Business Class to Vietnam

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Holy Hannah! I was so shocked when my wife told me this, I had to share.

She's planning a vacation to Vietnam in 2024, and used miles to book business class tickets with Singapore Airlines. I knew prices for travel went up quite a bit since Covid first hit, but my goodness! She learned that round-trip to Vietnam in business class on Singapore Airlines would have cost $10,000 PER PERSON without miles. Ridiculous.

I'm really glad my wife got so good at playing the miles game.

 

[Aerides]

Holy Hannah! I was so shocked when my wife told me this, I had to share.

She's planning a vacation to Vietnam in 2024, and used miles to book business class tickets with Singapore Airlines. I knew prices for travel went up quite a bit since Covid first hit, but my goodness! She learned that round-trip to Vietnam in business class on Singapore Airlines would have cost $10,000 PER PERSON without miles. Ridiculous.

I'm really glad my wife got so good at playing the miles game.

That is what business costs, and can and has cost, for years. Especially if you are booking a ways out. Depending on the dates and flights, I remember getting a 10k business quote to go from Miami to Paris back in 2008 (the company that was flying me in hastily and apologetically called to try to find something a bit better lol)

 

[2017ish]

Agree, not a shocking price. Deals can be found though. Scott's Cheap Flights premium membership paid for itself for the rest of DW's life and then some with our booking for our next big trip: roundtrip from Atlanta to Singapore, via Doha, on Qatar. Considerably less than 10K each--but the fare was only good for a day.

__________
E.T.A. DW told me she has actually never paid 10K for a ticket (and records confirm). But our transactions indicate that after 2021, prices have gone up (or at least discounts often aren't as deep).

PS--everything is also destination dependent and we will choose destinations, in part, by available airfare; and, we've not yet investigated our trip to Southeast Asia.

 

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Wow, so this is not something new. We've flown business class before, but it was either on miles or an upgrade - never full-price, and I never inquired as to what full-price was.

 

[Freedom56]

Holy Hannah! I was so shocked when my wife told me this, I had to share.

She's planning a vacation to Vietnam in 2024, and used miles to book business class tickets with Singapore Airlines. I knew prices for travel went up quite a bit since Covid first hit, but my goodness! She learned that round-trip to Vietnam in business class on Singapore Airlines would have cost $10,000 PER PERSON without miles. Ridiculous.

I'm really glad my wife got so good at playing the miles game.

Shop around. Business class fares are falling fast. We booked LAX to GVA for $2916 return on Delta One Business class and though we go a great deal (they were over $6200 months ago) until other airlines are now offering business class for the same dates for as low as $2480 return.

 

[athena53]

Business Class airfares to Europe are better- maybe because it's shorter- but I've looked at flights to Australia and NZ and crossed them off my list. Too much money just to get there and back and I won't fly Coach on that route.

I agree with Freedom56, though- Business Class fares seem to be decreasing. I paid $5,200 for MCI to Munich last May but $3,900 to London this coming September. From what I'm reading, business travel isn't recovering as quickly as leisure travel and the airlines would rather cut the price and attract some leisure travelers who pay Real Money than allow flyers to redeem miles for them.

 

[explanade]

Actually there was a sale on biz class to Singapore from the West Coast on United.

It was like $2100 but it was last minute.

So even if you booked the fare, you'd be scrambling for last-minute hotels and they're normally in the $350-400 range, with a high hotel tax, and up.


I also read somewhere that occupancy in Hawaii has been tailing off since the pent-up demand during the pandemic in the last year but hotel rates have kept going up, especially in Maui. Hotels apparently would like to yield higher rates per visitor even if it sacrifices a little occupancy.

Oahu is suppose to be better for hotel rates.

 

[zinger1457]

I would look into Cathay Pacific business class to SE Asia, very good airline, used them on a recent trip and cost was a little over $4K.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've flown business class from the US to a number of Asia/Pacific counties back when I was working. Usually VIA Continental/United. IIRC the price tag then was about 8 to 10k (ten years ago) so the only thing that surprises me, is that it's not a lot more today. (Especially on Sing area)

 

[NW-Bound]

... She learned that round-trip to Vietnam in business class on Singapore Airlines would have cost $10,000 PER PERSON without miles. Ridiculous...

I don't plan to go to Asia, but search for airfares to Saigon out of curiosity.

For JFK/Saigon, a biz class seat can be as low as $4,100 on Singapore Airlines!

And they fly non-stop JFK-SIN for 18-1/2 hr, then the 2nd shorter leg for SIN-SGN. Wow, I did not know the A350 could carry that much fuel for up to 18,000-km (11,000 miles).

From LAX, it is more costly although the total travel time is roughly the same over the Pacific. The lowest fares I saw were a bit higher than $5,000, and they are as high as $16,000, depending on the time of year.

I guess it's because many American Asians live along the West Coast, hence the higher demand and the higher price if you go from Western USA. Or perhaps more US businesses dealing with Asia are based on the US West Coast.

 

[brett]

We have spent five winters in Thailand/Vietnam/Malaysia.

We did not go this this year but did shop prices. They are up by 30-40 percent.

Have to wonder if it is because Japan has opened up. Many flights through Narita.

Our first choice so far is Korean KAL, Singapore, followed by Delta.

United/ANA is at the very bottom of our list. Have yet to try Cathay...maybe next winter.

 

[marko]

I've flown First/Business on Singapore many times. Up-front, 747.

Short of your own private jet, Singapore Air is the way to go. Really. There's nothing like it. Even the bathrooms are triple size. And before/after you leave their club rooms are second to none. What flying used to be.

One early morning flight they asked if I'd like some champagne before take off. At first I declined. Then I noticed it was Dom Perignon he held on that silver platter!.....uh...."OK".

 

[frayne]

Boy, what a rip off. Back in 1970 my uncle financed an all expenses paid, one year vacation to south Viet Nam. Met some great indigenous folks there as well as travel companions. A lovely country with some wonderful people. A no cost commercial flight going over and a military medivac coming back. RLTW !