VN salaries

[9Ws]

Looks like Vietnam will induct a few 320/321s in 2006-2008 and would surely need some more expat crew?

Could anyone flying for them tell me what the salaries are for expat First Officers (and Captains) on the A-320 fleet?

Comments on any "extras" and accommodation provided/not-provided are also very welcome.

Thanks in advance!

[Lost in Saigon]

Depends on your contractor. (there are some small differences in terms and conditions)

F/O $6,500 USD per month
CA $9,000 USD per month

This includes all allowances. But you can live quite well on $1000-$2000 per month.

This of course is all tax free in Vietnam. It is up to you and your accountant (or your conscience) to figure out if you want to pay tax anywhere else.

I usually tell people how good it is here, but I finally figured out it is better to say that it is a terrible place and no one should bother coming to Vietnam.

(That way they will have to pay the rest of us more to stay) :D

[Icebreaker]

LostinS,

when are the 321s set to arrive? Are these going to supplement or replace some other 320/321s in the fleet?

[ia1166]

321s arriving slowly. The 10 A320s may be replaced. Crews are leaving occasioanly for personal reasons so slots come up. The only way to know is to contact the 3 contract companies directly as they all have quotas. the order of preference is PARC, RISH and EURO.

I'm happy here and so are most people i know. Probably why there is never much on PPRUNE. We're all out enjoying ourselves.

[Lost in Saigon]

photo removed due to sensitive subject matter

[Kaptin M]

You are soooooooooo kind to those poor little waifs, LiSyou can live quite well on $1000-$2000 per month. ...all depends how many "dependants" you're supporting at any given time! :p

[Undecided username]

Hey LiS (MS),

Pilliging any overtime at VN ??

Obviously you must be pillaging the women there.;)

[Soho_Sophie]

That's all I have to say from my time there - Plenty of desperate women for any number of ugly men.:rolleyes:

The drop-dead gorgeous men just weren't to be seen walking the streets with the saigon ladies.:hmm:

[Lost in Saigon]

These are not "Desperate Women".

It sounds like Sophie didn't spend enough time in Vietnam to understand the real reasons why so many Vietnamese women have western boyfriends and husbands. It is mainly tourists and those who are new to Vietnam that tend to meet the "working girls". Many of those are poor, uneducated girls from rural areas who do not speak much English. These girls want to better their life the fast, easy way, but you still really can't call them "Desperate Women".

It only takes a short time before an expat realizes that the girls who speak English well are university educated and generally have good jobs. Many are small business owners or have management positions with major international corporations. They sometimes have lived and worked in other countries or travel abroad with their careers. Some of these girls make more money than their expat boyfriends. Money is not the major attraction. Neither is the prospect of leaving Vietnam. I have met many of these educated girls who do not want to get married and leave Vietnam. They realize that they can have a quality life in Vietnam and not have to endure culture shock and racism in a far off, foreign land.

It is a combination of things that makes western men attractive to Vietnamese women. Western men are culturally different than Vietnamese men. They treat their women better and are in general just more fun to hang out with. Vietnamese women find western features attractive. It really doesn't matter what a man looks like. They consider almost anyone with western features attractive. Amazingly even a big belly is attractive to many Vietnamese women. "Buddha Bellies" seem to be well liked both men and women in Vietnam. Big noses are considered attractive simply because they are different than Vietnam noses.

Most western men seem to find Vietnamese women attractive for a variety of cultural and physical reasons.

So it tends to be a mutually beneficial arrangement overall.

[BANANASBANANAS]

So, let me get this straight. Some of the most beautiful girls in the world are attracted to pot bellied, broken nosed, aged westerners, whose faces look like they caught fire when they were babies and their mothers put them out with cricket bats!

Sounds too good to be true. Where do I sign up?

[flightleader]

Out of curiosity, why is the lady holding you t^tties? Was there alot of cash in that pocket? Or perhaps it should be the other way around?:O

[Soho_Sophie]

Thanks LOST.... You almost sounded like you belived what you wrote.:)

Ever heard of Rose Hancock?

[Foreign Worker]

Were you one of those loud mouthed, big-bellied, Soho-orientated, desperate, dollar-charging, local ladies of the night?

Or were you one of the washed-up, fat assed, ugly women who couldn't cut it with the slim, quietly spoken, Asian ladies?

Wanna get nasty?
Rose Hancock was a Filipino.
Ho Chi Minh was Vietnamese!
Ever heard of the War in VietNam?
Thanks SOHO. You almost sounded like you belived (sic) what you wrote!

[9Ws]

Sorry to butt in and spoil the "fun side" of this post by getting back to the original topic... ;)

...does VN offer command upgrades to A320/A321 F/Os who might have originally joined them with say 500hrs on type? Have they offered upgrades to anyone at all for that matter?

[MJPilot]

LostInSaigon, don't listen to these people, they are just jealous.

Keep having fun. Who knows, when the time is right, I might head that way also.

[Lost in Saigon]

Sorry, no upgrades.


But from time to time there are rumours.......

[millerscourt]

Bananas You don't sign up old son as you are on your way to SQ where life is totally different to what Lost in Saigon is up to!!

Just remember when you get there OIC is the catchphrase and you will be OK. No more trips to the office like in RBA to discuss matters that are wrong as you see it. Enjoy singing the company song during your induction.

I guess as the" Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig" is native to that country then some Westerners look familiar to the locals!?:{

[ia1166]

Hey sophie, judging from your interests its hardly suprising that you don't like it here. try getting out more. its a free world you know. maybe you should go to the middle east where i've seen plenty of beautiful western girls hanging off old obese rich locals, and ignoring expats coz we don't shower them with gold. At lest here its all up front.

I'm happy here and its a whole lot better than the land of sand. Money could be better though, but thats life.

Anyone who wants info on the 320/321 fleet can pm me.

Cheers easy.

[NZLeardriver]

Any chance for someone without a type, but with plenty of jet time?

[Lost in Saigon]

You need to have at least 500 hours on type to be considered.

[NZLeardriver]

Thanks anyway. If it that ever changes (or I get time on type), I'll be there in a flash.

[fullforward]

Thank you for the good and unbiased posts.
Nice to know you are enjoying your days in HCM. I miss my few layovers there some years ago, for another asian carrier.
I am currently on 777. Do you think VN will be calling DECs for the triple in a foreseable future?

Cheers and kiss the girls for me!:ok:

[Lost in Saigon]

There have been many DEC's on the 777 and I would expect more.......

[ia1166]

i agree. there have been plenty. have you called the agencies?

[fullforward]

I'm watching the news.
There are some possibilities: besides VN EK, EY, SK, QR. All reasonable outfits looking for DECs. Which is the best? Which suits better for a family with two young kids?
There are an endless list of questions.