New ADL Airport... The Run Down (Now with Pictures)

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DPG

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Oct 23, 2005
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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...

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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.

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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!)

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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...

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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.

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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!

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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!)

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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

D P G

edited to change free wireless paragraph
edited to add photos
 
Good report DPG, I'll be checking on Tuesday to see if they have transplanted any of Cooper's Ales. ;)
One quick note:
DPG said:
... 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...
From the Terminal Map, you can observe a separate Carousel for Interantional PAX before immigration.
 
serfty said:
Good report DPG, I'll be checking on Tuesday to see if they have transplanted any of Cooper's Ales. ;)
One quick note:
DPG said:
... 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...
From the Terminal Map, you can observe a separate Carousel for Interantional PAX before immigration.

Cheers Sefty... I didn't see any signs, so I made an assumption... Never a good plan...

Can someone tell me how to post images to my post... I can't seem to work it out... Do I need them somewhere in Cyberspace?

D P G
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

DPG, please allow me to make a few clarifications. Thanks.

DPG said:
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!)

Because the new terminal is in fact a Multi-User Integrated Terminal, though there are general rules on where each airline's check-in area is supposed to be (like Rex & Jetstar at both ends etc), but airlines could pretty much use any check-in desk that is available at the time, so you could see some check-in desks at the Virgin Blue zone do check-in for an international flight, so are Qantas check-in desks etc. This allows the terminal to maxmise the efficient use of space available, so we don't have to end up with hundreds of empty check-in desks.

DPG said:
I think Qantas and Telstra have been very sneaky though, as there is meant to be free wireless in the Airport, and I couldn't pick it up... I had to back out to the gates to send this.

There is a free wireless Internet service jointly operated by Adelaide Airport Limited and Internode. For further information, please visit http://www.aal.com.au/t1/wifi.aspx.

Cheers.
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

Simon L. said:
...
DPG said:
I think Qantas and Telstra have been very sneaky though, as there is meant to be free wireless in the Airport, and I couldn't pick it up... I had to back out to the gates to send this.

There is a free wireless Internet service jointly operated by Adelaide Airport Limited and Internode. For further information, please visit http://www.aal.com.au/t1/wifi.aspx.

Cheers.
Methinks DPG is implying that this is not available in the QP. The free wireless internet is pobably shielded or in some other way blocked off in the Qantas lounge.
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

Simon L. said:
DPG, please allow me to make a few clarifications.

DPG said:
I think Qantas and Telstra have been very sneaky though, as there is meant to be free wireless in the Airport, and I couldn't pick it up... I had to back out to the gates to send this.

There is a free wireless Internet service jointly operated by Adelaide Airport Limited and Internode. For further information, please visit http://www.aal.com.au/t1/wifi.aspx.

Well in the end I couldn't use the Free Wireless anyway, as it wasn't there... I sat down in several places around the terminal and I never picked up anything other than Telstra...

I had just typed it in the QP and then when I got online (by paying for it in the QP) I copied and pasted.

I have ammended my original post.

D P G
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

serfty said:
Methinks DPG is implying that this is not available in the QP. The free wireless internet is pobably shielded or in some other way blocked off in the Qantas lounge.

And Methinks that the free wireless wasn't working...

:D

D P G
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

DPG said:
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!

It sure isnt random. They usually pick the first pax through if there has been a few minutes without anyone going through particular line. If I see an opening that is particularly quiet I may fumble with getting stuff back in pockets to make sure I am not first out and reduce chance of getting picked. Seems to work mostly.
 
OT to: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

Kiwi Flyer said:
DPG said:
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!

It sure isnt random. They usually pick the first pax through if there has been a few minutes without anyone going through particular line. If I see an opening that is particularly quiet I may fumble with getting stuff back in pockets to make sure I am not first out and reduce chance of getting picked. Seems to work mostly.
ROFLMA :D

This is exactly what I do when I see the person with the vacuum cleaner wand standing idle. It always seems to take a little bit longer to repack my laptop, as I carefully watch out of the corner of my eye. :twisted:
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

Kiwi Flyer said:
DPG said:
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!

It sure isnt random. They usually pick the first pax through if there has been a few minutes without anyone going through particular line. If I see an opening that is particularly quiet I may fumble with getting stuff back in pockets to make sure I am not first out and reduce chance of getting picked. Seems to work mostly.

Lol. You guys know my secret too. Let some other poor person be first off the ranks. If someone is being checked when I'm through, I just pick up all my goodies and beeline it to the escalators etc. They can be pocketted later.

Works most of the time, unless they pick you specifically and wait for you.
 
Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

Mal said:
Lol. You guys know my secret too. Let some other poor person be first off the ranks. If someone is being checked when I'm through, I just pick up all my goodies and beeline it to the escalators etc. They can be pocketted later.

Works most of the time, unless they pick you specifically and wait for you.

Any pattern can be deduced if you travel often enough :D

Same here if all the wanders are busy, get out as fast as possible. Only once has this not worked, when they picked me out and determined to do me regardless of how fast or slow I was, even making me wait while finishes off the pax she was doing. I put it down to having some kind of quota and getting close to end of shift was behind.
 
Yeahm sometimes you have no choice; like 11 days ago I was the only one going through Syd T1 xray at 7:20pm.

10 Staff, all for l'il ol' me. :roll:
 
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Re: New ADL Airport... The Run Down

I flew out of ADL on Frdiay night and have to say that the new airport (notwithstanding some teething problems) is a massive improvement on the previous airport terminal.

DPG said:
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.

The QF flight I took left from gate 13, and it was a bit of a hike down the terminal to get there. The flight was also delayed as the airbridge wasn't working properly and they took some time getting the inbounds flights passengers off.

DPG said:
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 the Coopers on tap was a nice touch :)
 
DPG, again thanks for your report.

Just wondering if you had a chance to scope out the Virgin Blue Room?
The Adelaide Blue Room is supposedly the first lounge to be 'relaunched' as a business lounge, similar to the Qantas Club.
 
scibo10 said:
DPG, again thanks for your report.

Just wondering if you had a chance to scope out the Virgin Blue Room?
The Adelaide Blue Room is supposedly the first lounge to be 'relaunched' as a business lounge, similar to the Qantas Club.

DJ hasn't opened up their Blue Room @ T1 yet.

I put the question onto a few DJ supervisors in ADL, none of them could give me a definite answer.

However, if I do hear anything at work or from those DJ folks, I will keep everyone updated here.

Cheers.
 
Simon L. said:
scibo10 said:
DPG, again thanks for your report.

Just wondering if you had a chance to scope out the Virgin Blue Room?
The Adelaide Blue Room is supposedly the first lounge to be 'relaunched' as a business lounge, similar to the Qantas Club.

DJ hasn't opened up their Blue Room @ T1 yet.

I put the question onto a few DJ supervisors in ADL, none of them could give me a definite answer.

However, if I do hear anything at work or from those DJ folks, I will keep everyone updated here.

Cheers.

Well that makes sense... I saw a sign for the Blue Room pointing towards the Virgin/REX side of the terminal, and couldn't find the Blue Room...

I remember doing a double take when I saw in normal font Virgin Blue Blue Room (the double blue threw me).

D P G
 
NM said:
Simon L. said:
DJ hasn't opened up their Blue Room @ T1 yet.
Its not as if they havn't had plenty of opportunity to be working on getting it ready.

Speaking of which... The QP wasn't completed either... There were areas still blocked off (only with queue dividers), no computers/internet & some TV's missing, etc.

There were a lot of managers (noted by the lack of uniform and telling the people in uniform what to do!) running around checking that everything and everyone was okay...

D P G
 
Thanks for the inside photo's DPG and precise report. I was there in Jan, while it was still a white elephtant; and have another trip planned in April, so will finaly get to use it.
 
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