Thunderroad

This December my wife and I will arrive in Hanoi at 9:40 am on a Dragon Air flight, connecting from a Cathay Pacific flight originating in the USA. We may want to continue on to Vientiane, Laos later that same day, on a separate Lao Airlines 4:20 pm ticket/flight. (Two separate tickets and odd routing because I obtained the Cathay ticket as part of a mistake fare that Cathay has honored.) We have USA passports and will have just carry-on bags.

I've done some relevant research, but still have some questions:

1. It seems like we'll need Vietnam visas, whether to board the Cathay/Dragon flights, to show upon arrival, or both. Any experience with this?

2. It sounds like the sleep pods at the international terminal aren't necessarily very quiet but are still our best option for catching some rest for the four or five hours we'd be hanging out between flights. Does this make sense? Any better options at hotels really close to the airport?

3. Can we simply stay airside, without going back and forth through immigration?

4. If we do use the sleep pods, are they located airside or landside?

5. Any other advice is welcome.

Thanks!

maverick17

Re 1 & 3. Technically it should be possible to connect to the Lao flight without clearing immigration and only transiting the airport. In SGN it is possible, technically, and HAN I have read it is possible but have no personal experience there so leave the caveat. Practically speaking, there are two issues. First is boarding the flight, as airlines need to check for visas which I'm sure you are aware. Lao ticket is separate, so you might run into agents who are uncertain. However CX and KA deal with a lot of Vietnam passengers, so I think it unlikely this issue is a big one. Second, in HAN, Lao being a smaller airline, it's uncertain they would have staff at the transit desk who would/could help you.

So my advice would be a) you should be ok b) consider though getting a visa letter for 10 bucks each to mitigate.

2 & 4 I have no experience. Maybe the error fare threads for CX or QR has more advice if you read there (for both issues, really).

IAN-UK

Hanoi's a nice enough, modern airport. I'm quite familiar with it, but had no idea there were sleep pods!

Nice it might be, but not somewhere i'd be happy to spend six hours. Lounge access would make it more comfortable.

i'm not sure Dragon/Cathay would be happy to sanction you checking in with a separately ticketed onward reservation out of Hanoi. Simply because they would would be liable for shipping you into Vietnam - with no control over your onward flight. There'd also be a concern about the need in Hanoi for Lao visas/onward tickets. And if they refuse, you are stuck.

I was at BKK last week and within a whisker of being denied check-in because I had no proof of an onward ticket from Hanoi. No print out and no internet access: it was only a quick sprint to the Singapore to get an itinerary print-out that saved the day. Clearly I've lived a charmed life, it never happened before.

Suggestion: far easier to use some of the cash saved on your tickets to fund a $10 visa and stay in Hanoi, even if only for an overnight stay. The express bus into town (at least every 30 minutes) costs a little over a dollar, an airport taxi/Grab is $15: hotels are cheap, and the city is a charmer.

Thunderroad

Thanks very much for the useful replies, folks. I think we'll get the visas, just to be on the safe side.

Annalisa12

Lounge access at Hanoi makes it ok. It isn't fabulous. I'd rate it 5 out of 10. If the lounge isn't great then I can't imagine these sleep pods you are talking about being fabulous.

Daawgon

HAN is quite a basic airport if you compare to SFO - Cathay will give you a VERY HARD TIME if you have no VN documentation, so get your visas now. It is also quite a LOUD facility - I would not waste money on a sleep pod. You cannot stay airside to check in with Lao - pay for a lounge if available. At least the early hours are the quietest of all in my experience.

If you've never been here, I would opt for a brief tour of the city - I recommend Hanoi Transfer Service (cabs will scam you!) Maybe lunch at Sen Tay Ho?

maverick17

Is this accurate, and specific to Lao Airlines? My understanding from all the error fare threads is there is transit available at HAN, but I know you spend much more time than I do in HAN, so just wanted to double check. I do know SGN has transit, but am not aware of any specific rules for Lao airlines.

Thunderroad

Thanks for the additional, appreciated replies...

Oh, I'm sure they're not. It's just that we'll be coming off of two previous flights and about 20 hours of travel (albeit in premium classes). It's a cheap option in case we're just dead tired and want to lie down, which is why I'll probably book one. But we might not even avail of it, if we feel chipper enough. I haven't checked yet, but I'd guess that we'd have some kind of lounge access since we'd be in Lao in business class and I have Priority Pass.

And for that matter, would you know if we can access any lounge by virtue of arriving on Dragon in business class?

Yes, I've heard the pods are close to lots of traveler traffic, so can be noisy. Plus we'd be there mid-day. We were recently in Hanoi and loved it, so if we feel up to it and the weather's decent we might in fact head into town for lunch and a walk.

Would you know if there's a luggage storage facility at the airport?

That's my impression also. Your situation could be different from mine, but I'm inclined not to take a risk (and therefore shell out for the visas), especially since Cathay or Dragon could cause problems...plus, thanks to Daagon's advice, we might even head into town.

If you want to be covered just in case, and if your connection isn't a tight one, maybe get a visa on arrival letter (which I assume is cheaper than an electronic visa)?

Annalisa12

I just googled them. They look super cool. Not what I was expecting. I was just expecting a lounge chair.

I'd rather be in there than the business lounge.

vincewy

Also I want to confirm, if I book VN flight (1 ticket [PNR]) and connect through HAN overnight for 12 hours, I can just check in the sleeping pod without Vietnamese visa.

nort

I'm replying to an old post, but if it helps anyone, the sleep pods are located on the landside on the third floor just across the hall from the left luggage facility. They have curtains and the door close well, so it should probably be quiet inside. I didn't use the sleep pods, but they seem quite comfortable for a short day time layover. I don't know if there are sleep pods on the airside - I don't remember seeing any. I noticed transit signs in the immigration hall (without having to go through the immigration counters), and I've read that if you have a flight to a different country than your city of origin on the same day (or within 24H?), you can transit without a visa. But the airline may refuse to let you board to HAN. So, it's best to get a visa letter for under $10. You can decide to get a visa on arrival (another $25, carry a passport photo with you) in HAN or transit without visa if you're allowed to do so.

SkyTeam777

Interesting. Im doing this too and trying to decide between staying at sleep pods or going to Hyatt. I arrive at 7pm and leave at 940am. Can I enter on a transit visa for $10 on less than 24 hours to stay at that sleep pod?

dinhoecotour

From 7 pm to 9:40 am, get to Hyatt is better.