Melbourne Tullamarine - third world airport with a third world airline (VN)

[winetraveller]

This situation can and does occur at many airports around the world. I've arrived in Boston at 2130 on a domestic flight (757) and it's taken over 90 minutes and we were the only aircraft arrival. Try LAX when several 747's arrive at similar times. It really is nothing to shout home about.

After a rather convoluted trip back from Australia on Friday, I landed at JFK, with one hop left before getting home to Boston. I had just flown from SFO to JFK as I could not get on a direct flight to BOS. I then hopped on the last Jetblue flight which was due to depart at 10.57. Boarding was delayed as the flight crew were late on coming in on their incoming, and when we finally did board the pilot (a very attractive blond lady) announced that the last takeoff had been delayed on the ground for 56 minutes for some unknown reason, and now their was a huge backup. So we finally get in to BOS an hour and a half late, and as you can imagine the GF is less than impressed by having to hang out at the airport in the middle of the night for me.

Back to MEL, my issue with MEL, and other Australian airports is that they either seem to have too few staff at customs, or at AQIS or both. If you come in from Asia, or at the same time as flights from Thailand or Bali then they seem to go over everybody thoroughly. Also if flight are delayed or come in early they seem unable to call on extra staff to put bodies behind desks.

In this regard having a priority pass or tagged bags means nothing.

I had a great experience at SFO on Friday coming in on UA870, I was in F and was the first through customs (no other flights at this time), my bags were the first out, and although I normally get pulled by Agriculture (being on vineyards usually does it) I was waved through. Al in all it took 10 mins from plane to rechecking my bags.

I then went through one of the new body scanners to catch my next flight.

 

[sadlier]

I saw one post here mentioning an APEC pass. If anyone from Oz is travelling to Vietnam regularly then I can not imagine how you would survive without it.

I see a lot of speculation here about who actually handles the baggage for VN in MEL (and SYD and BNE) and what the pecking order is. But the simple truth is that the baggage handling is so much more efficient in Asia that its a joke.

So an overnight from SGN to BNE via MEL? Why? Why not SQ via SIN or CX via HKG or TG via BKK? All so simple and genuinely seamless.

All airlines operating in foreign ports have to put up with services and standards that they and their customers don't like. Some may recall the stuff that Ansett had to endure with their initial operations out of KUL. Or the current brawl the Star Alliance airlines are having with SASCO over lounge F & B services in SGN.

I go through MEL international maybe 20 times a year with different airlines (but never the rat) and baggage is rarely a big problem - I recall one NZ flight where they somehow jammed the door. And I usually have golf shoes to declare and that AQIS process rarely takes even 10 minutes - maybe there is something to be said for declaring stuff and showing some concern for our quarantine issues.

I have to be a tour guide for a bunch of Viets from SGN coming to a factory (yes a factory) on the Gold Coast next month and I have to say that anything other than SQ SGN SIN BNE was not even on the radar.

 

[2muchplastic]

I saw one post here mentioning an APEC pass. If anyone from Oz is travelling to Vietnam regularly then I can not imagine how you would survive without it.

I'm a British passport holder. Not eligible.

I see a lot of speculation here about who actually handles the baggage for VN in MEL (and SYD and BNE) and what the pecking order is. But the simple truth is that the baggage handling is so much more efficient in Asia that its a joke.

Even an airport like SGN can start spitting bags out on the conveyor 10 minutes after touchown. One of the reasons that lead me to start this tirade in the first place.

So an overnight from SGN to BNE via MEL? Why? Why not SQ via SIN or CX via HKG or TG via BKK? All so simple and genuinely seamless.

Several reasons:

1. Price - QF was cheapest by $1000+
2. Equipment - SQ was still operating their old 772s SIN-BNE, which I hated, and refused to pay full price J for an inferior J cabin.
3. TG was out - BKK was still on our corporate no fly list.
4. CX - terrible flight times. 0050 from BNE anyone?
5. Finally - mistake. Didn't realise it was "operated by Vietnam Airlines" until the e-ticket stage. I imagined it was going to be genuine red rat equipment

Now that SQ have their new A333s, reduced their prices and QF have increased theirs, it's SQ all the way.

All airlines operating in foreign ports have to put up with services and standards that they and their customers don't like. Some may recall the stuff that Ansett had to endure with their initial operations out of KUL. Or the current brawl the Star Alliance airlines are having with SASCO over lounge F & B services in SGN.

I don't find the Rose lounge in SGN too bad. Sure it's a little tatty, but there is food, beer and wireless on tap.