Fly Vietnam Airlines Nonstop from San Francisco to Saigon, Vietnam for 46,000 Delta SkyMiles
Updated on October 21, 2025 | Tim Haig
Route map of VN 99 from San Francisco (SFO) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (SGN)
Vietnam Airlines is the only carrier offering nonstop service between North America and Indochina. San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City operates four times a week and began in November 2021.
VN 99 departs late at night from San Francisco, giving passengers plenty of opportunity to sleep before arriving in Saigon in the very early morning.
Onward domestic flights on Vietnam Airlines connect well to the arrival from SFO, including to Hanoi, Phu Quoc Island, Da Lat, Da Nang, and Nha Trang.
Since Vietnam Airlines is a SkyTeam partner, VN 99 / VN 98 is open for reward redemption using Delta SkyMiles.
| Vietnam Airlines | VN 99 | VN 98 |
|---|---|---|
| Route | SFO-SGN | SGN-SFO |
| Departs | 10:50pm PDT | 6:45pm ICT |
| Arrives | 4:30am ICT +2 | 6:40pm PDT |
| Duration | 15h40 | 13h55 |
| Frequency | Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun | Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun |
| Inaugural Flight | Nov 28, 2021 | Nov 28, 2021 |
| Season | Year-Round | |
| Nautical Miles | 6811 | |
| Equipment | Airbus A350-900 | |
Vietnam Airlines connects San Francisco to Saigon four times a week (photo: Tron Le)
How comfortable is Vietnam Airlines’ flight to Saigon, Vietnam?
Vietnam Airlines uses an Airbus A350-900 on its flight from San Francisco to Saigon (photo: Vietnam Airlines)
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Ratings: routesandmiles.com/ratings
Vietnam Airlines uses its premium long-haul Airbus A350-900 on this 15-hour-and-40-minute flight to Saigon. Seat maps show 305 seats: 231 seats in Economy (3-3-3 configuration), 45 seats in Premium Economy and 29 seats in Business Class. Seat pitch is a reasonable 31-32” in Economy.
Meal service in Economy includes two three-course meals, non-alcoholic beverages and house beer or wine. Menus can be viewed in advance at vietnamairlines.com.
The late night departure from SFO is helpful for minimizing jet lag and encouraging sleep on board. Returning to San Francisco, the early evening departure time isn’t quite as optimal but will still enable passengers to rest before the evening arrival the same day in San Francisco.
Saigon cityscape as viewed from the Sky View observation deck of Landmark 81 (photo: CreateTravel.tv)
Is it better to use money or miles when flying to Saigon, Vietnam on Vietnam Airlines?
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$534 one way* |
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46,000 miles +$6* |
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Vietnam Airlines’ Economy fare on this route is quite reasonable at the moment — around $534 one way — so if you’re low on miles it might be better to save them for a more expensive route.*
If you have a decent bank of Delta SkyMiles, it doesn’t hurt to use them. We found Economy redemption for as low as 46,000 miles +$6, and Premium Economy for as low as 90,000 miles +$6.*
Taking this route as an example, Delta SkyMiles are worth approximately $0.012 per mile.
*Searched on October 21, 2025 for one-way travel from San Francisco (SFO) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) in Economy on April 8, 2026. Sources: vietnamairlines.com and delta.com.
A vendor sells produce on a quiet residential street in Saigon (photo: vgmann99)
How to plan a 5-day trip to Saigon, Vietnam
Thanks to this nonstop route, a quick trip from the West Coast to Ho Chi Minh City is doable. Travelers could depart SFO on a Sunday night, arrive Saigon early on Tuesday morning, then depart Vietnam on Friday evening, arriving back in SFO the same day.
With three and a half days in the country, visitors would have time to explore the main sights in Saigon, sample the incredible food, coffee and nightlife, and make a daytrip to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta.
Saigon City Hall at sunset (photo: nguyenvanmenkc)
What are the best new credit card bonuses for flying on Vietnam Airlines?
Since Vietnam Airlines is a member of SkyTeam, Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed for flights on Vietnam Airlines. American Express offers some excellent Delta SkyMiles bonuses on its co-branded cards.
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is offering 70,000 SkyMiles after qualifying purchases ($3000 in the first 6 months) for new approved applicants (conditions and exclusions apply; limited time offer; $150 annual fee waived for the first year). It also includes some nice perks like 15% off SkyMiles reward redemption on Delta flights when using delta.com or the Fly Delta app.**
**Subject to change. Last verified on November 3, 2025.
Tim Haig was the Asia Product and Marketing Manager for Goway Travel, and has written for BC Living, SharedVISION and Globetrotting. He is based in California.
