The new Pacific Airlines flight attendant uniforms. (Cre: Pacific Airlines)
The new flight attendant uniforms
The new flight attendant uniforms are based on the main colors of the refreshed airline. These uniforms were described by the airline as being of “youthful and modern style but still retains the elegance of Asian culture.”
Color-wise, the choices are deliberate and inspired by the VNA color palette to provide a visual connection between the two air carriers. The dominant color is the dark blue, which comprises most of the fabric of the uniforms.
For some color and a little bit of flair, the airline chose to go with orange accents. This includes ties and ascots.
The main color of the uniforms is the dark blue, which, per the airline, brings a sense of security. (Cre: Pacific Airlines)
Rebranding Jetstar Pacific
Back in June, VNA and Qantas agreed to rebrand Jetstar Pacific as “Pacific Airlines.” The plan was to leverage Vietnam Airlines’ market strength and presence to improve the airline’s operations and improve profitability. Pacific Airlines has started to repaint its planes and has taken part in important operations -including the Da Nang evacuation.
Jetstar Pacific is going back to its original name of Pacific Airlines. In 2008, however, Qantas invested in Pacific Airlines and renamed it Jetstar Pacific to be in line with the other Jetstar low-cost operations running in Oceania and East Asia.
A rendering of an A320 in the new Pacific Airlines livery. (Cre: Pacific Airlines)
Qantas is stepping back from the airline. The Australian flag carrier has been trying to manage the crisis at home by shoring up its own position. Jetstar Pacific was not a market giant and faced intense competition.
The airline maintained Jetstar Pacific’s fleet of 18 Airbus A320s. These planes complement VNA’ Airbus fleet and are a common type across low-cost airlines, including Frontier Airlines, easyJet, and more.
A new reservation system
On July 29th, Pacific Airlines officially switched over to Saber’s passenger system and launched a new website. The move to Saber is designed to better align ticketing between VNA and Pacific Airlines while also instituting a common technology platform across both airlines– reducing complexity and increasing operational efficiency.
Lots of room to grow
VNA has chosen to maintain Pacific Airlines as a separate, low-cost arm. Vietnam is a booming market that has shown strong signs of growth. In the last couple of months, VNA has grown its own domestic market connections and launched several new routes.
A new uniform is part of a fresh start for the low-cost carrier. (Cre: Pacific Airlines)
However, where there is a booming market, there is also intense competition. As a low-cost carrier, Pacific Airlines will largely target price-sensitive leisure travelers. But, the airline could also tap into some of VNA’ market position and take over some routes.
But, Pacific Airlines also needs to ensure it has the right number of planes. Its competitors have hundreds of aircraft on order to grow. If VNA chooses not to expand the airline’s fleet, then Pacific Airlines will likely remain a smaller market carrier that leverages VNA’ strength but is not chasing market share. Instead, it would be more of a thorn in the side of its competitors.
Cre: Jay Singh – Simple Flying
Nguyen Xuan Nghia – COMM
