Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

[Tacit Dionysus]

I’m not a public transport snob but I’m not looking forward to going to and through St Mary’s.
It’s ironic that the one piece of infrastructure in 40 years that has been delivered on time is the same one I’d be fine with a long delay.
I love SYD, a 10 minute walk to Town Hall station, 15 minutes to Wolli Creek and a nice 25 minute leg stretch before a long flight (I’m a one-bagger) and a lot of efficiency improvements there this year.
My dream was a walk to Central for the fast train to the International Airport at Wilton. What a wasted opportunity.

I suppose that’s OK if you want to take the risk to your safety. The Police stats for the area that covers St Marys has less than half the assault and robbery rates of the area that covers the inner city. And if you live in the inner city, why would you not just continue to use SYD airport.

 

[Tacit Dionysus]

Probably also waiting for more a220s. This seem like an a220 sized plane route to kick things off (or as more 321XLRs roll in have some spare 737s do some runs ).

It’s what I thought at first, but the evidence now makes me doubt it’s a matter of aircraft availability.

There are plenty of Embraer E-190s available for wet-lease from Alliance Airlines (who own and operate them for QantasLink). It's a smaller aircraft to fill. It’s virtually as fast as its bigger brothers. It’s big enough to feel like a bigger jet, but far less cramped with 2+1 Business and 2+ 2 economy seating. It’s an ideal aircraft to test out the business / workplace travel market before committing to two class 737s or A320 family.

Qantas know they will be on a. fairly sure thing with Jetstar. but while SYD Airport is the "devil they know” for business purpose travel, it’s less clear how it will work at WSI. There are plenty of people in the west who fly regularly for work, but that doesn’t mean they’re all in business class. The risk is that some other airline just watches and beats Qantas to the punch, with (maybe) a structure optimised more for the technicians, middle managers, trainers, conference attenders or industry consultants; rather than CEOs, CFOs and Board Members.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Tacit Dionysus . With a name like that, you’ll fit right in.

 

[Tacit Dionysus]

HEX was only convenient if staying at Paddington, i never thought it worth the premium over taking Picadilly line, given the back tracking needed to get to a convenient station. Elizabeth line priced in between but then only useful for some parts of the city.

Re trains to SYD if you sit in vestibule area not really any different to picadilly line trains which dont have a dedicated luggage area either. Noting NYC trains from JFK and NJ Transit (2 story like Sydney trains) which you have to take from to NY from EWR also no dedicated luggage area, not a deal breaker.

Of course WSI wont have special trains to city or anywhere else either, have to get on same style Sydney Trains as service SYD from St Mary's just travel for much longer.

My thoughts are that passengers transferring at St Marys would be much more likely to be headed for home in places like Springwood, Penrith, Seven Hills or Westmead.

Location is a big factor in choosing an airport to use. So those using WSI are more likely to live in the west and reasonably close by.

There are plans for a second rail line fast-linking WSI with Parramatta and the CBD, but that’s decades away. Space has already been set aside fro it in the airport itself. The point of it would be to enable more parts of Greater Sydney’s population to be poached as passengers to WSI.

 

[Warragul]

Light hearted take on WSI opening.

Cranky Weekly Review presented by Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport: Spirit Wins in Court, Sydney’s New Airport is Nearly Ready – Cranky Flier

 

[n7of9]

I'm a big fan of Sydney finally opening its second airport that I've been hearing about for at least the last 35 years...but with very poor public transport options, and Wilson managing the parking, I suspect it will be $59 JQ flight plus $150 parking

I really really wanted to be on one of the first flights for coughs and giggles, but without parking rates I can't bring myself to book anything.

 

[kpc]

Given where I live, I suspect I will never visit / use WSI! I takes 1 hr 22 mins from my local station to St Mary's before waiting for the 30 min feeder bus! It currently takes me 45mins to Syd airport by train...a Didi is 30 (or less) mins and usually is less than $50.

 

[moa999]

The free M12 motorway going to the airport (connects to the paid M7 and The. Northern Road) opens tonight.

 

[SYD]

The free M12 motorway going to the airport (connects to the paid M7 and The. Northern Road) opens tonight.

Apparently opening progressively early tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

I’m curious to see what Google Maps has to say re travel time from home come tomorrow.

 

[kamchatsky]

Given where I live, I suspect I will never visit / use WSI! I takes 1 hr 22 mins from my local station to St Mary's before waiting for the 30 min feeder bus! It currently takes me 45mins to Syd airport by train...a Didi is 30 (or less) mins and usually is less than $50.

You may change your mind on this if in the future all (say SQ) J Saver awards to/from Sydney are available to/from WSI only, with SYD only SQ Advantage/Access available.

So for me, I would always keep an open mind.

 

[kpc]

You may change your mind on this if in the future all (say SQ) J Saver awards to/from Sydney are available to/from WSI only, with SYD only SQ Advantage/Access available.

So for me, I would always keep an open mind.

Next March, I delayed my return to Sydney to get 2x J Savers into Syd; I could get J Savers into WSI everyday.

 

[kpc]

Apparently opening progressively early tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

I’m curious to see what Google Maps has to say re travel time from home come tomorrow.

Right now (940pm), Didi fare to airport from my house to WSI takes judt over an hour and the cheapest fare is $89 (much cheaper than I thought but suspect will be much higher when airport is open)

 

[SYD]

Right now (940pm), Didi fare to airport from my house to WSI takes judt over an hour and the cheapest fare is $89 (much cheaper than I thought but suspect will be much higher when airport is open)

You’ll need to wait for the various apps to recognise the freeway is open from tomorrow plus the actual drop off point.

Neither Apple Maps nor Google seem to have a definitive locale to get to the front door. I’ve landed on P1 for now - which currently takes ~1hr by car and $22+ in tolls via M5 or $26+ in tolls via the M4 from the east.

DiDi is quoting me about $112, Uber about $140. But I wouldn’t trust either of those numbers until the freeway AND the airport actually opens.

 

[moa999]

The airport won't have any traffic initially.
SQ Will have the night all to themselves.