Goooooood Mornin Vietnam!

[N230UA]

Yet another rumor comes true.

Now we just have to wait for that DEL rumor to materialize...

 

[Cosmo]

Daily B747-400 service to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) will start once normal regulatory approvals are received. The flight will operate on a SFO-HKG-SGN routing. You can read United's press release about it here.

 

[Kev3188]

I gotta wonder why NW isn't/didn't get in on this......

 

[HPearlyretiree]

I just got back from 10 days in Vietnam for vacation. It was fantastic, great place, beautiful country, very friendly people, hotter than all hell in Saigon!

Gonna go back, but not on UA, I've really come to like EVA, and besides, I'm earning FF miles these days!

I think NW should also get a flight in via NRT. Cathay runs lots of flights from HKG. I did see a new carrier there, Lion Air, that flew to Singapore, but the plane was Indonesia flagged.

 

[Kev3188]

I think NW should also get a flight in via NRT. Cathay runs lots of flights from HKG. I did see a new carrier there, Lion Air, that flew to Singapore, but the plane was Indonesia flagged.

Is this is something NW can use their 5th freedom rights on, or are there bilateral issues involved?

 

[N230UA]

I gotta wonder why NW isn't/didn't get in on this......

The Vietnamese government is not keen on granting 5th freedom rights through Japan as it is very lucrative business for VN.

However, HKG is another case. Giving US carriers the ability to connect through HKG will let VN enter the SGN-USA market, possibly nonstop with a 777.

Because nwa is all about hubbing at NRT (and to a much lesser extent KIX), and not doing transpac flying directly to other Asian cities, HKG is not a good transit point for them.

nwa only flies to HKG through NRT. Meanwhile, UA runs nonstops from ORD and SFO, and tags a SIN leg onto one of them. At one point UA even had nonstops from LAX and JFK (jeebus what were they thinking?).

So... it's not practical for nwa to serve SGN cause they won't be able to do it through Japan.

Let NW have Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Kaioshung, etc.

Let UA have Ho-Town.

 

[Kev3188]

Let NW have Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Kaioshung, etc.

Let UA have Ho-Town.

Thanks for the info/post. By the way, NW quit flying to KUL & KHH.....

 

[JFK777]

It's about time a US airline fly again to Vietnam, since UA bought Pan Am's system it appropriate UA be the first to return since PA was the last to fly there. Vietnam Air won't be flying nonstop to California since it's to far for any 777 currently in service. 777LR should be able to fly that far, but that still a few years away.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

VN had a pretty new fleet of 777's, 767's and A320's (or 321, can't remember) along with a smattering of ATR 72's.

At the Dalat airport, they have a parked Yak-40 in front, next to a resturant, with seating under wing. An amazingly scary plane to see up close....

 

[laura62]

Yea! This has been a long time coming! I remember Steven Wolfe talking about going to Viet Nam!