Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

[RooFlyer]

But isn't the public transport still a bus and a train combination? There is no current train station there ?

Sure - but tell me - what were the train and freeway options to SYD before it opened?

Nuffink.

10, 20, 50 years later?

Nuffink!

It took the Olympics, -80 years after SYD opened.

 

[Beer_budget]

I don’t think people factor in that as well as the local residents there are plenty of other from the rest of Australia who have to do that horrible D->I, I->D transfer and might see WSI as a good alternative.
I know plenty of folk here in ADL including us that have to fly to MEL or SYD to get where we want to go and we try to avoid SYD but if someone like VN operated from WSI and connections from ADL to WSI were good it would definitely be a consideration for us.

Really the only reason I want VA to operate WSI is to add a domestic connection to/from CBR to these SQ flights, since apparently we can't have a direct flight again wishful thinking, I know.

 

[Aeryn]

God who wants to use SYD if they don’t have to.

People who live in Sydney proper. Very easy to get to with choice of fast Uber, Train or Bus. Excellent choice of lounges.

The D (T3) --> I (T1) transfer bus is simple, not sure why people complain; its faster than the inter terminal busses at BNE or PER. And SYD has most international destinations served of any airport in Australia.

SYD was still the first airport in Australia to get a rail link on a line that connects into others. So yes it may have taken the Olympics to get it opened, but its not a side connection to one not very popular station aka St Mary's that WSI will eventually have.

Remembering when SYD opened and for decades later the population in its catchment was much much smaller than what WSI is claiming at launch.

 

[aamslfc]

Booked on the inaugural flight out, good excuse to have a random mini-break in Singapore that week.

I'm sceptical of WSI's viability, but we're looking forward to trying it out (god I hope there's cheap parking) and seeing whether WSI works better for us than SYD.

Nice to at least have the option to turn left and go to Mascot, or turn right and go to Badgerys.

Based on the comments in this thread, I'll probably see none of you there

 

[kamchatsky]

Well, not being from Sydney I regard the whole lot as a crime hotspot. But I’m not sure about being stabbed by a machete will necessarily be the crime I’m thinking of next time I’m there. I hear knives are more of a problem.

But I would take my chances at any well scheduled and well priced international flight out of WSI. God who wants to use SYD if they don’t have to.

The difference in this case is that SYD has a proper SilverKris lounge for J or *G members, whereas WSI is most likely a 3rd party lounge .....

 

[kerfuffle]

Booked on the inaugural flight out, good excuse to have a random mini-break in Singapore that week.

I'm sceptical of WSI's viability, but we're looking forward to trying it out (god I hope there's cheap parking) and seeing whether WSI works better for us than SYD.

Nice to at least have the option to turn left and go to Mascot, or turn right and go to Badgerys.

Based on the comments in this thread, I'll probably see none of you there

I'm tempted to do Y both ways on the inaugural flight out and spend a few hours in the KF Gold Lounge, but flying out to Singapore again a few days later (but in J). Currently don't have access to annual leave so can't take that entire week off ...

Hmm I wonder if these flights are now bookable on Virgin

 

[kamchatsky]

No, to get to WSI you will still need use motorways from Strathfield M4 and M7 (so still $15). If you were to take Liverpool/Paramatta Rd and all surface roads to avoid tolls it will take hours.



I regularly get Uber from Haberfield/Ashfield M4 entrance to SYD T3 and its $27-35 depending on time of day and takes 12 mins from front door to terminal entrance. Add max 10 mins and $10 extra to go from Strathfield instead as entering M4 1 entrance earlier.



At what time of day? Ive driven Strathfield to Liverpool Hospital many times and that takes 35 mins by Liverpool Rd late night adhering to speed limit. You'd be easily another 20 mins from USyd to Strathfield in peak times. Only way to do in 35 mins at would be using toll roads probably at non-peak times and that's going to add $8-$20.



The congestion on the M4 is usually at the Anzac bridge turn-off, traffic toward airport M8 flows well and now that the connector to the airport terminals is open you no longer get the Gardiners Bay Rd nonsense adding 10 mins to get from exit to the terminal.

Anyway i'll hapily takes any bet that says Uber from Strathfield to SYD will take longer and cost more than Strathfield to WSI; because the tolls will be the same but the distance to WSI is still 3 times, and that costs.

I live at Sydney north (Pennant Hills area), and the travel time from there to SYD or WSI is about the same during off peak hours, and WSI would be faster during peak hours as it is going against the traffic Tolls would be cheaper to WSI as well.

So there will be a significant area of Sydney basin where travelling to WSI would be faster than SYD, even though the distance to WSI is further than SYD.

 

[moa999]

And I suspect parking will be cheaper, at least for a while

 

[Aeryn]

I live at Sydney north (Pennant Hills area), and the travel time from there to SYD or WSI is about the same during off peak hours, and WSI would be faster during peak hours as it is going against the traffic Tolls would be cheaper to WSI as well.

So there will be a significant area of Sydney basin where travelling to WSI would be faster than SYD, even though the distance to WSI is further than SYD.

Fair enough but most Sydneysiders would consider Pennant Hills /Hornsby North West; as North Sydney would veer more to the East so North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Chatswood ending at Gordon.

The more people who want to have a lesser experience at WSI, means less crowded the good lounges at SYD will be.

 

[kookaburra75]

I'm sure the airlines have the stats about this, but we probably all thing of the golden triangle for suits who work around the CBD of respective cities, but without a doubt, most business travellers are spread across all sorts of roles and industries, many of which will be serviced closer to WSI than SYD,

I wouldn't dismiss WSI becoming a business commuters airport easily.

We only have a couple of clients who are in Sydney CBD area, the bulk are out Macquarie Park/Parramatta/Richmond/Penrith way - so WSI would work for me.

Looking at the comments, I'm finding it slightly humorous that there appears to be outrage from some Sydney-siders, that another major airport has been built in the Sydney basin. The reality is that as more people live in the basin, then you'll need more flights, air freight etc. As you can't add any more runways to SYD, and the curfew is never going away (due to Sydney-siders) you got to put a new runway or two somewhere else

 

[justinbrett]

Really the only reason I want VA to operate WSI is to add a domestic connection to/from CBR to these SQ flights, since apparently we can't have a direct flight again wishful thinking, I know.

I’m not sure CBR is going to be high on the list for any airline - it’s a little too close to WSI IMO - a bit like SYD-NTL.

 

[kamchatsky]

Fair enough but most Sydneysiders would consider Pennant Hills /Hornsby North West; as North Sydney would veer more to the East so North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Chatswood ending at Gordon.

The more people who want to have a lesser experience at WSI, means less crowded the good lounges at SYD will be.

I would say roughly the demarcation of suburbs where WSI would be faster by car than SYD would be along A6 (Silverwater, Carlingford, Lidcombe, Bankstown) and section of Pennant Hills Road (Carlingford, Pennant Hills, Hornsby).

There are still a LOT of suburbs west of this rough demarcation line, at least 2 million, if not more.

I expect car park fees to be cheaper at WSI than SYD.

Of course, SYD still has better lounges (in this case, SilverKris SYD vs WSI 3rd party lounge), but most people fly Y anyway and no elite status, so that is a non-factor.

Also, I think the immigration and customs at WSI would be a breeze compared to SYD. This is actually quite important in terms of airport experience overall.

 

[Aeryn]

Im not seeing any outrage, just doubts about how useful it will be any time soon and plenty of comments on the short comings re PT connectivity.

True outrage will come if full service options move from SYD to WSI forcing people to use WSI over the more convenient SYD.

 

[kookaburra75]

I’m not sure CBR is going to be high on the list for any airline - it’s a little too close to WSI IMO - a bit like SYD-NTL.

But we're a bit more 'special' than NTL. But a CBR-WSI-NTL could work for the govt and Defence folk - probably in a Link Saab 340 though.

 

[kamchatsky]

Another thing to go for WSI is that it is curfew free.

SQ flight departs at 23:55 meaning that check-in starts at 20:55, say 9pm. This allows Sydneysiders to have dinner first (after work), then drive to WSI, arriving there at 9-10:30pm. Check-in and immigration would be fast given all the automated features provided.

SYD cannot provide this convenience in terms of timing, at least for SQ anyway. SQ242 departs at 7pm, meaning check-in at 4-5:30pm. Lots of people still work at that time.

TR departs later but then land at SIN at ungodly hours of 1am or 3am.

I think this flight would work quite well. I would expect the Fri night flight to be popular.

 

[Beer_budget]

But we're a bit more 'special' than NTL. But a CBR-WSI-NTL could work for the govt and Defence folk - probably in a Link Saab 340 though.

Modern day stagecoach route for general domestic, agree there'd be no demand, I really was just thinking about the VA-SQ partnership and broadening the demand for the WSI flights by adding domestic connections (CBR is just selfishness on my part but you get the idea).

We don't currently bother with domestic connection flights when flying out of Sydney, the Murrays/Rydges combo usually costs the same and is a more relaxed start to a holiday than changing terminals at SYD, especially since we usually book SQ232 unless we're connecting to MAN.

 

[jase05]

The more people who want to have a lesser experience at WSI,

I’ll give you the lounges as they won’t be anywhere near what SYD has but in terms of airport experience WSI should be leaps and bounds ahead in nearly every other aspect.
Those on AFF don’t represent the majority of travelers. The vast majority are travelling in Y with no status so what’s important to them is things like check in, immigration, baggage etc off which WSI will offer a far better experience

 

[RooFlyer]

People who live in Sydney proper. Very easy to get to with choice of fast Uber, Train or Bus. Excellent choice of lounges.

Sydney proper ( chortle).

Rather than transport, which for someone not in Sydney is less relevant, I was talking about the airport itself and the operations.

Separated terminals, very frequent weather interruptions, old infrastructure, curfew, expensive rail etc. I lived in Sydney for 10 years from the mid ‘90s and it was a pretty coughpy airport then ( although the lounges were fresher and less crowded back then ).

People who love and use SYD should be giving thanks for WSI in their prayers every night. SYD has no room for growth. So, without WSI what would SYD be like in 10 or 20 years time?

Remembering when SYD opened and for decades later the population in its catchment was much much smaller than what WSI is claiming at launch.

Exactly. And like SYD, WSI will develop commensurate with demand and infrastructure likewise. SYD wasn’t built in a day.