Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
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Discuss Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport, on the Car Hire and Taxis forum of FrequentFlyer.com.au, the home of frequent flyers.
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Member of: Qantas, Asia Miles, Velocity, AAdvantage
Posts: 454
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Looking at this thread, I see one constant theme. Don't join the end of the long queue, but think laterally. Time is money for business travellers, and the hire car suggestion makes sense if it saves you a half hour. And, as Scott notes, it can be a lot better than a taxi.
I'm a shuttle bus and youth hostel kind of person, myself, and I don't mind cheap and cheerful. I've had some wonderful conversations with other travellers over a fifteen minute ride to or from an airport.
As for taxis, multiple hirings can save a lot of time and money. Cabbies love them because they make a fortune on them, but if it gets you from the back end of the queue to the front and saves you a few dollars, it makes good sense. I watched the commissionaire at Canberra Airport yesterday morning, and he was calling out for multiples on almost every cab. And it was a long queue - the daily 767 had just landed.
Any taxidriver worth his salt will respond to a phone call from a regular customer if it's at all possible. He's not going to lose money in going to the airport at a busy time anyway, but if he knows you, he'll be assured of a good fare and most likely a tip. And a chance to catch up - the life of a cabbie is full of random encounters with people he'll never see again, and having a regular customer is a big deal.
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Peter in Canberra
QFF Platinum
"You know you travel too much when you have a favorite airport trolley."
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Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyring
Any taxidriver worth his salt will respond to a phone call from a regular customer if it's at all possible. He's not going to lose money in going to the airport at a busy time anyway, but if he knows you, he'll be assured of a good fare and most likely a tip. And a chance to catch up - the life of a cabbie is full of random encounters with people he'll never see again, and having a regular customer is a big deal.
I also have a regular taxi guy. And if he can't make it he has a group of backup drivers to call on.
I SMS'd him from BKK a couple of weeks ago with flight details and arrival time. He met me on time with a Cadbury Picnic bar for me and newspaper!
He runs the meter so it costs no more (although I did leave a tip). And he's a really nice guy to chat to as well.
I'm near Parramatta but he was willing to do pickups from as far as Pennant Hills. So if anyone is interested in using him, PM me..
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
I use a hire car guy in SYD and MEL (not the same guy of course ) It costs about $20 more for me in SYD and about $10 more in MEL. The ocmpany pays so that is a luxury I can afford - mind you I still use them for personal trave - akthough I pay cash rather than Amex to avoid the cabcharge fee on personal travel. The main advantages for me are the fact that he is there on time waiting for me on the way TO the airport and even if he is early he waits outside until exactly the time we agreed. The comfort is great after a long flight and I am less concerned about faling asleep in the hire car than in a random cab. Finally as well he only bills me once for multiple trips so it makes my amex bill easier to reconcile if I have multiple flights over a short period.
Member of: Qantas, Asia Miles, Velocity, AAdvantage
Posts: 454
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Quote:
Originally Posted by vt01
I also have a regular taxi guy. And if he can't make it he has a group of backup drivers to call on.
I SMS'd him from BKK a couple of weeks ago with flight details and arrival time. He met me on time with a Cadbury Picnic bar for me and newspaper!
He runs the meter so it costs no more (although I did leave a tip). And he's a really nice guy to chat to as well.
A Picnic bar! You must be a real sweetie! And/or he is. If you aren't having friends or family meet you, that's a great way to make that final leg home.
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Peter in Canberra
QFF Platinum
"You know you travel too much when you have a favorite airport trolley."
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Brisbane isn't nearly so bad. We've never had more than 2 or 3 people ahead of us. In Bangkok, we went upstairs to the departures area and snagged a taxi with no waiting and no 50 baht airport charge. Don't know if this would work in Melbourne?
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Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki
Brisbane isn't nearly so bad. We've never had more than 2 or 3 people ahead of us. In Bangkok, we went upstairs to the departures area and snagged a taxi with no waiting and no 50 baht airport charge. Don't know if this would work in Melbourne?
I do this in Melbourne whenever the line downstairs is long . It also allows me to select the taxi (I pick Northern Taxis as they are very happy to take me to the northern suburbs). I just keep heading past the Qantas terminal and hitchhike from there. I have never had a taxi complain or refuse to stop.
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
In Sydney thats the hint I've heard for people who live near the airport (although in Sydney near can mean anything less than a $50 fare). To go upstairs to the departures and catch a taxi from there..
BUT Macquarie airports have their "controllers" there watching, so taxi drivers will often ignore you and continue on.
The issue is that at the airports the Taxis sometimes wait for hours on end to get to the front of the pick-up queue., and to then get a small fare makes their time wasted. They cannot refuse however.
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyring
A Picnic bar! You must be a real sweetie! And/or he is. If you aren't having friends or family meet you, that's a great way to make that final leg home.
hahaha.. yes - he does it for all his customers.. A very nice touch. As the wife is now completely sick of the airport, it's nice to have a friendly face and chat on the way home.
Re: Tip: How to avoid long taxi queues at MEL airport
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeatBackForward
In Sydney thats the hint I've heard for people who live near the airport (although in Sydney near can mean anything less than a $50 fare). To go upstairs to the departures and catch a taxi from there..
BUT Macquarie airports have their "controllers" there watching, so taxi drivers will often ignore you and continue on.
The issue is that at the airports the Taxis sometimes wait for hours on end to get to the front of the pick-up queue., and to then get a small fare makes their time wasted. They cannot refuse however.
It is actually ILLEGAL for a taxi to pick you up from the departures level at SYD (all of the terminals).
) It costs about $20 more for me in SYD and about $10 more in MEL. The ocmpany pays so that is a luxury I can afford - mind you I still use them for personal trave - akthough I pay cash rather than Amex to avoid the cabcharge fee on personal travel. The main advantages for me are the fact that he is there on time waiting for me on the way TO the airport and even if he is early he waits outside until exactly the time we agreed. The comfort is great after a long flight and I am less concerned about faling asleep in the hire car than in a random cab. Finally as well he only bills me once for multiple trips so it makes my amex bill easier to reconcile if I have multiple flights over a short period.
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