VietJet, the airline that created Vietnam’s first female self-made billionaire, is known as the ‘bikini airline’ for its marketing using women in bikinis dressed up as (and in some cases working as) flight crew. Their marketing tactics have adapted to the current environment where they’re providing coronavirus health insurance coverage with every flight, as noted by Jon Ostrower.

Passengers don’t have to acquire the virus during travel for coverage to fly. Instead if they’re diagnosed within 30 days of travel up to $8500 (200,000,0000 Vietnamese Dong) private health coverage will kick in. The offer is valid for travel on domestic flights through June 30.

To be eligible for insurance coverage, passengers need to provide all information in accordance with Vietjet’s “Terms and conditions” when purchasing tickets and using aviation services; and comply with all regulations on disease prevention and control of Vietjet, the Ministry of Health and authorities.

Inflight Food and Beverage Service May Be Curtailed At This Time

With a combined public-private health care system in Vietnam, with both public and private services even provided at times in the same hospital, and some provinces not meeting the government’s own goals for health care spending, incremental private coverage against coronavirus may be useful.

One Mile at a Time thinks encouraging people to fly right now is “highly irresponsible.” There are two ways this might be true,

• If an infected personal travels and spreads the virus to other people in the airport or on the plane
  
• Bringing the virus from one area of the country to another.

Vietnam though is among the countries where the virus has been well-contained, with government measures starting as far back as January 23. Schools were closed in February, quarantines imposed, and outdoor activity restrictions put in place. The military was called up to enforce restrictions.

With more aggressive testing and containment than in the United States domestic travel is also less risky. And on net more health coverage for more people, and more dollars into Vietnam’s health care system, is probably useful right now.

An offer of insurance is a discount or a rebate provided in non-cash form. Domestic flights in the U.S. are still operating, and prices here are deeply discounted as well. Ultimately I think that giving people health coverage is probably more responsible than giving people a cheaper price.