Public pickup Terminal 4 Melbourne Airport Tullamarine

[pn1]

On Thursday 19 May 2016, I had organised to be picked up at Terminal 4 Melbourne Airport Tullamarine after arriving om JQ 797 from the Sunshine Coast (MCY). Arrival was about 2010. I followed the signage to the "public pickup" area where I found cars parked along the concourse that has a "two minute" restriction. The area is clearly designed for vehicles to stop briefly to pick up passengers from arriving flights.There was one hapless "security" person sitting on a chair when I arrived. And phoned my friend who'd been waiting in the "20 minute" area on the approaches to Terminal 4.For quite some time there was no movement on the long line of cars parked in the "two minute" zone.Then the security person got up from his chair and walked back towards the entrance to the public pickup area where he stopped further cars from entering the area. My ride was held up for several minutes until the security person relented. Because of the long line of parked cars my ride had no option but to stop in the middle carriageway while I got in. That only took a few seconds.It seemed a very haphazard and quite unprofessional approach. I wonder if others have had similar experience.Previously when using Terminal 4 I had parked my car in a side street at Gladstone Park and then took the 901 SmartBus the one stop to the (new) bus terminal at Tullamarine. Paul in Melbourne

PS: I haven't posted on here very much so I trust I've chosen the correct forum to relate my experience.

 

[RooFlyer]

Everything associated with T4 at MEL seems a co*k-up, inside, airside and outside. Your experience doesn't surprise me.

 

[dajop]

Whilst it's easy to blame the security guard and the airport ultimately it's a whole stack of selfish people causing the problem. If people actually thought about the consequences of staying in a pick up area for >5mins, rather than just "me me me" then maybe these problems wouldn't exist.

 

[travelislife]

Usually the security guards tell people to go 'do a lap' there must just have been a lazy one on.

 

[serfty]

Seems the "security" person was not doing their job ...

The parked cars ... I wonder if they had drivers in them.

 

[travelislife]

Everything associated with T4 at MEL seems a co*k-up, inside, airside and outside. Your experience doesn't surprise me.

Gee 100% agree with this after using it for the first time this weekend. They built all that for the Jetstar gates to be exactly the same 'dungeon' as what it previously was! And the up and down and up and down required to get to from the car park is crazy. They could have at least connected the two.

 

[pn1]

Yes; most did but not all. I would estimate more than 20 cars lined up for more than five minutes. I was there for a good 20 minutes and few cars moved.

 

[travelislife]

Yes; most did but not all. I would estimate more than 20 cars lined up for more than five minutes. I was there for a good 20 minutes and few cars moved.

Wow if you managed to stay there for 20 minutes they definitely weren't doing their job. I have done a few pick ups there now and have always been moved on after about a max of 7-8 minutes. One of the issues is after my first experience of flying in to the on the weekend is that it is about a half an hour walk from the aircraft gate to the public car park pick up. So people drive up there when they get the text saying there passenger is walking off the plane.

 

[junbugging]

Wow if you managed to stay there for 20 minutes they definitely weren't doing their job.

Waiting to be picked up...

 

[travelislife]

Waiting to be picked up...

Haha, that would make more sense!