Easter travel: Airports warn of long waits with a retail silver lining

Sydney and Melbourne airports are set to be the busiest in the country, followed by Brisbane and Adelaide, according to flight data.

The boost has led major airports to issue public warnings, advising travellers to prepare for congestion and delays not seen in two years.

"The Easter school holidays are shaping as Melbourne Airport's busiest period since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Lorie Argus.

"We're encouraging travellers to allow extra time for check-in and security screening as queues may be longer than what they've recently become accustomed to."

Construction works at Terminal 3 (Virgin Australia) will also impact security queue wait times.

At Sydney Airport, domestic passenger numbers have nearly doubled in the past six months. Customers are now being encouraged to arrive two hours prior to departure.

"We know arriving two hours ahead is going to mean some early starts but we want to see everyone clear security quickly and safely and get to where they're going," said Greg Hay, Sydney Airport's general manager of operations.

Brisbane Airport Corporation's Rachel Bronish has joined the chorus of those urging passengers to add an hour to their transit, and to take a number of time-saving measures.

"If you are planning on driving to the airport, we recommend you jump online and book your car parking spot as far in advance as possible as parking demand has surged beyond usual numbers in recent weeks," Ms Bronish said.

"Ground staff and security personnel will be working hard to minimise congestion, but we ask passengers to pack their patience and be courteous throughout their travels."

Those with travel booked are additionally being advised to check-in online, avoid excess baggage, and steer clear of wearing items like metal jewellery and lace-up shoes that might delay security screening points.

Check-in and security queues may not be the only ones in store for travellers, too. Qantas call centres have blown out in recent weeks, with customers facing wait times of up to 10 hours.

Michael Davis, a Melbourne-based office administrator, last week waited eight hours to speak with a Qantas representative. He was subsequently promised a refund for a 2020 trip cancelled due to coronavirus, along with a call and confirmation email.

"None of those three commitments happened. Unbelievably, this was my third call in the last three weeks following my sixth email in the last two years," Mr Davis said.

Qantas has issued an apology to customers, but the airline says it will still be some time before the issue is resolved.

"No airline's contact centres were designed to be able to manage the record number of calls and complexity of COVID-related queries, which continue to impact customer wait times as people re-book travel that's been delayed for the past two years," a Qantas spokesperson said.

Booking queries are on average "taking 50 per cent longer to resolve", according to the national carrier.

"We've already added hundreds of staff to our call centres, and each month we are recruiting and training more people."

Still, many are set to benefit from the travel surge, in particular the staff and patrons of previously deserted airport retail hubs.

Sydney Airport's retail businesses have fared better than most during the past two years, with trading consistently tracking ahead of passenger recovery (passenger traffic currently sits at 36 per cent of pre-COVID levels, according to airport data).

Currently, across Sydney Airport's three terminals, about 60 per cent of retailers are trading – the remainder waiting for more passengers to return.

For people like Mr Odiardo, possible airport chaos is a welcome alternative to the empty food halls and abandoned shops of the not-too-distant past.

"[The Easter traffic] will give our teams a great boost and solidify the work we have all put into our recovery and get us back to doing what we do best – supporting travellers' journeys."