VA MEL T3/T4 is now like QFd

[AustraliaPoochie]

It's all DIY now.
So many check in kiosks, but it's all DIY.
Might be roving staff around, don't dare look too deep.
Esp lots of bag drop DIY machines too.
No check in desk by the far(ish) look of it.
Don't dare take pic.
So troublesome.
Check in T3 upstairs, go to security screening downstairs, then go up to T3 departures for walking to T3 gates. By
Give yourselves lots of time at MEL VAd now.
So onerous.
Getting out from T4 onto road now has no door, go up and then down...
Wait till you see it for yourself!

 

[AIRwin]

Check in T3 upstairs, go to security screening downstairs

I thought it's on the same level?

 

[pauly7]

Virgin desperately needed to put in more bag drops into “T3” as that “terminal” check in area is a disaster, horribly crowded because it’s in such a small space, not even a real terminal.

Are you saying they’ve put more bag drops in to help with the over crowding?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

No, it's all changed.
Check in, then go down to security, then up again.
Wait till you see it for yourself, "bad"... in inverted commas.
Looks like 15 rows of bag drop DIY suites.
Edit: check in for VA flights I mean.
For ZL and JQ, yes, check in is still at T4 downstairs.

 

[Quickstatus]

T3
Check in: T3 first floor
Security / lounge / gates 1-13: T3/T4 mezzanine
T3 Gates 14-20: take escalator down near gate 13 to ground level
Arrivals / luggage pickup / exit : T3 ground floor

Gates have always been on the mezzanine level + ground floor for 14-20
This is the same over at T1 - mezzanine + ground floor for gates 26-30

So T1 and T3 after checkin will always have to go down to mezzanine/ground for the gates.

I don’t understand the going back up the first floor after mezzanine security to the go down to mezzanine level gates. I thought security now on same level as gates…

 

[TMP]

I find the new T3/4 layout much, much better, but, clearly, YMMV.

 

[dk4]

It's all DIY now.
So many check in kiosks, but it's all DIY.
...

Fully staffed, human assisted priority check in, is now on the far left.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I didn't dare go too close.
But at least I took it upon myself to do a pre scout mission so I knew what to expect when it comes to the crunch and I have to do the Odyssey.
"Best of luck to those who haven't trieed it out yet".
On your first mission, (after the combination of T3 and T4 anyway), I would get to VA MEL a bit earlier.
But we can agree to disagree if you like what you find.
I don't like, stamping my paw, on the red circular no sign that has a "no" with a recorded voice that every office seems to have now adopted.

 

[serfty]

Since I rarely check luggage (last time domestically was golf clubs maybe a decade ago), for me it is strait through security after OLCI.

 

[aaronm]

Check in, then go down to security, then up again.

Where are you going “up” to? All gates, lounge etc are on the same level as security.

 

[Deon]

Hasn't it been like this for months? I was travelling weekly from Aug-Oct ex MEL and it was like that then.

I agree I'm not a huge fan of what it looks like at the moment, but I presume it's just during the T3 renovations. The fact you enter from ground level, go up the stairs, check in, then go back down stairs and walk almost to T4 for security (then back again in the other direction for the gates) is a bit annoying.

Hopefully once T3 redevelopment is complete it runs a bit smoother.

 

[Rob.au]

The fact you enter from ground level, go up the stairs, check in, then go back down stairs and walk almost to T4 for security (then back again in the other direction for the gates) is a bit annoying.

I thought it was actually T4's security? It takes you through to T4's airside retail area and then you have to turn right and walk back through the T3-T4 corridor (now without the security it used to have) to get to the VA lounge and gates 1-10. It's a horrible layout for VA departures particularly if you come in off the Skybus downstairs, then you walk up to basically the boundary with T2 to get to the escalator up to check-in, then back to T4 and down to mezzanine for security and then the T3-T4 corridor to the VA lounge and beyond. At least it ups your step count. Presumably if you have no bags to check-in and OLCI then you'd go from the Skybus drop-off directly to T4 for security and cut out half the walking tour.

At least the security equipment seems relatively modern/efficient with more lanes and you no longer have that complete inadequate mess squashed into a tiny space on the T3 pier.

My understanding was that this change was permanent. From their old press release it sounded like basically all outbound processing would move to T4 but if VA's only just rearranged their T3 check-in space, that doesn't sound promising.

Melbourne Airport - Melbourne Airport News | Melbourne Airport

Read about Melbourne Airports latest news

www.melbourneairport.com.au

"Overall, the modernisation and reconfiguration of the terminal will enable greater flow with Terminal 4 (T4) and when security screening moves next year we encourage T3 guests to park in the T4 Car Park, as it’s a shorter walk to gate, especially without luggage."

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Also a lot more shops and ergo much more rental income for MEL airport.
And now all T3 and T4 pax are all joined en masse, making that spot a very very busy zone.
Previously less hectic, now worst.

 

[Leroy87]

It's probably not going to happen, but it would be much easier for VA to offer a 'premium entry' style concept at MEL T3 now. Use some real estate up at the back of bag drop to create a private security checkpoint that takes you straight down the original escalators and right to the door of the lounge.

Sure, you have to scan in to the lounge again, but it would be a nice value add for premium flyers that aligns more with the experience at Brisbane and Sydney.

 

[knagelli]

It's probably not going to happen, but it would be much easier for VA to offer a 'premium entry' style concept at MEL T3 now. Use some real estate up at the back of bag drop to create a private security checkpoint that takes you straight down the original escalators and right to the door of the lounge.

Sure, you have to scan in to the lounge again, but it would be a nice value add for premium flyers that aligns more with the experience at Brisbane and Sydney.

I must say its a good idea with lot of wishful thinking

 

[trisreed]

Been like this at PER since 2015 when the new terminal opened... last time I departed there were three staff on in the check-in area, so to sort out a ticketing/check-in query, I was directed to the "International Connections" line (which originally had two, but then one, staff member). At least when I was at MEL a couple of weeks ago, a real person was able to help my bag down the conveyor belt! Here's hoping you don't end up like us...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think its all a mix of circumstances, that T3 and T4 at MEL got joined, as it is now.
Majority APAC/MEL airport doing it, and VA not having (much of) a choice.
As it is now, MEL airport would be most pleased, as they have saved a lot of money, and also, fares haven't gone down, $329 now for ADL - MEL/vv with VA, for flying in the next few months, and the aviation security domestic charges haven't changed either, it never does go down...
More people passing through T4 security screening, taking away 3 screening points and putting 1 back as a areplacement, making the T4 area look bigger, joining the riffraff of JQ with VA, ...
More shops, and not that much cheap food choices...
Niggles me to no end.
To each their own though, I think a lot of people love it the way it now is.
And yes, I did a DIY tour of T3/T4 a few months ago, both in the domestic secure zone (flew VA into MEL) and transited out again on another VAd flight, and also from the outside looking in.
Haven't passed the new fangled security screening system yet tho.