The country’s busiest airport is charging more for parking than what travellers are paying for interstate flights.
Sydney Airport parking can cost substantially more than a one way flight from Sydney to Melbourne, infuriating holiday makers and business workers along the way.
A seat on the popular flight from Sydney to Melbourne costs about $50, according to Skyscanner, but parking for just 12 hours at the airport costs between $59 and $82.
Sydney Airport parking can cost substantially more than a one way flight from Sydney to Melbourne, infuriating holiday makers and business workers along the way
A seat on the popular flight from Sydney to Melbourne costs about $50, according to Skyscanner, but parking for just more than three hours will cost $60.50 (pictured)
A car space a three-minute walk away from the domestic airport in the middle of the week will set passengers back $73 for 12 hours.
For those willing to park their vehicle a 15-minute bus ride away from the terminal, it will cost about $35 for 12 hours, $60 for 25 hours and up to $83 for about two days.
The closer the park is to the tarmac, the more it will cost with an express pick-up car park for three hours costing from $33.20 and up to 24 hours will cost from $51.10.
Exuberant airport parking costs have come under fire after it was exposed Melbourne Airport pulls in $400,000 every day in parking fees.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports collectively earned $280 million during 2016-17, according to the recent ACCC Airport Monitoring Report.
The new statistics revealed the Victorian airport made a total of $145.1million in 2017 from short and long-term parking – a jump of more than $10million on the year prior.
And Tullamarine’s windfall is in part due to the laziness of commuters, with a growing number preferring to pay more to be able to park closer to the terminal, according to the Herald Sun.
Melbourne Airport is raking in as much as $400,000 a day in parking fees, it has been revealed
The airport (pictured) made a total of $145.1million in 2017 from short and long-term parking – a jump of more than $10million on the year prior
During the 2016-17 financial year the airport raked an average of $397,000 each day in parking.
It then made a profit of 60c from every dollar coming to a total of $86.7million over those 12 months – an increase of $6.8million on the previous year.
Gerard Brody, the chief of the Consumer Action Law Body, told the publication such huge profits could only be described as ‘price gouging’.
‘They get away with it because there’s a lack of other accessible options,’ Mr Brody said.
‘They can clearly afford to do more to reduce costs for travellers.’
Parking rates at Melbourne Airport range from $4 for 15 minutes at the terminal to as much as $684 for a fortnight in valet parking.
Commuters wiling to pay more to park closer to their departure terminal has in part resulted in the increase
But the airport’s chief of parking Lorie Argus has defended their record profits, claiming the fees it charges for parking are fair.
‘The T4 car park was open for the full financial year, unlike a year earlier,’ Ms Argus said.
‘There has also been more than 30 per cent growth in travellers choosing to pay higher rates for premium and valet parking to guarantee the closest access to terminals.’
Just last month the airport slashed short-term rates by up to 20 per cent bringing the cost of one hour down to $12.
In recent years it has also opened free 10-minute pick-up areas in all four terminals, in addition to one-minute pick-up lanes.
Parking rates at Melbourne Airport range from $4 for 15 minutes at the terminal to as much as $684 for a fortnight in valet parking