Trip Report: Our Honeymoon to Europe (or, We're Just Insane)

In conjunction with AirlineReporter.com

Background info: My wife Kat and I were married last October 2014. We met at an airport, I even proposed at an airport. We're both definitely travel nuts... I mean, just look at our cake!

One of our wedding cakes, courtesy of our amazingly talented friend,
Elly Artiz of Cakes by Elly!

We've already traveled short and long haul together, so it was natural that we wanted to go all out on our honeymoon.

We decided pretty early on that we'd postpone our honeymoon until this summer, because Europe was our first choice, but we didn't really want a depressing winter honeymoon. We had considered going to South America so that it would be summertime there, but some of the political and economic instability had made us hesitant, and the excess visa/reciprocal fees for US citizens (almost $1,000 just to be able to visit the countries we wanted) would eat into our budget. Finding a super deal on Air France's Airbus A380 in premium economy to Paris, then onto Istanbul, sealed the deal. We had to fly out of San Francisco, but that's no biggie for us.

Air France's Premium Economy section on their Airbus A380. Source: Air France

We really weren't going to spend too much time in Istanbul, but it got us close enough to travel to other parts of Europe, especially to where it would be "exotic" to us. Plus, our US passports gave us visa-free entry into most countries (the only exception was Turkey, and that was a mere $20/person fee for multiple entries).

Kat knew what she was getting into (#FFNerd- and #AVGeek-wise) by marrying me, and thankfully she trusted me enough to give me the green light and go along with building an insane flight itinerary.

It took about a month's worth of researching and planning on where to go and what flights were available, but we were able to use some United miles (gifted by my parents... thanks, Mom & Dad!) to book the following award flights on their Star Alliance partners:

• Istanbul to Vienna on Turkish
• Vienna to Budapest on Austrian
• Budapest to Hamburg on Germanwings
• Hamburg to Geneva on Germanwings
• Zurich to Paris on Swiss
• Paris to Dubrovnik on Croatia
• Dubrovnik to Athens on Olympic
• Athens to Istanbul on Turkish Aegean (I'll explain later)

Route map of our award flights, courtesy of Great Circle Mapper.

Eight flights for just 30K miles roundtrip, the intra-Europe "saver" economy level roundtrip award for each person. I definitely feel like I got a great return for the miles. Knowing the intricate rules for United's awards definitely helped, as I basically planned a "simple" open-jawed round-trip with multiple connections to get me to my "destination" and back to my origin.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of United's MileagePlus program. I find the American AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan programs to be more valuable and superior for accruing redeeming miles.

However, I was duly impressed with Star Alliance's coverage of non-Northern Europe. Oneworld isn't perfect, and quite frankly Star has superior coverage for getting around the rest of Europe, with plenty of hubs (and thus, non-stop flights) all throughout the continent.

A sampling of views from the window seat.

(I'll still need to have a talk with Mom & Dad about getting a different points-earning credit card, but that discussion will come later).

For those who know me, you may be wondering why we didn't book business class seats.  Unfortunately, "business" class in Europe (what we would call "first class here in the US) usually means the same coach seat, just up front and with a blocked middle seat.  Along with the short flights, I felt the extra miles wouldn't be worth it.

Row 1 in Business Class on a Turkish Airlines Airbus A320, for an intra-Europe flight.
At least this middle seat has a fold-down tray/armrest.

Along with our positioning flights from Southern California to the Bay Area, as well as flights to Thessaloniki that got flushed down the drain, we're looking at:

• 4 separate tickets, 16 flight segments (14 flown) between 13 different airports on 9 different airlines (and just 1 flight cancellation!);
• 14 nights at mostly-Hyatt hotels and Airbnbs;
• 3 car rentals; and of course,
• 8 European cities in 7 different countries, plus a couple days in the Bay Area and Napa Valley

This special honeymoon trip report will be split up into segments:

• Flight reviews will be posted as part of my coverage on AirlineReporter (.com | my articles). 
• Hotel reviews, foodie pics, and trip notes will be posted here on VNAFlyer.
• This entry will be constantly updated with links to individual segments as they post.
• You can also get updated when items post by following along on Twitter (@VNAFlyer) or Facebook (/VNAFlyer).

I'm excited to share our travels and experiences with you, so thank you for following along, and please feel free to post comments and questions any time!

Vietnam Airlines Confirms New Cabin Uniforms; But a Different 787 Business Seat?

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has confirmed the introduction of new uniforms for cabin and flight crew members:

VNAFlyer previously posted an Instagram photo of the purported uniforms captured on the computer screen of an unknown person.

The traditional Vietnamese ao dai is preserved, though now uniform colors are based on the cabin being served: blue for economy, and gold for business. The new uniforms can already be seen on some international routes.

What's most striking to me actually isn't the flight attendants posing in their uniforms. It's that they were photoshopped onto a background of a 787 cabin, and the seats shown are decidedly different than the ones that were "officially released" by VNA:

Honestly, the doctored photo with the FAs could be more accurate, as they show an interior color palette that more closely resembles their current cabin, as well as the rendering for the A350 cabin:

I will follow up with what I find out...

American Confirms 1st 787 International Routes to Beijing, Buenos Aires

American Airlines (AA), which took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (B788) last month, officially announced today the first revenue flights for the new advanced widebody aircraft.

AA's B788 will be based at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), AA's headquarters and main hub. On May 7, it will initial fly domestic familiarization and training flights to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) twice daily.

On June 2, the B788 will make its inaugural international flight from DFW to Beijing, China (PEK). After its return from PEK, on June 4 it will then fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE).

These flights will be available for booking starting this Saturday, February 14.

"We look forward to welcoming our international customers onboard the 787 with its modern amenities and comforts beginning this summer," said Andrew Nocella, American's chief marketing officer. "Adding the 787 Dreamliner to our network gives us the opportunity to increase our efficiency on long-haul flights across the globe and potentially open up new markets in our network. It's a big win for customers and just the latest example of how American is going for great."

For travelers from the United States to Vietnam, AA's DFW-PEK flight opens up another option, as AA fare rules generally allow passengers to connect in China onto Vietnam Airlines (VNA) and other carriers. For instance, a passenger can fly DFW-PEK then onward to Saigon (SGN) or Hanoi (HAN) on VNA.

VNA is set to take delivery of its own Dreamliner later this year.

The B788 will have 2 classes of service, with 28 lie-flat seats in business class with all-aisle access, arranged in a unique 1-2-1, foreward/backward-facing configuration. In-flight entertainment is on a 15.3-inch HD touchscreen, and Bose noise canceling headsets will be provided. A walk-up bar for midflight drinks and snacks will also be available.

In economy, there are 198 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration, 48 of which will be in the extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra section, reserved for the airline's elite passengers and also available for a fee. Each economy seat will feature a 9-inch HD touchscreen.

All seats will feature universal AC and USB power outlets, as well as onboard Wi-Fi.

AA has ordered 42 Boeing 787s in total, in both the -8 and the stretched -9 versions, with options for 58 more.

Vietnam Airlines Releases Interior Images for 787, A350

On Tuesday, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) posted seatmaps and rendered images for their new Boeing 787-9 (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359) aircraft. The images appeared on VNA's official Facebook page.

The images confirm my previous anonymously-sourced information on the B789 that the new business class seats are the Cirrus from Zodiac Aerospace, the deluxe economy seats are from HAECO (nee TIMCO), and the economy seats are the lightweight Pinnacle seats from B/E Aerospace.

Rendering of VNA's B789 business cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's B789 deluxe economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's B789 economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

What was surprising to me were the images for the A359 interior. Instead of going for fleet commonality in business class by installing Cirrus on the Airbus, VNA opted to use what looks like a version of EADS Solstys, which is a staggered forward-facing product.

Rendering of VNA's A359 business cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Also surprising: It seems that VNA is choosing outfit the A359's deluxe economy cabin with the regular Pinnacle economy seats, still at 9-abreast in a 3-3-3 configuration (instead of the 7-abreast, 2-3-2 truly bigger seat configuration on the B789), just with more legroom!

Rendering of VNA's A359 deluxe economy cabin (?).
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's A359 economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

I'm really REALLY hoping that the A359's configuration is not set in stone, especially in regards to the deluxe economy cabin. While VNA apparently installed a proper premium economy product on the B789s, they didn't do anything special on the A359s except give more leg room (akin to what many US-based carriers do). Perhaps this was a mistake in posting the images? Or an incorrect interpretation?

I feel that VNA had the chance to ensure fleet commonality in seating and features, departing from their previous ragtag fleets mixed from owned aircraft and aircraft from different lessors. Instead, they provide two completely different premium cabin products, which can only lead to operational complexities, crew confusion and dissatisfaction for the premium passenger.

I'll admit that I love the Cirrus seat, and I'm sure that the Vantage XL is a fine product as well. I do feel they should have stuck with one or the other. My speculative guess? There may have been a seating supply shortage from one vendor that required using the other's product, as to not delay delivery for either aircraft any longer.

One last small point of contention: I do hope VNA follows the lead of other carriers of installing a proper walk-up bar in business class, instead of what was pictured:

Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Still, it's an exciting time for VNA, with two new widebody types coming online this year to replace their aging long-haul fleet. New planes, new cabins, new seats, and even Wi-Fi on board.

What about that seat map?
Let's compare what I thought the seatmap was going to be vs. what was actually released by VNA.

VNAFlyer's predicted mockup.

VNA's released seatmap.

I think I came pretty close! Especially with the deluxe economy seats and the economy section after the 3rd doors. What I didn't get quite right:

• While I knew there were 211 seats in economy (and VNA's seat map confirms this), I miscounted and only put 205 seats;
• I might have given deluxe economy a little too much leg room;
• I was off on some of the mid-cabin lavatory and galley positions;
• My business class rows were off, with the middle set more forward rather than being in line with the window seats.

Hopefully VNA will release a seatmap of the A359 soon, so that we can confirm my worst fears the seating arrangement.

You'll find the B789 flying to London as soon as June 29.

(H/T: Flyertalk user nam_sg)

Vietnam Airlines' first Airbus A350 in final assembly

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Image source: Airbus

VNA is due to receive its first new Airbus A350-900 (A359) sometime in mid-2015, with an expected September 30 launch between Hanoi (HAN) and Paris (CDG). VNA will be the first carrier in Asia, and the 2nd airline overall after Qatar Airways, to take delivery of the A350, and has plans to acquire 10 total as part of its fleet renewal and expansion plan.

Most of the major structural assembly was completed in October of 2014. and cabin outfitting was ongoing.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

Image source: Airbus

It's expected that the A359 will feature the same seats as on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789), most notably the much-praised Cirrus seats from Zodiac Aerospace for business class.

VNA has not made any official announcements regarding interior configuration.

Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

Sources confirm details on business class seats, as well as two different configurations in economy for leased and purchased aircraft.

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Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has been very quiet regarding the interior plans of its newest widebody aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359), especially in light of the fact that VNA is due to take delivery of its first of both models within the next few months.

When the order was first announced in 2005, VNA was expected to take delivery of 16 of the smaller 787-8 (B788) in 2009, but the Dreamliner program experienced years of delay. In the interim, VNA opted to change their order to the stretched B789 model, which pushed delivery back even further. Subsequently, additional units were ordered.

The acquisition was a mix of direct purchases and leasing agreements. This is important because the cabins in the leased aircraft will be different from airframes owned by VNA.

VNAFlyer, through unnamed sources familiar with VNA's fleet renewal plans, has learned the seat types and cabin configuration for its soon-to-be-delivered B789s.

Business Class

Translated caption: VIP guests of
Vietnam Airlines will experience
Class C (business class) service on
Airbus A350 aircraft. Image source:
baogiaothong.vn

The first purported detail of the new seats came from a Vietnamese website showing a screen capture from a local TV show of VNA demonstrating a new business class seat to be used on their A359s (H/T: Flyertalk user soorox). While the screencap is low quality, it does look like a version of the Cirrus seat from Zodiac Aerospace, 

VNAFlyer can confirm that the Zodiac Cirrus is indeed the premium seat selected for VNA's Dreamliners, and very likely for its A359s as well. This represents a huge leap forward in passenger comfort from the seats currently in its widebody fleet. (Note: VNA does not offer a first-class cabin on any of its fleet.)

Current B777 business class seat.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Cirrus Seats
Image source: Zodiac Aerospace

I have been fortunate enough to sit in a few versions of this seat on various airlines, and they were fantastic. The most important design element is having seats that lie completely flat and parallel to the floor, a big win for passengers being able to more easily rest or sleep. 

Reverse herringbone layout.
Image source: American Airlines

Also, the "reverse-herringbone" layout of the cabin gives all passengers unimpeded, direct aisle access without disturbing anyone else. For the airlines, there is very little impact on seating capacity, since each row saves space by tucking a passenger's feet under the arm console of the row in front, giving the passenger room to stretch their legs while spacing the rows closer together.

Add in ample storage, easy to use controls, plenty of privacy, charging outlets, and a huge entertainment screen (AA uses a 15.4" touchscreen), and you have yourself one heck of a seat offering from VNA. The in-flight entertainment system will be sourced from Panasonic.

Image source: Cathay Pacific

Overall, the Zodiac Cirrus widely receives high praise from frequent flyers and business travelers alike. While the specific details of VNA's version are not yet available, you can see how other airlines utilize the Cirrus to outfit and refresh their premium cabins, notably: Air France, American, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, and EVA.

VNA will have 28 business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. This likely represents 7 rows occupying the space between the 1st and 2nd doors (Air Canada manages to cram 30 Cirrus seats into the same area).

Deluxe Economy

Image Source: Aircraft Interiors
Expo/TIMCO

With the B789s and A359s destined for long-haul service, VNA will retain its premium economy product (called Deluxe Economy), using the TIMCO (now HAECO) 3050 Featherweight Premium Economy seats, offering up to 10-15 degrees in recline, minimum 38" pitch, up to 75-degree leg rest, a 4-way headrest, and a max 10.4" screen (VNA-specific configuration not available). These seats have articulating cushions, so when a passenger "leans back" the seat doesn't intrude into the space of the passenger behind.

However, Deluxe Economy will only exist on their owned aircraft. Leased B789s will not have a Deluxe Economy section, and will be all regular economy instead (see below).

More slightly bad news... the first few B789s off the line will be leased.

On VNA's purchased B789s, the deluxe economy section will have 35 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. You can also find these seats on Thomson Airways' Dreamliners as well as in the premium cabins of many narrowbody fleets. 

Image source: JetBlue

Economy

The economy cabin will feature the B/E Aerospace Pinnacle, the lightest aircraft seats in the market. Notably, Delta Air Lines recently tapped B/E Aerospace to install the Pinnacle on 225 of its narrowbody fleet. JetBlue is also using this model to refurbish 70 of its aircraft, and installing it on 30 new deliveries. While slimline seats have generally been panned as being uncomfortable, B/E's version seems to garner less ire from passengers.

VNA will install 211 of these seats in the economy section of their purchased B789. No word yet on pitch, entertainment options, or other dimensions, but don't be surprised if VNA uses a 3-3-3 layout.

On leased aircraft, removing 35 Deluxe economy seats allows for the addition of 72 more regular seats, boosting the number to 283.

Possible Seat Map?

Taking the information above and comparing to what other airlines have done, I've extrapolated this mockup of what VNA's B789 seat map may look like with Deluxe Economy:

Note: This is only a mockup, and it's for B789s purchased by VNA, which will be delivered later.

And in a 2-class configuration without Deluxe Econmy:

Note: This is only a mockup, and it's for B789s leased by VNA, which will be delivered first.

Final Thoughts

While I feel that there isn't much variance between different types of premium economy and economy seats (and most passengers probably don't notice anyway), VNA's selection of Zodiac's Cirrus seat for business class definitely elevates its premium game in the region. It stands to reason that the same seats will be used for both the B789 and A359. 

The carrier will need to continue on this trajectory to be able to compete with the likes of THAI Airways and Singapore Airlines, as well as stay ahead of other competing carriers. I certainly hope that VNA management realizes that an outstanding hard product alone won't help much... they'll have to revamp their on-board soft product to the same degree, as well as vastly improve their customer service both onboard and on the ground.

What do you think? Does this make you want to give VNA a try (or come back)?

By the way, the first planned long-haul revenue service on the B789 is to London Heathrow (LHR), split between Saigon (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN). While there are reports that this would commence in July of this year, I'm guessing that it won't happen until at least August, since delivery is right around end of May.

UPDATE: Vietnam Airlines: In-Flight Wi-Fi to be Available on New 787, A350 Aircraft