Airline fined for in-flight bikini show
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DANANG, Vietnam (AP) - Bored by in-flight safety demos? A group of bikini-clad beauty queens in Vietnam recently strutted through a packed airplane as dance music blasted a song with the lyric "I'm crazy for banana."
State-run media reported Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration fined Vietjet Air 20 million dong ($960) for staging the three-minute show on Aug. 3 without receiving official approval.
A YouTube video shows young women in open vests and red bikini tops dancing down the aisle and handing out teddy bears as gleeful male passengers smile and snap photographs on the flight.
In a letter to Vietnamese authorities Tuesday, the company said the event inaugurated its first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang on the southern coast. It said all safety regulations were followed.
A company spokeswoman refused to comment on the fine Friday, but confirmed the local beauty queens were paid for their performance. She would not give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the media.
Privately owned Vietjet Air was founded in 2007 and operated its first flight in December.
State-run media reported Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration fined Vietjet Air 20 million dong ($960) for staging the three-minute show on Aug. 3 without receiving official approval.
A YouTube video shows young women in open vests and red bikini tops dancing down the aisle and handing out teddy bears as gleeful male passengers smile and snap photographs on the flight.
In a letter to Vietnamese authorities Tuesday, the company said the event inaugurated its first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang on the southern coast. It said all safety regulations were followed.
A company spokeswoman refused to comment on the fine Friday, but confirmed the local beauty queens were paid for their performance. She would not give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the media.
Privately owned Vietjet Air was founded in 2007 and operated its first flight in December.
Actually I am more insulted by the song, then the attire of the girls. Come on Komo, follow your own rules.
And you thought commies were no fun. Silly 1960's American stereotyping.
Wait....let me get the straight.....Vietnamese money is called "dong"? Hm....
@Smashquail Huhhuhuhhuh... You daid, "dong"...ehhehehheh....
Hey at least these beautiful girls would keep my mind off the thought of this plane going down. Bravo to them! Hope they continue to do it.Â
40 years ago I was flying through the Soviet Union on a noisy Ilyushin jet. Waking up from a fitful nap, I gazed straight into one of nature's wonders, a Russian stewardess who was the living embodiment on the Venus of Kostenki. She offered me tea from a samovar. it was the happiest moment of my life.
 @Pedagoguish 40 years ago I was flying from Cam Ranh Bay to freedom and Seattle-Takoma airport, leaving Vietnam to the Communists. Trust me, we could have used some entertainment like that. Instead, our silent thoughts were all about the many caskets in the airliner's hold ... our lost buddies.
Guess I know where my next trip is going to be!!!
Just sayin!
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That the picture (especially the small one on KOMO's front page column) required me to do a double take. I mistook the black rectangle on the right side of the camera in the foreground to be a very personal area of the young lady. Perhaps it's just me...
Those girls are teeny tiny......they all strut through that aisle with arms swinging and don't hit anything! Â
That kid on the left is just going... man what i wouldn't do for that Kit Kat bar....
Two million dong sounds like a lot; $960 sounds like cheap advertizing ... and probably effective.
Life in the tropical countries is so much more fun. This is actually a great promotional campaign. Northwest and cold wether people should spend a year in the Caribbean to begin to understand how life can be enjoyed without being so judgemental. I know because I lived in the beautiful tropics for many years and miss it.
 @Socialjusticeforall They have flights that go back... Need help packing?  I for one, left the Tropics and moved to the PNW, mainly for a better life and a chance to live with respect...so there could be and are two sides to your argument.
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Life in the Tropics/Caribbean/Coastal Areas/Islands... is fine for some, but the lifestyle is not for everyone. Â And as far as the cold weather dwellers in the PNW being judgmental, let me ask you a few question...
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"What Tropics nation has gay marriage (or even tolerates it)? Â legalized pot? Â What Tropics nation should we aspire to be more like? Â Cuba? Â Indonesia? Â Please don't talk bad about the people you live among...it's not nice.
I know I'm there right now. Life with tan feet is the best!Â
In case you're interested, the song on that Vietjet bikini flight is called 'La Banana' by Ritmo Fatal. You can find it on youtube!
And this is what they have swapped the snacks for ????
I've had a lot of airline snacks. I think I'll take the show and bring my own snacks. :o)
 @skittlesmom This isn't a domestic flight. Try flying outside the U.S. (and I don't mean just to Canada or Mexico) and you'll see how far U.S. airline service has fallen.
That's cheap for the exposure they're going to get. That dong is going to last long.....
I'm sure that Viet Jet is laughing today though, with ticket sales that make the promo expenses a great bargain. Still, over in Asia it's ALL about control of the populace rather than like here and all about the money. Viet Jet could have real problems with a few more stunts like this.
TIME TO GO FLY
Vietnam, you sure they are girls and not Benny Boys?
I just wanna see girls sing "Im crazy for banana"
This could never happen on United Airlines as the male passengers would be jumping from the plane to avoid seeing those women in bikinis.
 @Cunny Funt wow...homophobia is all it's glory.  You must be so proud of your funny little post.
 @Cunny Funt Boy that's no kidding, I fly to Asia once or twice a year and got woke up by a United Flight attendant who looked like James Brown with a wig!
$960 (20 million dong, of course)? Some guys would pay that to see this. Heck, thats less than a first class ticket in some cases.
@northwestsurfer I bet it's worth every Dong.
@kockatoo While I am not fond of dong myself, I could justify being fined 20 million dong for this.
This is totally sexist - where were the male strippers for us gals? ;)
 @Elaine2 No sh$t! :-D 20 million dongs goes a long way....
All too often I have to sit next to stinky, over-flowing men when I fly.
Blehch!
 @Elaine2 They're on United Airlines.....
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Time to go to Vietnam.
Note all the cameras, oh teah they were offended.
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...State-run media reported Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration fined Vietjet Air 20 million dong...
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I just couldn't read anymore from the laughter and the tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
@Howard Beale I know man, I was laughing at the same thing. Thats a lot of dong.
Well, that's one way to sell plane tickets. Southwest should try that!
Wow... so they get a free bikini show and a free teddy bear and we have to pay to borrow a pillow? Â Something is really wrong with this picture! Â
really?!? they were fined for this? I see no harm done...
 @izwideopen Hello! It's a very different society in another part of the world. When I lived in one part of the far east people viewed westerners or expats from the same culture who walked down the streets in shorts and a t shirt as being equal to walking around in their underwear. In the context of that society that is indeed what it looked like. Â
 @izwideopen But...but they could scar the young children flying by teaching how a woman should look....;). I dont see an issue. If they let penguins romp around on flights then there shouldnt be a problem unless the girls sat on the pilots lap while they were flying the plane, of course.
 @darkrenegade:Â
"teaching young children how a woman shuld look"
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Really? Beauty queens? We have enough problems with young girls & young women obsessing about their images & self worth because they can't meet the air-brushed "ideal" presented in the media - do we reallyneed to reinforce that?
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And what is wrong with penguins? as long as they don't "sit on the pilots lap while they are flying the plane", I would think that penguins would be harmless enough.
@Evergreen Maybe if we paraded some good looking Italian guys who know how to groom themselves and dress, it might keep a lot of men from turning into slobs.Â
@LocalLady @darkrenegade: "We have enough problems with young girls & young women obsessing about their images & self worth..."
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Really?? I have to disagree. I see plenty fat girls today wearing tight clothes, proudly displaying their jelly rolls. Perhaps if we parade what a healthy woman looks like, there would be less obesity.
 @LocalLady  @darkrenegade: Thats my point, LL. Its called sarcasm which is why I left it with a digital wink.
Man, the one time we get real entertainment, and they can't do it? Very sad! Guess it would've been different if the airline provided some kind of bikini entertainment fee. I'd pay that! ;)
This brings back fond memories of an old soldier. I try to remember the beauty and forget the ugliness of the war.
 @WARevolution this statement made me smile at the thought of our military, and then sad at what we do to them... Â
The first gal on there is quite good looking....think I'll be moving to Vietnam. :P