MilesBuzz! - Vietnam Airlines: buy tix in US or locally?

Looking for some information please about Vietnam Airlines. I am taking a trip in November/December to Singapore for a friend's wedding. Flying UA biz IAD-SIN, then overnight in SIN before taking SQ biz SIN-SGN and a week later HAN-SIN. But need to take two internal flights in Vietnam. Anyone any experience of this? Also should I buy my Vietnam Airlines tickets here in the US before leaving or when I get there? Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong forum. After a good look around, it seemed like the logical place. Thanks in advance.

We were easily able to buy Vietnam Airline tickets for next day travel while staying at the Hilton Hotel in Hanoi. They had a travel desk in the lobby who called the booking into the agency; someone then delivered the tickets to the hotel.

We, too, flew Singapore Airlines in and out of Vietnam. You will enjoy the Vietnam Airlines lounges in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. They are very retro in appearance, like a 30s deco railway car - but are completely charming due to the handsome young people who greet you and offer you any fresh fruit you like. We have a marvelous photograph of the young people behind a counter with platters heaped high with delicious tropical fruits. I particularly liked having the fresh and fragrant mangoes sliced for me.

Prices in Vietnam for air tickets internally are exactly double for westerners as for nationals. This month one-way it is 1 million dong for Hanoi to Hue for you, and "only" 500,000 Dong for locals. HAN-SGN is double these rates. The VN website is a disaster - avoid it. Did not even quote prices on my half hour attempt to use it. Buying tickets outside Vietnam, even direct from VN offices will cost you a lot more usually than it will cost in the country, and they outside VN add fake 'taxes" that simply do not exist. The Departure tax internally is about 25,000 Dong, and you will typically be told and charged US10 outside VN! The Hilton will typically screw you a bit on prices, be warned.

For any tours and travel anywhere in VN, use Tran Trong Kien - kien@buffalotours.com.vn - speaks perfect English, lowball prices, and will deliver all tickets and stuff to your Hotel and accepts credit cards readily, at no fee. Very smooth folks to deal with, and you'll save heaps over stateside prices.

For Hotel in Hanoi, the Hilton is very expensive by VN standards. A superb deal can be had at the GreenPark Hotel. Modern foreign owned and run place, Cesar Castro is the GM to book thru, speaks perfect English, and for about $US70 a room including VAT and all taxes you can negotiate a nice suite with new Jacuzzi, daily fruit basket, bottled water, excellent English daily newspaper, superb buffet breakfast with wonderful view from roof restaurant, free internet access, and free dry cleaning/laundry etc. They arrange their Limo transfer to and from airport from $US30 total cost, and the airport is a LONNNNG way out, and 'roads' are dreadful. Allow an hour. 4 million Chinese made "HONGDA" (!) motor cycles have been sold so far this year, price $US400. The Motor cycle traftic is beyond belief. There is only one road rule in VN - the largest vehicle has absolute right of way. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

www.hanoi-greenpark-hotel.com (http://www.hanoi-greenpark-hotel.com)

Special deals are below, but offer $US70 and they will accept it for a suite, but book now as they do not have many suites. Insist on the 4 pieces of laundry a day and internet access in the deal as they otherwise do not offer it or advertise it. They accept all cards of course - lots of places in VN do NOT, or charge you 5%-10% extra.

http://www.hanoi-greenpark-hotel.com/html/room_rates.html




[This message has been edited by sendoisan (edited 09-03-2001).]

This thread is better suited for FlyerTalk Travel, discussion can be found and continued at:


http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/Forum9/HTML/000137.html

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