Vietnam Airlines Joins Skyteam (Scaryteam for KeithMEL)

[Kyo]

Here's the e-mail I just received from my favourite Indochinese airline:



Scary stuff

Especially theyre grammeratical errorz

[SliverKris]

Boooo! Instead of appointing MH, they chose this airline (apology in advance and no disrespect to VN fans).

[jadivindra]

Boooo! Instead of appointing MH, they chose this airline (apology in advance and no disrespect to VN fans).

I echo your thoughts that they should have given it to MH

[MegatopLover]

The Big Question is: What new routes does VN open up for those of us in ST?

Not many, it seems, except of course added frequencies into Vietnam and tons of domestic locations within Vietnam. There are some decent fares in Business between, for example, BKK and HAN/SGN.

VN may now be the BD of SkyTeam: Just 50,000 miles to SkyTeamElite Plus. I haven't figured out whether fare requirements make that impracticable.

[MAN Flyer]

The Big Question is: What new routes does VN open up for those of us in ST?

Not many, it seems, except of course added frequencies into Vietnam and tons of domestic locations within Vietnam. There are some decent fares in Business between, for example, BKK and HAN/SGN.

Actually, if you take off the USA-tinted spectacles , they offer quite a bit for those in other parts of the world like Europe and Australia, mainly one stop kangaroo routes from CDG (which is what AF will be interested in) and FRA to SYD and MEL. They are also supposed to be closer to getting their wish of flights to London, apparently waiting for slots at LHR to be donated/offered from another ST member.

In addition to this, they also offer a decent S.E. Asia network (they even fly to Busan !!) for European ST members who don't fly KL. This is the first ST member in the thick of the action around BKK/SIN etc. ICN/KE are too far out for Europeans to offer any meaningful network around there.

I agree with those who bemoan MH not being in there, but there seems to be no sign of a thawing in the relationship between them and AF (who have been against them joining) any time soon.

VN may now be the BD of SkyTeam: Just 50,000 miles to SkyTeamElite Plus. I haven't figured out whether fare requirements make that impracticable.

I am currently VN Silver so presumably will now become ST Silver. Is that worth anything ?.

[TerryK]

......I am currently VN Silver so presumably will now become ST Silver. Is that worth anything ?.

How's VN program compared to other Skyteam members?

[Pinkfloyd]

VN may now be the BD of SkyTeam: Just 50,000 miles to SkyTeamElite Plus. I haven't figured out whether fare requirements make that impracticable.

It's only 40K miles for Flying Blue to attain Gold (ST Elite Plus status), if you live outside France that is...

[KeithMEL]

Actually, if you take off the USA-tinted spectacles , they offer quite a bit for those in other parts of the world like Europe and Australia, mainly one stop kangaroo routes from CDG (which is what AF will be interested in) and FRA to SYD and MEL. They are also supposed to be closer to getting their wish of flights to London, apparently waiting for slots at LHR to be donated/offered from another ST member.

Along with GA's reasonable coverage of SE Asia, the inclusion of VN seems to present ST as a credible competitor to *A in the region, numbers-wise.

I'm a little baffled by the exclusion of MH also, considering the strong relationship they've had with KL. No idea why the animosity between MH and AF - AF currently has a codeshare agreement with QF on routes between Australia and CDG via SIN and HKG, you'd think they'd rather keep the traffic in-house and add to the traditional KL/MH relationship on Europe-Oz routes. Oh well, at least that might mean there is some small possibility that MH will join OW.

[MAN Flyer]

I'm a little baffled by the exclusion of MH also, considering the strong relationship they've had with KL. No idea why the animosity between MH and AF -

Well that started years ago over slots that MH wanted at CDG. AF used their power there to block them getting them initially but MH then cleverly used the fact that at the time the French were attempting to sell some Scorpene Submarines to the RMN, and asked the Government to insist MH got the slots at CDG as part of the deal. They did this, which left AF fuming and they still don't seem to have got over it.

You know what the French are like....

[KeithMEL]

Well that started years ago over slots that MH wanted at CDG. AF used their power there to block them getting them initially but MH then cleverly used the fact that at the time the French were attempting to sell some Scorpene Submarines to the RMN, and asked the Government to insist MH got the slots at CDG as part of the deal. They did this, which left AF fuming and they still don't seem to have got over it.

You know what the French are like....

Haha nice one! Intriguing...

[SilverChris]

Boooo! Instead of appointing MH, they chose this airline (apology in advance and no disrespect to VN fans).

+1! I thought if MH were to join an alliance it would be SkyTeam. That leaves OW now.. though highly unlikely IMO

[MAN Flyer]

How's VN program compared to other Skyteam members?

I am afraid I don't know anything about the Golden Lotus programme. I have held Silver for a few years now by accident rather than by design due to regular domestic hops in J and a smattering of SGN-BKK/SIN/CAN.

A friend of mine who earned a stack of miles did once go into one of their offices a few years back to see what he could do with his miles and got very short shrift from some rather bemused VN staff who thought he was rather strange wanting to actually do something with his miles.

[Guy Betsy]

Boooo! Instead of appointing MH, they chose this airline (apology in advance and no disrespect to VN fans).

MH has long been invited to join not only Skyteam but once upon a time ago to Oneworld even... but it is MH who declined joining a full alliance. So if you want to blame anyone... blame on MH management. However I didn't know about the AF/MH affair...!

It is the arrogance of MH management who believes that people will switch carriers to fly with "Malaysian Hospitality". When will this ulu people understand the importance of an alliance. That people will switch from MH to other carriers even if the fare is different or route is longer?

[KeithMEL]

MH has long been invited to join not only Skyteam but once upon a time ago to Oneworld even...

oneworld membership was handed to them on a silver platter as I recall:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...6/ai_62527183/

No idea what happened there in the end, but I suspect MH isn't entirely thrilled about QF's rather large hub down in SIN.

[Guy Betsy]

oneworld membership was handed to them on a silver platter as I recall:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...6/ai_62527183/

No idea what happened there in the end, but I suspect MH isn't entirely thrilled about QF's rather large hub down in SIN.

MH told BA/QF that they don't want to end up being a feeder airline to these two, and told them that MH will join only if both BA & QF move their hubs from SIN to KUL.

QF/BA laughed and said selamat jalan to MH !