How I Saved $300 on My Flight to Hue, Vietnam
I’m flying back to Vietnam soon, so I wanted to give some details on how I saved some money on my flight to Hue.
Background: Vietnam and Me
I lived in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (aka Saigon) for a year, 2017-2018. Now I’m ready to go back! After a time of typing up cover letters and harassing old bosses for recommendations, I landed a gig in Hue, Vietnam, with a contract duration of 6 months. Looks like I’m going to Hue this time.
Like Saigon, Hue is still developing. Unlike Saigon, Hue is in an earlier stage of development.
There’s a lot of cool history in Hue. Hue was once the home of the Dang Trong Kingdom and the Nguyen Dynasty. What this means for me is lots of cool castles and palaces to look forward to seeing (and posting!). The Battle of Hue was also a major fight during the Vienamese/American conflict.
Also, it’s near the ocean. Other than that, I’m looking forward to cheap, exotic fruit, riding a motorbike, and immersing myself in the local culture. Hue traffic is probably also much safer than Ho Chi Minh traffic (which, no joke, makes New York look like a walk in the park).
Flight Details Under My Video of Vietnamese Traffic:
Details: A Cheap Flight to Hue, Vietnam
Here’s how I did it.
So I did a quick search for one-way flights from New York to Hue, but the cheapest I could find was around $750 (USD). The thing is, last time I flew to Saigon, I paid more like $500. The price difference seemed strange to me, especially since – pro tip – you want to book your flight for February if possible. February is supposed to be the cheapest month to go out there. My girlfriend is Filipino, and her family and friends swear by this strategy. They fly home every year, so I take their word for it.
I looked at other sites, but the flights to Hue were all expensive. That was when I realized I could just fly to Saigon and take the Vietnamese bus up north to Hue. They’re super cheap, and some even have wifi, which is very helpful in Vietnam.
Phone service side note: your sim card will only accept codes that you get on little scratch-off pieces of paper. In other words, you buy your minutes at the convenience store, and try to make the best of them by using your wifi. Facetime and Whatsapp compliment this strategy nicely.
So that’s what I did! I booked a one-way flight to Saigon; I booked it for February, which cost only $420; I’ll stop there for a night and take the bus up north in the morning for like $20-30 (USD). I saved like $300!
