Viva Macau - "Cheap" Flights Macau to Australia & Asia
| Viva Macau is a 'budget' carrier based in Macau (China) flying to regional and mid-haul destinations. Started in December 2006, it currently flies from Macau (MFM) to a number of Asian destinations and also Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. Viva Macau's IATA code is "ZG". |
The 3-x-weekly Macau - Sydney (SYD) service commenced at the end of August 2007 tapping the demand for tourists visiting hotspot Macau, the gaming capital of Asia. A 3-x-weekly service from Macau to Melbourne (MEL) started in December 2009.
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 Sydney-Macau are priced from AU$407 including taxes, whilst the cheapest return fare costs around AU$790 all-in (about £440 / US $710). Premium Class will set you back AU$1,630 all-in (£910, US$1,470) - 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 Sydney / 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.
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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