QF76 29 September - when your business class flight arrives at the Qantas Freight terminal

[Flyfrequently]

I was on QF 128 on Tuesday and it parked outside the freight terminal. DNATA didn’t arrive with stairs for about 8 mins. The tutting from the passengers sounded like a Kalahari tribesmen’s conference.
Pilot said that gate or remote allocation was Sydney Airports decision and not Qantas’s.
There was a new Rolls Royce sitting on a pallet outside the freight terminal, it was still there this morning……

We were on QF30 last Saturday, waved our mates due to depart on QF128 goodbye in the Lounge, not sure if/when it left.....
Think they would have been happy to get to a remote gate in SYD!

 

[Must...Fly!]

It happens. Funnily enough I did wonder about it as I passed right by your aircraft on the QF transfer bus after coming off QF2 this morning. I looked up FR24 as I wondered why a 787 was at the freight apron and was curious if it had done an isolated freight run or something. After seeing it came in from YVR only 15 minutes earlier I assumed lack of gate space the issue

 

[mbell1510]

Not that surprising that they would use remote stands at Sydney Airport when tomorrow for example there are 36 international arrivals between 6am and 8am and 15 departures in that period. Certainly a case for a terminal expansion.

Have been greeted with a bus upon arrival or departure in CAN, LHR, CDG, FCO, SEA, LAX and YYZ. Agree that it is very annoying as boarding and disembarking takes a lot longer.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ah! the pointy end passengers have to mingle with the great unwashed on a bus

Not necessarily. Both at Doha and Chisena recently, business class passengers got a business class bus to themselves, with extra comfy seating.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Not necessarily. Both at Doha and Chisena recently, business class passengers got a business class bus to themselves, with extra comfy seating.

QF also did this for QF8 this week. Not with the comfy seats though

 

[Flyfrequently]

J Lisbon on arrival Wed 6/9, first off the plane = last off the bus!

 

[NSun]

I know this is a while ago but last summer (December 30 to be exact) I flew QF148 from Auckland to Sydney and we were bussed out to a remote gate. We flew VH-EBE and it was 6 weeks away from being sent to Dresden for freight conversion.



In relation to Sydney, I saw a few weeks ago that Gates 30-34 were out of action due to the asphalt being replaced and these are typically the gates the Qantas A330s from Asia use. Not sure if this is still the case but if so that would explain why widebody flights are using the freight terminal.

 

[jase05]

Not that surprising that they would use remote stands at Sydney Airport when tomorrow for example there are 36 international arrivals between 6am and 8am and 15 departures in that period. Certainly a case for a terminal expansion.

Have been greeted with a bus upon arrival or departure in CAN, LHR, CDG, FCO, SEA, LAX and YYZ. Agree that it is very annoying as boarding and disembarking takes a lot longer.

I’ve had the bus at MEL twice and a couple of weeks ago I was watching from the VA lounge and saw a couple of aircraft park out on the concourse and passengers were bussed in

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

How many steps up and down, if a person has to do it?
And yes, I did it on a 767 years ago, at ADL when the airport had its own dom terminal, pre 2005, between 1997 and 2005, it was the old AN days, but I didn't make an effort to count.
For a 330, it would be at least 50 steps down, with HLO to boot too.
===
Edit: ah, I see, its the slopping ramp they use these days.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

This year nearly all of my flights to and from nz have had remote stand at syd. Sometimes over by domestic terminal.

In some ways it can be worse on departure. If they have too many flights from remote stands gate 26 is completely overloaded. Worst I had was 9 flights from gate 26 scheduled within 30 odd minutes. Needless to say we were about 90 mins late with lengthy wait standing around near the gate as no way to know when your flight was going to be allowed downstairs.

 

[kelvedon]

Apparently SYD T1 has two gates out of action at the moment. They are laying underground fuel lines to facilitate the impending arrival of the QF A350’s

 

[LondonAussie]

Maybe I've become desensitised flying around the northern hemisphere... bus gates are very common in this part of the world. BA at Heathrow are particularly bad at it, sometimes feels like getting from the runway to the terminal takes longer than the flight did.

 

[HSB44]

Apparently SYD T1 has two gates out of action at the moment. They are laying underground fuel lines to facilitate the impending arrival of the QF A350’s

It all comes back to special treatment for AJ

 

[HSB44]

I think DXB is relatively efficient at the remote disembarking.
The problem is - even after you've loaded up the bus- then you have to drive a long way to the terminal, which then still necessitates a potential big hike to get back to the next terminal you require for connection.

 

[Blackadder]

It's not new.

Ah! the pointy end passengers have to mingle with the great unwashed on a bus

Ive even got off at a remote stand once when the MEL bound QF94 had to land in SYD (my final destination) due to fog in MEL and refuel

Happened in LAX not infrequently as well where deplaning occurred at a location other than a gate

Where else have AFF passengers deplaned at airports other than gate?

HNL if you count having to be bussed from landing area to baggage/customs.

 

[Himeno]

I've had an international arrival at LAX T4, however the T4 FIS was closed, so we had to walk through the basement tunnels to the TBIT FIS.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Bascially Sydney needs more gates.
Either that or they will regularise the situation by having a dedicated part of the apron for bus departure "gates".
Like many (if not most) major airports.
I'd rather have it done by exception than become a norm!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Bascially Sydney needs more gates.
Either that or they will regularise the situation by having a dedicated part of the apron for bus departure "gates".
Like many (if not most) major airports.
I'd rather have it done by exception than become a norm!

They already have this at SYD. It’s gate 26

 

[Princess Fiona]

How many steps up and down, if a person has to do it?
And yes, I did it on a 767 years ago, at ADL when the airport had its own dom terminal, pre 2005, between 1997 and 2005, it was the old AN days, but I didn't make an effort to count.
For a 330, it would be at least 50 steps down, with HLO to boot too.
===
Edit: ah, I see, its the slopping ramp they use these days.

It’s usually stairs not the photo above.

 

[VHOEJ]

It is common and having two gates out isn't an excuse. Particularly when the SYD CEO keeps saying they are not full.....