My Trip Through Wattay Airport
So, I recently flew out of Vientiane, Laos, using Wattay International Airport. I thought I’d share how it went, just my own walk-through of the place.
Getting there was easy enough. Grabbed a ride, not too much traffic, which was a nice change from some other capital cities I’ve been in. Pulled up to the terminal, and honestly, it felt pretty manageable, not overwhelming like those giant mega-airports.
Walked inside. First impression? It’s definitely not brand new, has a bit of an older feel, but it was clean. Found my airline’s check-in counter without much trouble. The queue wasn’t too bad. Stood there for maybe 15 minutes. The staff behind the counter seemed pretty relaxed, not rushed. Handed over my passport and bag, got my boarding pass. Pretty standard stuff, really, but just felt calmer than usual.
Going Through Security and Immigration
Next up was security and immigration. This part always makes me a bit tense, no matter where I am. Took out my laptop, belt off, the usual drill. The equipment looked a bit dated, maybe? But they did their job. The security folks were professional, didn’t bark orders, just pointed where they needed me to go.
Immigration was right after. Again, not a huge line. The officer looked at my passport, stamped it, handed it back. Didn’t say much, but it was quick. Honestly, the whole security and passport control process probably took less than 20 minutes total. That was a relief.
Waiting in the Departure Lounge
Once I was through, I ended up in the departure lounge. It’s not massive. There are a few gates, some seating areas, and a couple of shops.
- Found a place to sit down easily enough.
- Looked around the shops – the usual duty-free stuff, some local souvenirs too. Prices seemed okay, maybe a little high like most airports.
- Grabbed a coffee from a small café stand. It wasn’t fancy, but it did the job.
The vibe in the lounge was pretty low-key. Not too noisy, people just sitting around, waiting. It felt quite different from the hustle and bustle you get in places like Bangkok or Singapore. Less frantic energy, you know? You could actually just sit and relax a bit before the flight without feeling like you were in a shopping mall.
Boarding and Takeoff
When it was time to board, they made the announcement. Went to the gate, showed my pass again. We didn’t use a jet bridge for my flight; we walked out onto the tarmac and climbed the stairs onto the plane. I always find that kind of cool, feels a bit old-school travel.
Got settled in my seat, plane wasn’t completely full. We pushed back pretty much on time. Taxiing didn’t take long since it’s not a huge airfield.
Overall, flying out of Wattay was a pretty smooth experience. It’s a smaller airport, for sure. Doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, the fancy shops, or the high-tech feel of the giant hubs. But you know what? It was efficient, relatively stress-free, and got the job done without any fuss. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need when you travel.
