Viva Macau - "Cheap" Flights Macau to Australia & Asia
| Viva Macau was a 'budget' carrier based in Macau (China) flying to regional and mid-haul destinations. Started in December 2006, it flew from Macau (MFM) to a number of Asian destinations and Sydney, Melbourne in Australia. Viva Macau's IATA code is "ZG". |
SPECIAL NOTE: In April 2010 Viva Macau had its Air Operator's Certificate temporarily suspended by Macau's civil aviation authority. As of July 2010 the case is still ongoing and Viva Macau is not operational. Our old article on Viva Macau (written when it was flying) remains here:
The 3-x-weekly Macau - Sydney (SYD) service which commenced in August 2007 has been temporarily suspended (March 2010) until further notice. A 3-x-weekly service from Macau to Melbourne (MEL) which started in December 2009 continues to operate.
Other Asian services and charters are operated to Ho Chi Minh (SGN), Jakarta (CGK), Hanoi (HAN), Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Sapporo (CTS).
Viva Macau runs leased (older) Boeing 767s configured to 2 classes. Premium Class (premium economy) offers a 45" seat pitch in a 2-2-2 layout. Economy Class passengers sit in a standard 2-3-2 formation and have to purchase meals and drinks on board.
One-way fares for Melbourne-Macau are priced from AU$365 including taxes, whilst the cheapest return fare costs around AU$700 all-in (about £425 / US $640). Premium Class will set you back AU$1,890 all-in (£1,150, US$1,730) - which looks pretty expensive. As with all 'budget' airlines the fact that you can purchase one-way fares may be useful to some passengers.
Watch out for the extra fees: AU$20 for checking in luggage of up to 15kg whilst premium economy passengers get a free 30kg allowance; excess luggage is charged at a hefty AU$30 per kg; AU$12 "admin" fee and 1% payment fee.
The lowest base economy fare is one of the cheaper ways of flying direct from Melbourne to Asia, slightly undercutting the major carriers and Qantas Jetstar services. Air Asia X flies from Kuala Lumpur to Australia (Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne) with some lower promotional fare deals. Whether a couple of hundred dollars is enough to tempt people away from full service carriers and their frequent flyer alliance programs is another question.
Macau has become a popular destination being the gaming capital of Asia - although most visitors still arrive by fast ferry from Hong Kong.
In future, Viva Macau will be looking to expand their route network to other cities in Asia. Longer term, flights to Europe and North America could be possible. They are likely to use the new generation of fuel efficient aircraft such as Boeing's 787 or Airbus A350. Their success will depend whether they can compete on price with the likes of Air Asia X and gain a good foothold on the increasingly popular Macau hub.
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