Booking affordable flights to Vietnam
To get the best price, book your flight 3 to 4 months in advance and aim for arrival in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Use Google Flights to track prices and set alerts for your specific travel dates.
- Use the right tools. Start your search on Google Flights. Set your departure city and destination (HAN for Hanoi, SGN for Ho Chi Minh City), then use the 'Track Prices' toggle to receive email notifications when fares drop.
- Choose your entry point. Compare prices for both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Even if you want to visit central Vietnam, it is often cheaper to fly into one of the major hubs and book a separate domestic flight on VietJet or Vietnam Airlines.
- Fly mid-week. Avoid Friday and Sunday departures. Tuesday and Wednesday flights are consistently 15-20% cheaper on international routes into Southeast Asia.
- Consider budget carriers for regional connections. If you are coming from elsewhere in Asia, look at budget carriers like AirAsia or VietJet. Be aware that these airlines charge extra for carry-on weight; ensure your luggage is under 7kg to avoid surprise fees at the gate.
- Is it cheaper to book a round-trip or two one-way tickets?
- For Vietnam, a single round-trip ticket to a major hub is almost always cheaper than booking separate legs on different airlines.
- Which month is the absolute cheapest to fly?
- May and September typically offer the lowest fares due to the shoulder season weather patterns.