Flight: HK Express UO 567
From: Cam Ranh (CXR) To: Hong Kong (HKG)
I flew with HK Express from Nha Trang to Hong Kong. I’m subscribed to the HK Express newsletter as I am easily tempted to travel to Hong Kong. In this case I was looking for a cheap way to get to Hong Kong from Vietnam, and I saw a sale on for flights from Nha Trang. I ended up flying from Saigon to Nha Trang and making a stopover in Nha Trang
I compared other flight prices with Skyscanner just to be sure, and this worked out to be a good deal.
HK Express also fly from Da Nang to Hong Kong, and I’ve flown with them from Hong Kong to Osaka Kansai.
The ticket was advertised at 34 USD for a ticket.
Of course it goes up once you add a bag, which in this was another 30 USD.
There are also other add-on hoops to jump through, such as meals and seat selection.
And somewhere along the line another 24 USD in fees and taxes was added that can’t be avoided, which I feel is always a disingenuous tactic used by airlines. It was still a cheap flight, but I prefer airlines to be upfront with their pricing (as is required by law in Australia).
Cam Ranh International Airport is the airport for Nha Trang. It’s probably the nicest looking airport terminal in Vietnam.
I checked in online which saves a bit of time in the queue. I was there early anyway so no chance of being stuck in a line.
I like getting to the airport early to work. At Cam Ranh they have good seats with power outlets. There isn’t a lot of food options though, so come prepared.
Hong Kong Express flight UO 567 departs Cam Ranh (CXR) at 18:00 and arrives at Hong Kong (HKG) at 21:30 (1 hour ahead), for a scheduled flying time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Actual flying time is more like 2 hours.
Hong Kong Express are a low cost airline, though they feel a bit more upmarket than their competitors. Having some leg room makes a trip more enjoyable.
While the leg room is good, they got rid of the backseat pockets so there is nowhere to place personal items. This is what Ryanair have done, apparently to save time when cleaning the plane. The magazines are instead placed in the back of the head rests.
U-Explore – the inflight magazine of HK Express.
I always check the magazine for the route map. In this case HK Express has gone with a circuitboard style, which actually works really well.
HK Express mainly serve destination in East Asia, though I’m happy to see a new option for flights from Bangkok to Hong Kong.
There is no free meal service, but you can pre-order meals or order onboard. As I was flying to Hong Kong I was saving my appetite, and I already knew what was going to be my first meal back.
Drinks start from 25 HKD ($3.20 USD) for a coffee.
Another brochure in the magazine rack is U-Save.
This includes discounts tickets for transport in some of the major cities served by the airline. For example you can buy a ticket for the Hong Kong Airport Express for a discounted price.
Hong Kong immigration forms are handed out during the flight.
We arrived pretty much on time, and as usual I had a smooth immigration experience at HKG. From there it was on to the airport express train.
Overall this was a good flight option to get from Nha Trang to Hong Kong. I’m on their newsletter on the look out for special offers, so I will no doubt travel with them again. HK Express also have a frequent flyer program which I joined. Not sure it’s useful if I’m not hubbing from Hong Kong, but I like to join such programs as you never know.
