Food and beverage services and immigration waiting still haunt tourists going to and from Tan Son Nhat

These are the prominent issues that most readers have raised regarding services and infrastructure at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Readers urge airport leaders to listen and make necessary adjustments as soon as possible.

Passengers line up in long queues to complete immigration procedures at the international terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport - Photo: CONG TRUNG

In the reader feedback article sent to Tuoi Tre Online titled "Some Suggestions for Tan Son Nhat Airport," the majority of reader opinions revolved around issues related to airport services such as excessively expensive food and drinks, unreliable Wi-Fi, difficulty or chaos in picking up taxis and ride-hailing services, and long queues in the immigration and customs waiting areas.

High prices, lack of competition.

The issue of high prices at Tan Son Nhat Airport is a common concern among many readers. Minh Hien reported that there are very few free drinking water dispensers in the international waiting area, and passengers have to queue to wait. Meanwhile, bottled water vendors charge tens to hundreds of thousands of dong per bottle.

Conversely, in some other areas, vending machines don't accept cash, forcing passengers to buy items at higher prices at retail counters, as reported by Nguoi Sg.

"At the domestic terminal, a bottle of water costs 10,000 VND at the vending machine, but when the machine is not working, passengers are forced to go to a kiosk to buy the same bottle of water for 20,000 VND."

Readers Ng. Hung The analysis suggests that the high prices of food and drinks in airports are justified. According to this reader, if prices were as low as outside, airports would instantly transform into marketplaces, food courts, and specialty restaurants.

Bringing food, cooking equipment, and staff into the airport requires a bidding process, resulting in very high actual costs. Selling at that price only yields a very small profit.

Food and beverage services at the airport are expensive - Photo: CONG TRUNG

Meanwhile, reader Huong Vu commented that the prices of food and drinks at the stalls in the airport only appeal to a select few wealthy individuals, or those who genuinely need them immediately.

Reader Pho also commented on their experience of eating a bowl of pho with a cup of coffee costing nearly 600,000 VND. This reader remarked that the price was indeed... "sky-high".

Reader Hung Thanh shares a similar experience, having heard the familiar feedback about airport services that have remained largely unchanged for many years.

"Once, at Tan Son Nhat airport, my family ate pho and drank bottled water, and when it came time to pay, we were shocked; it was unbelievably expensive," reader Hung Thanh stated.

Another major issue that passengers complain about is the unfriendly attitude of airport staff, particularly in the customs and security areas.

Reader Kel commented that the prices at Tan Son Nhat Airport are among the most expensive in the region, if not the world . The attitude of customs and airport security is unfriendly, unpleasant, and arrogant. Despite having integrated with the world for a long time, the international gateway of the South is still far from being on par with other countries.

Quang Minh reported that immigration and customs officers were rarely friendly and had a cold attitude, making passengers feel uncomfortable.

"I departed about a week ago in the morning, and that day there was an incredible crowd of passengers queuing up at security and immigration, while the staff checking passports acted as if they didn't care who was late."

Everyone stood there looking frustrated and shaking their heads, including foreign tourists. That day, airlines like Qatar, Singapore Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines had to send staff holding signs with passenger names to the security checkpoint to find their passengers, because they had already checked in their passengers but got stuck at the immigration and customs security checkpoint, and the plane was already scheduled to take off," commented reader Quang Minh.

Many readers shared their disappointment, saying that service staff should be cheerful and polite, but here they were the opposite. Meanwhile, at other international airports, staff are always smiling and friendly to passengers.

The Auto Gate system (automatic immigration and customs) is installed at the international terminal, but many passengers complain that it is difficult to use or malfunctions - Photo: CONG TRUNG

Waiting in line for immigration and customs procedures is a "nightmare" for tourists.

The issue of immigration procedures was also mentioned by many readers. One reader recounted their own experience of being late, and how a student asked permission to go ahead and complete the procedures first because they were already 10 minutes behind.

"I also let her go ahead. By the time I got through customs and ran breathlessly to the boarding gate, the staff breathed a sigh of relief and said, 'Sir, we just sent someone out to find you.' When I returned to my home country, it only took me a mere 5 minutes to get through security."

"The automated immigration gates at Tan Son Nhat airport are probably just there for show, hardly anyone uses them, because they weren't designed for high traffic while long lines of people are queuing on the other side," this reader shared.

Reader's comments As a foreigner, I received priority when entering and exiting Thailand. However, upon returning to Vietnam, the automatic gates are only available for entry; exit is not permitted. The queues are incredibly long.

My suitcase was damaged and I wanted to receive the 300,000 VND compensation from the Chinese company Ruili. I waited two whole weeks, and finally they sent a document that required me to print and sign some kind of confirmation. It was too much trouble, so this reader gave up.

At Beijing airport in China, if your suitcase is damaged, you just need to say something and they'll immediately give you 300 yuan (over 1 million VND) without any complicated explanation or paperwork. Free water for passengers at boarding gates is inconsistent, and even when available, they don't provide free paper cups, whereas all other airports in China offer free water.

Improvements are needed to meet passenger expectations.

Tan Son Nhat Airport currently faces many issues that need improvement to meet the needs and expectations of passengers. Feedback from readers is an important basis for relevant authorities and airport management to make timely adjustments. Besides some infrastructure and service issues, many opinions suggest that transportation and connectivity within the airport still have many shortcomings.

Reader Coc commented that taking a taxi to the domestic terminal meant having to drag their suitcases a considerable distance through the domestic terminal area. Sometimes, they had to wander around looking for the entrance, and even parking their motorbike required walking through the international terminal area, which they also had to navigate around in circles to reach because they weren't familiar with the area.

A reader named HT commented, "I see that every year we talk about this, and it almost always just stops at suggestions. Whether they listen and make improvements is a matter of luck, and often the worst-case scenario is bad luck. For example, when dropping off customers by motorbike, people waiting don't know where to park to wait for Grab, and they end up fighting and haggling all the time. I still don't understand why they didn't build an underpass from the parking garage to the station area; having to go through the traffic is both dangerous and causes traffic jams."

Nevertheless, reader thie****@gmail.com He said he often travels from Ho Chi Minh City to other locations with airports, but has never been to the airport by motorbike, car, taxi, or with family members dropping him off. He always travels to and from the airport by bus. It's cheap, cool, and he doesn't have to worry about traffic jams or being late.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dich-vu-an-uong-cho-xuat-nhap-canh-van-am-anh-du-khach-di-den-tan-son-nhat-20241230162119881.htm