hamburglar

I'm arriving from HND-SGN at 5:15am on JL in business class. I would like to book a flight from SGN-HAN that same morning on Vietjet. Would 3 hours be a safe buffer time? Any other thoughts? Thanks!

maverick17

It's about a five minute walk to the other terminal, that's not an issue. And going through the domestic terminal shouldn't take too long.

The two normal questions would be a) if your flight is late and b) immigration. If you have to do the visa on arrival with invitation letter, you should be in good shape as you will be up front and first to the line, just have your papers in order. Usually takes me 10-15 minutes including the wait at the immigration counter. But some people who forget paperwork or get there after a few other flights just landed say it takes 30-50 minutes sometimes.

I'd probably go for it, but if there was an option an hour or two later I'd give myself the extra time.

Annalisa12

I travelled in business class too through Ho Chi Min City. The immigration lines were huge and the airport very busy. Sorry I don't have an exact answer but I'd err on the side of caution. Someone might have more info than me.

5khours

Assuming your flight is on time, you're doing VoA, have your paperwork filled out, and have no checked luggage you can make the connection in an hour. If you have checked luggage give yourself and extra half an hour.

Also it's no big deal if you miss your flight. Just take a later flight.

That said, why don't you just fly direct from TYO to HAN?

hamburglar

Thanks everyone. Looks like 3 hours is sufficient time. I've already booked my ticket to SGN, so changing it would be too costly.

arods3

Anyone have any info on SGN turn around. I have a ticket on hold on AA for DFW-HKG-SGN with a AA flight number but operating on CX. I would like to know if 1:05 turn around time is enough time. I arrive at 10:25 AM on flight number 8910 and leave 11:30 AM on flight number 8909. Does that mean it's the same plane? Is HKG and SGN considered domestic? I don't have the slightest idea.

JDiver

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China; Saigon , more correctly Ho Chi Minh City, is in Vietnam / Socialist Republic of Vietnam. They are certainly not "domestic", and you will probably have to process formalities in Vietnam. Do you need / have a visa? (If you need, but do not have, a visa, it's most likely you'll not be allowed to board your flight to SGN.)

I highly recommend you determine your visa status, possibly using TIMATIC Web as offered by United Airlines, here: http://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps...aspx?i=TIMATIC

As this is about an airport in Vietnam it has nought to do with AA, so we'll move this to the proper destination forum. /Moderator

BE SURE to read a very recent thread relating to SGN, and yes, do expect the officials to not have a clue about mileage runs.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...-time-sgn.html

5khours

1:05 should be plenty of time. You just go through the transfer desk without going through immigration or customs. It's all airside so you won't need a visa. CX might mistakenly give you a hassle in HKG, but if you're worried just apply and get a VoA letter. It's very cheap. (Not recommending it, but some of the travel agents sometimes produce "proforma" letters to get you by the airlines and then exchange it for a real letter when you arrive SGN before you go to the visa counter. )

Goldorak

There is no need for a visa for an international transit in Vietnam. It is indeed easy to do, as you just have to go through security. But your story is a receipt for disaster. Indeed, there is only one X-Ray machine for the transit security check point and sometimes the line is long. And any check-in pb for your return flight and you're screwed.

IAN-UK

It's certainly brave of you to make a trip with this level of preparation .

In theory you should be able to use the transfer process at SGN. But some jurisdictions - or perhaps individual officers - have difficulties with passengers making an immediate, airside transfer to a flight back to their origin.

For example, you might like to think how easy it would be to do this at DFW .....

geirfugl

Well,it seems you are from New York city,thats on the east coast of the UNITED STATES,Ho Chi Minh city and Hong Kong are both in a place called ASIA,unless there have been VERY,VERY major geopolitical developments that I have not registered,-well,neither of them are domestic.

daisyatl

Hi. This thread seemed to be the closest to my facts. Is it risky to have only 80 minutes to transit in SGN for a mileage run? It would be on Air Japan so I assume it will be the same plane. Is there still only one x-ray machine? Thanks!

maverick17

It sounds like you mean you will attempt a direct turnaround. There are not a ton of data points on this for SGN. If you arrive and can get the staff prior to immigration to check you in and let you "transit" without going landside, then 80 minutes is plenty. But that is the part we don't have a lot of info on. There is an area for transit but it is often lightly staffed, and if ANA would have anyone there and consider a turnaround as transit I can't say myself.

So if you do go through immigration, and have a visa beforehand or have a visa waiver, you'll probably make it ok but cut it close. Just 10-20 minutes at immigration, then upstairs to checkin, both are pretty quick. It's outbound immigration and security that gets pretty backed up a few times a day lately that might make you rush.

With VOA I wouldn't count on 80 being enough time.