PSA: Get To The Airport Early If You’re Travelling This Long Weekend
Melbourne and Sydney are expecting 97,000 and 80,000 passengers today.
Melbourne and Sydney airports have been thrown into chaos as tens of thousands of people try to flee the big cities (and their respective miserable climates) for the long weekend, causing massive queues for passengers.
Travellers were quick to share their airport snaps on social media on Friday morning, flagging the massive queues for check in, bag drop and security.
Another holiday and another meltdown at Sydney’s privatised airport. Massive queue for bag drop then another one for security. They knew in advance how many people were coming because they sold tickets. Less staff = more privatised profit ? pic.twitter.com/8DMe0aiSyf
— David Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeMLC) June 9, 2022
The mass exodus begins – this was Sydney Airport this morning! @10NewsFirstSyd pic.twitter.com/BzAq59NSSl
— Tallulah Thompson (@TallulahT_) June 10, 2022
Sydney Airport has been quick to advise travellers to arrive two hours before domestic flights, but warning not to arrive too early to avoid not being able to check your bags in.
Long weekend is here! We're expecting 80,000 people to go through the domestic terminals today.?
Please arrive as close as possible to 2h prior to domestic flights. Unless advised by your airline do not arrive any earlier, as you may not be able to check in your bags.
— Sydney Airport (@SydneyAirport) June 10, 2022
Meanwhile, Melbourne Airport is urging domestic travellers to arrive 1-2 hours before a domestic flight and 2-3 hours for international.
With the long weekend upon us, we ask that you arrive at least 1 to 2 hours prior to a domestic flight and 2 to 3 hours for an international flight. Being at the airport before that could mean an unnecessary wait.
Enjoy the long weekend!✈️ pic.twitter.com/IdRpGNhGG7
— Melbourne Airport (@Melair) June 10, 2022
Friday is expected to be the busiest travel day since the start of the COVID pandemic for Melbourne Airport, with 97,000 people booked to fly through the airport in a single day.
Meanwhile, Sydney Airport is expected to see 80,000 travellers, with the queue for check in and bag drop snaking outside the terminal doors on Friday morning.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen post-COVID airport chaos, with a similar scenes being witnessed over the Easter break and at the start of the April school holidays.
At the time, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, famously, blamed passengers for the delays — asserting that customers aren’t “match fit” for travel.
“I went through the airport on Wednesday and people forget they need to take out their laptops and they need to take out their aerosols,” said Joyce in a press conference at the time.
“So that is taking longer to get through the queue.”
It is of course worth noting that thousands of airport employees were sacked at the start of the pandemic, which is at least part of the reason why airlines continue to be so short-staffed to this day.