Jetstar is looking to break the monopoly on flights to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) from Sydney and Melbourne with the launch of direct flights from mid-May.

Qantas’ low-cost offshoot will go up against national flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines on the route, with  both airlines flying the advanced Boeing 787 on the eight-hour journey.

However, Vietnam Airlines will have the edge in frequency thanks to its daily flight schedule; would-be Jetstar passengers will need to tailor their schedule to suit one of the three days a week for flights out of Melbourne (commenting May 10) and four from Sydney (from May 11).

Vietnam Airlines also offers a better experience at the pointy end, with business class based on the familiar Zodiac Cirrus design popularised by Cathay Pacific, which convert into fully-flat beds and pffer direct aisle access for every passenger.

Jetstar’s Boeing 787 business class offers an appropriately low-cost take, with a 2-3-2 layout for reclining seats which are closer to premium economy in nature.

In related news, the Vietnamese government has proposed a US$860 million (A$1.14 billion) upgrade for Ho Chi Minh City’s congested Tan Son Nhat International Airport which would see two new terminals built by 2020.

This would boost Tan Son Nhat’s capacity to 45 million passengers per year. The airport was designed to handle 25 million passengers, a peak it expected to reach by 2020, but a surge in travellers saw capacity overloaded at 28 million passengers in 2016.

Source: Australian Business Traveller