Lucy

I posted this in the airlines forum but figured this one would get more traffic...<BR>Does anoyone have any experience flying Vietnam airlines be it good bad or indifferent (particularly on international flights)? I'm interested as they are the only airlines I could fly direct to Vietnam from Sydney & so would save the hassle of getting a connecting flight from Bangkok, HK or Singapore etc...however if they're at all dodgy (as they apparently were in the past with old russian planes) then I'll take an alternative airline. Also is it true they allow smoking on board on long haul flights even though according to their web site its not allowed? A travel agent told my friend that so she flew by Singapore airlines instead. Many thanks...

J

Lucy-I haven't flown Vietnam Air on long haul, but I did fly with them on several intra-Vietnam flights in January. I was very pleasantly surprised--the planes were new, things seemed very professionally run and everything was great (except for the in-flight snacks/meals). None of the planes we flew were Russian. And I'm a very fearful flyer. I don't know about the long-haul, but all the domestic flights were non-smoking. Have a wonderful trip. We loved Vietnam.

Alan

Lucy, in 1997 I flew from Sydney to Vietnam and back with Vietnam Airlines, and was extremely impressed. I did a bit of research at that time, and found that Vietnam Airlines had the second newest fleet of all major airlines. (Don't know whether that is still true, 4 years later, but at that time Ansett had about the oldest!) Anyway, the service was great, the food out of Sydney airport was the same as any airline flying out of Sydney (this is not a compliment), and the food from Ho Chi Minh City was very good indeed, especially an intriguing dessert which we have tried to copy at home since. Around the time we went, Australia's "darling" airline, Ansett, was being grounded for not doing routine and mandatory maintenance but signing it off anyway, so we were very glad that we were with Vietnam Airlines, about whom we never heard a bad word. Ten out of ten. (Same mark for Vietnam, especially if you get out of Ho Chi Minh City and head for Hanoi.)

Alan

Lucy, this is just another point that occurred to me, and has nothing to do with the question you asked... but, back when we flew, Vietnam Airlines offered three inetrnal flights FREE to all travellers who booked from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City. We did Ho Chi Minh- Hanoi, Hanoi-Hue, Hue-Ho Chi Minh. There were dozens of other possibilities. It wouldn't hurt for you to ask if that deal is still available, and maybe your inquiry will start it up again. The office is in Pitt St Sydney, down near the Quay.

Lucy

Thank you everyone for your helpful & reassuring replies! VN Air sounds like it will be fine...plus its cheaper which is a bonus! Thanks for your tip about discounts Alan - I will be doing other flights while I'm over there so will look into that - it can't hurt to ask!

Alan

Lucy, I really hope you enjoy your Vietnam Airlines flight. Re the internal flights thrown in, we booked this through Flight Centre, so a first point of approach might be one of their offices... I have found that often the airlines themselves don't want to talk about the "special deals" which they freely offer through agents. Good luck!<BR>(Back then, the price of $999 also included four nights accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City.)