Vietjet, a new budget airline, is currently slinging cheap-as-chips flights from Sydney to Ho Chi Min City — with fares starting from $200 return.
The route departs three times weekly, with the cheapest economy one-way fares listed as $40USD ($60 AUD) plus tax on their website. The flights also depart out of Melbourne, and in June will depart out of Brisbane.
To also celebrate the Sydney launch, Vietjet has released a number of half-price SkyBoss and SkyBoss Business seats until May 5.
That’s a bloody good deal if you’ve always fancied being able to lie down in your seat, but unfortunately need to eat as well.
Porque no los dos?
Bamboo Airlines is another Vietnamese budget airline that has launched cheap flights in the last year. A quick look at the website, and flights are more expensive than Vietjet — but still significantly cheaper than other Australian and Asian airlines.
Speaking to The Guardian, Aviation expert at Sydney University Professor Rico Merkert said that added competition in international flights to Asia will help combat increased costs in a post-COVID market.
“Both Bamboo and Vietjet offer cheap fares – Vietjet is particularly great for Vietnam and Asia. But Bamboo may also be interesting to backpackers who want to travel onto Europe,” says Merkert.
To have more airlines competing is a welcome change from the absolutely cooked prices airlines like Qantas and Virgin were slinging last year, and in 2020 when state borders opened briefly.
In 2020, Qantas tried to commit airway robbery by selling economy flights from Sydney to Melbourne for $809 ONE WAY as people attempted to flee a COVID outbreak.
Last year, flights also skyrocketed due to the increased price of fuel.
“You have to recover the cost of increases to fuel, which is twice what it was a year ago,” Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said at the time.
Meanwhile, those in Europe are happy-as-larry with their ridiculously cheap $20 Ryanair flights.
Cop these cheap flights from Sydney to Ho Chi Min City on the Vietjet website here.
