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http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040426/cgm036_1.html

Press Release Source: United Airlines

United Airlines Announces Plans for U.S.-Vietnam Service Via Hong Kong
Monday April 26, 11:35 am ET
New Service Will Bolster United's Position as a Premier Global Carrier
Daily San Francisco-Hong Kong-Ho Chi Minh City Service Will Be First U.S. Airline Service to Vietnam in Nearly Three Decades

CHICAGO, April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines (OTC Bulletin Board: UALAQ - News) today announced that, following a decision by the government of Vietnam to allow air service between the U.S. and Vietnam via Hong Kong, it intends to implement daily San Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City service via Hong Kong. This service would commence as soon as the necessary regulatory procedures have been completed by the relevant Vietnamese and U.S. government agencies. The Vietnamese government's decision comes ahead of the schedule that the U.S. and Vietnam agreed upon last year.

"This newly planned service to Vietnam is an important addition to our global route network," said Graham Atkinson, United's senior vice president of Worldwide Sales and Alliances. "Vietnam's highly charged economy and a growing demand for air service to the U.S. makes Ho Chi Minh City an appropriate market for United's service."

According to the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the country is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Analysts have forecast Vietnamese GDP growth above 7 percent for this year. Following regulatory approval, United's service will be the first scheduled U.S. air carrier service to Vietnam in nearly three decades.

"We are very excited by the opportunity to be the first U.S. carrier to operate passenger flights to Vietnam in nearly 30 years," Atkinson added. "United's service will help further strengthen ties between the people of the United States and Vietnam, and facilitate tourism and trade between the two countries."

The U.S. and Vietnam agreed last year to allow the resumption of direct air services. At that time, service via Hong Kong was deferred until fall of 2005. At United's urging, Vietnam has agreed to advance that date, allowing an earlier reintroduction of services than was possible under the original schedule.

United intends to operate combined passenger and cargo service using a Boeing 747-400 aircraft configured with 14 First Class Suites, 73 United Business seats and 260 economy class seats.

United, United Express and Ted operate more than 3,400 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. News releases and other information about United may be found at the company's web site at www.united.com .

Worldwide Communications:
Media Relations Office: 847.700.5538
Evenings/Weekends: 847.700.4088


Source: United Airlines

cesco.g

^ Been there a couple of times recently on business. Would love to fly this route on UA. I guess the 747 would be the plane coming into HKG from ORD or SFO. One of them is already heading down to SIN.
Maybe this could even boost the odds for a reintro of LAX-HKG (?).

imkeww

This announcement came right when expected. Expect more international service announcements during the summer, including a flurry of new Mexico/Caribbean service.

Currently the there are two 744s that RON at HKG, with an average time on on the ground of more than 12 hours! (That's almost as bad as USA-EZE idle time).

UA's Evening Operation in HKG looks like this:
1. Flight arrives from ORD
2. Flight arrives from SFO
3. ORD aircraft continues to SIN
4. Flight arrives from NRT
5. SFO/NRT aircraft RON

This will allow UA to utilize one of the two 744 that currently RONs at HKG, cutting down the high fees at HKG and increasing aircraft utilization.

boomerang-boy

This is great news for travelers. Maybe a new destination for mileage runs.

UA_Flyer

This is a great news. and also hope the return of LAX-HKG soon!


Just wondering....

The news release indicates that flight will be a one-stop between SFO and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) via HKG. Currently that flight is 869/862 from SFO to SIN via HKG. Is it possible that UA will discontinue its service to SIN from HKG?

I remember when 805/806 were swtiched to BKK from SIN for a while, UA did not attempt to fly to both markets although they had a 747 parked in HKG overnight.

Hope HKG-SIN stays!

cesco.g

I doubt this will affect HKG-SIN service in any way. If it is profitable to run that addl. leg with a plane otherwise on the ground in HKG, I do see no reason not to operate it. However in the case of SGN you're looking at the cost of adding a new destination, not just the addl. cost of running the flight (e.g. as in the case of SIN, or BKK at the time).

sftrvlr

Excellent news! Now if we can just get a visa on arrival instead of in advance ...

Chapel Hill Guy

You sure about this? I only ask since in March I flew UA895 ORD-HKG, deplaned, then boarded UA869 HKG-SIN at a different gate.

Added: This is good news about flights to Viet Nam.

1K-SFO

I wonder how UA will staff this. If it's a U.S.-based crew, it turns into a much longer trip for them, because they have to lay over in HKG, then do a trip to Vietnam, stay over, fly back to HKG, stay over, then fly home. Really senior FAs generally don't like those trips (it's sort of like the LAX-SYD-MEL one). Does a NRT crew work it, flying NRT-HKG, then the next day HKG-Vietnam, then the next day Vietnam-HKG, and finally HKG-NRT?

unagi1

I would think so, sort of like how they used to have the LAX crews work LAX-KIX-GUM

rufus102

I used to think UA flew SFO-SYD and LAX-SYD-MEL. However, on my last trip, on of the FAs told me that the actual plane that does the SYD-MEL-SYD run is the first one to arrive into SYD. Maybe that is the same arrangement in HKG? I don't know if the planes are the same type, but if they are - then first in get's the extra leg I would imagine.

UA_Flyer

This new flight will create more demands on flight # 869 out of SFO and flight # 895 out of ORD into HKG. My recent travel experience indicates these 2 flights are often sold out (not to mention hard to get upgrades). With additional passengers who are flying to SGN on the HKG flights, I am anticpating one additional HKG flight from mainland US in the near future.


I flew on March 13/14 out of ORD via HKG to SIN, and it was the same aircraft on both flights (UA 895 and UA 869).

iluv2fly

When are we having our first SGN Do?

SanDiego1K

Pick a date, Marty - have route, will fly.

Scion

All this does for UA is increase aircraft utilization. This does nothing to improve their competitive position at Hong Kong.

UA's service standards still pale in comparison to Cathay. This tag on flight does nothing to change that.

Moreover, Cathay can run two flight a day from LAX because with the AA codeshare LAX is a defacto hub for them. (Just like it is for QF.) So, Cathay's flights virtually go hub to hub.

Even with the addition of the Hong Kong-Vietnam leg, Hong Kong is nowhere near being a hub for UA. That is what makes their position there so precarious. That is, in fact, while there are no real competitive obstacles to AA entering the ORD-HKG market. For AA, that would be a virtual hub to hub flight.

Still, this is a good preemptive move on United's part. Given the potential entry of AA into the market, they needed to do something to secure more traffic flow to their existing flights to Hong Kong. AA's plans are to tap into Cathay's traffic flow and yield premium. United doesn't have the luxury of doing that.