How to Fly Business Class to Vietnam for 68,000 Points

I'm lucky. Really lucky. This post is about how you can be lucky, too.

For years, we made Tortuga backpacks in China.

Twice a year, I flew to Guangzhou, either directly with China Southern or via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific.

Later, we moved production to Huizhou, outside Shenzhen. Somehow, there's no direct flight from San Francisco to Shenzhen. I'd fly to Hong Kong, then get a car or take the train across the border. The HKG stop gave me an excuse to hang out in Hong Kong for a few days.

Then, during the pandemic, we moved production to Vietnam.

And now, like I said, I'm lucky.

Why's that?

• SFO (where I live) to SGN (where I need to go for work) is the only non-stop flight between the US and Vietnam
• Business class tickets are only 68,000 points and a few dollars if you know how to book them

SFO is my home airport, but this is a great deal if you live anywhere in the Western US and want to go to Vietnam for work or for fun.

Flights

Thanks to Max Miles Points for teaching me the way in this video.

Watch Max's video for the full breakdown. Below is my short summary.

1. First, search for SFO to SGN flights on Air France under "Book with miles." This is just to find availability, not to book. Change your location to the Netherlands.

(I did this at first but didn't find any flights that worked for my schedule. Instead, I set up alerts on seats.aero and ended up booking a seat I found there.)

2. Once you find a flight, search for that exact same flight on ANA.
3. Transfer Amex points to ANA if needed. Book the flight through ANA for the lowest "price" in points and dollars. Make sure to choose the direct flight on Vietnam Airlines.

If you use seats.aero or any other awards search tool, you might get alerts for flights bookable through Air France or Virgin for more points. Ignore where the tool tells you to book and search for that same flight on ANA. In most cases, you'll find the same flight there for fewer points. Sometimes availability doesn't perfectly match. Try ANA again in a few days in case that flight becomes available later.

Three Things to Watch Out For

1. Make sure to set an alert for SFO to SGN with otherwise loose filters. Set the filters so you'll still see flights that aren't through ANA or that cost more points. I got a few alerts for the same flight on Virgin for 100,000+ points. That's fine. You just need the alert for the date and availability. You'll book through ANA for the deal.
2. I found very few award seats for my travel dates. I tried but couldn't find a second seat for my wife on my dates. Availability is limited. If you find something, book it.
3. You'll have to transfer Amex points to ANA. Amex will warn you that the transfer can take up to 4 business days. That's not great given #2. One of my transfers only took 2 days, though that's still a risk if the seat gets booked quickly.

Flights and Prices

Here's exactly what I paid for each leg of the flight (booked separately, of course):

• SFO → SGN: Business class for 68,000 miles + $5.60. This was unquestionably the best value awards ticket I've ever booked.
• SGN → SFO: Business class for 68,000 miles + $40.23.

As I write this, both the SFO to SGN and the SGN to SFO flights are available 4x/week on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Hotel

Another deal? Yes, I got lucky twice.

Our designer, James, has been traveling to Vietnam for years. He suggested a few hotels for our trip.

I priced them out, but, being the points nerd that I am, I had to check for a points deal too.

I found it through Chase's Points Boost. In Ho Chi Minh City, Chase offered points boost deals at four hotels. But they were all luxury options, including the Park Hyatt and a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel.

The best deal was on a 5-star hotel called the Reverie Saigon. My first thought was that it was way too fancy, and I would never stay there.

But as I reviewed the usual mid-tier hotels, I realized they cost more points for less amenities. So I booked it.

Here's the math:

• 19 total nights: my room for 11 nights, and James' room for 8 nights. You'll see two bookings below because my flight landed at 4:30 am, so I booked an extra night to check in super early, take a nap, and shower when I arrived.
• 277,412 points (261,506 + 15,906)
• 14,600 points/night (277,412 points / 19 nights)

14,600 points/night for a 5-star luxury hotel with incredible service, a pool, and a gym. What a steal!

Now, I know that's a lot of total points and might not be the optimal booking when considering points, dollars, and points/dollar value.

But I booked as a small business owner. We have a lot of points (2 million on Chase alone) and always need to be mindful of spending cash. This was a no-brainer good deal for us.

After consulting with ChatGPT, I booked the cheapest room (Deluxe King with City View), which was still huge, but skipped the "breakfast included" option because it would have cost ~$40 USD/day for a breakfast buffet. That would've been a terrible deal for Vietnam.

Finally, and also suggested by ChatGPT, I emailed the hotel, told them how excited I was to stay there, and requested a room on a high floor, away from the elevators, with a river view. They wouldn't promise it, but they did deliver it.

The Lessons

I didn't write this post to show off. Beyond the specifics, here are a few broader lessons to take away.

1. If you're going to Vietnam, you can't beat this deal. A direct, business-class flight from the US to Vietnam for 68,000 points and <$50. I still can't get over it.
2. Remember to check the Chase portal before booking a hotel. You might Points Boost your way into a deal you can't pass up on a luxury hotel.