qantas, and I guess that the International Flights would just use one of them...
Downstairs there is also booths for the Car Rental Companies (Hertz/Burget/Avis/Thrifty/Europcar)... These are located near the road in the middle of all of the baggage carousels. Outside there is a Car Rental Building, and the cars are behind that.
I headed back inside and check-in is split on either side of the security entrance to airside. Rex and Virgin on the Left and Qantas and Jetstar on the right. There were no International Flights Checking in, but I think (from the closed positions) that they would be between Qantas and Jetstar (but this is just a guess though!)
There are many security positions (almost as many as QF in Sydney), so it was very easy to head through... Going through was the only time this today where I have not been tested for explosives... I guess I get 'randomly' picked more often because of the way I look or something!
Once airside, I walked to the far end (left side) of the terminal where Virgin Blue is... I can understand all of the complaints about the long distances, as it is far.... There are only one or two DJ gates which are not a long walk away!
Qantas seem to have been luckier, the gates start immediately in front of Security (where as with Virgins, you have to walk past the International area to get to the first gate. As far as I could see, Jetstar was at the far right end of the terminal (I could see a Jetstar plane, but couldn't be bothered walking all the way down to the end.
To get onto the plane, you put your boarding pass in the machines upstairs, then go down a ramp and then onto the glass aerobridges...
The exception to this is for international flights, where you are already downstairs... There was a MH 772 at the terminal when I was there.
Next I ended up in the Qantas Club... There are two entrances (20 metres apart), outside gate 21 and they both end up in the same place. The desk is in the centre, and again, you have to past reception on either side). Inside the lounge is a new looking SYD T3 Lounge. It is spacious and U shaped. The food serving area is directly in front of where you walk in, and then there is the back wall, which is all glass looking out towards to vehicle ramp for arrivals. The Bar is around on the other side of the U. I hope that makes sense... Otherwise I will try and explain it a little better!
I thought QF and Telstra had been sneaky and were blocking use of the free wireless, but then I went out and had a wander around, and I couldn't fiind the free wireless anywhere. :twisted:
So there you have it... The new terminal is infinitely better than the old ones, even though probably not perfect (but what airport is?)
Oh, One last thing... Just before security, there is the plaque stating when the airport was opened... I had a quick chuckle when I say it... 4 October 2005 by the Honorable John Howard (I won't go there!)
I think we will all enjoy it when we go to Adelaide... and answering a question posed a couple of months back... Yes, Adelaide does have an Airport!
D P G
edited to change free wireless paragraph
edited to add photos
I have taken some pictures, but I need to wait till I get home, as I left the cord at home.
I arrived on QF685 from MEL and the first major difference is the glass aerobridges... They are pretty cool, as you can see everything that is going on the tarmac... It took a little while for QF to get it to the plane, as it is obviously new to them!
Inside the terminal, it still has the 'new' smell, even though it is 4 months old! It is bright, spacious, and relatively well laid out (everything the old terminal was not!)
I headed through to landside, and had a look around at the baggage carrosels, there are 4 of them, 2 Virgin/2 Qantas, and I guess that the International Flights would just use one of them...
Downstairs there is also booths for the Car Rental Companies (Hertz/Burget/Avis/Thrifty/Europcar)... These are located near the road in the middle of all of the baggage carousels. Outside there is a Car Rental Building, and the cars are behind that.
I headed back inside and check-in is split on either side of the security entrance to airside. Rex and Virgin on the Left and Qantas and Jetstar on the right. There were no International Flights Checking in, but I think (from the closed positions) that they would be between Qantas and Jetstar (but this is just a guess though!)
There are many security positions (almost as many as QF in Sydney), so it was very easy to head through... Going through was the only time this today where I have not been tested for explosives... I guess I get 'randomly' picked more often because of the way I look or something!
Once airside, I walked to the far end (left side) of the terminal where Virgin Blue is... I can understand all of the complaints about the long distances, as it is far.... There are only one or two DJ gates which are not a long walk away!
Qantas seem to have been luckier, the gates start immediately in front of Security (where as with Virgins, you have to walk past the International area to get to the first gate. As far as I could see, Jetstar was at the far right end of the terminal (I could see a Jetstar plane, but couldn't be bothered walking all the way down to the end.
To get onto the plane, you put your boarding pass in the machines upstairs, then go down a ramp and then onto the glass aerobridges...
The exception to this is for international flights, where you are already downstairs... There was a MH 772 at the terminal when I was there.
Next I ended up in the Qantas Club... There are two entrances (20 metres apart), outside gate 21 and they both end up in the same place. The desk is in the centre, and again, you have to past reception on either side). Inside the lounge is a new looking SYD T3 Lounge. It is spacious and U shaped. The food serving area is directly in front of where you walk in, and then there is the back wall, which is all glass looking out towards to vehicle ramp for arrivals. The Bar is around on the other side of the U. I hope that makes sense... Otherwise I will try and explain it a little better!
I thought QF and Telstra had been sneaky and were blocking use of the free wireless, but then I went out and had a wander around, and I couldn't fiind the free wireless anywhere. :twisted:
So there you have it... The new terminal is infinitely better than the old ones, even though probably not perfect (but what airport is?)
Oh, One last thing... Just before security, there is the plaque stating when the airport was opened... I had a quick chuckle when I say it... 4 October 2005 by the Honorable John Howard (I won't go there!)
I think we will all enjoy it when we go to Adelaide... and answering a question posed a couple of months back... Yes, Adelaide does have an Airport!
D P G
edited to change free wireless paragraph
edited to add photos
