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Will Bikini Airlines be a success in India?

Bikini Airlines have come to India but if you don’t know what Bikini airlines are, read on to find out. A Vietnamese airline Vietjet has come to be popularly known as “Bikini Airline” because of their controversial commercials and promotional efforts highlighting their air hostesses in a bikini. But that’s not all, there has been more than just one such advertisement.

From their constant efforts at emphasizing that less is more, they seem to be following the minimalist agenda. Firstly with the controversial advertisements that made them popular as “Bikini airlines” and now with their offer to sell tickets at cheap rates. Now another surprising element is the company is headed by a woman entrepreneur, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

Details of the flight

Vietjet has confirmed that they will start their operations in India in the month of December. The flights will go to and fro between India and Vietnam. It will be a direct flight from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. There is still confusion on whether it will be a non-stop flight or not. It may be a direct flight but could have stops in between. Direct means that you just will not have to change flights to reach your destination, but there could be a stop in between.

The company had also offered a super saving ticket offering tickets at the meager cost of Rs 9 for three golden days starting August 20. Customers can go on their website www.vietjet.com to buy tickets or also download their mobile app. Once the three-day offer ends, the base fare for a trip from Delhi to Vietnam will cost you approximately ₹8,863.

The flights will not be available on a daily basis though. The flights from Ho Chi Minh to Delhi will fly for four days in a week i.e Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday while the flights from Hanoi will operate on three days only i.e Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flying time will be somewhere around 5 hours. Refund on cancellation option is not going to be available and they will allow a carry-on bag only weighing no more than 7 kgs. For taking additional luggage with you, you might have to pay an additional fee.

The flight will take off from New Delhi at 11:50 pm and it will reach Ho Chi Minh at 6:10 am. The return flight will take off at 7 pm from Ho Chi Minh and will arrive at New Delhi at 10:50 pm.

Timings for Hanoi Flights are:

Departure (New Delhi) at 11:50pm. Arrival in Hanoi: 5:20 Am. The return flight will depart from Hanoi at 7:10 pm and reach Delhi by 10:50 pm.

The purpose of Vietjet expanding their operations to India is to cater to air traffic between both countries since there is no direct flight from India to Vietnam or vice versa yet.

Some things you must know about Vietjet:

Much like the infamous Kingfisher, Vietjet also publishes an annual calendar which has pictures of air-hostesses, pilots and other crew posing in racy clothes. Many people have argued against it saying that it is a sexist way of promoting their brand.

Now since the brand is coming to India, it is imperative to mention that the flight attendants do not wear Bikinis while on the flight. That was restricted to only the short time of commercial and the promotional offer.

Currently, Vietjet operates 400 flights daily to various destinations across the country as well as to international destinations in the world. It follows 129 different routes. The company has a fleet of 55 aircraft.

The announcement of Vietjet coming to India was made to mark the visit of Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang in India. It was announced at the India-Vietnam Business Forum held at New Delhi. The expected date for the operations to begin is December 6 but it may be postponed or changed by the company if they so wish.

Controversy:

Vietjet has been quite controversial since their commercials. They have made the headlines before because of their flight attendants serving the customers in uniform that was little more than a Bikini. Moreover, the company was even fined 678.20 euros in 2012 because their five flight attendants took part in a mid-flight dance, wearing Bikinis and posing as if they were in a Beauty contest. Since they had not taken any permission from Vietnam’s aviation authorities, they were fined.

Now, since the company will be operating in India and because of their cheap rates, almost anyone can board the flight, here’s to hoping that the flight attendants don’t get catcalled. It is an international flight and so they may serve alcohol as well and with an airline known to be “Bikini Airline”, it may cause a lot of trouble.

Tips to find the cheapest flight

Travelling by air in India can easily make a dent in your pockets especially since international flights sometimes turn out to be cheaper than domestic flights. So for those who wish to explore exotic destinations within India, it can be a hard task to find flight tickets that fit their budget.

Flight expense can be a big part of the overall travelling expense. Therefore, finding a right deal when it comes to air tickets is as important as picking a destination or choosing a place to stay. Since airlines are under huge pressure to making profits, it is hard to find a great deal but it can happen if you know the right ways. That is why we are here with a list of tips to help out and find cheaper tickets for Air travel:

Keep an Eye on Last minute deals:

Since many airlines sometimes lower their price rates four to six days before departure, in order to be able to run a full flight. Taking advantage of the situation, you can enjoy airfare slashes by keeping an eye out for such last minute deals. This would work if you already have a visa or are certain that you would get a visa on arrival. This last-minute option can easily be the cheapest option for air travel.

Newsletter Subscription of Airlines

Airlines tend to offer better deals firstly with their newsletter subscribers so if you already have a travel destination in mind, just subscribe to the email newsletter of low cost and full-service airlines of that region. Air Asia and Tiger India would be the newsletter recommendations if you wish to travel to Malaysia. You would be surprised at the low-cost airfare you would have to pay.

Don’t keep the Travel days and dates rigid

Weekends are more popular timing for people flying so the airlines get filled up quickly during this time. The same does not happen in the middle of the week from Tuesday to Thursday. So the flights during these days are comparatively cheaper. It is common knowledge that flight tickets during busy days like festivals, holidays etc is expensive. So, choose to find tickets a day or two before or after to avail cheaper rates.

Compare Prices across multiple travel sites

Today, there are so many travel sites available each offering different prices for the same journey. Therefore, it is better to compare these prices before booking the tickets. Sometimes, there may be an offer or a scheme or a discount going on across one of the sites which you may avail to book cheaper flight tickets. There are many websites available online and each runs a unique algorithm which is why results may vary. Try different sites for domestic and international travel. It would be best if you search across many such sites to find the best rates.

Round trips with the same airline

In India as well as some international locations, this happens. Many airlines offer round-trip fares which are discounted. It would cost less to book a round trip ticket with the same airline than two one-way tickets. But this only works as long as you are flying in and out of the same destination. Such schemes can be really helpful in reducing costs of air travel. So before booking a ticket, check if you can get offers on round-trip tickets.

Avoid travelling at peak hour

The flights taking off at peak hour and convenient times are also the most expensive at times. Therefore, flights with late night or early morning time slots can often be cheaper because other people avoid travelling at that hour. This can end up making you tired but saves money so there’s that. Moreover, you can always relax once you have reached your destination Travellers often have to go the extra mile for saving cash and sometimes one must sacrifice leisure to save money.

Avoid established and larger airports

Flying to low-cost airline hubs can actually save a few bucks. Since larger airports tend to charge airlines hefty fees, the airlines, in turn, raise the ticket prices. But at low cost, less popular airline hubs, you can find low-cost airlines. These hubs may be located at a different airport or a short drive away from the city and if you’re lucky, in the city as well. The main idea is to find such low-cost hubs and then use other modes of travel to reach the main destination. What this process costs in terms of time, it makes up for in terms of money.

A small example is if you are planning to travel to Manila. Many flights will take you to the Nino Aquino International Airport but there is also another low-cost airline hub that takes you to Clark International Airport which is located 2 hours outside of Manila.

Planning months in future

When all else fails, go back to the basic and traditional method of saving money and that is planning ahead. The best way to find cheapest tickets is making booking months in advance. You can find full-service airlines at a lower cost and there really is no downside to this. As long as you can plan in advance (about 3 to 6 months), you will be able to get the best airfares with no trouble. But a flight isn’t all you need so if you are capable of planning well in advance, which isn’t always an easy job, then only opt for this method.

Just be flexible and smart in picking where you go and how you go there. But remember not to waste too much time in trying to find the cheapest ticket. Don’t give it more than an hour or you’ll be scratching your brain more than you should. Just follow the tips mentioned above and give it around 40 minutes. After that, just finish the process and don’t think too much on it.