I went there with another lady officer from KKLW. As all MAS’ and JAL’s direct flight to Tokyo were fully booked, we got there via Vietnam Airlines (VA) instead. I had no qualms upon using different airlines; in fact I look forward to observe their uniforms and the unique hospitality that they offer. The only drawback was that we couldn’t get the direct flight, so we had to transit in Hanoi for 5 hours…uhh. Well, at least that was stated in my flight itinerary and boarding pass. The fact was we actually had to go to Ho Chin Minh City first, BEFORE went to Hanoi. Nobody told us that, even the girl at the counter, we just figured it out as we got onboard. I blamed my bad Geography for this, and also lack of information from the check-in counter! My misfortune with the airline staff went on as we got to Ho Chin Minh, (I forgot the name of the airport). As our vessel number was the same as the one bound for Hanoi, so it was only natural for us to think that it was going to be a short stop,