
Citizens of Australia, who have long been dreaming of cooling off with chilled beers and savoring the taste of succulent beef pho in Southeast Asia, now have an affordable access to their dream destination, thanks to a new airline route to Ho Chi Minh City.
VietJet, an esteemed Vietnamese airline, is set to operate a new route connecting Adelaide, South Australia, and the bustling southern city in Vietnam, via Perth, commencing on November 21. The introduction of this budget airline presents an irresistible offer with five weekly services priced at a mere $250 for a one-way ticket.
This new route facilitates South Australians to embark from Adelaide in the early hours of the morning and be amidst the vibrance of Southeast Asia by midafternoon. Both ways, the flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Adelaide and vice versa, include a swift one-hour stopover in Perth, effectively eliminating any night flights, according to Adelaide airport managing director, Brenton Cox. He added that if the service garners a robust number of passengers, further talks with VietJet aiming at establishing a direct, non-stop service between the two cities might ensue.
Among the many highlights of Saigon, the previous name of Ho Chi Minh city, are the iconic Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, the ancient Giac Lam Buddhist Temple, and the historic Central Post Office.
On weekdays, flights are scheduled to depart Adelaide at 7.25 a.m., reach Perth at 8.55 a.m., before finally arriving in Ho Chi Minh at 3.40 p.m. Conversely, from Sunday to Thursday, flights will depart Ho Chi Minh at 6.35 a.m., touch down in Perth at 2.20 p.m., and finally land in Adelaide at 9.10 p.m.
For those considering booking a flight, there’s a cheap ticket costing merely $251 one way on Monday, December 4, from Adelaide. However, this budget ticket does not include stowage for checked baggage, meals, or seat selection.
The next fare, dubbed as “deluxe,” is priced at $351, and at the top tier, the “SkyBoss” service costs $1791, which includes complimentary in-flight food and beverages, priority check-in, access to luxury lounges, and a generous luggage allowance.
Nick Champion, the South Australian Trade and Investment Minister, views the new route as a significant advantage for Australia in bolstering trade and tourism. Highlighting the impact, Champion noted, “It decreases the cost of trade and creates a gateway for South Australian produce to access an emerging and pivotal market in our region. It fosters a higher exchange of ideas, people, and produce due to the amplified connectivity between our nations.”
There has been a remarkable 37% increase in the tally of Vietnamese students studying in South Australia over the past year, pushing Vietnam to rank as the state’s fourth largest international enrolments.
For local travellers, the VietJet network proffers connections to more than 120 domestic and global destinations.
The announcement by VietJet extends the string of recent international links to Adelaide, that included Batik Air, a budget Indonesian carrier, which declared commencement of new weekly services from Denpasar to Adelaide in November. Additionally, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia announced an increase in their weekly international flights during the December and January holiday season.