Holly at Travelocity
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As I'm sure you know already, Vietnam Airlines flies daily (several times a day) from Hanoi to Saigon. So I called the U.S. office of Vietnam Airlines for you, to see if you could book directly from them, and it turns out you can't. But guess who the Vietnam Airlines representative referred me to? That's right, Vinaworld Travel! My feeling is that if the airline is handing out the number for Vinaworld, they must be legit. I then called Vinaworld and confirmed that you could book your Hanoi-Saigon flight through them. It's actually not so surprising that they're asking for a check upfront -- this is a San Fransisco-based mom and pop-type travel agency, who just happen to have cornered the market on internal flight booking within Vietnam. They do have a license number -- although they don't specify WHICH kind of license they have! -- so personally I wouldn't be that worried. But you might want to check with ASTA (the American Society of Travel Agents) or IATAN (the International Airlines Travel Agent Network.) Alternatively, you could call Vinaworld and find out exactly which network of travel agents their "license number" links them to. If it's any of the aforementioned, it's totally above board. Do remember, if you were to wait until you were in Vietnam to book your Hanoi-Saigon flight, you'd likely be dealing with exactly the same system; some travel agent on the corner would basically be the third party going to the Vietnam Airlines office and getting your ticket for you.
Alternatively, you can make arrangements online with Pacific Airlines, another Vietnam-based carrier; from what I can tell, you enter your credit card information into the online booking form, and then get your ticket.
If either of the above situations makes you uncomfortable, you can go the more "traditional" route and buy the same Vietnam Airlines or Pacific Airlines flights on most of the big online travel agencies -- you know who they are. You may, however, find that you're paying a little more -- but perhaps the peace of mind is worth it to you.
To reiterate, I personally wouldn't worry too much about Vinaworld Travel, especially if you can ascertain what type of "license number" they have; the bottom line seems to be that Vietnam Airlines doesn't sell directly to the customer -- in the way that, say, you can go to the American Airlines site and book your flight -- because it sells to travel agents instead. It's up to you whether you want Vinaworld or one of the big-name agencies to get their cut of your ticket price.
Good luck -- and have a wonderful trip! |
vietnaminfocus
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Why not buy it in Vietnam? I'm not from the US, but buying this ticket in Australia is around four times the price as buying locally.
Outside of major holidays, it's generally quite easy to book a an airfare with either Pacific or Vietnam Airlines only a few days before departure. Cost is approx $100USD. Pacific can be as low as $30USD if brought online.
The Vietnam Airlines website is being revamped and is currently not working.
Hope it all works out! |
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