Trip Report: VTE-PKZ-REP
Continuing our journey from Vientiane, Laos to Siem Reap, Cambodia, we took Lao Airlines once again. VTE-REP includes a stopover in Pakse, Laos (PKZ), but it seemed like 99% of passengers were continuing all the way to REP, with maybe only a couple passengers getting on in the southern Lao city.
Unlike our LPQ-VTE flight on the Chinese MA60, this flight was operated by the French-Italian ATR72. I'd flown the ATR72 a lot in Western China and Myanmar, but somehow I don't remember that those airplanes lacked the window shades like this one, which is a bit uncomfortable when you've gotten up at 3:30am for the 6:30am departure, and the sun is in your eyes...
On the 1 hour 15 min VTE-PKZ segment, we were served a raisin brioche muffin and a choice of water, coffee or tea. You can see that Lao Airlines's ATR72s also has the superbright upholstery as the MA60s.
In PKZ, we had to get off the airplane in order to go through Lao immigration. An immigration officer checks your passport in VTE, but I guess that is more of a "double check" that you have a passport. The actual station where you get your departure stamp is in PKZ. We were the only flight at the airport, so basically the entire airplane got off, got these laminated boarding cards, lined up at immigration, and went to the boarding lounge (there's only one gate at PKZ).
Though the PKZ-REP segment was 15 minutes shorter than VTE-PKZ, I guess since this was an international flight the provisions were upgraded! We were served a boxed meal with tuna fish salad sandwich (crusts cut off), apple slices, a sponge cake, plus a broader choice of beverages.
