With the Covid-19 epidemic being well controlled in Vietnam and in order to meet the travel needs of passengers, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has launched a flight program with a fixed price of VND 99,000/way (including taxes and fees of VND 579,000/way) for all domestic routes.
Accordingly, the program applies to tickets purchased on the VNA website or mobile application from April 24 to 30, with itineraries in the period from September 6, 2020 to February 21, 2021, with accompanying conditions on ticket refunds, ticket exchanges and departure times.
On April 23, Vietnam Airlines Group (including VNA, Jetstar Pacific, VASCO) announced the increase of domestic flights. Specifically, from April 25 to 30, VNA will operate flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with a frequency of 6 flights/day; between Da Nang and Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City is 2 flights/day/route. From May 2020, the flight route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will increase to 11 flights/day, between Da Nang and Hanoi to 4 flights/day, between Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City to 5 flights/day.
For the remaining routes, VNA will gradually expand operations and resume operations differently on each route. Specifically, the airline will resume one flight per day on the routes between Hanoi and Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc; between Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hue, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc. Other routes will resume operations with a frequency of 3-4 flights per week including between Hanoi and Can Tho, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, Hue, Vinh, Chu Lai; between Ho Chi Minh City and Quy Nhon, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai.
Jetstar Pacific Airlines also increased the frequency of flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to 2 flights/day. The flights are operated under a codeshare partnership under the "dual brand" strategy with VNA. Passengers who buy tickets from VNA and travel on codeshare flights operated by Jetstar Pacific still enjoy full services from the ground to the air as if flying on Vietnam Airlines, including free checked baggage and meals. Passengers who are Golden Lotus members enjoy all the program's policies including mileage accumulation, rewards and other preferential benefits and privileges.
To ensure the health and safety of passengers and the community, VNA continues to disinfect all aircraft operating during the day, while implementing measures to check the health of passengers at the airport according to the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, requiring online health declarations before the flight and refusing to transport passengers with signs of suspected Covid-19 infection. The flight crew, including pilots and flight attendants, are all equipped with masks, gloves, glasses and alcohol-based tissues. Passengers traveling by plane during this time are required to wear masks throughout the flight.
Flight schedules during this period will be flexibly operated by airlines according to actual operating conditions. In case the flight plan has to change due to force majeure or from VNA, passengers can be supported to change flight date or itinerary according to current regulations.
Previously, although the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam had agreed to increase the frequency of flights, especially on the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route, the number was still limited to ensure effective prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic. This limited the operating capacity of airlines. This is the reason why airfares on this route in the recent period were 3-4 times more expensive than the previous period.
