Vietnam is one of the clearest cases in Southeast Asia for the open-jaw entry strategy. The country runs 1,650 kilometres from north to south, and flying into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City (or vice versa) is more natural geographically than retracing the same long-haul corridor twice. The open-jaw fare is typically within £50-£80 of a standard return and is almost always worth taking.

Noi Bai International (HAN) in Hanoi is the north entry point — correct for Ha Long Bay, Sapa, and the northwest highlands. Tan Son Nhat International (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City is the south entry — correct for the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc, and the Central Highlands. Da Nang International (DAD) is the central entry and handles increasing long-haul traffic; it is the logical entry for Hoi An and Hue itineraries. Phu Quoc Airport (PQC) receives a small number of international charter flights but is primarily a domestic connection from HCMC (45 minutes on VietJet or Bamboo Airways).

From London, economy return to Vietnam sits at £500-£750 in most non-peak months. The peak windows (July-August, Christmas-New Year) push fares to £800-£1,100. The competition on London-HAN and London-SGN involves Vietnam Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways — all offering Gulf or Asian hub connections. The Vietnam Airlines routing via a single hub (usually Guangzhou or Bangkok) is often competitively priced at £550-£700. Qatar via Doha and Cathay via Hong Kong both deliver strong overall product at comparable fares. The March-April window (before the southern rainy season) and September-October (shoulder season, good weather in the centre and south) offer the best combination of fare and conditions.

From Sydney, Vietnam runs AUD $600-$1,000 return economy. Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Asia (via Singapore), Scoot, and Singapore Airlines all serve the route. Budget LCC options via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur can come in under AUD $500 return with advance booking.

Vietnam’s internal air network is dense and inexpensive. VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Vietnam Airlines link Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc with fares of VND 200,000-800,000 (£6-£25) booked two to four weeks ahead. Hanoi to Da Nang is around £10-£15 one-way; Da Nang to HCMC is similarly cheap. Budget these as part of the internal travel plan — the Reunification Express train between Hanoi and HCMC takes 30+ hours and is a valid travel experience, but a domestic flight is the practical tool for route coverage.

Aviasales surfaces the multi-hub Vietnam options (including the Da Nang entry that some European travellers miss entirely) and handles the Hanoi-in, HCMC-out open-jaw search correctly. Vietnam is one of the few countries where the Da Nang entry fare is sometimes cheaper than both Hanoi and HCMC for travellers from Europe, making the Aviasales flexible-destination search worth running before fixing your entry city. Kiwi.com is useful for combining the international leg with VietJet internal connection pricing. Book long-haul international legs direct with the carrier; book domestic Vietnam legs through VietJet’s app or website — it is well-built and accepts international cards without issue.