Happy New Year 2015 from Phu Quoc

Pictorial Poem by : Gan Yung Chyan
                              / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Happy New Year 2015 from Phu Quoc

Happy New Year from Phu Quoc
Heart of happiness a lot
Home of loyal boats to quote
Host of Dinh Cau moves the hordes.

Hug the tame Phu Quoc dog
Home is reaching Dinh Cau Rock
Hordes insert incense for more
House of gracious lotus Hung.

Here I am in Phu Quoc
Hail to everyone that slogs
Hand to the elders your lot
Hence nuoc mam will show you hot.

Hot pots of pho in Duong Dong
Hunks and babes line along near port
Horizons beyond the settling shore
Home is where you can talk a lot. 



Sayacinta - Airpost wishes everyone in 2015 Peace and No Worries!

Cambodia Bayon Airlines launches domestic flights on 30 December 2014

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Cambodia's youngest airline, Cambodia Bayon Airlines, launches thrice-weekly domestic flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap on 30 December 2014, according to its Facebook. It will operate on the domestic route on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On 30 December, flight B9111 departs from Phnom Penh at 8.20 am, arrives in Siem Reap at 9.10 am before ascending to the sky at 10.50 am and touching down in Phnom Penh at 11.40 am under flight B9112.

Cambodia Bayon Airlines, whose code is B9, received its first MA60 aircraft from Xi'An on 17 December for a demonstration flight in Phnom Penh via Siem Reap. It received its Air Operator Certificate from the Cambodian civil aviation authority on 23 December.

To celebrate the inaugural flight, Cambodia Bayon Airlines is promoting one-way fare from 1 Dollar until New Year Eve. Travel is valid until end of March 2015.

Cambodia Bayon Airlines is the third private airline to launch domestic flights in Cambodia this year after Apsara International Air and Bassaka Air. Bassaka Air launched charter flights to Macau from Phnom Penh in October and scheduled domestic flights to Siem Reap on 1 December 2014.

For further information and bookings, visit Cambodia Bayon Airlines' web-site at www.bayonairlines.com.

Inflight Review : Lao Airlines

Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
                            / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press Media & Travel Professionals

Routes : Singapore - Vientiane on 12 December 2014 flight QV536 (aircraft registered RDPL - 34199) and Vientiane - Singapore on 14 December 2014 flight QV535 (aircraft registered RDPL - 34223). The same jets are also rostered on scheduled flights to Suvarnabhumi, Guangzhou and Seoul-Incheon.

Airline : Lao Airlines' two Airbuses A320 in current livery and seat configurations.

Aircraft : The Airbus A320 on the Singapore - Vientiane flight with green seats has slightly spacious legroom more than a Tigerair legroom. The back of each seat has an inflight entertainment screen. However there is no audio-visual inflight entertainment. The Airbus A320 on the Vientiane - Singapore flight with blue seats is a normal A320 aircraft with legroom same as a Jetstar A320 aircraft. *****

Inflight Service : Service is excellent. The air hostesses and air stewards are cheerful and passionate about their work. They attend to passengers' requests very well. They speak competently in Lao and English. *****

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate. 

Inflight Magazine : Champa Holidays is the official inflight magazine of Lao Airlines and is free for passengers and customers interested in Laos and Lao Airlines' flights. One can get it onboard or from the Head Office of Lao Airlines in Vientiane Wattay Airport, the airport offices in Suvarnabhumi and Singapore. Comprehensive information about Lao tourism and destinations help customers plan their next journey to Laos and beyond. It is the best marketing tool of Lao Airlines and the best reference material on Lao tourism. ******

Postcard / Stationery : Lao Airlines' aircraft postcards and other stationery were never issued and are not available. Lao immigration forms sponsored by private companies are issued to tourists entering Laos. ***

Sky Shop : There is an inflight duty-free catalogue but duty-free items were not offered on the flights for sale.  ***

Onboard Meals and Refreshments : Onboard meals and refreshments are free and there is a limited range of meals to choose from. Passengers preferring vegetarian meals must inform Lao Airlines via email at least 48 hours before departure. There is no Halal meal. Standard meals come with  seafood- or pork-based meals. Email reservation@laoairlines.com for further information or updates. *****

Surcharge :  Passengers do not need to pay a surcharge if they want to sit at the emergency rows. ******

Bookings : Electronic tickets are issued at Lao Airlines' official web-site www.laoairlines.com and received via email. There is no pdf itinerary attachment.  Ticket cancellations can only be refunded at the Head Office of Lao Airlines.***

Check-In  : Passengers must show the check-in staff at all Lao Airlines' destination airport counters the credit card or debit card used for their on-line bookings, ticket itineraries and valid passports. Failure to show the relevant card for verification purpose may result in boarding denial. If any passenger's debit or credit card has been hacked or changed  months prior to departure, the passenger must show the counter staff a certified letter on change of debit or credit card issued by the passenger's bank in case the counter staff wishes to verify the change of card if the passenger has no return valid ticket.  The passenger may also email to Lao Airlines a copy of the certified letter to facilitate check-in later. Therefore it is advisable to book with Lao Airlines at least four months earlier prior to departure. ***

Ground service in Singapore : Very good. It would provide potential customers convenience if Lao Airlines opened a downtown sales and ticketing office in the city centre of Singapore to facilitate off-line bookings and answer enquiries during office hours, just like Vietnam Airlines, as the branch office in Changi Airport closes during lunch hours to attend to check-in operations.   *****

Ground service in Vientiane in response  to passengers' requests and enquiries : Excellent. ******

Overall Impression : Lao Airlines, judging from the various aspects of its services, is a five-star airline with room for improvement. It could be ready with the necessary criteria to enter an airline alliance team such as Sky Team or Star Alliance.

 Lao Airlines Singapore Facebook : www.facebook.com/Lao Airlines Singapore
 Lao Airlines HQ Facebook : www.facebook.com/Lao Airlines
 Lao Airlines web-site : www.laoairlines.com

** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
***** Very good / five-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)

Lao Central Airlines opened Don Muang Airport office

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Lao Central Airlines opened its first independent branch office in Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok in July 2014 before all its flights were suspended. Its other sales offices in Laos are part of the Phongsavanh Bank branch offices.

Lao Central Airlines will operate its office in Don Muang once permission has been granted to resume flights between Vientiane and Don Muang.

Merry Christmas 2014 to all readers from Sayacinta - Airpost

Lao Central Airlines to resume flights in 2015 using four SSJ 100 aircraft

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Lao Central Airlines, formerly known as Phongsavanh Airlines, plans to resume commercial flights by mid-2015 using four Sukhoi SuperJet SSJ 100 aircraft after restructuring as an independent unit of Phongsavanh Bank. This was revealed to Sayacinta - Airpost during the most recent media visit to the airline Head Office in Vientiane.

Lao Central Airlines has reached the deal with Sukhoi SuperJet in September 2014 to pay for the three SSJ 100 aircraft it has ordered to replace the two grounded Boeing B737-400 aircraft. It plans to resume flights to Bangkok and Luang Prabang as a boutique service carrier in order to compete on an equal level footing with Bangkok Airways and Lao Airlines, once sufficient funds are raised by the airline.

Lao Central Airlines plans to launch flights to Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Naypyidaw, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong and Kunming from Vientiane with 4 SSJ 100 jets, one of which is grounded in Wattay International Airport.  

Most of the planned destinations are not served by Lao Airlines. 

Meanwhile, Lao Central Airlines' airport office in Vientiane remains closed as the necessary manpower have yet to be recalled to resume sales, ticketing and operations. 

Lao Central Airlines' Head Office, the counter of which is still in the former name of Phongsavanh Airlines Public, is open from Mondays to Saturdays. Timetable brochures of the airline before it went under restructuring and a severely limited stock of its Lao-language official inflight magazine, Lao Central Airlines, that were printed in 2012 were available when Sayacinta - Airpost visited the office on 13 December.

Lao Central Airlines first cancelled flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi on Christmas 2013 due to the political crisis in Bangkok and in July 2014 suspended flights to Luang Prabang for restructuring.

Sights in Vientiane

Heritage Report By : Gan Yung Chyan
                                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

 

Vientiane, a step down from Wattay,
Sights of Chinese here and there,
Changes everywhere.

Sengtiane, the heavenly palace,
The Chinese comrades commenced
A new life near airport likes
Brighter lights at night.

Cross Asean Road, the rolls of taste
Tuna apple and vegetables replace
Million elephants that hide
Given way at night

Wait, hailing a tuk-tuk
The Hmong helped me to commence
Journey to the House of God
But is
One day from the victory.

Patuxay the park to sights
Beauty grace at night.
Patuxay the heart to flight
Handsome pose for five.

Behold the Lord we trust
In the land that never rusts
Faith greater than dust,
Bowls of banana, brinjal and rice,
A humble stage to rise.

A step ahead, we reach
The Lao pho stall offers
Mapriah in the sea of mints and sprouts
Filled before we reach
The shimmering stupa.

That Luang
The king beholds at poor and rich
Nearby abode for guests and monks
Look ahead
Arisen
The heart of lights for sights.

We never forget
Besides Patuxay, That Luang are Talat Sao
The town mall each new day for Lao
Until we reach Vientiane Center
We can say
City of temples is changing into
City of progress that never forgets her past.


-- Note : Vientiane's Chinatown now stretches from ASEAN Road to Samsenthai Road. Mapriah is the round brinjal native to Laos.