Award Alert: Wide Open Business Class Award Space To Asia Using Any Transferable Credit Card Points

SkyTeam member Vietnam Airlines flies non-stop between the U.S. and Vietnam – four-times weekly San Francisco – Ho Chi Minh City service – with an Airbus A350. There is fantastic business class award availability right now for this flight, for up to 4 passengers per flight, whether looking for trips right away through eleven months from now. You can use this flight to connect onward in Southeast Asia (or, if you’re willing to pay the requisite miles, even beyond).

San Francisco (SFO) – Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), 10:50 p.m. – 4:30 a.m+2, Vietnam Airlines 99
Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) – San Francisco, 6:30 p.m. – 6:40 p.m., Vietnam Airlines 98

This has been a tough flight to get award space on in the past, but @findflightsforme flags great availability, though it’s fairly expensive through most partner programs. But anyone with transferable bank points can access these.

Booking:

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 100,500 points + ~ $250 each way (Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Bilt transfer partner)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 140,000 points + ~ $250 each way (Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Bilt transfer partner)
• Korean Air Sky Pass: 77,500 points + ~ $250 each way

What’s great is that while these awards are expensive if booked through Air France or Virgin, both are frequent transfer bonus participants. My balances in each were recently boosted by 150% bonuses moving Bilt points which takes out the sting a little bit. Citi currently has a 25% bonus on transfers to Flying Blue.

Search availability on the Virgin website using their award calendar, book through Air France KLM unless you have the Korean Air points. Some of you have points left from transfers made with Chase before Chase lost them as a partner, and those are close to expiration anyway.

Vietnam is worth a visit in its own right. Using this as a jumping off point to travel elsewhere in Asia is great, or to connect. I’ve visited much of the country and found it worthwhile on every visit.

Presidential Palace

Pho Hoa

Hyatt Regency Danang

Once you book, @findflightsforme flags that you can input your reservation number on the Czech Airlines website (or Air Europa website) to get the Vietnam Airlines reservation number and use that to assign seats.

More From View from the Wing