Passengers going to Tan Son Nhat airport beware of going to the wrong terminal

Passengers check in for a flight to Hanoi at Terminal T3 of Tan Son Nhat Airport (HCMC) on the morning of April 19 - Photo: QUANG DINH

However, many passengers are confused due to lack of information about terminal transfers and transportation between terminals, leading to missed flights, affecting travel and work schedules.

Confused between T1 and T3 terminals

On April 20, Ms. QT (HCMC) reported to Tuoi Tre a funny story about missing a flight because... she went to the wrong terminal. Ms. QT said that she had previously booked a flight from HCMC to Hanoi on April 19 with Vietnam Airlines .

The ticket information shows that passengers will check in and board the plane at Terminal T1. When Ms. T. arrived at Terminal T1 to check in, the ticket counter staff informed her that her flight would depart from Terminal T3.

"At that time, I was quite confused because I didn't know what means of transport to use or which route to take to get to Terminal T3. Then, I booked a taxi to go to the airport gate on Cong Hoa Street to enter the new terminal. When the car reached Truong Son Street, I was stuck in traffic on Truong Son and Cong Hoa Streets for quite a while and it took me nearly 40 minutes to get to Terminal T3 of Tan Son Nhat Airport.

When I arrived, I was informed that my flight to Hanoi had been delayed. After discussing the situation and the reasons above, the airline offered to change my flight ticket to the next flight without any additional fees. However, I still had to take a later flight and was late for work in Hanoi, which was very inconvenient," Ms. T. recounted.

According to Ms. T., in case of changing the flight terminal, the airline should call to inform passengers so that they can proactively plan their travel accordingly. Or give specific instructions to passengers on how to move from terminal T1 to terminal T3.

Units can arrange shuttle buses to transfer passengers between internal stations to help passengers travel more conveniently. Because passengers have to take technology cars or luxury taxis, such expenses also incur additional travel costs.

Ms. T.'s story is not unique. Recently, many passengers have found themselves "lost" between terminals at Tan Son Nhat Airport. The main reason is the process of changing terminals by airlines, especially when Terminal T3 was just put into operation.

Airlines clean house, passengers "find their way"

Vietnam Airlines is the pioneer in moving to Terminal T3. From April 17, the airline began moving some flights such as Ho Chi Minh City - Van Don to Terminal T3. On April 19, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi followed suit.

It is expected that from April 28, all domestic flights of Vietnam Airlines (except for the routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau , Con Dao, Rach Gia operated by VASCO - a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines) will officially operate at terminal T3. Meanwhile, Pacific Airlines and VASCO will still maintain operations at terminal T1, with no specific plans to move to terminal T3.

However, in reality, the transition has not been smooth. The distance between T1 and T3, although only a few kilometers, is a big challenge for passengers. The journey takes at least 15 - 20 minutes, not to mention the risk of traffic jams.

More worryingly, codeshare flights between Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO are confusing. Tickets bearing the symbol "VN" may be operated by Pacific Airlines or VASCO, causing passengers to arrive at the wrong check-in counter or even the wrong terminal.

According to records, not only domestic flights, international connecting passengers at Tan Son Nhat airport also encounter many problems. For example, passengers from India to Ho Chi Minh City must complete immigration and customs procedures at Terminal T2, collect their luggage from the conveyor belt before transferring to Terminal T3 for domestic flights to cities such as Da Nang or Hai Phong.

To support, Tan Son Nhat International Airport provides free buses, operating continuously with a frequency of 20 - 30 minutes per trip, helping passengers move conveniently between terminals T2 and T3.

For passengers connecting with the same airline as Vietnam Airlines or Vietjet, their luggage will be automatically transferred to the domestic flight, saving time and effort.

However, if flying with other airlines such as Indigo from India to Ho Chi Minh City, passengers need to receive their luggage at Terminal T2 and move to Terminal T3 for Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet or Terminal T1 when flying with Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines, Pacific Airlines to continue their journey, similar to the previous process.

According to many customers, the airport has arranged a free shuttle bus that operates continuously with a frequency of 20 - 30 minutes/trip between terminals, but having to move by yourself, carry luggage and not have specific instructions still causes many inconveniences, especially for foreign guests or first-time visitors to Vietnam.

More customer support options

To support passengers at risk of confusing the terminal, Mr. Uong Viet Dung, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, requested the Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport to closely coordinate with ground service units to ensure passengers receive optimal support, especially in case of confusing the terminal.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet were tasked with developing a policy to support passengers who missed their flights due to being at the wrong terminal, while also stepping up communications and deploying more staff to guide them at the airport.

ACV also plans to increase support staff, especially for connecting passengers, in the initial phase of operating Terminal T3. In addition, Tan Son Nhat Airport is preparing to bid for passenger transport services between Terminals T1, T2 and T3, bringing maximum convenience to passengers.

Regarding connecting traffic, the Public Transport Management Center, under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, said that at Terminal T3, bus route 109 (Saigon bus station - Tan Son Nhat airport) has been adjusted to increase frequency from 42 trips/day to 110 trips/day.

Non-subsidized bus route 72-1 (Tan Son Nhat airport - Vung Tau bus station) is also connected to T3 terminal to serve passengers. Subsidized bus routes 103 (Cho Lon bus station - Nga Tu Ga bus station) and 152 (Trung Son residential area - Tan Son Nhat airport) continue to operate stably to meet travel needs at T1 and T2 terminals.

5 approaches to Tan Son Nhat T3 terminal

Graphics: TUAN ANH

To get to T3 terminal, people can choose the following directions:

1 - From Binh Duong, Thu Duc City, Binh Thanh, Go Vap: Pham Van Dong - Bach Dang - Truong Son street - turn right on Phan Thuc Duyen - turn right onto 18E street - T3 station.

2 - From Dong Nai, Thu Duc City: Do Muoi Street - Vo Nguyen Giap - Saigon Bridge - Dien Bien Phu - Hang Xanh roundabout - turn right on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh - turn left on Bach Dang - Phan Dang Luu - Hoang Van Thu - Phan Thuc Duyen - go down the underpass - turn right onto 18E Street - T3 station.

3 - From District 7, Nha Be, Can Gio: take Huynh Tan Phat Street - Tan Thuan 1 Bridge - Nguyen Tat Thanh - Khanh Hoi Bridge - Ton Duc Thang - Me Linh Square Roundabout - turn left Hai Ba Trung - Vo Thi Sau - turn right Nam Ky Khoi Nghia - Nguyen Van Troi - Phan Thuc Duyen - go down the underpass - turn right 18E Street - T3 station.

4 - From Tay Ninh, Long An, District 12, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi: take Le Quang Dao Street (National Highway 22) or Le Duc Anh Street (National Highway 1) - Truong Chinh - Cong Hoa - you can go to T3 terminal in 3 ways: take Cong Hoa Street - turn right onto C12 Street - the road below the overpass - T3 terminal; take Cong Hoa Street - the road below the overpass Hoang Hoa Tham - turn left onto Hoang Hoa Tham - turn right onto the connecting road - T3 terminal; take Cong Hoa Street - turn left onto 18E Street - T3 terminal.

5 - From District 3, 6, 10, 11: go to Le Van Sy or Hoang Van Thu street - to Lang Cha Ca roundabout - turn left onto Cong Hoa - turn right onto 18E street - T3 terminal. Cars go into the street below the overpass - go straight into T3 terminal. Two-wheeled vehicles and cars go up the overpass and turn right into the T3 terminal parking lot.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khach-di-san-bay-tan-son-nhat-coi-chung-nham-nha-ga-20250421003501903.htm