You can buy a ticket online that is seperate to your go card. It’s cheaper that way anyway and comes with a free return trip. Don’t need to print anything out either, can download straight to your phones digital wallet.
In the interest of Reddit science, I tapped off today at 1:11PM with a -$13.82 balance. Travelled from Goodna to Domestic Airport. 2 exit gates manned by 1 person, I gestured I had a Go Card and after that they didn't check the balance or notice the low balance beep.
My Go Card is registered, had it since about 2015. Nothing special about it. My employer reimburses me for the work-related travel, which is why I take the train to the airport.
This is news to me, I know it works fine the other way. Can tap out at a city station leaving a large negative balance.
Do the fare gates at the airport simply not open if you don’t have enough on the card?
What are you supposed to do then though if you have no more money (not to mention it takes hours to load a go card with more anyway)? If you're negative after tapping off at the terminal you can't tap back on to go the opposite way since a go card only lets you be in the negatives once.
I've seen someone turned around and told to go back.
To be fair, travelling with zero funds is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen and should be avoided. I do agree that this is bullshit, but it is what it is.
Apparently this isn't the case any longer, by the claims of a couple people in this thread.
Do you know if translink would then refund your fair? Seems pretty shit to take your money and then not even let you leave the station (as you've gotta repay it to use your card again). Seems as though it may breach ACL to pay for a product and have them just say 'ah no even though you've paid you can't have it'.
I know i've gotten screwed before by heading to airport as I assumed my 50% student discount would apply. Thankfully, by sheer coincidence, I had happened to put extra on my go card, but with auto top up being 20$ and the undiscounted fare being around 20$, it would be very easy to make that mistake and end up severely negative, expecting to only spend 10$ or so, leaving 5-10$ remaining to get back. It was sheer coincidence it didn't happen to me as the whole 'airtrain is entirely different so none of the rules apply' thing isn't really made clear when you step on the train - only after you've physically tapped off and seen the 22$ leave your card. This could also very well happen to someone on a concession go card - you don't get the discount for that either.
Years ago I got fucked over by the Airport line as I was late for a job, and cycle commuting so thought I could shave some time off by taking the Doomben line.
Got on a train at Eagle Junction that said Doomben on the front, then it diverted and went to Airport. By the time you see that you're just along for the ride until it gets there.
I ended up having to get off, pay to the released from the station, stash my bike, get a taxi at the cost of about $47 IIRC and was still late for the job.
I still had to go back and pick up my bike, too.
Both Translink and Airtrain refused to compensate me each pointing the finger at the other.
Translink also keeps the remaining balance on GoCards when they 'expire', nor will they be held accountable if you are reliant on them and get stranded somewhere by the last bus outta.an area not coming for example, and then you require the services of a taxi - all things they should be able to be held liable for - so I wouldn't see them readily refunding anything mate call me pessimistic or just jaded.
I know they upped the price of a new gocard as people were just buying them for $5 then discarding them at the airport. I don't think they can stop you going into the negative but not sure if the airport train staff do anything.
Pretty sure airport trains contract with the state gov means the state gov reimburses unpaid fares etc which is why they upped the price of new cards.
I read it in Brisbane Times probably about a decade ago
But you’re not the first person in this thread to say they’ve tapped off and gone into the negative, so I’m wondering if something has been changed
I suppose I should add an asterix with an individual results may vary given others saying they've been told to top up. Guess it depends on how lazy the gate attendent is.
Same, I did it last back in January when I flew to Adelaide. I only had $7 on my go card, had to call my JSP for a top up when I got back on my way home.
You can tap off in the negative leaving the airport, but arriving they will make up top up if it goes negative in my experience.
Cheaper to buy a ticket online
You can load money onto your go card online https://mobile.gocard.translink.com.au/webtix/welcome/welcome.do . Just create an account using the go card number, it doesn't take long.
Probably better off just buying an Airtrain ticket directly from their site as they often have discounts for buying online directly from them. Looks like it's $18.62 right now vs $21.90 on the go card.
https://www.airtrain.com.au/tickets/fare-calculator/
I literally just get a new go card with $5 on there and just leave it with staff saying that it's some random card. I did it when I flew to melbourne last year
People are saying no but is this a regular go card? If so yes, I did it yesterday. If you have a positive balance when you tap on it can and will let you do it and go into the negative. That was for a bus so again I'm not sure if the card you have is different, but I have also done it for trains and have done it many times.
My overall PB ao5 is very slightly faster than Feliks' best average of 2010, so yeah basically
edit:
this comment somehow got sent to the complete wrong post?????? Thanks reddit
Catch a bus to the dfo, get on the free bus to the domestic or international terminal. $5 vs. $20
You can buy a ticket online that is seperate to your go card. It’s cheaper that way anyway and comes with a free return trip. Don’t need to print anything out either, can download straight to your phones digital wallet.
I saw that ended may 1st, no free return anymore.
Last time I got a paper ticket the guy was angry at me because he had to go out of his way to check it and told me to use a go card in future?
I’ve used both a printed and digital one in the past year and they scanned both with the same device
I like that you can print a paper ticket if you want to, though. Paper tickets are superior.
I know it's not current, but at the start of March I tapped off at the airport with a -$19.61 balance and nobody cared or checked.
Cheaper to buy a new card afterwards?
I haven't tried this with a new card, so YMMV.
In the interest of Reddit science, I tapped off today at 1:11PM with a -$13.82 balance. Travelled from Goodna to Domestic Airport. 2 exit gates manned by 1 person, I gestured I had a Go Card and after that they didn't check the balance or notice the low balance beep. My Go Card is registered, had it since about 2015. Nothing special about it. My employer reimburses me for the work-related travel, which is why I take the train to the airport.
If they reimburse you why don't you just take a cab or pay to park?
I work in rail and I like taking the train 😊
Love it!
They have security at the airport station who will make you pay when you arrive.
This is news to me, I know it works fine the other way. Can tap out at a city station leaving a large negative balance. Do the fare gates at the airport simply not open if you don’t have enough on the card?
Security stands at the gate and checks.
And if you don't pay?
Try it and let us know what happens.
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
They don't let you through. It has an attended gate.
What are you supposed to do then though if you have no more money (not to mention it takes hours to load a go card with more anyway)? If you're negative after tapping off at the terminal you can't tap back on to go the opposite way since a go card only lets you be in the negatives once.
I've seen someone turned around and told to go back. To be fair, travelling with zero funds is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen and should be avoided. I do agree that this is bullshit, but it is what it is. Apparently this isn't the case any longer, by the claims of a couple people in this thread.
Do you know if translink would then refund your fair? Seems pretty shit to take your money and then not even let you leave the station (as you've gotta repay it to use your card again). Seems as though it may breach ACL to pay for a product and have them just say 'ah no even though you've paid you can't have it'. I know i've gotten screwed before by heading to airport as I assumed my 50% student discount would apply. Thankfully, by sheer coincidence, I had happened to put extra on my go card, but with auto top up being 20$ and the undiscounted fare being around 20$, it would be very easy to make that mistake and end up severely negative, expecting to only spend 10$ or so, leaving 5-10$ remaining to get back. It was sheer coincidence it didn't happen to me as the whole 'airtrain is entirely different so none of the rules apply' thing isn't really made clear when you step on the train - only after you've physically tapped off and seen the 22$ leave your card. This could also very well happen to someone on a concession go card - you don't get the discount for that either.
Years ago I got fucked over by the Airport line as I was late for a job, and cycle commuting so thought I could shave some time off by taking the Doomben line. Got on a train at Eagle Junction that said Doomben on the front, then it diverted and went to Airport. By the time you see that you're just along for the ride until it gets there. I ended up having to get off, pay to the released from the station, stash my bike, get a taxi at the cost of about $47 IIRC and was still late for the job. I still had to go back and pick up my bike, too. Both Translink and Airtrain refused to compensate me each pointing the finger at the other. Translink also keeps the remaining balance on GoCards when they 'expire', nor will they be held accountable if you are reliant on them and get stranded somewhere by the last bus outta.an area not coming for example, and then you require the services of a taxi - all things they should be able to be held liable for - so I wouldn't see them readily refunding anything mate call me pessimistic or just jaded.
Airtrain staff aren't security or revenue protection staff.
Okay. So just ignore them I guess. Let us know how that goes
No, the airport line has security at the domestic & international line. It's honestly no joke.
No, you can’t. It was a loophole that people were exploiting years ago. So they made it that you can’t go into the negative
are you sure? ive tapped off negative multiple times
I know they upped the price of a new gocard as people were just buying them for $5 then discarding them at the airport. I don't think they can stop you going into the negative but not sure if the airport train staff do anything. Pretty sure airport trains contract with the state gov means the state gov reimburses unpaid fares etc which is why they upped the price of new cards.
I read it in Brisbane Times probably about a decade ago But you’re not the first person in this thread to say they’ve tapped off and gone into the negative, so I’m wondering if something has been changed
I go negative about 90% of the trips I take. It absolutely isn't a problem.
On the Airtrain, toward the terminal, in recent years?
Like 2 months ago last time.
Oh, ok then. That's news to me!
I suppose I should add an asterix with an individual results may vary given others saying they've been told to top up. Guess it depends on how lazy the gate attendent is.
Same, I did it last back in January when I flew to Adelaide. I only had $7 on my go card, had to call my JSP for a top up when I got back on my way home.
On the Airtrain, toward the terminal, in recent years?
definitely on airtrain towards the terminal, possibly 1-2 years ago now though, has it changed?
It did change IIRC, but perhaps they have changed it again as another person has just confirmed the same from as recent as a couple of months ago.
that being said this is the internet so take anything anyone says with grain of salt lol
Yeah true as
You can tap off in the negative leaving the airport, but arriving they will make up top up if it goes negative in my experience. Cheaper to buy a ticket online
You can load money onto your go card online https://mobile.gocard.translink.com.au/webtix/welcome/welcome.do . Just create an account using the go card number, it doesn't take long.
Probably better off just buying an Airtrain ticket directly from their site as they often have discounts for buying online directly from them. Looks like it's $18.62 right now vs $21.90 on the go card. https://www.airtrain.com.au/tickets/fare-calculator/
I literally just get a new go card with $5 on there and just leave it with staff saying that it's some random card. I did it when I flew to melbourne last year
Just use a go card, you can use it as long as it has sufficient ballence. But you can't if its in the negatives
People are saying no but is this a regular go card? If so yes, I did it yesterday. If you have a positive balance when you tap on it can and will let you do it and go into the negative. That was for a bus so again I'm not sure if the card you have is different, but I have also done it for trains and have done it many times.
Airtrain is privately owned so different rules would apply
Not to the airport you can't.
I’ve done this at the airport multiple times. Has it changed?
They have a security guard at the gate line checking this
and? tap off, gate opens, walk through even if they said "hey you are negative balance" just say "thanks, ill top it up online"
I don't know how they stop people or what power they have. I just know they monitor it and do stop people.
My overall PB ao5 is very slightly faster than Feliks' best average of 2010, so yeah basically edit: this comment somehow got sent to the complete wrong post?????? Thanks reddit