‘No earlier’: Surprising advice amid Easter rush at Melbourne, Sydney airports

Australia’s two major airports have new advice on how early you should get to the airport before your flight this Easter – and it may surprise you.

Major airports across Australia are gearing up for a busy Easter and while a lot of travellers may think they should get to the airport extra early amid the holiday rush, Melbourne Airport is warning passengers against it.

More than 2.1 million people are expected to pass through Melbourne Airport between April 5 and 25 to 30 per cent more than last year and almost the same as before the Covid pandemic in 2019.

Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Jim Parashos said Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are shaping up to be the busiest travel days during the holiday period and warned there may be queues during peak times despite their preparations.

However, that doesn’t mean passengers are advised to get to the airport extra early.

“Travellers should plan to arrive 1-2 hours before a domestic flight and 2-3 hours before an international flight – but not earlier than that, as some airlines don’t open check-in and will be managing large passenger volumes, so we want to avoid passengers waiting unnecessarily,” he said.

Melbourne Airport is expecting more than 2.1 million passengers over the next 20 days. Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire

Mr Parashos added: “We know this is an exciting but busy time, so we ask people to be patient and respectful as the team works to get you where you need to be as quickly and safely as possible.”

Another 2.4 million people are expected to pass through Sydney Airport between April 3 and 23, and the airport has updated its guidance for domestic travellers to also ensure they do not arrive too early.

Since April 2022, the advice was for all domestic passengers to arrive two hours before their flight but this has now changed to one hour if they only have hand-luggage.

It is still two hours prior if checking in bags for a domestic flight and three hours prior for all international passengers unless their airlines say otherwise.

Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert said it would be the busiest Easter since 2019.

“Despite the steep airfares, it’s clear that many Australians are prioritising an Easter holiday,” he said.

“The ongoing momentum in the international recovery is also exciting, with international passenger volumes forecast to be more than double what they were during Easter 2022.”

Sydney Airport has changed its advice on how early you should get to the airport. Picture: Monique Harmer/NSW NewsWire

The reason given for Sydney Airport reducing the time it advised passengers to arrive at the airport was getting over the huge labour shortage the aviation industry faced in the past year.

“It has been a mammoth job to build back and train the workforce and we’re really happy to be getting back towards the level of service our passengers expect,” Sydney Airport chief operating officer Sidone Thomas said.

Brisbane Airport is expecting 1.4 million people to pass through between April 1 and 25, but the airport is keeping its existing arrival guidelines.

“We do ask domestic travellers to continue arriving 90 minutes before domestic departures, and three hours prior for overseas travel, so that you build in a buffer to cope with busy roads, parking, terminals or delays to your Uber or taxi,” Brisbane Airport head of public affairs Stephen Beckett said.

Mr Parashos in Melbourne, Ms Thomas in Sydney and Mr Beckett in Brisbane urged travellers to book carparking online as early as possible and allow time to find a carpark.

Dermot O’Neill, Adelaide Airport’s executive general manager of people, culture and customer, has also instructed travellers to arrive at least 90 minutes before their flight.

“It is still going to be extremely busy at the airport with the combination of Easter, school holidays and major events, so we recommend passengers arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight and at least 2.5 hours before an international flight,” he said.

“Between April 3rd and 28th the terminal will also open from 3.45am for those keen to beat the busy early morning peak.”

Uber is encouraging travellers to book their ride to and from the airport in advance this Easter.

Customers can book a ride with Uber Reserve for a locked in upfront price between 30 minutes and 30 days in advance.

There is also the premium option of Uber Reserve Airport Pick Ups at some airports, which the company says uses flight tracking technology to ensure a ride is ready and waiting at your destination airport, with a 60 minute wait time factored in.