Melbourne Airport (MEL) Flights & Flight Status

Melbourne Tullamarine Airport is one of the busiest airports in Australia (the second most travelled among passengers) and connects the southern Aussie city with airports across the country as well as to various parts of North America, Asia and the Middle East. From here, you can travel from one of the world’s most livable cities, according to The Global Liveability Index, with ease. But, these important points will help you travel to, from or through this major Australian airport without hassle.

Tullamarine Airport terminals

One terminal handles all international flights while two others are responsible for domestic departures; a fourth is left for low-cost flights. All of the terminals are connected together and under one roof to make connections easier (transiting the other major Australian hub, Sydney, is much harder since the domestic terminal requires a bus ride).

If you are travelling from a long-haul, international airline to a domestic carrier, you will have to pass through security again. Luckily, domestic flights in Australia do not have rules on liquids so you can bring a bottle of water or larger toiletries with you.

Terminal 1

This is where the bulk of Qantas operations depart for its domestic flights.Sibling QantasLink flights also leave from Terminal 1. Most flights board through a jet bridge although a handful require walking to the plane and boarding by stairs.

In Terminal 1, the variety of shops and restaurants provides plenty to keep you busy. Gates are on either side of the main food court area, and escalators and steps are required to reach different areas of the airport.

There is both a Qantas Club (a paid-membership lounge that is also open to Oneworld alliance elite status members) as well as a Qantas Business Lounge (open to premium cabin and top-tier Oneworld elite status cardholders). The latter is much nicer with more substantial food, a wider drink selection and a noodle bar that prepares dishes to order during meal times.

I appreciate that these lounges also have showers, which are helpful if arriving from a long-haul flight and connecting to another destination. In a city known for its coffee and cafe culture, the coffee beans that the lounges use are from Melbourne-based Vittoria, a nice local touch.

Other personal favourites of both of these lounges for me are the juice machines that allow you to blend a variety of fruits and vegetables to create your own fresh juices. I love the panini machine, too, where you can create your own favourite sandwiches melted and crusted to perfection.

Terminal 2

This is the international part of the airport where flights beyond Australian borders depart and arrive. I love the floor-to-ceiling views of the runway from here as well as the variety of airline lounges available depending on the carrier you are flying.

The Qantas Business and First Class Lounges are my favourite, and having top-tier status with Oneworld means I can visit the latter. It has its own a la carte restaurant and spa with free treatments.

This is also home to other airline lounges for Air New Zealand, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. If you have Star Alliance Gold status and are travelling with an alliance member airline, you can use either of the partner carriers’ lounges (I prefer the Singapore lounge because it is less crowded than the Kiwi option and has delicious laksa on offer).

Priority Pass has several lounge options for members or those with credit cards that come with access. There are a trio of restaurants in this terminal where you can use this card to receive a food and beverage credit. Just check to make sure that your card is eligible for that perk (not all of them are any more if they were issued by a credit card).

Terminal 3

This is the home to Virgin Australia, which operates flights around various parts of the country. It offers gates both with and without jet bridges. A variety of shops, bars and restaurants adds interest to the transit time in this terminal.

The main lounge here belongs to Virgin Australia, and it features a tasty buffet of hot dishes during meal times and salads and cold options the rest of the day. An open bar starts from mid-morning throughout the rest of the day. They, too, have a panini machine.

Terminal 4

For low-cost airlines like Jetstar and Bonza, this is where flights from these budget carriers depart. And don’t think this is just a domestic terminal, but it also is home to international discount airlines like AirAsia and Scoot among others.

Rex has a lounge here with basic food and beverage options, but there is also a pair of restaurants where you can enjoy a Priority Pass credit to order food and drinks if you have an eligible card.

Airport hotels

There used to be a Hilton directly connected to the airport (this is where I first tried Vegemite and actually liked it), but now it belongs to the Parkroyal brand. This is the most convenient hotel as there is no shuttle needed.

A short walk via bridge to the terminal means this hotel can charge higher rates than its competitors, but it is worth it for an early-morning flight. Other area hotels include the Holiday Inn, which is the closest option if you want to take a shuttle and not worry about being too far from the runways.

Melbourne airport destinations

Melbourne airport has flights to almost all airports around the country as well as several destinations across the South Pacific, including cities in Tasmania and New Zealand. You can also reach many resort islands like those in Fiji and New Caledonia.

Most other flights touch major hubs in Asia before travelling further afield including airports in Bangkok, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. There are also flights to North America including links to Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and San Francisco. And the newest long-haul airline here is Turkish Airlines, which flies to its mega hub in Istanbul via Singapore.

This highlights an important function of South Pacific flights to Europe, which make a stop somewhere in Asia or the Middle East before continuing onward. This is due to the distance between Australia and Europe.

While some people like breaking up the trip into two flights, if you finally fall asleep somewhere over the Indian Ocean, no one likes being woken up for an intermediate stop. If possible, choose flights that best fit your sleep schedule knowing that you will have to make a stop en route to Europe.

How to get to and from Melbourne airport

SkyBus operates at all hours and travels from the airport terminals to the city centre. It only stops at Terminals 2 and 3 so you would have to get yourself there, but this is the most affordable way to get into town.

Other options include rideshare services like Uber, taxi rides or even booking your own rental car from the long list of car companies that operate from the airport. I always take an Uber because it is the cheapest option other than the SkyBus, but if your hotel is near Southern Cross Station where the bus stops, it can still make sense to walk.

There are public buses that operate at a fraction of the cost as SkyBus, but it requires knowing exactly where you are going and at which stop to disembark the bus.

Fun facts about MEL

The airport made significant efforts to reinforce the taxiways and runways and also upgraded a trio of jet bridges to welcome the double-decker Airbus A380. This was the first airport in Australia to welcome the Airbus A380. In fact, Qantas made its inaugural A380 flight between Melbourne to Los Angeles.

Singapore is the busiest international destination from Melbourne while Sydney is the most popular domestic city on the departure boards. The Melbourne-Sydney shuttle flights are among the most travelled in the world with more than one flight every hour.

Helpful tips for flying to Melbourne

Keep in mind that this is not the only Melbourne in the world, and be sure to double check your bag tag if checking luggage to make sure it is going to MEL in Australia and not MLB, an airport in Melbourne, Florida. Believe it or not, I have heard more than one tale of disappointment.

While the airport closed the popular observation deck for plane spotting, there are still places to watch planes, like from Sunbury Road (only accessible with a car).

While liquid rules are not in force here, carry-on bag rules are excessive. Expect even “traditional” airlines like Qantas to weigh carry-on bags at the ticket counter, then again at security and even at the gate.

Even if they let you go through check-in with a normal carry-on, be prepared for more weight checks. There are often quarrels at the gate over bags suddenly too heavy in Australia that are perfectly fine as a carry-on bag everywhere else in the world.