PH>VN: Singapore To Ho Chi Minh
Good sleep, I woke up early and happy! Lucky too, my flight's gate assignment was F30. No long walks needed this morning! The gate is near to where I slept, even nearer to where I ate last night and today!
After my morning rituals and breakfast upstairs at Straits Food Village, I came back at boarding time.
Now imagine how many boarding gates there are, in all of Changi Airport's terminals. That's why they can afford to let all passengers (arriving and/or departing) mix in only 1 concourse. Yes, just one floor.
Compare that to other airports! For example, in the Philippines, departures and arrivals are at separate floor levels. At KLIA2, you have to climb many floors and walk very long whether arriving or departing!
Here in Singapore, look at the picture above... as I took that pic of our boarding queue, behind me were arriving passengers on the way to immigration clearance procedures. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Try multiplying the number of gates in all of Changi Airport X2 x-ray machines per gate. OMG wow!
It is obvious that Singapore prioritizes safety, comfort and convenience of passengers.
Anyway, boarding was eventually called. This is the carpeted aerobridge of Gate F30.
Once seated, I immediately noticed that the safety information cards looked rather still clean and new.
For the curious, both airlines are/were subsidiaries of Singapore Airlines. Tiger Air started in 2003 as a Low Cost Carrier serving Souteast Asia, while Scoot Air is another Low Cost Carrier that serves medium and long-haul routes from Singapore. Those were all over & above Silk Air (MI), SIA's regional carrier!
When Tiger Air (TR) was merged into Scoot Air (TZ), they retained Tiger's license but decided to keep Scoot's brand. Thus, it's now called Scoot Air, callsign still Scooter, but using the IATA Airline Code TR!
Here's more: when ScootAir started, their planes were exclusively Boeing B-777s. Along the way, some B-787 Dreamliners were added. They proudly bannered they were an "all-Boeing" airline (yep, Boeing was also proud of them). But merger with TigerAir brought-in 30+ Airbuses. So, "All Boeing" no more!
On boarding, I looked-out to Gate F31. The plane there was an original Scoot plane - B787 Dreamliner.
I smiled! Why? Because statistically speaking there had been more accidents on a Boeing plane than an Airbus plane in the past so many years that I can still remember. Oh well, wala lang, just saying heheh!
Besides, I think they've retained their routes even if already merged, meaning Scoot to far places using B-777 or B-787, and Tiger for nearby places. Eh I was going to nearby Vietnam, so our plane was A320.
Alright, here we go! A 07:11AM shot of Changi as we taxied out to our assigned runway for takeoff.
Nice early-morning takeoff from SIN Runway 20C, WSSS, 48698! Time was 0714H.
Let's make the long story short, after about 2 hours in the air, I took this picture. Time 07:48AM!
Yeah, if we have our "West Philippine Sea", then they should have their "East Vietnam Sea". Got that?! Oo 'di lang tayo, Vietnam man at ibang bansa, inaagawan din ng lupain, ng mga kampon ni Xi Jin Ping.
Anyway, there's another interesting trivia on this flight, and it has something to do with time. I'm sure you did not notice! If you go back, I said - takeoff was 0714H, and after about 2 hours in the air, 0748H na!
How did that happen? After flying for almost 2 hours, ala eh the time elapsed was a mere 34 minutes?!
Okay you guessed it - that is because of the irregular time zones that many countries use. In this case, Vietnam is GMT+7 while Singapore is GMT+8 (even if Singapore is further west than Ho Chi Minh). Da!
Per schedule my ETD from Singapore was 7:05AM, travel time 2hrs 10mins, and ETA SGN 8:15AM!
Landing approach to Ho Chi Minh a.k.a Saigon Airport (SGN) from the northeast to Runway 25R.
Here's a video clip of our landing on Runway 25R.
Most of those captured in that picture are new 'locatees' of a fairly new economic zone, including the circular areas at lower edge, which is an IT Park! Oh yes, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) has grown fast and big!
Even this Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) has grown really mightily big and beautiful!
Now this has grown bigger & better than its old self. But compared to NAIA T1, T2 or T3, am not sure!
Ganun din, after immigration, you go down via stairs or escalators to the arrival baggage carousels.
The similarities with our airports, by the way, go beyond just that! Are you ready? Read on!
At baggage carousel areas, that are supposed to be 'sterile' - meaning incoming passengers only, there already are people meeting passengers - some of them display names written on 'placards' while some others do not. Why?! Wheh, no need to ask! Mga pinalusot sila ng kung sinu-sinong airport personnel!
That is already a form of graft & corruption, right? O eh, di parang sa atin nga!
After customs inspection, there are banks, money changers, SIM Card stores and coupon taxi services at the lobby. Some of these vendors approach you offering their services. Parang sa atin pa rin, di ba?
Note: it felt like I was a first-timer in this city, since I was last here more than two decades ago! And in those times, I always had hotel transfer service. So, feeling a 'first-timer' I opted to get a coupon taxi!
Why did I do those 5 precautionary steps? Ah, because I already knew hindi lang tayo ang magagaling sa panloloko ng pasahero! Vietnam's taxi drivers are as scheming as ours. Aruuu, baka nga mas masahol pa!
Let's expound on those 5 precautions:
On item #1] - if they have a coupon-taxi-counter at the arrival area, they must be legit, right?
On item #2] - once I see a "service provider" na palakad-lakad sa lobby, instead of staying put at their designated counter, tapos pabulong magsalita, duda na agad ako. I don't transact with them. They may be in uniform and may even turn-out to be legit, but I don't talk to them unless they're at the counters.
There are many impostors in the world today, we won't easily know them. But, if they're at the proper counter and you did your transaction there, and something still happened to you, by reviewing a CCTV footage of the area, airport authorities will be answerable to you. Bakit nasa counter ang mandurugas!
On item #3] - that's usual, a coupon taxi is more expensive than if you just hailed one out on the street. But if you're a first-timer at a foreign city, this is a safer choice. Even best if your hotel can pick you up.
Have you tried those coupon taxis at NAIA? Yung mga asungot na nakapila ka na nga sa yellow airport taxi, susundan ka pa rin with a "taxi sir". They are legit, but their rates are - hihimatayin ka sa mahal!
On item #4] - if you already paid at the counter, fare won't change wherever in hell your driver passes!
On item #5] - you already have your hotel's phone anyway, try asking, they usually know better!
Aw, maybe I should add an item #6] arrange for an airport pickup service (even if bit more expensive) if you're staying at popular luxury hotels. You have to answer "where you going", once they know that, they'll be in a rush to empty your pocket, thinking you're a stupid filthy rich throwing money around!
Mine was Hotel Intercontinental Saigon - pangalan pa lang, takaw manggagantso na!
By the way, when you walk out of the arrival area lobby of this airport, parang Pilipinas din, bumabaha ng mga sasalubong, thus, there are barricades to prevent them from blocking the passengers' way out!
Parang 'Pinas nga talaga. Para kang K-Drama artista na lumalabas ng airport. Ang daming fans!
Oh, look at the right panel of that photo above. That's where you wait for your vehicle, whether private or taxi. By-and-by, a tout will approach (mukhang goons din parang sa atin!), offering a taxi, etc., etc.!
It is a smoking area by the way hehehe, and there are ash trays everywhere! And those numbered posts that are supposed to be your location references, are called "pillars" in this place. Pillars, correct diba?
Okay okay, enough na, I arrived na! Let's roam the city next!
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