B-HXB From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 744 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1219 times:
Wow, yet another brilliant idea from the company that calls itself Auckland Airport!!!:
Jukebox Museum opening soon
Dated 13:04 23 May 2002
Airtime Magic - a new museum that features memorabilia and kiwiana from the 1910s to the 1980s will open on the top floor of the International Teminal on 8 June.
The highlight of the collection is the jukeboxes. There are more than twenty, mainly from the 1950s and 60s. They include examples from the most famous manufacturers, as well as five very special New Zealand-made juke boxes.
Memorabilia of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe will also be on display.
Opening - 8 June Hours - 8am - 8pm, 7 days Free admission Location - top floor, International Terminal, Auckland International Airport
Will someone please explain to me if the airport can afford to build a jukebox museum, why they cannot work on expanding their airside facilities? The international terminal needs urgent expansion for more gate space, and particularly additional space in the Arrivals Hall and improvements to the carpark.
Any respect I had for this stupid management has now gone. And if you think I'm being a bit harsh, try waiting for 40 minutes after flying 11 hours on a plane (which has happened to me now no less than six times), then being stopped from going to immigration because of heavy queues, and then a 2 hour wait in a MAF Quarantine line with absolutely no direction from airport staff who seem more interested in rehearsing for their Gestapo roles in the local production!
NZ767 From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 1620 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1176 times:
Probably run by someone from outside in leased space that would otherwise
remain empty, so not so stupid from a business perspective if that is the case as this would be INCOME rather than EXPENSE.
After all, many airports have activities or attractions for passengers' while they wait for their flights.
B-HXB From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 744 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1164 times:
Except I believe that this museum is going to be housed in an extension to the current viewing area (as construction is going on in that section of the airport). I was hoping for an extension of the airside concourse, but really.... a jukebox museum. Attraction? How many times can you look at jukeboxes before you get bored?
Besides, I think this museum is going to be before immigration. Wow, just watch all those tourists delay immigration so they can look at some jukeboxes!
And how much revenue can you make from an attraction that doesn't charge for admission... ?
Jesseycy From New Zealand, joined Aug 2001, 343 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (11 years 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1116 times:
I'm fed up with this airport! Geez, upgrade the facilities before coming up with such a dumb idea! Other airports I've been to, Brisbane, Melbourne, Hong Kong (OK, you can't really compare AKL to a world class hub)... But come on! Can it be at least somewhat as new and clean as Brisbane?
Everytime I land in AKL after my flight, the airport is gloomy, the queues are long.... Not a good impression at all!!!!!!!!
Can't they at least use that money to build a small (useful) extension?
Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2442 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (11 years 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1113 times:
As has been pointed out before, the cost of upgrading right now to cater for the occassional peak is completely inappropriate. There has recently been a large extension to the departures area and in time other areas will be expanded too.
This is a private enterprise now, so sensible commercial decisions have to be made, not those to satisfy the occasional aviation enthusiast
And I was out there today farewlleing friends (Saturday) and saw the museum bit, although didn't go into it. All I heard were announcements that it was an aviation museum stretching back to the 1910s or something. So I don't really know what the hell you're talking about when you say "jukebox museum".
Actually, it was quite entertaining today seeing Graucho Marx, Elvis and the lovely Ms Monroe walking round the place. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their presence. Hardly felt like an airport at all, which is a good thing I reckon.
Aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6369 posts, RR: 13 Reply 11, posted (11 years 1 week 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 1062 times:
This is a private enterprise now, so sensible commercial decisions have to be made, not those to satisfy the occasional aviation enthusiast
I agree, but the commercial decisions that AIAL continually aren't sensible in the long run and just piss off those who work with the lacklustre infrastructure everyday like the Check In agents, Flight Dispatchers, Customs Officers etc.
Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2442 posts, RR: 4 Reply 12, posted (11 years 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1043 times:
Oh yeah, you're right, a jukebox and kiwiana museum. Oh well, heard wrong.
Aerorobnz: Come on! People who work with airport infrastructure everyday are always moaning about things. I know, I worked for AIAL for a year. Bitch and complain when the place is chugging along just fine. People will always do their utmost to complain about those who are successful (eg. AIAL management).
And actually, their long-run plan is to turn the airport into a commercial centre, with entertainment facilities etc. ie. a mall. So really, their decisions make perfect sense.
Duff From New Zealand, joined Oct 2001, 115 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (11 years 1 week 6 days ago) and read 1026 times:
Aerorobnz
I find Auckland airport a breath of fresh air after a long flight. Better than the sterile and characterless CLK, KIX etc.
Remember. Aviation enthusiasts make up a very small portion of the people that use the airport. AIAL is not around to amuse that tiny group.
Aerokiwi is right. Everyone who works in the Aviation industry has something to moan about. I should know, I have to put up with it everyday. However, I work at NZAA and I don't hear much complaining about the infrastructure etc. What complaints have you heard??
Aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6369 posts, RR: 13 Reply 14, posted (11 years 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1012 times:
I often hear from many people working in the airport that there are not enough check-in desks available to cope (particularly at peak times), that the flow of the airport is not good & so it suffers chronic congestion & that the airport is more interested in having good shops etc than running an efficient airport because they stopgap instead of addressing the problem. I mean they had the chance years ago to make the necessary adjustments, but didn't, opting to put in a few more Souvenir shops instead. I understand that AIAL wants to make AKL a commercial centre, but surely it would be better to do the essentials properly first, and then work on the extra stuff after the primary infrastructure is completed.
Duff read my last post agan, regarding airline enthusiasts. I know they can't cater just for our needs, hence I stated it earlier
VirginFlyer From New Zealand, joined Sep 2000, 4502 posts, RR: 49 Reply 15, posted (11 years 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1004 times:
Ok, I have just arrived back in Australia, and while I was leaving Auckland, I took the time to check out the Jukebox museum. It is actually quite a nice place - all thats missing are photos of 50s and 60s era aircraft - still, I am sure they will come! For us plane watchers, it certainly is a good thing - the viewing deck window space is doubled before you count the windows in the museum - counting those, there is at least three times as much glass to look through. Certainly is a good thing!
V/F
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth." - Bahá'u'lláh
Jesseycy From New Zealand, joined Aug 2001, 343 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (11 years 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 997 times:
OK, so they can have a jukebox museum! But I agree with the other people who say they should have the infrastructure all well in place before turning it into an amusement center! For god's sake, it IS A AIRPORT! As a airport, it should be much more concerned about the waiting times for custom (10 mins for me, arrival, that's OK), baggage retrieval (another 15 mins), and MAF (25 mins in red lane).... 50 minutes! Geez! Are they trying to earn $$ from the parking?
The gates are OK, but they need to improve on the immigration and check-in part ASAP! I was at the airport on Sunday, my friend was in queue for 30 mins just to check in on the SQ flight!
Oh yeah, on another note... Why do all the passengers going on the SQ flight have all the baggage screened, while the other flights eg:going to Bangkok for example don't?
TG992 From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 2910 posts, RR: 11 Reply 17, posted (11 years 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 986 times:
Many of our most well-travelled staff LOVE AKL and say it's one of the best airports in the world in their eyes.
Bear in mind airline staff visit pretty much every place on the globe, so this is no ill-informed comment from people who've been over to Melbourne every now and then.
B-HXB From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 744 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (11 years 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 957 times:
Staff probably do love it because they don't have to wait in queues for immigration like everyone else!
As for parking... that's a nightmare in itself. Not so much that there's not enough parking spaces, but manouevring around the carpark can be a real challenge, especially during the peak times.
What really irks me about AKL is that a) during peak times it gets far too full airside and flights often don't get parking spaces (or have to wait), and b) it actually doesn't comply with general standards. e.g. US and HK aviation authorities require flow of arriving and departing passengers to be separated. At airports like HKIA and Sydney/Brisbane, departures and arrivals are on separate levels. At Changi, KLIA and LHR, where it is same-level, there are controls at the departure gate to stop arriving passengers from entering the lounge. Yet at AKL, it is same level and open-plan, and their idea of correcting it is just to fit a few metal detectors on to the 2 gates at the end, thereby creating more trouble for itself when these 2 gates are occupied and other flights (at the request of overseas authorities) must park there, yet there is no room for them to park!
As for immigration and customs: Departures (not fast track) - 30 minutes in queue, which extends from the holding area all the way out to the entrance. Arrivals - 20 minute wait on the mezzanine above the holding area, and then another 35 minute wait for the foreign passports queue. 10 minute wait for luggage and then a 1 hour wait for MAF screening, with unhelpful airport staff who are cantankerous and crusty.
NZ767 From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 1620 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (11 years 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 940 times:
B-HXB,
What really irks me about AKL is that a) during peak times it gets far too full airside and flights often don't get parking spaces (or have to wait)......
ZK-NBT From New Zealand, joined Oct 2000, 5025 posts, RR: 12 Reply 21, posted (11 years 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 938 times:
I went to the airport today and didn't even bother looking at the Jukebox museum. I was rather more interested in the aircraft of which there were alot of! The extra veiwing area though feels more comfortable just so much more room to move!
Jesseycy From New Zealand, joined Aug 2001, 343 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (11 years 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 907 times:
Well, OK.... Upgrading with more gates just for the peak hours, maybe not so feasible.....
But how about improving the immigration and MAF part of the airport? I wouldn't go and have a look at the jukebox museum if I know I will have to wait in line for 30 mins at immigration! I don't think it'll cost a lot just to add a few more counters, maybe add some more lights, just make the immigration areas a bit nicer and much more efficient!!!!!!
Oh yeah, I never understand why you can't include airport tax on your air ticket, it'll be so much easier, and you don't have to queue at BNZ! Any GOOD reason why??????
B-HXB From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 744 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (11 years 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 883 times:
NZ767 - well, the only three times I've ever experienced having to wait more than 5 or so minutes for a gate is at Auckland. And this includes many major airports such as JFK, O'Hare, LAX, Heathrow, HKG, KUL, SIN, BKK, SYD, BNE...
As for the departure tax, according to AKL, they've tried but failed. A shifty explanation if ever I heard one. The only other airport I've been to where they make you pay the tax is at Bangkok, and even there they have automatic machines which print out a little sticker for you.
Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2442 posts, RR: 4 Reply 24, posted (11 years 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 878 times:
Let's see now. I've waited 40 minutes for a gate at Charles de Gaulle before, 30 minutes at Newark (NYC), another 30 minutes at Gatwick, 15 at San Fransisco, about 20 at Amsterdam and the worst of all was Sydney where the boredom factor set in about 45 minutes into waiting.
Auckland: I've waited about 3 minutes once on a domestic flight and about 2 for international.
So from personal experience, absolutely nothing to whinge about.
25 Jesseycy: Guys, about gates, OK, as a lot of people pointed out, there's no point in building additional gates just for the peak flow! Fine, that's all right! B
26 VirginFlyer: Jesseycy - to be honest, both at peak and off-peak times, I see no difference between Auckland and Sydney. Waits at customs in CDG were longer both ti
27 B-HXB: But the point is that the airport company isn't exactly losing money, and it's hard to understand why they feel the need to develop areas of the termi
28 NZ767: As far as X-Raying hold luggage is concerned, I understand that this is an FAA requirement for all flights operating to the US after the events of Sep
29 VirginFlyer: NZ767 - I think all airports x-ray it, however Auckland differs by making passengers do it before checking in. In the three times I have passed throug
30 VH-BZF: This museum was probably suggested by Air New Zealand!!!!!!! Bunch of pratts if you ask me! Look I have spent a fair amount of time at Auckland Airpor
31 Duff: Qantas kicking Air NZs butt???? Got any evidence to back this up??
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