Lao Airlines Flight: Hanoi To Vientiane
Had a wonderful time roaming around T2 of Noi Bai International Airport, especially the plane-spotting thing. What makes Hanoi ideal for the activity is that there aren't so many flights to overwhelm or confuse you. Yet, not that few for you to get bored.
First Impressions
Anyway... so I was finally aboard Lao Airlines Flight QV312 from Hanoi to Vientiane!
Once seated, I felt a bit uneasy moving-as-I-wished hehehe. Eh kasi naman, the first things that caught my sight were not 'da bes'! Kunwari yan, puti ba yan o brown, ha?
Anyway, good that I did my plane-spotting thing earlier. I learned that, this aircraft is an Airbus A320-214 delivered direct from the factory to Lao Airlines in 01DEC2011.
O di ba? Not very new, but not too old either. Iyan yan sya, on foreground, yung nasa gate, Aircraft Registry RDPL-34199. We were already boarding when I took that pic!
So, medyo relaaak na (ng konti) ang iyong Pinoy Traveler, kesehoda kung para bang nanglilimahid na ang placard na yan hehehe! Di na yata masyado napupunasan eh!
But I have tsismis that you will like!
The Two "Gaddafi Planes" of Lao Airlines
Yes there were two, and this was their story: they were originally part of an order for Afriqiyah Airways, the state-owned airline of Libya. The order was canceled following the Civil War in Libya, and the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's government (rule) in 2011.
Timely in the market for planes, Lao Airlines bought them. The planes were already made according to Afriqiyah's seat configuration requirement 16C/126Y pero go ra!
The first plane was given the aircraft registry of RDPL-34188, received 08NOV2011; and the next one, RDPL-34199, this plane I flew on today, was received 01DEC2011.
O di ba? These 2 planes were really meant to survive. Hindi sila pang-Libya!
Add in the tsimis that, this one (RDPL-34199) is what Lao Arilines (QV) normally use for the country's presidential flights (state visits), that's why it's called 'special plane'!
Ginagamit ito ng presidente nila so malamang in tiktok condition. Ay tiptop, I mean!
Alright, other than that special info, everything looked quite standard as I expected.
Maybe an interesting exception is that, their flight safety demo/instruction is said in their language first (Lao), then translated to English - every sentence. Kaya mahaba!
So, at 1643H pushback. I said "goodbye for now Hanoi, see you again soonest"!
That's Gate 35 at left where we just got-off from, and were headed for Runway 11R.
Nagbabadya na si sundown, nagdidilim na ang langit but... plane-spotting pa more!
As we taxied on, I smiled and took this pic saying "this, is proof that bamboo flies"!
Maryusep, I didn't know until just now as I write this.., that I actually took a historical (if not historic) shot at the beginnings of a new airline. They launched only yesterday!
Ah let's talk about them later. Maybe in my plane-spotting article! But oh wow! Here are 3 more planes, the 1st-two may or may not be Bamboo-related, but the 3rd, OMG!
That tiny MJets plane being refueled, seem to have HS-KCS for a registry (not sure, we were a bit far and it was getting dark). Just the same, it must've been for VIP/CIP.
For many of us, just to be able to step on a private jet like that would be heaven na!
This K-Mile plane HS-KMA is a Boeing, B737-400SF. Yes freighter, and it had had so many registry names or owners (7 actually) since its birth in 1996 for China Airlines.
Ah that last one, an Airbus A321-251N (that means Neo) is still named Primera Air, but it already sports a Vietnamese Registry (VN-A588). Yet another historical catch!
Upon checking (just now as I write this), my eyes grew wide in amazement at history unfolding in front of me, yet without any faint knowledge (surely madami kami/tayo)!
Let's add that to my "to be discussed in a later story", but for a bit of teaser, hear this: Primera Air (PF) just folded, yes bankrupt, last October 1. Mga 2 - 3 months pa lang!
Eto pa: that very plane above, actually just arrived here in HAN yesterday (kahapon) from Airbus, to be re-painted as Bamboo Airways, and serve as their newest plane!
Let's add the fact that, on record, Primera Air said the 6th of their 6 A321Neo orders didn't arrive from Airbus until nagsara na lang sila! Baka ito na nga ang plane na yun!
Baka nakaramdam si Airbus na naghihingalo na si Primera Air, kaya siguro sabi nila 'o eto Bamboo Air, ito nalang bilhin mo, papalitan nalang natin ng damit'! Sa bankruptcy kasi, whatever you have, ke binili or inutang, gets frozen. 'Di makaka-singil si Airbus!
Mind you.., kahapon din pala nag-inauguration ang Bamboo Airways, dyan mismo!
Oh what a day of discoveries! Di ba?
Let's proceed with my Lao Airlines flight to Vientiane, bago magkalimutan hahaha!
Look at that, another VN aircraft about to touch down at Runway 11L, while we were already on a takeoff roll at Runway 11R. THE advantage of having parallel runways.
Walang ganyan sa atin. What we have are "perpendicular runways" ('06/24' & '13/31') which do not help at all in easing congestion. Here, pwede sabay landing at takeoff.
Well, I heard they are making a parallel runway in Mactan.
Okay, at 5PM we were already in the air on the way south to Vientiane, Laos.
HAN-VTE is usually tagged as "a one-hour flight", but it doesn't really take that long.
So, 10 minutes into the flight, I was surprised there was sort of a meal service!
Oo nga naman. I forgot. Lao Airlines is a full service carrier, not a budget airline!
Are you curious about that logo of this airline na mukhang kalachuchi? I was. Good that I saw it described in the inflight magazine. They call it Dok Champa (ດອກຈໍາປາ).
Its common English name pala is "frangipani", and it is the National Flower of Laos. In the scientific community that's a Plumeria, specifically Plumeria Alba. Now I know!
Oh, Dok Champa for Laotians represents: Joy in life and Sincerity.
At ano naman ang mga ito? Di ko alam. Basta pagkain. Na masarap. Attaaack!
At me pa-wet-towel pa! Taob lahat ng airline natin sa presentation pa lang.
That was for all economy passengers - on a 1 hour flight! Sa Business Class kaya?
Fast as lightning, that "snack box" was wiped out in a flash - especially the juice (na pinatulan ko dahil walang Coke)! 'I asked, but now I forgot' what fruit juice that was.
Not apple, not pineapple, definitely not mango or orange. Exotic-sounding. Masarap.
That was fast. And on a smooth afternoon flight, I had time to dream in the clouds!
I was heading in a south-southwest direction - away from wintery cold. Buti naman!
Maybe it is just me, but I rejoice in going-to and being-at warm bright sunny places, lalo na pag beach, compared to being at cold almost black-and-white wintery areas.
Oh for those not familiar, Vientiane (capital of Laos), is south(west) of Hanoi (capital of Vietnam), so I it's (mostly) warmer and sunnier, even if not half as "hot" as Saigon.
"The nearer we are to the equator, the warmer the climes are", remember? Vientiane is about the same parallel as Ilocos Norte. So I like it since it's Philippinic climate na!
On this time of day, all I could see were mostly clouds, but I liked it - cloud spotting!
One thing I noticed though, their "sea of clouds" herearounds isn't as tumultuous as at our Philippine skies. I say that since they're mostly at the same melancholy level.
Yun tipo bagang habang nakatingin ka, ma-aalala mo ang iyong mga utang hehehe! Sa atin kasi, kadalasan ang ulap, "oy hugis matayog na kawayan", "oy hugis bola" etc.!
Pang-heavy telenovela ang epek ng ulap dito. Di ko type hahaha!
At 1740H, here we were descending to Wattay International Airport's Runway 13.
I know there is a big body of water (a man-made lake?) outside Vientiane, so that is probably that down there. Ow, Laos is the only landlocked Southeast Asian country.
All ASEAN countries have dagat, sila lang ang uniquely wala. Reservoir lang!
Okay Arrived! And we docked at the first aerobridge, next to the domestic building.
I like the compactness though this may not be for long. Ayan o, magkatabi lang ang international & domestic terminals. Ah as anywhere, they'll soon grow farther apart.
Oops oh alright, I got a whatsapp msg, andyan na daw sa lobby si Klook driver.
Let's go. Party na naman!
First Impressions
Anyway... so I was finally aboard Lao Airlines Flight QV312 from Hanoi to Vientiane!
Anyway, good that I did my plane-spotting thing earlier. I learned that, this aircraft is an Airbus A320-214 delivered direct from the factory to Lao Airlines in 01DEC2011.
So, medyo relaaak na (ng konti) ang iyong Pinoy Traveler, kesehoda kung para bang nanglilimahid na ang placard na yan hehehe! Di na yata masyado napupunasan eh!
But I have tsismis that you will like!
The Two "Gaddafi Planes" of Lao Airlines
Yes there were two, and this was their story: they were originally part of an order for Afriqiyah Airways, the state-owned airline of Libya. The order was canceled following the Civil War in Libya, and the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's government (rule) in 2011.
Timely in the market for planes, Lao Airlines bought them. The planes were already made according to Afriqiyah's seat configuration requirement 16C/126Y pero go ra!
The first plane was given the aircraft registry of RDPL-34188, received 08NOV2011; and the next one, RDPL-34199, this plane I flew on today, was received 01DEC2011.
O di ba? These 2 planes were really meant to survive. Hindi sila pang-Libya!
Add in the tsimis that, this one (RDPL-34199) is what Lao Arilines (QV) normally use for the country's presidential flights (state visits), that's why it's called 'special plane'!
Ginagamit ito ng presidente nila so malamang in tiktok condition. Ay tiptop, I mean!
Alright, other than that special info, everything looked quite standard as I expected.
So, at 1643H pushback. I said "goodbye for now Hanoi, see you again soonest"!
Nagbabadya na si sundown, nagdidilim na ang langit but... plane-spotting pa more!
As we taxied on, I smiled and took this pic saying "this, is proof that bamboo flies"!
Ah let's talk about them later. Maybe in my plane-spotting article! But oh wow! Here are 3 more planes, the 1st-two may or may not be Bamboo-related, but the 3rd, OMG!
For many of us, just to be able to step on a private jet like that would be heaven na!
This K-Mile plane HS-KMA is a Boeing, B737-400SF. Yes freighter, and it had had so many registry names or owners (7 actually) since its birth in 1996 for China Airlines.
Upon checking (just now as I write this), my eyes grew wide in amazement at history unfolding in front of me, yet without any faint knowledge (surely madami kami/tayo)!
Let's add that to my "to be discussed in a later story", but for a bit of teaser, hear this: Primera Air (PF) just folded, yes bankrupt, last October 1. Mga 2 - 3 months pa lang!
Eto pa: that very plane above, actually just arrived here in HAN yesterday (kahapon) from Airbus, to be re-painted as Bamboo Airways, and serve as their newest plane!
Let's add the fact that, on record, Primera Air said the 6th of their 6 A321Neo orders didn't arrive from Airbus until nagsara na lang sila! Baka ito na nga ang plane na yun!
Baka nakaramdam si Airbus na naghihingalo na si Primera Air, kaya siguro sabi nila 'o eto Bamboo Air, ito nalang bilhin mo, papalitan nalang natin ng damit'! Sa bankruptcy kasi, whatever you have, ke binili or inutang, gets frozen. 'Di makaka-singil si Airbus!
Mind you.., kahapon din pala nag-inauguration ang Bamboo Airways, dyan mismo!
Oh what a day of discoveries! Di ba?
Let's proceed with my Lao Airlines flight to Vientiane, bago magkalimutan hahaha!
Walang ganyan sa atin. What we have are "perpendicular runways" ('06/24' & '13/31') which do not help at all in easing congestion. Here, pwede sabay landing at takeoff.
Well, I heard they are making a parallel runway in Mactan.
Okay, at 5PM we were already in the air on the way south to Vientiane, Laos.
So, 10 minutes into the flight, I was surprised there was sort of a meal service!
Oo nga naman. I forgot. Lao Airlines is a full service carrier, not a budget airline!
Its common English name pala is "frangipani", and it is the National Flower of Laos. In the scientific community that's a Plumeria, specifically Plumeria Alba. Now I know!
Oh, Dok Champa for Laotians represents: Joy in life and Sincerity.
At ano naman ang mga ito? Di ko alam. Basta pagkain. Na masarap. Attaaack!
At me pa-wet-towel pa! Taob lahat ng airline natin sa presentation pa lang.
Fast as lightning, that "snack box" was wiped out in a flash - especially the juice (na pinatulan ko dahil walang Coke)! 'I asked, but now I forgot' what fruit juice that was.
Not apple, not pineapple, definitely not mango or orange. Exotic-sounding. Masarap.
That was fast. And on a smooth afternoon flight, I had time to dream in the clouds!
Maybe it is just me, but I rejoice in going-to and being-at warm bright sunny places, lalo na pag beach, compared to being at cold almost black-and-white wintery areas.
Oh for those not familiar, Vientiane (capital of Laos), is south(west) of Hanoi (capital of Vietnam), so I it's (mostly) warmer and sunnier, even if not half as "hot" as Saigon.
On this time of day, all I could see were mostly clouds, but I liked it - cloud spotting!
Yun tipo bagang habang nakatingin ka, ma-aalala mo ang iyong mga utang hehehe! Sa atin kasi, kadalasan ang ulap, "oy hugis matayog na kawayan", "oy hugis bola" etc.!
Pang-heavy telenovela ang epek ng ulap dito. Di ko type hahaha!
At 1740H, here we were descending to Wattay International Airport's Runway 13.
All ASEAN countries have dagat, sila lang ang uniquely wala. Reservoir lang!
Okay Arrived! And we docked at the first aerobridge, next to the domestic building.
Oops oh alright, I got a whatsapp msg, andyan na daw sa lobby si Klook driver.
Let's go. Party na naman!
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