Free Tickets & 1-For-1 Air Tickets To Hong Kong: What’s The Catch?

Hong Kong ended its mask mandate on March 1, after easing most of its Covid-19 rules earlier. This comes as the country emerges late after its three-year isolation from the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not to be beaten, the country’s tourism board had launched a Hello Hong Kong campaign to lure visitors back to the city, by giving away 500,000 free air tickets. For Singapore, a total of 12,500 tickets were allocated, through Cathay Pacific.

All 12,500 free round-trip tickets through Cathay Pacific’s quiz were snapped up in Singapore within an hour. The giveaway was supposed to be a seven-day event.

In a fresh round of freebies, more than 10 local tour agencies are now kicking off a “buy one, get one free” air ticket promotion to Hong Kong for the month of April. This is linked to exclusive deals from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) with selected travel agents.

The promotion will run for a month, until their allotment of tickets runs out. It is estimated that more than 9,000 tickets in total will be available (both free and paid).

Participating tour agencies include SA Tours, Nam Ho Travel, Chan Brothers Travel, CTC Travel, EU Holidays and ASA Holidays. Some tour agencies will bundle the tickets with package tours.

Read Also: 10 Popular Travel Destinations For Singaporeans And The Best Time To Book For Cheaper Flights

Booking Platforms And Travel Agencies Offering 1-For-1 Tickets To Hong Kong

Some travel booking platforms are also offering the 1-for-1 air ticket deal, including Agoda, Trip.com and Traveloka.

Agoda is releasing 1,400 flight tickets to Hong Kong from Thailand and Singapore and was available for booking on a first come first served basis. 800 tickets are offered to Singapore while 600 are offered to Thailand customers.

Trip.com is also offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free ticket to Hong Kong for round trips from May till November. The tickets are sponsored by Hong Kong International Airport and Cathay Pacific.

Traveloka is also offering a similar deal with similar flight periods.

For travel agencies, the instruction is to call or email them for enquiry on the 1-for-1 air ticket deal, or head down to their offices. More info here.

HKTB notes that airlines, hotels and travel agents frequently change their prices as a result of fare increases and/or fare surcharges. Therefore, prices may differ when you book your travel or stay and are not guaranteed until full payment is received. Do check the most current prices when booking the flights.

It also advised customers to contact the airlines, hotels or travel agents for booking and complete details, terms and conditions.

Are The Tickets Really Free?

When checking for the price online on Trip.com, it showed that the price of 2 adults for a round trip cost $635.80.

Cross-referencing on the Cathay Pacific app for the same fight dates and timings brought me to a final payment page of $985.80. This shows that there is a real discount of $350 and is truly a great deal.

The caveat is that the passengers will still have to pay taxes and other surcharges.

For the free tickets from Cathay’s promo earlier last month, it was observed that the winners will still have to pay all related surcharges, fees and taxes as the tickets exclude airport taxes and travel insurance. Some winners of the Cathay Pacific giveaway had commented that the surcharge fees were steeper than expected.

At least two winners commented that the carrier surcharges and taxes for their “free” tickets cost $195 (HK$1,150). The airline tickets are valued at S$280 (HK$1,655).

Meanwhile, some justified that taxes aren’t paid to the airline and can’t really be subsidised, so it was not right to ask for a completely free trip. There were others who also reasoned that the price surge in airfare could be due to more people wanting to travel in this period or that the dates selected are during peak travel periods.

Read Also: Step-By-Step Guide To Getting A Revolut Card For Your Travels, Overseas Money Transfers And Foreign Currency Spends

Are There Other Freebies When Visiting Hong Kong?

Tourists can also receive “goodies” including redeeming free drinks and cash vouchers to use at attractions, shopping, and dining outlets. The Hong Kong Tourism Board had said that at least 1 million “Hong Kong Goodies” vouchers of value over HK$100 each would be given out to visitors.

The goodies include:

• A complimentary drink from more than 100 bars, restaurants, and hotels here.
• A HK$100 cash voucher to use at one of over 140 selected restaurants, shops or attractions.
• An exclusive memorabilia (worth over HK$100) when you visit one of the selected attractions or museums.

To be eligible, you have to be staying in Hong Kong for less than 90 days and you can redeem them once using a non-Hong Kong mobile number. Click here to find out more.

Why Is Hong Kong Popular?

Singaporeans do rate Hong Kong as one of their top favourite destinations prior to the pandemic. Thanks to its modern cityscape, food options, and shopping paradise.

There are also theme parks such as Disneyland Hong Kong and Ocean Park Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s visitor arrivals exceeded 1 million in Feb this year, at 1.462 million, the first time since Covid-19, in Feb 2020. However, in comparison, over 5.5 million people arrived in Hong Kong in Feb 2019.

All year long, events and festivals – such as Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and the Dragon Boat Festival – will take place this year, and visitors will be eligible for discounts on food, drink, attraction admissions, accommodation and transport.

Covid-19 Advisory To Hong Kong

Travellers are advised to refer to the official Hong Kong Covid-19 website for the relevant entry requirements before departing for Hong Kong.

Singaporeans who are non-Hong Kong residents can visit Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa.

• If you plan to stay for more than 90 days, you will need to obtain an extension with the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
• If you plan to work or study in Hong Kong, you must obtain your visa prior to arriving in Hong Kong. As visa requirements often change at short notice, you are advised to contact your travel agency, the Hong Kong Immigration Department, or the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore, for the latest updates.
• You may also refer to the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s website.

Read Also: Travelling To Japan: Should You Lock In The Rates For Your Japanese Yen Now?

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