@Transportist Definitely a public policy failure.
It gets worse if you're travelling in a group of three or four people. Four tickets with the $16.68 gate fee comes to $66.72. At that point, you might as well just catch a cab for many trips.
If you're travelling through Sydney Airport, another option that might be worth considering in some situations (if you're travelling light, have time to spare, know your way around the airport, and want to save costs) is the bus.
The 420 (I know) bus takes you to Banksia and Rockdale station on the T4, and continues to Bexley North (T8), Campsie (T3), and Burwood (T1/T9). In the opposite direction, it drops you around a block away from Mascot.
There's also the 350 bus to Bondi Junction.
Now, why are these busses needed? Mostly for airport staff, who can't afford the train every day. And why? Because of the policy failure.
@Transportist @ajsadauskas Don't think so, but the station access fee has its own weekly cap which is equivalent to just 2 trips. Still, it means $50 weekly cap opal fare + $33 weekly cap airport access, so bus will be cheaper for people in the bus catchments.
@jroper @Transportist My understanding is that there is a price cap so airport workers don't have to pay the full fare each time they travel there: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/8768/AQON_Transport%20for%20NSW.pdf
The downside is that it's still around $20 per week on top of your regular train fare.
And if you're earning $23.23 an hour for working at the Red Rooster in the domestic terminal, that's basically a full hour you're working each week just to access work by train.
Or you can save $20 and just get the bus.