This is major — after (literally) decades of talking about it, it looks like Vietnam Airlines will finally start offering regularly scheduled flights to the United States.
Continue reading: Whoa: Vietnam Airlines Launching San Francisco Flights
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I know SF is a bigger market but would think Seattle would work better for Delta connectivity. Would love to see United launch SFO to BKK to compete for SE Asia market but fat chance haha
This would defeat the purpose of providing a nonstop option for one of the biggest Vietnamese population centers in the USA...
Southern California has the largest Vietnamese diaspora of over 300,000 versus around 150000 in the Bay Area. LAX is also a Delta hub with more connectivity. There’s a ban on tourists entering Vietnam and having a payload restriction they are clearly operating for prestige
Always loved the airline's livery. Have flown a few times in Biz class between Australia and Asia, and they were pretty good. Standard reverse herringbone like many airlines, though a slightly cheaper version of the seat. Lounges in Vietnam were not modern, but comfortable nevertheless and provided all the basics paxs look for, and with nice tarmac and runway views.
As for the business plan...yup, odd.
There's been a trend to move electronics manufacturing to Vietnam (China trade war), so perhaps there's more business travel than most realize. Lots of products from Google and Apple are now made in Vietnam.
To be fair, LAX is one of Delta's smaller hubs, so perhaps they didn't think it was worth making an extra effort for...
Prestige is probably a huge factor. VN does not want to let QH be the first Vietnamese airline with nonstop scheduled flights to the US.
They may pick up some air freight business on this route for tech companies who have moved production to Vietnam vs China. There used to be a bunch of code-shared flights for Vietnam-SFO route that they can now grab themselves... And previously those travelers packed a LOT of checked luggage/boxes.
I just assumed this was for political reasons. Vietnam Airlines is state-owned and this route makes sense for geopolitical reasons.
Wierd. Vietnam isn't even open yet. I booked tickets for June 2022 and am crossing my fingers that Vietnam is fully open by then as I am planning to travel throughout Vietnam this coming summer.
As others have pointed out, there's quite a bit of tech sector connection between Silicon Valley and Vietnam. I suspect that they're counting on being able to shut off 100 or so seats in economy, carry a full biz class cabin and get high yields on the economy class seats that they do fill. Plus, of course, cargo.
Perhaps the Vietnamese communities in San Jose and San Francisco are wealthier than the one in LA thus VN Airline can charge more for the flight.
Considering this new route may largely cater to a leisure market, it is strange that it is operating as an overnight flight in both directions.
There is no way an airline can showcase itself doing overnighters, where a meal is served immediately on takeoff with the crew disappearing for the rest of the flight, with maybe a pre-arrival snack meal before arrival.
Of course if cargo, especially fresh produce, is what it's all about it makes perfect sense. Cargo is totally indifferent to the time of day it flies.
One has to wonder what makes VN so well-managed compared to other Southeast Asian flag carriers such as TG, MH, GA and PR. Those have tried and repeatedly failed (with the exception of PR) to have long-haul service to the US, and yet VN is able to do so. Also, it has had a proper strategic acquisition of A350s and 787s, unlike Thai, which wanted a hodgepodge fleet of pretty much every widebody aircraft type in existence, and Garuda, which cannot decide whether to keep or retire its 777s with first class, and is unlikely to ever operate fuel-efficient A350s and 787s (though GA does have the A330-900neo). It is commendable how VN is able to pursue sustainable growth on par with SQ, the only truly well-managed flag carrier in Southeast Asia, and one of the best in the world.
I love it! I have family’s in Southeast Asia. Which I go twice a year. It just make it easier for me from layover to other asian country. It’s just a one next stop to my destination. I’m happy that
Vietnam airlines has a new city launching from SGN to SFO.
I can’t wait to go on. Especially now with everything up. You get what you pay for. I even thought it’s more than the other layover airlines to but with food, resting and hotel. It all add up the same. But that’s my preference. Therefore, congratulations VN and welcome to SFO. Can’t wait to fly with you guys looking forward! In the meantime mask up, stay home, and safe, and get vaccinated! I’m a healthcare worker!
Why not fly to SJC? San Jose has the largest Vietnamese population of any city outside of Vietnam, and I'm sure the folks at Mineta would be more than happy to give them primo gates and slots, given the current lack of long-haul flights at the airport.
I love how the announcement of any new route brings out the armchair airline executives at OMAAT who know better.
With an extra helping of local civic boosters, who wonder why their little backwater burg wasn’t the obvious choice.
Viva la internet!
Precisely. If one needs connectivity, they'll connect through ICN or TYO (i.e., HND or NRT). These will reach most major markets in North America.
Instead of assuming VN’s planes are magically heavier on this route probably easier to assume that they intend to carry more cargo. Combine that with business class traffic for tech companies and nonstop connectivity for the large Bay Area Vietnamese population and it might be less wild than it looks.
Vietnam is not open to any foreign tourists, except for pilot projects in Hoi An (where hundreds of American tourists have arrived, just this week), Nha Trang and Phu Quoc.
Why do you keep insisting that "XYZ destination is closed to Americans," when nationality has nothing to do with it?
Lucky, you touched on an important point here and that is how the LA Basin is a much bigger market for US-Vietnam travel. And, LAX is a hub for Skyteam partner DL. So, to me, LAX would have made more sense to me than SFO - at least as an initial route. I would say that LAX and SFO would be the two top contenders for a nonstop to Vietnam based on market size and number of residents who have ties to SE Asia.
I'd assume that since these ULR flights are driven largely by VFR traffic, SFO probably struck the right balance between permitting a flight w/ slightly shorter stage length and having a large enough target demographic, allowing them to test the waters before moving on to LAX. This isn't west coast-SIN; the ~300nm advantage that SFO has over LAX probably makes a huge difference in terms of economics given that the target population is likely way more price-sensitive.
Interesting that they decided to run the route from Ho Chi Minh City rather than Hanoi. It's over 500 miles closer, which on a flight that has to take a weight restriction could be significant. Although like you mention, it's strange that there needs to be a weight restriction in the first place, given that the flight is 7838 miles and should be pretty comfortably within the range of both the 787-9 or the A350.
Sure, LA has a bigger expat/Vietnamese-American population than SF...but maybe the airline is thinking about Vietnamese folks IN VIETNAM and where they want to go, rather than where Americans want to go?
chill out , could seem to be a bit harsh to a foreign commenter. just abrupt. Noting your strong defense of the USA based blogger "are you a personal friend" ?
I don’t know Ben/Lucky…but the response from the commentator was just over-the-top.
I think most of his followers are US based…but glad for him that he has international fans.
We all have access to the web, so use it for info about your respective country’s border entry requirements.
Several airlines have great info. I’ve been traveling a lot, and AA’s Sherpa and Kenya Airways (don’t know the name of the program they use) are great. We’re adults, so act like it.
PS … Kayak.com also has a great program to see entry requirements for all the countries.
I'm just going to take a wild guess here and say that it's because the route is from the U.S. to Vietnam, so Americans are the relevant population in this case.
Saying it's closed to Americans does not mean it's not also closed to others as well. That's just not nearly as relevant in this case given that the flight we are talking about is from the U.S.
1. They might have only been able to get a slot at SFO.
2. The inbound flight from SGN will take enough cargo to largely cover the overhead costs of the flight. Air cargo rates out of Vietnam are astronomical right now, and I would not be surprised to see VNA wanting a piece of that action.
@Ben Given there is no passenger inventory for sale are we sure this is not a cargo only flight like QF12 or NZ1008/9 during the pandemic
Yes, they are starting service into SFO but it is the Bay Area that is the local market. There will be connections throughout the US with interline agreements. Yes, this flight will lose money but might be supplemented with cargo.
Because the return flight cost about 4,000$ per passenger including flight, hotel for quarantine, and etc. costs. If you can do a simple math, the airfare itself can cost per passenger about $3000, impacted seated.
Reason: Vietnamese government does not allow any other commercial flights, except Vietnam airline. Its Vietnamese citizens must return Vietnam. Regular price about $1000 for a return flight ticket, which can help a commercial flight generate profit. Thinking of about $3000 per one way flight.... You can understand why the Vietnamese government now just allows one Vietnam Airline.
Americans do NOT want invading commie Vietnamese coming into our country! Now the pregnant broads will start arriving, live in group homes and then dump their anchor baby load (all paid for by our taxpayers including our disabled), then start inviting all their commie friends and relatives over here! WE ARE FULL UP and as a taxpayer I am tired of footing the bill for these diseased INVADERS!
Well they can sponge off Medicaid since they are "minorities with diversity." Vietnamese get disability retirement by claiming they can’t make a living as fishermen and because they are 40ish, too old to retrain(!) and have a language problem, they are given SSI. SSI is also given to elderly immigrants from Russia (and probably many other foreign countries) because their families cannot afford to support them. I have no problem with my tax dollars helping or taking care of disabled United States citizens but it really burns me that immigrants from foreign countries can get public funded services. We are being ripped off.
What part of SAFETY/SECURITY/FINANCIAL SLAVERY don't our politicians understand?!!
Oh that's right, the commie Dems WANT a communist takeover in this country.
Why would you want to support them with your dollars? They ARE communists, correct? Then go there but don't come back.
Yes. I once met a Vietnam vet and his wife who were outraged that our country GIVES homes to Vietnamese - while he as a veteran was able to get a home loan but it wasn't GIVEN to him!!
This is an INVASION of our country - like our southern border problem - and needs to be stopped.
Vietnam Air chose San Francisco because they want to see all the homeless people on the streets. Its become a tourist attraction to see America is slowly becoming a third world country.