In case you missed last year’s post about great airfare deals in New York’s Chinatown it’s worth another mention this time around. This is the third year in a row that we’ve been customers of Wa Minh Travel on Grand Street. It’s still run by Happy but her cousin, Susan, is no longer in the office with her. However, the deals are still there and they’re about as good as one can expect with today’s taxes and high gas prices.

Tamar got a round trip ticket to HCMC, Vietnam on Japan Airlines for $1,440 including taxes and the additional $70 for weekend travel (both ways) with only 1 stop over in Tokyo. This fare was on sale for a limited time and would normally cost over $1,800. The taxes alone are over $700, half the price of the entire ticket. FYI: Weekend travel is Friday to Monday and costs an extra $35 each way if travel begins on one of these days.
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Three weeks minus one day to go, almost in Hanoi already! This time we are going to start our 5 week journey exactly where I last finished-Hanoi, Vietnam. In Sep 2001, after 6 wonderful weeks of traveling through Thailand and Vietnam, I left Hanoi to go back home to Tel Aviv as school was about to start. Little did I know that within a week all universities around the country will be on strike and I will be sitting at home wishing I could roam the streets of Hanoi.
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This is the second time in the past year that I’ve looked into airfare from the US to Vietnam, specifically from New York. I’ve tried all of the usual online places like Expedia, Travelocity and Kayak.com. However, the best fares I’ve found both times have come from taking a little trip to New York’s Chinatown to visit Wa Minh Travel on Grand Street. This small agency is run by Happy and her cousin, Susan and is tucked away just up a flight of stairs on the second floor. Happy and Susan are friendly and very helpful and their prices are cheaper than anything I’ve found online, usually by a couple hundred bucks.
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