Experience of flying in transit from the 'sweating' incident of international students

 Experience of flying in transit from the 'sweating' incident of international students

Due to choosing two flights that were too close to each other, and lack of documents to prove legal residency, Minh was almost refused to fly when transiting in Singapore to Italy.

Tran Binh Minh, 24 years old, an international student in Italy for 5 years 2015-2020. After graduating with a bachelor's degree at Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Minh returned to Vietnam, working at a media company. Because Vietnam does not have a direct flight to Milan, Italy, every time Minh returns home, he has to fly in transit.

During his 5 years in Italy, Minh had many memorable transit flight experiences and lessons.

On a flight from Noi Bai, Vietnam, to Milan, Italy, I chose Singapore Airlines and transited at Changi Airport, Singapore. Transit time is 1 hour 30 minutes.

On the first flight to Singapore, when it was about to arrive, the plane had to circle around the airport for dozens of minutes, unable to land because Changi Airport was overloaded. As the plane parked on the runway, I looked at my watch and worried. Normally, at that time, I should have sat on the second flight to continue the Singapore - Italy route.

The terminals of Changi Airport are far apart, sometimes even kilometers away. I think if I tried to call or wait for the tram at that time, it would take a few more minutes. Frustrated, I decided to go for a run. After more than 10 minutes, I rushed to the security gate, saw a ground staff urging anyone who had not boarded a flight to Milan to get on the plane immediately.

I quickly shouted "Me" (me) and raised my hand, intending to run straight to the door but forgot about the security check. I was held by the security staff, forced to remove all my belongings to check, then, continued to be checked by the airline's people for tickets and visas. At that time, one side repeatedly urged "Sir, please, hurry up!" (Hurry up, please), the other side hasn't completed the formalities yet.

Ironically, at that time I was renewing my residence card in Italy. During the renewal process, the Italian police gave me a receipt, the content of which was to confirm that I am renewing my card and legally reside. However, that receipt was written entirely in Italian, an uncommon language at the airport. The staff checking the ticket and visa did not understand the content, they were planning to not let me through the door. At that time, I was extremely nervous, had to explain everything again, and at the same time let them take a photo of my ID before I could give it away.

Stepping onto the plane, I was out of breath, drenched in sweat. I saw that the entire plane was full, the passengers were seated, and the luggage was also stowed. So I understood I was the last one and the whole plane waited for quite a while. All eyes were on me, making me feel so embarrassed, I just wish people would understand that it wasn't because of me that the flight was late. Looking at my watch, I saw that the flight was over 30 minutes past. When I took my seat, less than 10 minutes later the plane took off.

Arriving in Milan, I thought it was the end of an arduous trip, but it turned out not to be. Wait, I still don't see the luggage. I panicked, thought it was lost, so I went to the lost counter to check, but it turned out that the luggage was stuck in Singapore. I got on the plane in time but the luggage was not because the staff could not transfer the goods between the two flights too close together. I had to describe the package, from the material, the design to the furniture inside, to receive it the next day.

A corner of Changi Airport, Singapore. Photo: New York Times

A corner of Changi Airport, Singapore. Photo: New York Times

That time, if the two flights I didn't sign up for were on the same Singapore Airlines, there's a good chance the plane wasn't waiting for me. Therefore, when flying in transit, international students should choose two flights of the same airline. When the first flight is delayed or has an error, the airline will be responsible for supporting, compensating passengers or waiting like in my case. Conversely, if the two flights are on different airlines, although the delay may not be your fault, the following flight has no reason to wait for you.

In addition, I learned the lesson that you should not choose two flights too close to each other. My two flights were only 1 hour and 30 minutes apart, which meant just enough time to get off the plane of the first transfer and check in to get on the next flight. If there is an error or problem, the possibility of being delayed like me is very high.

I think the transit time of about 3 hours is just right. You can have a snack, check in and do some personal things, and get some rest before your next (usually longer) flight. In another transit flight, I had to wait for more than 10 hours and felt extremely tired when I had to sleep in a chair at the airport.

In some countries, if the transit time is long, more than 10 hours, passengers can be given a paper that allows them to leave for a certain period of time. In that case, you can take advantage of shopping and dining, but you need to pay attention to the specified time. If you do not return to the airport overtime, you may be considered illegal entry or delay your next flight.