Bangkok Airways PG is privately owned. Mostly by one politically well connected guy. AFIK TG has no financial interest at all.

and its a great little airline.

I thought would-be members had to do an 'apprentiship' with a SkyTeam patner (like recently appointed Kenya just did).

Can an airline just sign up 'out of the blue'?

Sure. CO and NW joined in as full members. So did SU. The associate airlines all joined by virtue of their using the sponsor's FF program as their FF program. I don't know if the new members that are expected would be full or associate members.

Apparently it's Vietnam Airlines:

http://www.vnbusinessnews.com/2008/0...n-skyteam.html

When I can expect to see Vietnam will eventually join into Skyteam? I'm sure IT will expected joins into Skyteam, too. If Skyteam member of board will makes decision for which specific airlines will joins into ST. I don't see anything more logical choice from Vietnam will eventually entrance the alliances. If they are subjected to government approval.

Interesting that they released the news "that formal discussions with fast-growing Vietnam Airlines are set to begin soon in Hanoi." That isn't really convincing in terms of making me think that an announcement is coming. On the plus side seeing them coming in as a full member is nice.

The couple flights we did with them internally in Vietnam were pretty pleasant. One was an ATR-72 and the other was an A321 with a domestic F setup. Overall good service on both.

I also just checked on the visa rule and it looks like you're OK in transit, as long as you don't want to leave the airport:VN isn't a bad option to have in the region but they offer very little help connecting the dots on a RTW option getting from SE Asia to the sub-continent or central Asia. You can get around within SE Asia reasonably well, but headed west you've got BKK and then SVO/FRA/CDG as your options. They do provide another option for SYD/MEL, which is nice.

Maybe US Gateway - ICN-SYD/MEL-SGN-BKK-NBO/CDG/AMS/FCO-AUA/BON/CUR-US Gateway would work OK.

I think VN is a decent addition but not nearly as exciting as MH would have been. VN isn't going to provide much that CZ doesn't already.

AFAIK, VN also provide the only nonstop flights between Europe and Vietnam, which is nice as well, especially if you want to connect further than SGN or HAN.

one out of three ! When the 2 others will be announced :cool::p

Well, SkyTeam is losing Continental, so they may need another new partner to fill that gap. If Copa goes with Continental then there is a big hole in Central America that will need to be filled, as well as from N. America to Mexico/Latin America. DL has a few flights but not nearly as many as CO.

As I understand it, CO have been divesting from CM lately and no longer have more than 10% of it. Sure, CM will have to get themselves a new FFP should they decide to stay in SkyTeam, though...