Our Review of Melbourne Airport (MEL)

Table of contents: Our Review of Melbourne Airport (MEL) Pros and Cons of Melbourne Airport (MEL) Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Melbourne Airport (MEL)

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Melbourne Airport (MEL)

PROS

Location: Melbourne Airport is located around 23 kilometers north of the city center, making it easily accessible to passengers. It is well-connected to the city by a variety of transportation alternatives, including the SkyBus.

Modern Facilities: The airport has modern amenities, such as shops, restaurants, and lounges. It has amenities for both business and leisure tourists, including VIP lounges and business services.

Hub: Melbourne Airport is a hub for Jetstar Airways, Qantas, Regional Express Airlines and Virgin Australia. It is also a Focus city for Bonza.

Efficient Operations: Melbourne Airport is known for its excellent baggage handling and security operations, and passengers can expect smooth and quick transfers during off-peak season.

Transportation Options: A range of transportation options are available at Melbourne airport, including taxis, rideshares, and a specialized airport shuttle service (SkyBus), making it easy for passengers to get around the city and surrounding places.

Spacious Terminals: The airport terminals are designed to be spacious and comfortable, creating a pleasant environment for passengers.

Airline Connectivity: MEL is a key hub for local and international flights, offering a diverse range of locations across the world.

Accommodation: Whether you’re flying solo to Sydney for business or traveling with your family for a vacation, there’s a lodging option near Melbourne Airport to fit every budget.

CONS

Crowded During Peak Times: During peak travel months, the airport may get quite busy, resulting in longer wait times and unpleasant experience.

Terminal Transfer Time: Transferring to Terminal 4 from other three terminals requires using a separate pedestrian walkway, which can take up to 15 minutes. This separation may be inconvenient for travelers unfamiliar with the layout.

Parking Costs: Parking prices at Melbourne Airport may be quite expensive, particularly for long-term and premium parking.

Immigration and Security Lines: The Melbourne airport faces long wait times at immigration and security checks, especially during peak international airplanes arrivals.

Terminal Layout: The layout might be confusing for first-time visitors, and moving between terminals may take more time, especially during peak hours.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

There are Four Terminals: Melbourne Airport has four terminals: T1, T2, T3, and T4. Terminals T1, T3, and T4 serve local flights, while T2 serves international flights. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are linked by a pedestrian walkway, making transfers between them easy, often taking 5 minutes. However, Terminal 4 is separate and needs a 15-minute walk or shuttle transfer from the other terminals.

Transport to and from Melbourne: The airport is well connected to the city center and its surrounding areas. The SkyBus provides regular and dependable service between the airport and Melbourne’s CBD. Taxis, ridesharing, and rental cars are all widely accessible.

Check-in Areas:

Terminal 1: Check-in area of terminal 1 for Qantas flights & JetStar airline is located in departures level.
Terminal 2: Check-in area of terminal 2 for international flights is located in departures level. Hosts check-in rows B/C, F/G, K/L (east to west) – Past Check-in L (west side).
Terminal 3: Check-in area and desks of terminal 3 for Virgin-Australia flights are located in departure level.
Terminal 4: Check-in areas for terminal 4 low-cost carriers like Jetstar and Tigerair flights are located in first level of the terminal.

Amenities: Melbourne Airport has many facilities such as shops, restaurants, and lounges. The terminals are wide and modern, offering services for both business and leisure tourists.

Family-Friendly Features: To make family travel simpler, the airport offers play spaces, child-friendly services, and dedicated lactation rooms.

Lounges: Several lounges are located around the airport and provide food, beverages, and pleasant seats. Lounge access can be purchased or obtained through airline memberships.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation