IceTrojan

And, it's either wait in the lounge or wait in the terminal, which is depressing (yes, even in HAN and their "new" terminal)

SaigonCyclo

I'm in the TSN lounge once/twice a month. At least the terminal doesn't have that mildewed carpet smell. I usually grab a water and get out.

alex2612

Thanx. It is clear with biz (C class). Is it easy to get Y class tickets during the high season (late Dec-Jan) for domestic flights for the same day flights or maybe a couple of days in advance? I'm planning to travel from HAn to Siem Reap and visit Phu Quoc from SGN. Would appreciate any advice.

IceTrojan

With the SGN-PQC route, you may want to contact a travel agent in country and see if they can get you tickets, as that route has always been one of the more difficult ones to buy same-day.

But who knows, they're busy upgrading PQC to accept 777 service, so maybe by then...?

opushomes

I will not use TMK (edit: Correct name is TNK) Travel in the future. They charge much too much for quite shoddy service. In March, they failed to deliver my tickets to the Hilton Hanoi despite a written confirmation as to time and place. Fortunately, I had purchased a Vietnamese SIM at the hotel and were able to call them in Saigon.

They gave me the local number (cell) of my contact who I called. He tried to tell me he did not know I was coming and would deliver the next day. I insisted that this was not satisfactory, allowing him to save face and he showed up 15 minutes later with tickets in hand. Never again after last year being left behind on two tours booked thru them including one requiring a "back-of-motorbike" journey to the far South outskirts of Saigon.

If you are going to PQC, you can purchase the SGN-PQC sector from Vietnam Airlines in Hanoi (probably at the airport on arrival). Note, there is no business class on an ATR-72. In March there were 5 flights a day into PQC from SGN and one from Rach Gia. It will be a long time until a 777 lands at PQC unless on an emergency basis since not a bit of earth has been turned for the new airport. Mercure has completed a new hotel, a Grand Mercure, but that is it for new infrastrure. The emergency landing of a 777 will, if it ever happens, create the second piece of new infrastructure as there is not much runway at Duang Dong.

SaigonCyclo

Did you mean TMK or TNK? I've used TNK in HCMC several times with no problems.

Here's the link for La Veranda

http://www.laverandaresort.com/

IceTrojan

I've always had it valid for 90 days, and recently the processor in SF offered to make it 6 months, no charge. YMMV I guess. Did you get it processed in SF or DC?

And on aforementioned recent application, it cost me $30. Of course, I've requested a visa before, and I'm "of the correct heritage"

Apparently, paying the expedite fee ($45 total) gets the visa done while you wait.

Another thread reported that one may be able to get the domestic prices if you purchase from the VN office in SF... but I'm stamping a big YMMV on this one.

opushomes

The travel agent that I will not longer use is TNK Travel in Saigon. Thank you, SaigonCyclo. As usual, YMMV.

In terms of visas, the amount varies considerably. For my last visit I obtained paper visas in Singapore for $S100, about US $65, but the embassy never touched my passport. Just a picture, application and copy of the declarations page along with the cash got a paper visa. It was stamped on entry and picked up on exit. Thus, I have no evidence of entering or leaving Vietnam in my passport on my last trip.

The validity of the visa could be interpreted as 31 days or 6 months depending upon how one interprets the closed 4 or maybe slightly open 9 for the month which is handwritten. It is a category "C" visa.

IceTrojan

Well... 3 months validity on my computer-printed visa stickered onto our passports.

Costs, I agree, vary wildly (and on a whim, methinks).