Vietnam Airlines (info please)
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Would you encourage any A350 or 787 FO to come to VNA with the hope of being upgraded??
However, I will not discourage captains coming here looking for a tree-change, especially from wannabe legacy airlines such as Qatar and Emirates. It’s all the same shit, just a different environment which is what some captains are looking for.
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Yesse, for the third f*king time....NO I DO NOT recommend any FOs to come to VN with the hope of being upgraded. I totally agree with you on this one.
However, I will not discourage captains coming here looking for a tree-change, especially from wannabe legacy airlines such as Qatar and Emirates. It’s all the same shit, just a different environment which is what some captains are looking for.
So how bad can it be?
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Hanoi
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Doubts
Well, with these arguments, i have not anything else to say. I am happy of not being one of your recommended friends to go there. There are a few guys who were really happy due to clean and kiss some soft parts of the managers... Being upgraded to A350, 787 or they were forgiven when they made some huge mistakes... when they were almost out of the business due to the age. They will be always grateful with VNA. I see many of them here. So yes... now i can understand better your good opinion about that shiitty and corrupt company. Thanks God i am far away from there already, but you will never silent my voice to warn other colleagues to make the biggest mistake in their career joining VNA. Better Jetstar or even Vietjet, but VNA, specially for FO's A350 or 787... better forget about this place. Soon or later you will regret!! That's it, and i am saying the truth, and i will repeat 10000 more times!!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Eagles Nest
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Well, with these arguments, i have not anything else to say. I am happy of not being one of your recommended friends to go there. There are a few guys who were really happy due to clean and kiss some soft parts of the managers... Being upgraded to A350, 787 or they were forgiven when they made some huge mistakes... when they were almost out of the business due to the age. They will be always grateful with VNA. I see many of them here. So yes... now i can understand better your good opinion about that shiitty and corrupt company. Thanks God i am far away from there already, but you will never silent my voice to warn other colleagues to make the biggest mistake in their career joining VNA. Better Jetstar or even Vietjet, but VNA, specially for FO's A350 or 787... better forget about this place. Soon or later you will regret!! That's it, and i am saying the truth, and i will repeat 10000 more times!!
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Here is copy of my older post. Sorry if I may sounds like broken record like Yesse and Kimono :-) :
For those new to the contract world or living on Planet Delusional like Kimono:
- you are on loan by an agency. You are NOT working for THE airline.
- as a contractor you may be lucky to upgrade or change fleets as it has happened at VNA in the past, but you cannot expect it.
- you are looking for same treatment as the loclas: stay in your coutry and be a part of the locals.
- the length of your contract is worthless. The contract can be terminated from BOTH sides within a written time frame. This also gives you as pilot a way out, incase you are not happy where you are.
- you are being paid to fly an airplane from A to B and not to get involved in company planning and politics. This is THEIR company, your company is your agent.
- in most cases your contract will be honored and you will get paid on time for the services you provide. This is it.
Like many airlines, VNA is facing massive challenges. I was there many years.
Pros: Locals are mostly very nice, friendly and welcoming. They are a pleasure to work with. Pay is on time. Plenty new birds to fly and Vietnam is simply awsome and offers a very laid back life style. Despite the crazy traffic.
Cons: Substandard contract. No pay raise in almost 10 years, while inflation is through the roof. If you bring your family, you will be paycheck to paycheck. Overcrowded ATC environment and diminishing standards on flight deck, making the operation very challenging and extremely stressful.
Hope this is good info for those looking for detailed info without emotions involved.
For those new to the contract world or living on Planet Delusional like Kimono:
- you are on loan by an agency. You are NOT working for THE airline.
- as a contractor you may be lucky to upgrade or change fleets as it has happened at VNA in the past, but you cannot expect it.
- you are looking for same treatment as the loclas: stay in your coutry and be a part of the locals.
- the length of your contract is worthless. The contract can be terminated from BOTH sides within a written time frame. This also gives you as pilot a way out, incase you are not happy where you are.
- you are being paid to fly an airplane from A to B and not to get involved in company planning and politics. This is THEIR company, your company is your agent.
- in most cases your contract will be honored and you will get paid on time for the services you provide. This is it.
Like many airlines, VNA is facing massive challenges. I was there many years.
Pros: Locals are mostly very nice, friendly and welcoming. They are a pleasure to work with. Pay is on time. Plenty new birds to fly and Vietnam is simply awsome and offers a very laid back life style. Despite the crazy traffic.
Cons: Substandard contract. No pay raise in almost 10 years, while inflation is through the roof. If you bring your family, you will be paycheck to paycheck. Overcrowded ATC environment and diminishing standards on flight deck, making the operation very challenging and extremely stressful.
Hope this is good info for those looking for detailed info without emotions involved.
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Yesse, I wonder what in the hell happened to to you at VNA to cause you so much bitterness. You say you were there 15 years....it’s sad to see such bitterness considering you spent a large slice of your life’s journey there. Kind of like a marriage I guess - it didn’t work out for you and there are always two sides to the story. Good luck wherever you are.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Egoli
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Just a quick question. Is it a fact that when one starts you have to start on a 6/2 or 6/3 and after a year you can apply for a different pattern. Or is it just because I mist the beginning of the year ???
Thanks
Thanks
Join Date: Mar 1999
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You can "apply" for a different pattern once a year, but it's up to them whether they'll approve it. At the moment and for the foreseeable future, it's highly unlikely they'll approve anything that involves a reduction in working hours. If you want to increase your hours, that'll definitely be approved ...
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Hanoi
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Yesse, I wonder what in the hell happened to to you at VNA to cause you so much bitterness. You say you were there 15 years....it’s sad to see such bitterness considering you spent a large slice of your life’s journey there. Kind of like a marriage I guess - it didn’t work out for you and there are always two sides to the story. Good luck wherever you are.
Join Date: Apr 2017
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That's why i left, i saw their plans, and i didn't wait to give them the chance to f...ck me like they did with many other guys one year ago. Clear now?

Contract flying in Asia 101 - you are always a guest in their country, and when you are surplus to requirements, your ride on ‘their’ wave is over. For FOs this wave is always going to be shorter than the wave for captains. They were lucky to even have one at all, as local FOs can be pumped out of the flying school like a suasage factory. Most took the salary, the experienced gained and moved on. They all signed contracts with 60 day clauses and had their contracts terminated legally. So stop going on about them being ‘fired’, it’s getting old. They were surplus to requirements, for whatever reason.
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Very clear. Nothing actually happened to you, you just chose to leave as a pre-caution

Contract flying in Asia 101 - you are always a guest in their country, and when you are surplus to requirements, your ride on ‘their’ wave is over. For FOs this wave is always going to be shorter than the wave for captains. They were lucky to even have one at all, as local FOs can be pumped out of the flying school like a suasage factory. Most took the salary, the experienced gained and moved on. They all signed contracts with 60 day clauses and had their contracts terminated legally. So stop going on about them being ‘fired’, it’s getting old. They were surplus to requirements, for whatever reason.
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Hanoi
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the agencies are the intermediary. They both are to blame here, but the airline is who fire the people, well, better say, this airline is a kind of family business, the people on top are all of them related to someone else with power. They have no idea about the job, they are just there to study how to steal more money from inside, from the people. What happened is just an example of this. The airline is a disaster in general, just need to go to the office to realize about this. With that people in charge, is normal that if they find the way to earn some extra money ( i am talking about a few people on top ) cheating people, they will do it. 60 days notice and good bye. The agencies are just the bitc... hes of the airline. They will never fight for you. Just give you all the chances they have for you in other airlines, so they can still sucking your money. But the main problem is the airline. The agencies are to blame here only because they don't say the truth about VNA.
Join Date: Nov 2014
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Hi Folks,
a friend of mine contacted me and told me today VNA will charge him for a simulator. He canceled the screening and now should pay 2500 $ for what.....
All the cost must be payed by the applicant, Airport Tax, Hotel accomondation and so on.....of course you get some back after you signed the contract.....he just thinking about to
fly to VNA, do the screening and flies back home.
Could somebody give advises and hints....i told him to call unfit to fly and send a sickness certificate that stated he is not allowed to make a step into a plane....and fly 12 hours...
Have somebody same issue with VNA and the agencies
Thanks guys....
a friend of mine contacted me and told me today VNA will charge him for a simulator. He canceled the screening and now should pay 2500 $ for what.....
All the cost must be payed by the applicant, Airport Tax, Hotel accomondation and so on.....of course you get some back after you signed the contract.....he just thinking about to
fly to VNA, do the screening and flies back home.
Could somebody give advises and hints....i told him to call unfit to fly and send a sickness certificate that stated he is not allowed to make a step into a plane....and fly 12 hours...
Have somebody same issue with VNA and the agencies
Thanks guys....
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: VIETNAM
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I don't know if I would survive the chain smoking that goes on in the cockpits of vietnam airlines, much less on long haul flights, imagine 4 pilots smoking at the same time, you can smell it from business class from pushback to landing. they will never get FAA approval.
Join Date: May 2003
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Whatever you say. The thing is, would you recommend to any of your friends to work for VNA? Would you encourage any A350 or 787 FO to come to VNA with the hope of being upgraded?? Would you recomend any guy flying for Qatar, Emirates, or any other airline with undefined contract to change for VNA? That's the point!!!!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: asia
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Hi Folks,
a friend of mine contacted me and told me today VNA will charge him for a simulator. He canceled the screening and now should pay 2500 $ for what.....
All the cost must be payed by the applicant, Airport Tax, Hotel accomondation and so on.....of course you get some back after you signed the contract.....he just thinking about to
fly to VNA, do the screening and flies back home.
Could somebody give advises and hints....i told him to call unfit to fly and send a sickness certificate that stated he is not allowed to make a step into a plane....and fly 12 hours...
Have somebody same issue with VNA and the agencies
Thanks guys....
a friend of mine contacted me and told me today VNA will charge him for a simulator. He canceled the screening and now should pay 2500 $ for what.....
All the cost must be payed by the applicant, Airport Tax, Hotel accomondation and so on.....of course you get some back after you signed the contract.....he just thinking about to
fly to VNA, do the screening and flies back home.
Could somebody give advises and hints....i told him to call unfit to fly and send a sickness certificate that stated he is not allowed to make a step into a plane....and fly 12 hours...
Have somebody same issue with VNA and the agencies
Thanks guys....

Join Date: Mar 2019
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Vietjet vs Jetstar Pacific
Mistake or not I have commited myself to work for Vietjet or Jetstar, with upcoming simulator assesments for both of them, but have to make a choice.
According to what I hear, I cannot really get a clear picture for who is best. Can you please provide more information?