SYD International Airport to Domestic/Mascot by train on Opal

[m535607]

Hi All. In the past we can purchase a paper ticket from International airport terminal to Domestic for about $6 and to Mascot suburbia station for about $9.50.....as there was quick selection tab at the ticket machine for transfer to Airport or Transfer to Domestic Terminal tab. However if one selected the terminal station by alphabet it would charge the full station access fee of say $16 in total. Since the cessation of paper tickets and now on full opal cards I went to the Sydney trains website and to the fare calc page and it shows International terminal to Domestic as $5.38 for peak and $4.36 as off peak on Opal. For International to Mascot station its $8.78 peak and $7.76 off peak on Opal.....not the full $16 etc Just wondering if anyone has used Opal recently (since 1 Aug 2016 when paper tickets stopped) to travel between International and Domestic and also between International and Mascot and being charged the above lower rates and not the full station access fees. I believe you can still buy a once off Opal ticket from the new Opal machine at a slightly higher rate. Thanks

 

[CaptJCool]

Or you can stay at Rydges and get the free ride between the two Sydney terminals

 

[Steady]

Or print the free bus transfer voucher off the Rydges website

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Or you can stay at Rydges and get the free ride between the two Sydney terminals

Not a frequent enough service and doesnt run all day. Ill take the train anyday for the small fee.

 

[RooFlyer]

Not a frequent enough service and doesnt run all day. Ill take the train anyday for the small fee.

When it doesn't run, you get the T2 inter-terminal bus for free with a Rydges booking, but I'd still prefer the train too.

Back to the OP. No, I haven't done the terminal to terminal via Opal, but the other day I tried to get a one-off ticket from St James to International. Ticket machine wasn't issuing one-off tickets, and no-one selling tickets.

Hmmm ...

Guard on the barrier told me to buy a $10 Opal card at the kiosk there, and top it up at International.

OK, so I did. At the International barrier, when I touched the Opal card on the reader, it said "Insufficient funds" or something like that, but the barrier opened anyway, and I walked through!

 

[CaptJCool]

Some metro systems allow you to do this like Sydney. Others like Adelaide don't. Im told denial of boarding is the most common complaint - because I was ten cents short. .....morale of the story you scored a partial freebie. Throw away the card and enjoy it

 

[Quickstatus]

A lot of people exploit the negative credit loophole in Opal.

Insufficient funds in a valid Opal will not prevent the ticket gate opening. So long as you have funds for at least the minimum fare you will be able to enter AND get out the other end even if the actual care is more than the loaded credit

You just cannot enter with negative credit or zero balance.

Then just buy another opal card rather than topup.

Fares should always be paid, just stating what's happening out there

 

[medhead]

I can confirm that I've travelled domestic to mascot before 1 August and only been charged the approximate $8 fee, not $16. Can't see any reason that would've changed.

 

[RooFlyer]

A lot of people exploit the negative credit loophole in Opal.

Insufficient funds in a valid Opal will not prevent the ticket gate opening. So long as you have funds for at least the minimum fare you will be able to enter AND get out the other end even if the actual care is more than the loaded credit

You just cannot enter with negative credit or zero balance.

Then just buy another opal card rather than topup.

Fares should always be paid, just stating what's happening out there

Thanks; I'm curios though why you day to buy a new card rather than top it up. Isn't there a charge for the card when you first buy it, but even if no, why not just top it up?

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks; I'm curios though why you day to buy a new card rather than top it up. Isn't there a charge for the card when you first buy it, but even if no, why not just top it up?

Opal cards are available from opal retailers - usually newsagents and convenience stores. They are free but you have to put minimum $10 on it before it can be activated by the reseller. These opal cards are unregistered - if you lose it it can't be cancelled because the serial number is not linked to you. You can register it by going online.

Thats the loophole. Say you have a opal card with a +$5 balance (and no auto top up via credit card link). This means you can tap on if the minimum fare at the tap on point is less than $5. Different minimum fares at tap on points due to different modes of transport. Usually it's the cost to travel to the next destination. At your destination you tap off and the gate informs you have a -$3 balance ($8 fare). But the gate will open and you can legally get off. Even if checked by roaming ticket officers you are still legal. However you cannot tap on again unless you have more than min fare for the next tap on point. You can reload $10 to give you a balance of +$7 or just go across the road, toss the negative balance opal card and get a new opal card with $10 balance by paying $10.

Is it worth the time and effort?. Well if you want to top up with cash you got to go somewhere.
You could go to the newsagent to topup, you have $10 you could say "top up please" or "can I get a $10 opal card". Can you top up to get you balance to be just over the minimum fare?. Difficult as the minimum cash top up is $10.

One reason that opal cards are not available at the mode of transport (eg train station) is to make it difficult to exploit this loophole. You got to go across the road to the newsagent. But you can topup at the train station. The opal single trips are available at trains and ferry stations and I'm not sure if these are affected by the loophole.

Lots of people do it. I don't because it just makes travel with opal card difficult and the return is minimal. I'd rather put effort into FF points accumulation - so will use CC topups

 

[Aussie_flyer]

FWIW you can buy an Opal at the airport train stations.

 

[RooFlyer]

Opal cards are available from opal retailers - usually <snip>
One reason that opal cards are not available at the mode of transport (eg train station) is to make it difficult to exploit this loophole. You got to go across the road to the newsagent. But you can topup at the train station. The opal single trips are available at trains and ferry stations and I'm not sure if these are affected by the loophole.
<snip>

FWIW you can buy an Opal at the airport train stations.

Yes; I didn't even realise that an Opal ticket was the only way to go now until I went to buy a ticket from the Domestic airport station to downtown - I bought a one-use Opal ticket.

When I went to go back to International from St James, there was an Opal machine there like at the airport, but the 'buy single' option on the screen was greyed out. I thought it was broken, but it sounds like it is designed never to function and force you to go to the shop, where I was given the option of a $10 or $20 card - for a $16 fare. Given there is a machine at the station, with top-up by cc facility on it, I think that's a bit bizarre.

I'm 'happy' to pay the required fare but if the transport authority makes it impossible for me to buy the correct fare, then I'll go the 'loophole' option.

In Japan IIRC, if you travel to a station and your travel card has insufficient funds, then there are top-up machines inside the barriers at each station, so you can pay, get ;'legal' and pass through the barriers with a clear cocious.

 

[Quickstatus]

FWIW you can buy an Opal at the airport train stations.

Several Opal outlets at SYD int and Domestic. WH Smith landside/arrivals will have them too.

The Opals at airport stations are the Full reusable and loophole capable Opals?

 

[RooFlyer]

Several Opal outlets at SYD int and Domestic. WH Smith landside/arrivals will have them too.

The Opals at airport stations are the Full reusable and loophole capable Opals?

The one I bought at Domestic was single use airport to city. I didn't pay much attention at the time, as I thought it was just a re-badged one-way ticket like I use to buy . But definitely single use only.

 

[Quickstatus]

The one I bought at Domestic was single use airport to city. I didn't pay much attention at the time, as I thought it was just a re-badged one-way ticket like I use to buy . But definitely single use only.

Just ask for the "$10 Opal card" next time.

Opal proves just the ticket for tourists | Transport for NSW


Opal fare Int-Dom on Opal reusable is $5.38 peak
Opal fare Int-dom on Opal single use is $6.00 peak

Minimum fare to legally use loophole from airport station to a non airport train station in Sydney
$5.38

Minimum fare to legally use loophole from non airport train station to airport
$3.38

However I would encourage correct fares at all times. Try at own risk.

 

[Quickstatus]

The minimum loophole off peak fares from Airport station to non airport station is $4.36 and to airport station from non airport station is $2.36

 

[medhead]

The Opals at airport stations are the Full reusable and loophole capable Opals?

Yes, when they have the special kiosk in operation. not sure about the window ticket booths.

The one I bought at Domestic was single use airport to city. I didn't pay much attention at the time, as I thought it was just a re-badged one-way ticket like I use to buy . But definitely single use only.

Opal top up amounts are $10, $20 and $40. So makes it hard to not over commit. I'm often negative for a few days on my opal as I just use it until it rejects at a gate before topping up.

Just ask for the "$10 Opal card" next time.

Opal proves just the ticket for tourists | Transport for NSW


Opal fare Int-Dom on Opal reusable is $5.38 peak
Opal fare Int-dom on Opal single use is $6.00 peak

Minimum fare to legally use loophole from airport station to a non airport train station in Sydney
$5.38

Minimum fare to legally use loophole from non airport train station to airport
$3.38

However I would encourage correct fares at all times. Try at own risk.

If you're returning to the airport from CBD, then $20 opal is the way to go.

The minimum loophole off peak fares from Airport station to non airport station is $4.36 and to airport station from non airport station is $2.36

From the airport station the opal is also looking for the gate fee, so you need to have about $16.38 (or whatever the amount) on the card. I got rejected last week travelling from domestic airport with $16.23 on the card - or whatever the amount, basically 15 cents short of the fare.

 

[Quickstatus]

From the airport station the opal is also looking for the gate fee, so you need to have about $16.38 (or whatever the amount) on the card. I got rejected last week travelling from domestic airport with $16.23 on the card - or whatever the amount, basically 15 cents short of the fare.

Ive done a DOM-Hornsby with $8 credit last year so maybe they have tightened the rules. Thanks for update!

However the fare between Int and Dom is $5.38. If there was minimum $6 on the card then it would/should let you onto station and then get off at the other airport station or any other non airport station

 

[BAM1748]

Thanks; I'm curios though why you day to buy a new card rather than top it up. Isn't there a charge for the card when you first buy it, but even if no, why not just top it up?

Opal cards can go into negative, never buy an auto top one. When it's negative throw it and get another.

 

[medhead]

Ive done a DOM-Hornsby with $8 credit last year so maybe they have tightened the rules. Thanks for update!

However the fare between Int and Dom is $5.38. If there was minimum $6 on the card then it would/should let you onto station and then get off at the other airport station or any other non airport station

It was pretty stupid really, to be charged only 15 cents more when I got out at the other end.