Star Alliance member SWISS and its subsidiary Edelweiss are selling cheap business class tickets for flights to Ho-Chi-Minh-City in Vietnam for November 2020. Departing from Paris, prices for a round-trip to Vietnam start at €1,377. Edelweiss only flies to Vietnam during the winter months, so this is them trying to fill those first flights.
Your first flight will be operated by SWISS and will take you to Zurich. From there on, Edelweiss will take over.
Business Class
Edelweiss will operate an Airbus A340 on the long-haul route to Asia. The hard product is more or less identical to what SWISS offers in its premium cabin. We haven’t been able to find a decent flight review of Edelweiss’ Business Class in English. But the airline provides a 360° view of their cabin. Check it out here: Edelweiss Business Class
Search & Book
The fare rules state that this deal will expire on February 19, 2020. The flights are available in November and your stay has to be at least 3 days long (or include a Saturday or Sunday). It may also not exceed 3 months.
We have compiled all possible flight dates in our availability calendar, which will forward you to swiss.com. Swiss’ website is a bit more expensive, but the safer option.
If you prefer figuring it out yourself, Google Flights displays these fare accurately (instructions). Online travel agencies might offer cheaper tickets in our flight search. However, we recommend booking directly with the airline.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Tickets for all flights will be issued in booking class P. Even if Edelweiss’ Business Class product is very similar to the one SWISS is using, the possibilities for earning miles differ entirely. You’ll basically only earn miles with Miles&More or United MileagePlus.
Information & Tips for Vietnam
Vietnam is a country in South Eastern Asia. Hanoi in the north of the country is the capital, while southern Ho-Chi-Minh-City (HCMC) is the most populous city. Vietnam is famous for its vast natural jungles, beautiful beaches and the famous Ha-Long-Bay, just outside of Hanoi. The country’s name has become a trope in pop-culture, mainly because of many American movies and TV series dealing with the USA’s military intervention in the country in the late 1960s.
Best Time to Travel
Best seasons for tourists visiting Vietnam are spring (February through April) and fall (August through October). At this time, precipitation is at a yearly low and temperatures are enjoyable. Because of the large north-south distance covered by the country, best travel times can be regionally different.
Visa & Immigration
Most EU-Citizens can get a visa-free entry for stays up to fifteen days. All they need is a passport valid for more than six months. After leaving Vietnam, you have to wait 30 days to apply for another visa-free entry. If you’re planning to stay longer than fifteen days, you need to apply for a regular visa.
Currency
Vietnam’s official curreny is the Vietnamese Dong. 1€ buys roughy 26,000 Dong. International credit cards are accepted in most major cities throughout the country. Getting cash via ATMs is no problem in major cities, as well. Please inform yourself about possible comission fees before travelling to Vietnam.
→ All Dealz for Vietnam
Cover Picture: © tanito