Tullamarine best airport in Australia/Pacific

[Blackadder]

Melbourne has been voted best airport in Australia-Pacific in the latest Skytrax ratings, considered the “Oscars” of the aviation world.
Melbourne Airport also won the honour for best staff in the region, in the awards announced overnight.

Singapore’s Changi Airport again claimed the crown of the World’s Best Airport, as well as awards for best dining and best leisure amenities.

Changi has won the top honour for the 12th time.

 

[RooFlyer]

considered the “Oscars” of the aviation world.

True, if you can pay to get an Oscar.

 

[dajop]

True, if you can pay to get an Oscar.

Essentially isn’t that how Oscars work? Studios paying big money to push certain films.

I’m getting even more cynical as I get older.

 

[Happy Dude]

About as meaningful as "one of the best dishes in Masterchef history" or "best player in the A-League" or "prettiest girl in Launceston".

 

[33kft]

Looks like they published this one 2 weeks early by accident

I hope

 

[Princess Fiona]

I don’t think MEL is all that bad really.
It’s an easy walk for Domestic / International transfers.
Hotel across the road, relatively compact footprint.

A bit of a hike into the CBD though.

Overall for ease of use for transfers and international travellers I’d probably rate it over SYD/BNE/PER/ADL/DRW/AKL/CHC/ZQN

 

[justinbrett]

Sure MEL is functional, but I'm not a fan. Has a soviet-era concrete depressing feel to it (similar to LAX)

The updated T2 departures makes me feel like I'm in an Ikea with all the meandering paths past all the retail stores.

I'm really not that fussed on any Australian airport.

 

[Quickstatus]

Don't care which Australian airport. Please keep using them especially BNE, SYD,MEL,ADL,PER as you are contributing to my super fund investments.

 

[boomy]

Didn’t think I would actually agree with Skytrax but sometimes they get it right, MEL airport is great. I have the pleasure of visiting almost weekly and I do mean it, it’s a fantastic airport.

Changi is also worthy of best in the world IMO.

 

[RooFlyer]

The updated T2 departures makes me feel like I'm in an Ikea with all the meandering paths past all the retail stores.

Not to mention the appalling new-ish JQ end of T4. I had a look once and couldn't believe that any airport could do that in this day and age.

But other than that ( and it will never affect me if I can help it) I don't mind MEL. While not an architectural masterpiece, it's very functional. INT and DOM transfers a breeze, hotels very close ( easy walking). 24/7 operation. Lacks a train service, but SkyBus there and there Tulla Freeway straight into the city.

Duty free maze? A nice bit of power walking before a long mostly sedentary period.

 

[justinbrett]

I wonder if it's better to compare single terminals rather than whole airports.

As a terminal, I really like Sydney T1. Much better and nicer than Melbourne's T2 or Brisbane's International Terminal.

It's just a shame about the transport links to T2/3 - although it's really easy to get into the CBD with the train.

I don't want to use a 24/7 airport in my home country as that involves catching flights at ungodly hours.

 

[Guvner]

Agree with the "appalling" T4. I refuse to fly on any airline departing from that terminal. The rest of the airport is pretty good though.

 

[justinbrett]

The stupid thing about SkyTrax is right now on their website they list Melbourne as a 3 star airport and both Sydney and Brisbane as 4 star. Also Brisbane won best airport in the region last year. What changed? Other than the "donations"....

 

[Human]

No airport that doesn't have its own train station could possibly be in the same sentence as the word "best", in my opinion.

Having said that, Terminals 1, 2 and 4 are pretty good, for what they are, and it's great to be able to walk between each of them. T3 is old and no longer fit-for-purpose. The passageway to the gates is so narrow that during peak times it's ridiculously crowded, and when boarding, the queues extend into that same passageway, making things even worse.

Re the arrivals experience: I fly a lot between MEL and SYD. At the baggage carousels in SYD, I almost always have my luggage within 4-5 minutes of getting there. In MEL, I generally get my luggage within 20 minutes.

So I agree with others: MEL could only be given "best" status if money changed hands somewhere along the track. I'd give it a 6 out of 10.

 

[SYD]

You really have to question the veracity of that list when CDG is #5….

 

[jrfsp]

ahh yes the best airport for missing your flight when there's a crash on the tulla freeway and no other way to get to the airport

 

[dajop]

ahh yes the best airport for missing your flight when there's a crash on the tulla freeway and no other way to get to the airport

That's not exactly true. There are (longer) routes that take you via Airport Drive, or depending on where the accident is and whether you know about it in advance, other routes to get you back on the Tulla. Worst case would be between Mickleham Rd and the Airport, as it's a long way around to go via the north of the airport.

 

[jakeseven7]

No airport that doesn't have its own train station could possibly be in the same sentence as the word "best", in my opinion.

Having said that, Terminals 1, 2 and 4 are pretty good, for what they are, and it's great to be able to walk between each of them. T3 is old and no longer fit-for-purpose. The passageway to the gates is so narrow that during peak times it's ridiculously crowded, and when boarding, the queues extend into that same passageway, making things even worse.

Re the arrivals experience: I fly a lot between MEL and SYD. At the baggage carousels in SYD, I almost always have my luggage within 4-5 minutes of getting there. In MEL, I generally get my luggage within 20 minutes.

So I agree with others: MEL could only be given "best" status if money changed hands somewhere along the track. I'd give it a 6 out of 10.

T3 will be deleted in the medium term future, it’s just a temporary terminal.

 

[33kft]

ahh yes the best airport for missing your flight when there's a crash on the tulla freeway and no other way to get to the airport

You just gave me flashbacks of the (four?) years of tulla fwy roadworks that we endured, didn't that make early flights fun...

 

[dajop]

T3 will be deleted in the medium term future, it’s just a temporary terminal.

T3 days are numbered, yes, but wouldn't exactly describe it as a temporary terminal, given how long it has been there for ... but I guess everything is temporary, just a matter of time scale really ...