• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Train Travel
  • Urban Rail Transit
  • Where To Stay

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Flight Review: VASCO – Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City

March 4, 2021 By James Clark

Flight Review: VASCO - Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City

Flight: VASCO 0V 8054
From: Con Dao (VCS) To: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)

I flew with VASCO from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City. Currently VASCO are the only airline that flies this route, though I still checked flights on Skyscanner to research my options.

Con Dao is an island group of Vietnam, to the southeast of the mainland, off the coast of the Mekong Delta. The other option to get there is by ferry from Vung Tau or Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta.

I booked this flight about 2 months in advance and all the fares on offer were the same price of 1,782,000 VND ($77.20 USD).

VCS-SGN options

1,782,000 VND was the final price including a checked bag. This airfare was the most expensive domestic airfare I’ve bought in Vietnam. This would be considered a cheap flight in any other country, so I had to remind myself that when looking at the price. I have since looked at other dates, and I see there are cheaper flights on offer about 2 weeks in advance. These flights sell out fast though and I needed this date, so I didn’t mind paying. If you are looking to travel to Con Dao then perhaps within the 2-week planning range is the cheapest.

VCS-SGN ticket

VASCO is the abbreviated brand name for Vietnam Air Services Company, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines. They are basically the small-aircraft brand for Vietnam Airlines, in a similar way that SilkAir was the narrowbody aircraft brand for Singapore Airlines. That was always a confusing system, and in January 2021 SilkAir and Singapore Airlines merged under the single Singapore Airlines brand. I think that VASCO should also be merged into the Vietnam Airlines brand, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Even though I was flying on a small aircraft for a domestic flight, I still like to check-in early at the airport. I’m glad I did because one aisle was dedicated to checking in freight. Every spare bit of space on a ship or aircraft is dedicated to bringing supplies to the island, and it looked like seafood was being sent to the mainland in this case.

VASCO check-in

I had to fill out a health declaration form online before I could check-in as part of the ongoing war against COVID-19. Not long after I checked in a big tour group arrive, so I was glad to not be stuck behind that queue.

Tour group check-in

The aircraft for today’s flight arrived on time, and I was glad to see the aircraft in VASCO livery. I had flown VASCO to Ca Mau last month, which was the first time flying with the airline. That was a VASCO flight on a Vietnam Airlines aircraft, so it didn’t really feel like I was flying with VASCO. As someone who loves to fly, it’s always a special day when you fly a new airline for the first time, so today felt more like a “new airline day”.

VASCO at Con Dao

The VASCO logo with the blue to match the Southern Vietnam dry season skies.

VASCO tail

In addition to flying a new airline, it’s also a fun day to fly from a new airport for the first time. I arrived in Con Dao via ferry, so this was my first time at Con Dao Airport.

Con Dao Airport

VASCO flight 0V 8054 departs Con Dao (VCS) at 09:50 and arrives at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) at 10:55, for a scheduled flight time of 1 hr, 5 mins. The actual flight time is under 1 hour.

The take-off from Con Dao was from west to east, so if you want a view of the town then sit on the right side. I had an A-seat, but I had no complaints about the view.

Surf view

One complaint I do have though is how dirty the windows were. I could hardly get a clear shot from the grime on the outside of the window, and there always seem to be more scratches on ATR-72 aircraft windows. Or is this a turboprop problem, as the window on my last Bombardier Dash aircraft flight was dirty and scratched as well.

Flying over Con Dao

Inside the aircraft, the Vietnam Airlines/VASCO brand interchanging continues with the ATR 72 safety card being Vietnam Airlines.

ATR-72 safety card

The inflight magazine is also from Vietnam Airlines.

Fashion Magazine

Free water and refreshing towelette are handed out during the flight. There is no food service on the flight.

Free water

The flight was almost full, so it was most likely booked out if accounting for no-shows. Last minute flights are expensive as well, so plan in advance your Con Dao adventure.

Cabin

The A-side window seat gives you the best view of Ho Chi Minh City when landing.

Landing at SGN

We arrived on time at Tan Son Nhat.

Tarmac at SGN

No airbridges for small aircraft, so we were bussed to the terminal.

Arrived at SGN

Overall this single flight option for travel between Con Dao and Ho Chi Minh City was a good experience.

Filed Under: Flight Review Tagged With: con dao airport, sgn airport, vasco, vietnam airlines

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Don Muang Airport Train: Getting the train from DMK to Central Bangkok
  • Bangkok to Pattaya by train
  • Notes on Udon Thani
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels (2023)
  • Ornamental street signs of Thailand
  • Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
  • Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
  • Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
  • Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
  • Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in