You want to go on a trip to Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia and you are looking for a suitable airline, however, the choice among many airlines can be exhausting. Here are a few tips for you when deciding.

To start and find the schedules and fares, the internet is a very good way. Various sites exist such as http://flightmapper.net/, http://www.farecompare.com/, etc. This will give you an initial idea of prices and options. You can also go to the sites of each company to study the current promotions but rare price differentials. If you can, be a little flexible on dates which can be advantageous to leave or return mid week instead of weekend. It’s highly recommended to determine your travel time, duration and your flexibilities if any to make decision faster.

Direct flights or with stopovers?

Currently, there are many airlines operating flights to Vietnam via 3 main ports of entry: Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) in Saigon, Danang Airport (DAD) in Danang or Noi Bai Airport (HAN) in Hanoi. The number of direct routes from Australia, Europe and North America to Vietnam is still very limited and most flights departing from these regions to Vietnam involve a transit in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo or Singapore.

Flights from Australia

Daily flights from Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne to Saigon connect in Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Darwin or Bangkok.  Flights from Wellington or Auckland have stopovers in Kuala Lumpur.  Quantas and Vietnam Airlines operate direct flights between Saigon and Sydney though the price can be 30% higher compared with other routes. Other airlines that run the route between Vietnam and Oceania include Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, China Southern, Singapore Airlines, to name a few.

Flights from North America

From the United States

From New York, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines have daily flights to Hanoi and Saigon, with connection in Seoul and Hong Kong respectively. From the West coast, similar routes connect Los Angeles or San Francisco with Hanoi or Saigon.

From Canada

The most popular route from Toronto or Vancouver to Hanoi or Saigon is one operated by Air Canada or Cathay Pacific, that involve a short transit in Honking. The wait time vary between 2 and 5 hours. Korean Air and Japan Airlines also connect Vietnam with major cities in Canada but the transit time can be tedious, between 6 and 12 hours. However, for those who are keen on seeing more of the world, this transit time can be ideal as there are plenty of tours to see Seoul or Tokyo available at the airport.

Flights from Europe

There are direct flights between Hanoi and Paris, Frankfurt, and London offered by Vietnam Airlines. Better deals between Europe and Vietnam, however, will involve at least one stop over in Honking or Singapore. The best way to search for a price deals is to shop around with both online and off-line travel agency. Read our discounted air travel for further information.

Flights from Asia

Vietnam is well connected to other countries in Asia with the support of a complex flight network. Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Honking are destinations with most flight deals. From Japan and Korea, there are direct flights to Hanoi and Saigon departing major ports such as Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Seoul, and Busan.  In case of China, Vietnam Airlines operate flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kunming to Hanoi. Direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to China only land in Beijing or Guangzhou. For Taiwan, China Airlines, Eva Air and Vietnam Airlines have daily flight between Hanoi and Taipei or Kaohsiung.