Airlines charge customers for quick check-ins at HCMC airport

Overcrowding at Tan Son Nhat’s domestic terminal has seen operators like Vietjet Air, Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines charge passengers sick of the long queues a fee for priority check-ins.

On Sunday, a Vietjet booth offered quick check-in services for VND108,000.

“I paid for the service so my family wouldn’t have to wait too long,” said Le Kien, 32, en route to Hanoi.

Passengers could sign up for the “extra service,” applicable on both domestic and international routes, either when booking a ticket or at least three hours before flying.

Similarly, Bamboo Airways provides rapid check-ins for VND100,000 on domestic, and for VND140,000 on international flights, excluding tax.

A Bamboo representative said the service was launched based on customer demand and is not mandatory.

Despite its potential convenience, some passengers call the service discriminatory.

“Airlines should improve their customer service as a whole without charging extra fees,” said passenger Phuong Nhung.

A Tan Son Nhat representative said the quick check-in services were deployed by airlines themselves and were not included among airport taxes and fees.

A similar service had been proposed at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, but had met with disapproval due to its perceived promotion of inequality.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam on Tuesday met to evaluate the impact of these services.

Heightened summertime travel demand has boosted the number of passengers at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports, even to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.