Journey to OZ: The Bad
I was on a 15-hour journey, including transit time, on the route Singapore-KL-Melbourne-Canberra. I was on MAS for the route Singapore-KL-Melbourne and on Qantas on the route Melbourne-Canberra.
With 2 transit, a few things could go wrong. They did and they were:
(1) Although I asked and was supposedly given the aisle seat on the KL-Melbourne flight, it turned out to be the seat next to the aisle seat. I couldn't get up as often as I like to stretch which I usually do.
(2) My tail-bone was sore throughout the KL-Melbourne route and I couldn't get much relief due to (1) above. My sister attributed this to us being small people. Discriminatory seats. Bah.
(3) I slept a total of 2 hours during this entire 15-hour journey, mainly due to (2) above.
(4) The queue at the Melbourne airport immigration checkpoint was very long. I believed it took at least half an hour just to clear that.
(5) Although I indicated on the form I have nothing to declare, I was asked to join the queue (quite a long one...gah) to get my bags scanned instead of straight to exit. Note that my father's bags were not checked eventhough he declared a few times (my father was on the next day's flight).
After joining the queue, I had another opportunity to escape as there was another custom officer at the end of the queue deciding whether visitors could exit or have their bags scanned. I was asked to have my bags scanned.
As I was collecting my bag, suddenly one of the custom officers asked me to open one of my bags (omg when would this end??). In my haste, I spoiled the bag's zip :( Luckily there was another functioing zip there. As expected, there was nothing alarming in it. What a bloody waste of time, which did nothing but spoil my bag. Honey said I had hamsap look, which supposedly explain why they picked on me. I think not!
(6) Plane touched down just past 8am local time and by the time I cleared immigration and custom checkpoints, it was around 9am. Did I mention it was a waste of time?
My plane to Canberra was at 11.50am. Hence I asked whether I could take an earlier flight. The only earlier flight was at 10am and it was full. Now, instead of the usual service counter checking in, it is now self-check in for Qantas but still need to queue to drop the checked-in luggage, which was yet another long queue (did Melbourne import Singapore's trait or what??)
With 2 transit, a few things could go wrong. They did and they were:
(1) Although I asked and was supposedly given the aisle seat on the KL-Melbourne flight, it turned out to be the seat next to the aisle seat. I couldn't get up as often as I like to stretch which I usually do.
(2) My tail-bone was sore throughout the KL-Melbourne route and I couldn't get much relief due to (1) above. My sister attributed this to us being small people. Discriminatory seats. Bah.
(3) I slept a total of 2 hours during this entire 15-hour journey, mainly due to (2) above.
(4) The queue at the Melbourne airport immigration checkpoint was very long. I believed it took at least half an hour just to clear that.
(5) Although I indicated on the form I have nothing to declare, I was asked to join the queue (quite a long one...gah) to get my bags scanned instead of straight to exit. Note that my father's bags were not checked eventhough he declared a few times (my father was on the next day's flight).
After joining the queue, I had another opportunity to escape as there was another custom officer at the end of the queue deciding whether visitors could exit or have their bags scanned. I was asked to have my bags scanned.
As I was collecting my bag, suddenly one of the custom officers asked me to open one of my bags (omg when would this end??). In my haste, I spoiled the bag's zip :( Luckily there was another functioing zip there. As expected, there was nothing alarming in it. What a bloody waste of time, which did nothing but spoil my bag. Honey said I had hamsap look, which supposedly explain why they picked on me. I think not!
(6) Plane touched down just past 8am local time and by the time I cleared immigration and custom checkpoints, it was around 9am. Did I mention it was a waste of time?
My plane to Canberra was at 11.50am. Hence I asked whether I could take an earlier flight. The only earlier flight was at 10am and it was full. Now, instead of the usual service counter checking in, it is now self-check in for Qantas but still need to queue to drop the checked-in luggage, which was yet another long queue (did Melbourne import Singapore's trait or what??)
Comments
There were people regularly allowed to go straight to exit. As for my father, they just asked him what food he brought and just trusted his words, without checking.
I've used Melbourne as transit point a few times before and there was hardly any problem then. It may be just be bad luck this time? *shrug*
muilee,
Breakfast from plane? Definitely into the bin. It's a regulation to throw away plane's food.
If that's true, they may triple check you then :P
Sydney's domestic terminal is separate from the international terminal. There are shuttle buses that ferry passengers between the 2 terminals at certain interval. However, this service not free. Qantas and Virgin Blue have free shuttle buses dedicated to their own passengers.
Although I was traveling on Qantas domestic flight, it would have still meant that I would need to pay for the bus on return leh i.e. transfering from Qantas to MAS.
So I chose Melbourne, where both termninals are under one roof i.e. walkable.