Trip Report: LPQ-VTE
I was pretty excited about this flight, because it would be my first time flying Lao Airlines (QV). I had purchased a Bangkok Airways Discovery Airpass from Luang Prabang (LPQ) to Vientiane (VTE), from VTE to Siem Reap (REP) via Pakse (PKZ), REP to Phnom Penh (PNH), and PNH to BKK. QV would be operating the first two flights.
I was anticipating flying the French-Italian ATR72, since I'd read somewhere that these planes operate the routes that tourists are most likely to fly, like the international routes and LPQ-VTE. When it appeared that we'd be boarding the Chinese MA60 (MA stands for "Modern Ark" or 新舟, very Chinese...), I was even more excited, or was it anxious? According to Wikipedia, the other airlines that have this airplane include Air Congo International and Zest Airways of the Philippines, among other third world countries.
Besides overhead bin doors that hit you on the head when they're open, this turned out to be a perfectly "normal" plane (unlike the one propeller plane I flew on Sichuan Airlines in the early 90s, where the seats folded forward). Lao Airlines certainly wins the airline for "most technicolor interior decor."
As is standard on many airlines outside of the US, there was a snack served on the 40 minute flight. Probably the most unique airline snack I've ever had! It was two dried bananas, identical in size, wrapped up in plastic. Think Biscoff cookies size-wise, only soft and banana flavor!
