Jetstar’s new Melbourne-Vietnam route takes flight

Jetstar’s new flights to Vietnam will take off for the first time today, giving Aussies the chance to fly on the only low-cost direct flights to the suddenly booming tourist hotspot.

The inaugural flight, JQ63, will depart at 3:15pm this afternoon, from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City, piloted by Jetstar’s Chief Pilot Captain Georgina Sutton.

Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Australia & New Zealand, Dean Salter, said the new flights are a major milestone for the airline.

“Vietnam is one of the fastest growing holiday destinations in South East Asia, and until now has been the largest country in the region without a low-cost direct link to Australia,” Salter said.

“There is enormous potential for Vietnam to become one of the most popular destinations for Australian travellers thanks to its wonderful year-round climate and great beaches, food and culture.

“We are already the biggest Australian carrier operating into Bali, Phuket and Hawaii – Vietnam is the next step in expanding our international network for budget conscious travellers.”

From Ho Chi Minh City, travellers can fly to 15 other destinations within Vietnam on Jetstar Pacific, one of Vietnam’s low-cost carriers.

Salter added the new flights will also boost inbound tourism, building on the 21 per cent increase in Vietnamese visitors to Australia in the last 12 months.

“Melbourne and Sydney both have large Vietnamese communities, and we expect to see visitors to the two cities increase with the introduction of these low fares,” he said.

“We’re excited to become the only low-cost airline to fly between Australia and Vietnam, offering up to 180,000 passengers the opportunity to travel at a great price.”

The new flights will operate three times per week from Melbourne and, from tomorrow, four times a week from Sydney. The new routes will be operated by Jetstar’s Boeing 787 fleet, with a capacity of 335 passengers per flight, including 21 business seats.

And because it’s kind of a big deal for the airline, Jetstar is offering sale fares from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City from $199 and $249 respectively, for select travel dates. Fares are one-way, with checked baggage not included.

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ho chi minh city jetstar melbourne vietnam