• expired

Seoul, South Korea Return from Sydney $248.25, Melbourne $272.00 on AirAsia (April) @ Expedia

1201

Yes, Coronavirus. But on the other hand, have you EVER seen it this cheap to South Korea? If you're needing to go anyway…

Also, low cost carrier, so no checked luggage included by default.

Evidence: https://imgur.com/a/EhmH25e (Sydney)

Evidence: https://prnt.sc/rfjk58 (Melbourne)

Note: travel insurance is still possible for coronavirus in certain cases


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closed Comments

        • +1

          Stay cool😎

        • +1

          Stay clear of Clear.

    • best way to immunize against the virus is to recover from it.

      • Notice the /s? I'm well aware of COVID-19 ;)

        • Maybe I should have added the /s myself?

  • +6

    Buttlicker, our prices have never been lower!

    • Son, your gonna have to talk louder… LOUDER SON!

  • +4

    Honestly China and SK are safer than Aus at the moment

    • what do you mean?

      • +4

        Because in china, things get done/decided by government in minutes (exaggeration?). In South Korea, things get sent at 10 Gbps (exaggeration?).

        Whereas in australia, things get passed in Parliament after years, then removed by the opposition party when theyre voted in, and reinstated by the 1st party who got voted out initially. And im typing this on a fttc connection that drops out 10 times a day, where it will take 2 business days for an nbn to have a look at it, let alone fix? The problem.

        But i prefer living in australia so 🤦‍♂️

        • South Korea has proactively traced and tested hundreds of thousands of people to stop the virus. And the rate of infection there is slowing.

          Meanwhile here in Australia we're being very reactive to everything.

          • +1

            @Levathian: it could be all for nothing if other countries are lax in containing it and just spread it back to them, resetting the containment measures all over again.

            • @lostn: I think that's the issue china is finding now. People who have been OS are bringing it back.

              • +1

                @Levathian: funnily, after every country either denied entry to Chinese or put them in mandatory quarantine, China is now putting quarantines on everyone else entering their country because the outside world is a bigger threat than the world within their borders at the moment.

  • +1

    Crash landing on you is a great k drama. Random comment of the day

    • I only watch anything with Park Bo Young in it.

      • Oh my ghost is good. Everything else was meh

  • We should really stop posting flight deals, ozbargain is the WORST site to promote travelling where people will happily risk further exposing the country for a cheap holiday

    • while your at it, we can stop fast food deals and posts about alcohol. they are all bad for our health

      • +4

        Yes OUR health, individual choice, you can do what you like with YOUR body. But how do you think all the cases in Australia is a result of each and everyone going overseas? No, it's an individual who went overseas, came back and spread it. People have died in nursing homes who never went overseas. Think about that.

        There's no point if everyone is doing the right thing and a few selfish individuals decide to go (profanity) it and go anyways.

        • maybe I should've put #sarcasm behind my comment.. I don't disagree with you mate

          • @Archi: oh haha sorry, my bad :)

  • -5

    This is not a deal as you need to risk personal health to buy a cheap air ticket. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/south-kor…

    • Not even just their health, if it was only their health, then there wouldn't be a problem but you're risking everyone else's health for a (profanity) holiday. Seriously, a holiday like it's some crucial necessary thing that needs to be done right now.

    • -2

      Thats stupid logic. Deals are based of what you receive for a price. Even if you got this and died on flight its still a deal cos $250 for 10 hour plus on a plane is good value.

      • +1

        Live for the bargain. Die for the bargain.

      • $0.05 for premium wagyu beef that's going to kill you is a good deal?

      • +1

        They might come back with it and give it to someone you care about.

    • +4

      I really dont understand the people on here. Potentially bringing back a virus back into the community is a great deal?

  • +1

    I strongly advise you ring an insurer first before booking anything. Policy changes are being made daily as this evolves. I can tell you with absolute certainty that some parts of the insurance article linked are no longer correct. Do not risk booking a holiday and then finding out no one will cover you.

    • According to the above link, pretty much no one will insure for CV related claims. Covermore has Cancel For Any Reason as an optional addon, but first, their regular insurance is about 4 times more expensive than others and it comes with fewer inclusions (the dollar amounts covered are much less) and on top of that, CFAR is several hundred dollars extra. And you only get up to 75% refund on your costs. So basically, if you have to cancel you still lose a big chunk of what you put in.

      • Covermore just suspended Cancel For Any Reason this afternoon. No surprise there!

        Related article

        • haha. There goes that. These insurers want as much of your money as they can get but withdraw any chance it looks like they might have to pay.

  • +1

    It's a good deal for those that have recovered from the virus.

  • cheap tickets but SK is at lv 3 (orange) on smartraveler, which means reconsider your need to travel. The Gummint only advises you go there if it's essential.

    Just wait another year. The country will still be there.

  • +2

    People that take up these 'deals' now knowing that there are risks should NOT be offered any free govt assistant should any issues arise.

    There are people still going on cruises and to Bali etc but as soon as something happens they will say 'why isn't Aust govt helping us and doing something'

    Some of the F1 fans comments due to the cancellation were shocking 'are you concerned at whats happening' ' nah I'm not worried at all'
    Then when shit hits the fan they'll blame the govt.

    Some people really deserve CCP style govt.

    • CCP canceled the F1 in China. I can't tell if you're implying they are doing things correctly or incorrectly regarding F1.

  • Honestly there's a higher chance that Australia becomes the high risk country in April.
    So imagine being taken to isolation facility for 14 days after landing lol…

    • I think that is the problem - the isolation bit.

    • Out of curiousity, why do you think we're high risk? What is it that we've been doing wrong that other western countries have been doing right? Or is it all western countries? All countries period? What are we doing particularly worse than everyone else?

      • Calm down mate, I'm not saying we are doing worse than others. It's just the outbreak in Australia might come at a later time when it's contained and controlled in SK. Like China was 'high risk' to Italy in Feb but it's completely the opposite now.

        • so basically your argument is, countries don't act until an Italy level emergency is on their hands, and we haven't had the same level emergency yet, so we will be slow to do anything and by the time we become another Italy, other countries will have already been through it. Is my understanding correct?

          • @lostn:

            so basically your argument is, countries don't act until an Italy level emergency is on their hands, and we haven't had the same level emergency yet, so we will be slow to do anything and It is possible that by the time we become another Italy, other countries SK will might have already been through it. Is my understanding correct?

            I think you are a bit over-interpreting.. I simply mean a pandemic could take time to spread :)

  • Airlines are so unethical

    • +1

      for trying to not go out of business?

  • +1

    Australians have been advised to avoid all non-essential overseas travel.

    Australians told to 'reconsider all travel'

    Prime minister Scott Morrison said that Australians were also told to reconsider any and all overseas travel.

    Said Morrison:

    Regardless of your destination, age or health — if your travel is not essential, consider carefully whether now is the right time. So we are effectively putting in place what is called a level three travel advice for travel of Australians overseas. This is done to protect their health and to limit their exposure, given we have so many countries now that are affected by the coronavirus.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mar/13/australia…

    From smartraveler:

    Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    13 March 2020: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We now advise all Australians to reconsider your need for overseas travel at this time. Regardless of your destination, age or health, if your overseas travel is not essential, consider carefully whether now is the right time.

    • Booking travel for a future date always involves uncertainty.

      In this Pandemic - It's all become more serious. And travel insurance that may cover this problem is much more expensive, or nonexistent.
      (I was travelling in Asian countries affected by the previous (H1N1) pandemic, with no issues.)

      I already have a booking in June for a country with a reported lower number of confirmed cases than here. But how accurate are those current figures? Who knows what they'll be like in 3 months?

      And does my destination country have a good health care system to handle an outbreak, am I covered for medical expenses there, & will they treat me?

      In my case, I will reassess closer to the date of departure, when more information is available. I will lose little in cancelling my cheap flight.

      It's hard to plan & book for holiday with such uncertainty - but it's likely there will be plenty of accommodation available at cheap rates!

      • who is your travel insurer?

        Pretty much everyone has clauses that don't cover epidemics. So even if you get sick from CV, they won't pay your medical expenses.

        Travel insurance right now is next to useless. And being on the phone with them puts you in massive queues.

        • That's simple - me.
          I've only taken out travel insurance once - on my first trip. I've never needed it. I used to travel overseas 9 months a year, which can be expensive for insurance. Being flexible in travel plans helps with eventualities.
          And I've been through a few tricky situations when travelling!

          'cancel for any reason' insurance through NRMA online was discussed 4 days ago.
          It's an add on insurance for normal travel insurance. But read the policy well before buying.
          Policy must be taken out before, or within 48 hours of buying trip.

          • +2

            @INFIDEL:

            And does my destination country have a good health care system to handle an outbreak, am I covered for medical expenses there, & will they treat me?

            From this, I assumed you were referring to insurance. No one is going to cover you for medical expenses. You will have to pay out of pocket which can be very expensive in some countries like the US. It can cost 10,000 or more per night in hospital. Some countries demand payment before they even begin treating you. And if you were unconscious and rushed to the hospital, it's kinda difficult for you to arrange payment for them to get started. They will watch you die.

            I've only taken out travel insurance once - on my first trip. I've never needed it.

            I never needed car insurance when I started driving. I just hadn't had an accident before. Until I did. Luckily I bought it.

            There is a saying, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This is a huge risk. Though right now, the biggest concern of travelers is not covered by any insurance.

            CFAR insurance is ultra expensive and only covers 75% of your non refundable expenses.

            • @lostn: No one is going to cover you for medical expenses.

              Medical costs depends if Australia had a reciprocal agreement with the country. Something people should check before travelling overseas.

              CFAR insurance is available - people can consider if it is worthwhile for them. It was in response to your previous comment Travel insurance right now is next to useless.

              If I don't turn up my Air Asia return flight - I'll be $44 out of pocket. I can afford that! So not a great risk for me.

              At this stage I intend to fly to catch up with friends & laze around on the beach in a $20/n bungalow🌴

              As with all decisions, it will be reviewed based on information closer to the departure date.

              • @INFIDEL:

                CFAR insurance is available - people can consider if it is worthwhile for them. It was in response to your previous comment Travel insurance right now is next to useless.

                If you pay Covermore and CFAR option, you are basically guaranteeing you will lose a significant amount of money either way, claim or no claim. And apparently Covermore (the only insurer offering CFAR) has withdrawn CFAR policies as of today. CFAR and Covermore in general are an expensive option, and in the event of a cancelation you are only getting 75% back, so you are guaranteed to lose money one way or the other.

                Other insurance will still cover you for other things but given how much of a catch-all "epidemics" is, every claim will be looked at under a microscope. They will try to link every event to the virus either directly or indirectly and worm their way out of paying.

              • @INFIDEL: You quoted the prime minister earlier on washing hands, here's also him and Australia urging non essential travel:

                https://www.google.com/amp/amp.abc.net.au/article/12054484

                • @[Deactivated]: I never quoted the Prime Minister as you claim. I said you sent me a PM! (Now blocked)
                  Another example of you misreading information. Don't make things up!

                  That's the issue I criticised earlier - people only believing what they want & picking out only what they want that supports their view.

                  As I said others (I never said you, but you claim I did!) then turn that into misinformation & conspiracy theories to support their own beliefs to scare others.

                  In a public health matter like this, that is very dangerous!!

              • @INFIDEL: Checked Reciprocal Health Care Agreement

                Changing my travel plans to Italy - we have reciprocal (free) health care there. I mean, what could go wrong😉

                • @INFIDEL:

                  I used to travel overseas 9 months a year, which can be expensive for insurance.

                  This is the part I don't get. Being overseas for 9 months in a year is even more expensive. If you can afford to spend 3/4 of a year overseas, how can you not afford insurance which is only a fraction of the cost? I paid $40 for compehensive insurance 10 days in Japan. $40 doesn't even get you a night's accommodation. It's about two Ramens? And it covers me $50k for permanent injury or loss of limb, $25 million in personal liability, unlimited cancelation costs, unlimited health cover, hijacking, hospital cover, lost baggage, etc. It's a paltry price to pay for the amount covered.

                  Out of curiousity, do you buy house insurance? Because that's a thing I buy every year but have never claimed.

                  What about car insurance?

                  • @lostn: As you say you don't get it…

                    All insurance involves a gamble. Individual circumstances need to be taken into account!
                    There is mathematics to work out if it is worth the gamble. (It was my field of study.)

                    As I said there was very little or no reason to make any claim in 15 years of overseas travel. Insurance would have been a complete waste of money in my particular circumstances. I simply adjusted to the changed situation, rather than making claims. It builds resilience, rather than reliance.

                    And travelling light - there's no point in lost luggage insurance😉

                    My house is not insured - as again it makes no sense. It will be sold soon & am selling the contents in preparation for moving.
                    Real estate agents consider the property is worth more without the small house on the relatively large city block. It will most likely be demolished, as am considering subdivision.
                    As insurance pays for work to be carried out to restore a damaged building - that makes no sense if it is to be demolished!
                    So it is uneconomic to spend money on it, including on insurance!

                    I effectively paid $40 for a year of Woolworths comprehensive car insurance in December (after using a code for $100 Rewards credit) by price beating. I posted about this under Woolworths Insurance.
                    For that $40 - I get more than $40 back on monthly 10% Woolies discounts. So it makes good economic sense!
                    But again having a car I rarely need is an unnecessary expense given my situation, so this may be the last year for it.

                    It's not hard to see insurance would be a waste of money in my situations!

                    I'd rather spend the money travelling, paid for by investing my money. Even without income from investment, it should last for 25 years of modestly comfortable travel & leasing a house overseas. And no need to work!
                    I've done my calculations!

                    But if you pay $20 for 1 Ramen🍜… Economics like this may not be your strongest point😉

                    Enjoy you travels.
                    I always do, especially with the odd challenge to remind me I'm alive!

                    • @INFIDEL:

                      All insurance involves a gamble.

                      It's more like a reduction of a gamble. If you don't buy it, you are taking the gamble.

                      If you pay a small amount that insures you for a large amount, that is the reverse of gambling. You're insuring against losing a large amount in costs by giving up a comparatively small amount. It's to give you peace of mind so you don't have to worry about things like that. Gamblers never have peace of mind. There's always stress and some people get a thrill out of that.

                      As I said there was very little or no reason to make any claim in 15 years of overseas travel. Insurance would have been a complete waste of money in my particular circumstances. I simply adjusted to the changed situation, rather than making claims. It builds resilience, rather than reliance.

                      Like I said, if you have a good driving record then in hindsight there's little to no reason to buy car insurance. You've never had to make a claim. Until your first time.

                      I'd rather spend the money travelling, paid for by investing my money.

                      You must be getting overcharged in your quotes. I've done the maths too. Unless you go with Covermore, the amount charged for insurance doesn't get you much 'travel' in exchange for living on the edge. You can mitigate some risk with common sense. But other things are beyond your control, such as delays, accidents, etc.

                      And travelling light - there's no point in lost luggage insurance😉

                      Point taken on that one.

                      But if you pay $20 for 1 Ramen🍜… Economics like this may not be your strongest point😉

                      Things are not cheap in Japan, especially at our exchange rate. In Australia a decent plate of noodles will be at least $14. Japan costs more.

                      • @lostn: I've travelled in Japan too many times to remember the number. My avatar is in Kanji!

                        So I know the costs & how to avoid paying too much🍜
                        I've never paid that much for good ramen. The best ramen is not found in expensive places! It's origin is as a cheap street food.

                        As with most travel matters, I get good advice from locals. That's what I enjoy. I travel slower so I have the time to connect with them - a more authentic experience. They could teach Ozbargainers tricks - many are so frugal but know & love their food!

                        A rice farmer friend there sent me his daughters' newborn baby photos today - he considers I'm part of his family. Japan is my second home!


                        I'm happy with my prospective calculations done before each trip & my experience in hindsight shows insurance would have been a total waste of money in my circumstances.
                        $6k pays for a lot of budget travel!

                        And an understanding of the mathematics (expected value, etc) of gambling & insurance (& their long history), would show they come from the same origins. That's my field & why I am confident in my calculations (given the uncertainties).

                        People mainly buy insurance out of habit (due to advertising or what they are told) or fear. Few do the calculations to determine if it is a wise investment for them.
                        I prefer to self-insure, taking the risk on myself & pocket the savings. So far it's only been savings💰 And an adventure🗻

                      • @lostn: If you pay a small amount that insures you for a large amount, that is the reverse of gambling.

                        Are you that gullible? That is what the insurers might like you to think - that it's a sure bet! They've got you hooked! But that's not true!!

                        In insurance, you are wagering a small bet (policy premium) on the unlikely outcome of a large win (claim).

                        That's pretty much the definition of a gamble!
                        Think about any gambling - you place a small bet hoping to win a rare large win…

                        The lower the probability of paying out - the lower the premium charged for a given payout offered.

                        (Given the administration costs & government charges involved with setting up your policy - the expected probability of paying out on your $40 policy was close to 0. The cost of just processing a claim would be larger than what the policy cost! The insurer expected almost no claims to ever be lodged, compared to the large number sold!)

                        And they cover their potential losses, through the complex legal document of the insurance policy!

                        And like all gambling, the bookie / insurer wins by selling many different bets / policies. They cover their bets, against the occasional losses.

                        And the insurance industry makes quite nice profits on all those policies ($4-5B/yr here).

                        Consumers should understand these basics.

                        Well I've got a life. So bye!

                  • @lostn: People often receive free travel insurance with their Credit Cards, so it may not be needed in normal travel times. It usually has limits - which excluded my extended travel periods when I investigated.

                    Adding paid travel insurance would have cost around $6000 over my travels at current value. As I pointed out, there would have been $0 paid out from it.
                    Considering I've paid as little as $750 for return flights to Japan with a month accommodation in a cheap hotel - that's a relatively large & unnecessary travel expense in my case.

                    • @INFIDEL:

                      As I pointed out, there would have been $0 paid out from it.

                      This is hindsight based analysis. Insurance is for people without hindsight. Everything is easy to calculate after the fact.

                      Adding paid travel insurance would have cost around $6000 over my travels at current value. As I pointed out, there would have been $0 paid out from it.

                      $6000 over a life time of travel for the amount of traveling you do.. is not a lot.

                      Considering I've paid as little as $750 for return flights to Japan with a month accommodation in a cheap hotel - that's a relatively large & unnecessary travel expense in my case.

                      You wouldn't have been paying $6000 for that month in Japan. That would have cost about $160 for comprehensive insurance. The cost does not go up based on how much you spent there. So you could go on a $10,000+ tour in better hotels during that month and the insurance would still be $160.

                      Anyways, some of the numbers you are throwing out sound like very good deals.

                      • @lostn: I did the calculations as forward predictions of value to me in my circumstances. That's from my training in Mathematics.

                        That $6k estimate of insurance cost avoided was only done after you asked about my insurance.
                        As I've shown, I rarely factor in any insurance costs in my life if I can avoid it.

                        Either way, it would have been a poor investment with $0 return. So in hindsight, that shows I made the right choice for my circumstances!

                        The $6k insurance costs covered only the periods of overseas travel - most for only 1 month per year.

                        The actual $750 flight & accommodation cost for 1 month in Japan were just an illustration of my low costs. I'd prefer to spend the $6k insurance costs on travel & great food - over hopefully many trips.

                        "Modest comfort" future travel is estimated at around us$125/d in mainly cheaper destinations & overseas house lease. My finances will support that level of travel without income for decades.

                        (So my choice not to insure & to travel light is not because I can't afford it! I've given away a huge amount of my saved money in my philanthropic work - that gives me great pleasure. Certainly more enjoyable than mega insurance companies making profits from it!)

  • What's the point of going on a cheap holiday then come back home and self isolate for two weeks? It then becomes very expensive I guess.

    • It's okay if you have 2 weeks leave, or can live on newstart like wages.

  • +1

    Any cheap prices to Greenland or Antarctica? Currently pretty safe in this current environment.

    • don't spread it to those poor folk. They have enough troubles with their perpetually cold climate.

  • Hmm I'm Korean but I wouldn't go there at this time lol

    That is cheap though

  • This would be nice trip.

    cheap flight

    free accommodation

    free food

    for quarantine

  • flying out of avalon airport? LOL

  • I'm not seeing anything like those prices for any dates in April

    • That's what happens in popular Deals.
      There have been over 1300 clicks!
      Often few seats are available.

      Cheap flights can be popular & sell out very quickly - even in riskier times!

      These seats were hard to find @$360 in earlier sale.
      So likely they've been sold by now.

      Searching for a cheap flight at start of recent Air Asia sale, I found flights at cheapest prices on dates I wanted. Checked weather & accommodation for destination. Less than an hour later all those flights were gone. Had to start searching again for later & less desirable dates, or pay much more. One day later the price was $400 dearer.

  • Surely noone was dumb enough to book this?

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