Vietnam Airlines (info please)
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Italy
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's not a matter of pizza I would like to talk with an Italian about the life in Ho Chi Minh city, I'm not a pilot I'm an engineer
Last edited by walterdiba; 29th Dec 2017 at 13:05.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 36N 33E
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Also, it seems that some sort of seniority system is in place (first to pay 7-10k under the table to the fleet chief will be “considered”)...
Word of wisdom: If you wish to do your initial A350 with quality, do it NOW; you’ll be trained by pro’s in France; don’t wait until the Type is trained in Saigon with local instructors...
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Europe
Age: 40
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So how is it really now and the next 5 years
Hi guys!!
Wow!! What a lot of pages to go through and what a lot of different stories!!
So how is it really now and the next 5 years??!!
I am a ‘settled’ Cpt A320c in Europe and considering a move into Asia and therefor contracting pilot.
(Due to wife needing a tropical climat physically and also looking for a new challenge myself as I am getting bored with the job here).
Any Dutch guys out here??
Thanks everyone already for more up2date experiences and looking forward for advise and info!! (Good or if bad, advise to where to go instead)!
Wow!! What a lot of pages to go through and what a lot of different stories!!
So how is it really now and the next 5 years??!!
I am a ‘settled’ Cpt A320c in Europe and considering a move into Asia and therefor contracting pilot.
(Due to wife needing a tropical climat physically and also looking for a new challenge myself as I am getting bored with the job here).
Any Dutch guys out here??
Thanks everyone already for more up2date experiences and looking forward for advise and info!! (Good or if bad, advise to where to go instead)!
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: gijon
Age: 60
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jeez if you don’t wanna kill yourself, don’t come. Roster on the 320 is getting tougher by the day. No mercy on your standbys and schedule changes almost everyday either by retime or different sectors. The Chinese charters will be increasing in the near future. If you’re gonna be doing Chinese sectors, you might as well be flying for the Chinese for double the pay. Not worth the effort here. Guys are leaving on a monthly basis. And the fat bitch in the roster will keep on changing your vacations because they don’t enough people.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 36N 33E
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi guys!!
Wow!! What a lot of pages to go through and what a lot of different stories!!
So how is it really now and the next 5 years??!!
I am a ‘settled’ Cpt A320c in Europe and considering a move into Asia and therefor contracting pilot.
(Due to wife needing a tropical climat physically and also looking for a new challenge myself as I am getting bored with the job here).
Any Dutch guys out here??
Thanks everyone already for more up2date experiences and looking forward for advise and info!! (Good or if bad, advise to where to go instead)!
Wow!! What a lot of pages to go through and what a lot of different stories!!
So how is it really now and the next 5 years??!!
I am a ‘settled’ Cpt A320c in Europe and considering a move into Asia and therefor contracting pilot.
(Due to wife needing a tropical climat physically and also looking for a new challenge myself as I am getting bored with the job here).
Any Dutch guys out here??
Thanks everyone already for more up2date experiences and looking forward for advise and info!! (Good or if bad, advise to where to go instead)!
VNA will bond you for one month salary if you intent to leave early, but the training they give is a almost joke; can’t comment on VJ and JS.
Looking into the crystal ball: overall a lot of Expats are not happy with what they see; there is a fairly big demand for Captains in the A321, upgrade to Line Training Pilot will be very quick (if you volunteer, something a lot don’t want as it’s high risk and only $800 more) but VNA is not interested in increasing the pay, so you’ll be flying with quite a few interesting characters...
Another note: You could also become one of the A350 carrot chasers... 🤦🏼*♂️
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: asia
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
-Out of the three options in Vietnam, VNA is probably the best overall
-Good chances of getting your 5 year contract respected
-Working atmosphere is quite relaxed, as long as you’re a “standard pilot” and follow SOPs, you’ll stay out of trouble
-Quite reasonable food served on every sector, so generally no need to worry about taking your lunch to work
-If your plan is to commute, they have decent working rosters available and a business seat on their network to catch a flight to wherever you’re heading to.
-If your base is Hanoi, and live in Tay Ho, a 25 minute -traffic free- ride on taxi or bus will get you to the airport.
-Vietnam is not cheap, but also not as expensive as other cities where we have options to work at
-Vietnam is safe -low crime rate- and with a proper mindset, also a cool place to live in
-Locals are generally nice guys to fly with, specially the recently released
The Bad
-Workload has increased lately. Safety Exterior Inspection, Preliminary Cockpit Inspection and Exterior Walkaround are always perfomed by CM1. Additional to that, checking/filling the logbook, signing multiple forms before flight, briefing the cabin crew and performing the emergency intercommunication system check adds to your cockpit preparation and briefing if you’re PF. Transit checks/refueling is now being implemented on various destinations, so you can also add that. Expect multiple change of aircrafts, so be prepared to do again everything mentioned above, once again on every change of aircraft. It gets to you, believe me...
-If weather is ****ty, you’ll do the flying, FOs are not allowed to do so when Xwind exceeds 15k and/or raining.
-FO’s practically only program the MCDU and fly when weather is CAVOK, Captains do everything else.
-If the weather is ****ty (again) you’ll also might have your last minute change of service. Local Captains don’t like to fly into wx and will call roster to fly anywhere else with better wx
-Unless you are wiling to pay 35k + a 20k bond, the upgrade to the 350 is out of the question
-Not the place to plan to be for more than 5 years, locals will eventually fill in the spots
-Pollution in Hanoi can get severe, traffic in Saigon is insane
-Out of the three options available in Vietnam, VNA is the lowest paid
-If you are considering moving with your family, bear in mind that schools are pretty expensive. One kid-ok, two-maybe, three, head to Qatar
The Ugly
-Weather in summer, it gets nasty, expect +TSRA everyday
My point of view, hope it helps... ;-)
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Up north
Posts: 1,657
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just received email from Rishworth advertising for VN:
"Annual fee increase of 2% from the completion of 3 - 10 years’ service. "
That's a whopping 0.5% pay "increase" for the first 4 years in a country that's historically rarely had lower than 5% consumer price inflation.
Enjoy!
CP
"Annual fee increase of 2% from the completion of 3 - 10 years’ service. "
That's a whopping 0.5% pay "increase" for the first 4 years in a country that's historically rarely had lower than 5% consumer price inflation.
Enjoy!
CP
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 36N 33E
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just received email from Rishworth advertising for VN:
"Annual fee increase of 2% from the completion of 3 - 10 years’ service. "
That's a whopping 0.5% pay "increase" for the first 4 years in a country that's historically rarely had lower than 5% consumer price inflation.
Enjoy!
CP
"Annual fee increase of 2% from the completion of 3 - 10 years’ service. "
That's a whopping 0.5% pay "increase" for the first 4 years in a country that's historically rarely had lower than 5% consumer price inflation.
Enjoy!
CP
I agree with Pezet on almost everything that is in his cons but only a few things on his Pro’s and I would like to point out a few things: I’m sorry, but we do not trust the local FO’s; that’s why critical items are now Captains respinsabilities; they have demonstrated over and over that they are not capable of managing ADM, sound judgement or even basic flying skills! If you let them be PF, even on an easy day, be VERY aware that they can and will surprise you with some very weired stuff, and on top are VERY defensive when you try to tell them what they did wrong!
They also know very well that they have almost ZERO liability when flying with Expats. You are a completely burnable asset to management and their kids if it helps them to save face! And things are not getting better here!
This is a “do not report” culture; you are strongly discouraged, as i was explained by Instructors, to send any kind of inform to management, be it about safety issues or simply trying to protect your own back from repercussions of something someone else did. The office environment towards Expats is very different and the operating environment, when flying with Vietnamese Pilots, feels almost hostile as they do not appreciate you being here; they do make it clear that you should not be here...
The truth is: Many Western Expats were promised a lot more and are very disappointed and looking for greener pastures. Choose wisely if you consider coming to VNA!
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: 34.26N 135.14E
Age: 57
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Flying in Asia Pacific Region is simple. You have more advantage if you belong to an Asian culture in which you internalized from childhood that much respect is given to the "elders" or "patriarchal" type of organization. Much more to authority figures.
Try to be RACIST and DISRESPECT the LOCAL CULTURE and your name will be immediately submitted to CAA for your next License validation.
"If you are in Rome, do what the Romans do." Otherwise, do not attempt to go to Rome. Try to learn the history of Westerners who were booted out for this mistake due to arrogance and racist treatment of locals. You can learn a lot for there were many of them.
There are Western nationalities that are banned from joining reputable Asian Airlines due to long history of Racial Discrimination among Asians.
I hope that you are not among these Western nations coz' you still have a job at the moment. Or rather you already started to learn how to RESPECT.
Otherwise, you are also be leaving pretty much soon.
Just my two cents
Try to be RACIST and DISRESPECT the LOCAL CULTURE and your name will be immediately submitted to CAA for your next License validation.
"If you are in Rome, do what the Romans do." Otherwise, do not attempt to go to Rome. Try to learn the history of Westerners who were booted out for this mistake due to arrogance and racist treatment of locals. You can learn a lot for there were many of them.
There are Western nationalities that are banned from joining reputable Asian Airlines due to long history of Racial Discrimination among Asians.
I hope that you are not among these Western nations coz' you still have a job at the moment. Or rather you already started to learn how to RESPECT.
Otherwise, you are also be leaving pretty much soon.
Just my two cents
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: roma
Age: 54
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Maybe little off topic but......Dear Arigato, you are talking about “respect” of the Elders......”Patriarchal” society........is the same colture and attitude that lead to Airlines like Korean or similar to MUST have Expat pilots to be accepted to fly anywhere in the world? Colture that applied to a Cockpit lead to a situation where if the Captain is about to crash on a hill the FO rispectfully remain silent to respect the elder? (Again as far as I remeber Korean is a golden example).
Are you sure that we westerner are always racist when we complaying about something or we criticize something?
Are those “Elders” humble enough to accept and at least consider others opinion?
I don’t mean to attack you or criticize your colture (i spent many years in middle east and my wife is asian) and I also know that many times many of our collegues have BIG ego problems pretending to be the best and to teach everything to everybody but sometimes it seems that you guys are STUCK in your point of view/colture/tradition and who came with a different mindset is just “racist”......that's it!
If you go in Rome do as the Romans for sure, but if the Romans needs you they must be open to at least understand you!
Is a mutual agreement.....
Just my consideration......
Cheers
Are you sure that we westerner are always racist when we complaying about something or we criticize something?
Are those “Elders” humble enough to accept and at least consider others opinion?
I don’t mean to attack you or criticize your colture (i spent many years in middle east and my wife is asian) and I also know that many times many of our collegues have BIG ego problems pretending to be the best and to teach everything to everybody but sometimes it seems that you guys are STUCK in your point of view/colture/tradition and who came with a different mindset is just “racist”......that's it!
If you go in Rome do as the Romans for sure, but if the Romans needs you they must be open to at least understand you!
Is a mutual agreement.....
Just my consideration......
Cheers
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You wont make it there either. Unless you pay rostering for the good earning flights and fly max hours and duty and take all the roster disruption.
You also have to pay for your own tickets home. We get free upgradeable tickets. Add up what thats worth.
Also on a 2 week off month you will get a very small salary. Look at the overall year.
You also have to pay for your own tickets home. We get free upgradeable tickets. Add up what thats worth.
Also on a 2 week off month you will get a very small salary. Look at the overall year.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 36N 33E
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Maybe little off topic but......Dear Arigato, you are talking about “respect” of the Elders......”Patriarchal” society........is the same colture and attitude that lead to Airlines like Korean or similar to MUST have Expat pilots to be accepted to fly anywhere in the world? Colture that applied to a Cockpit lead to a situation where if the Captain is about to crash on a hill the FO rispectfully remain silent to respect the elder? (Again as far as I remeber Korean is a golden example).
Are you sure that we westerner are always racist when we complaying about something or we criticize something?
Are those “Elders” humble enough to accept and at least consider others opinion?
I don’t mean to attack you or criticize your colture (i spent many years in middle east and my wife is asian) and I also know that many times many of our collegues have BIG ego problems pretending to be the best and to teach everything to everybody but sometimes it seems that you guys are STUCK in your point of view/colture/tradition and who came with a different mindset is just “racist”......that's it!
If you go in Rome do as the Romans for sure, but if the Romans needs you they must be open to at least understand you!
Is a mutual agreement.....
Just my consideration......
Cheers
Are you sure that we westerner are always racist when we complaying about something or we criticize something?
Are those “Elders” humble enough to accept and at least consider others opinion?
I don’t mean to attack you or criticize your colture (i spent many years in middle east and my wife is asian) and I also know that many times many of our collegues have BIG ego problems pretending to be the best and to teach everything to everybody but sometimes it seems that you guys are STUCK in your point of view/colture/tradition and who came with a different mindset is just “racist”......that's it!
If you go in Rome do as the Romans for sure, but if the Romans needs you they must be open to at least understand you!
Is a mutual agreement.....
Just my consideration......
Cheers
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 36N 33E
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Behold VietJet Add
I was going to reply to this as well; beware of this VietJet add; I know of quite a few Expats who are actually trying to leave VJ for VNA. The guys upstairs are actually quite right about a few things: VNA has its perks in comparison to VJ and JS.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's generally well known how the bottomfeeders at VJ make those 14k paychecks on some months...
All of the airlines mentioned are more or less tarred with the same brush (from a local management perspective) and unfortunately if you want to fly in Vietnam the reality is that you just have to play their game.
You WILL pay somebody something for a job / promotion etc... Cash is preferred.
As far as Asia is concerned it's actually not a bad place to live. Most things are pretty accessible (western food / internet etc) and The locals are generally really nice, peaceful people.
All of the airlines mentioned are more or less tarred with the same brush (from a local management perspective) and unfortunately if you want to fly in Vietnam the reality is that you just have to play their game.
You WILL pay somebody something for a job / promotion etc... Cash is preferred.
As far as Asia is concerned it's actually not a bad place to live. Most things are pretty accessible (western food / internet etc) and The locals are generally really nice, peaceful people.