So cheaptickets.com, priceline, travelocity, etc only allow you to do comparisons for flights starting in the USA. The only way I am seeing right now to check for rates from Vietnam to the USA is to go to each airline's website and many don't even have a Vietnam option!

I checked China Airlines and I think I found flights from Hong Kong to NYC for under $600 US dollars (I imagine taxes will knock that up to near $700). What have people done in the past? I used my frequent flyer miles to go Business on my way home from Saigon last month, so I cannot get a free ticket for her.

Tkanks

I booked Eva Air online from Vietnam, we even got upgraded at Tan Son Nhat airport. It was a nice way for my wife to leave Vietnam. We arrived in L.A. the same calender day to see the sunset over Manhatten Beach near LAX airport, her first full day in America............Disneyland!
Good first impression!

Lucky you. Did you take her whole family to Disneyland or just you and her? My problem is that her family of 5 is here and if I decide to take her out to Disneyland, I'll have to take the whole family.

Matt,

I second patricks on the EVA Air recommendation. She would transit through Taipei, Taiwan on EVA. If comfort and in-seat TV unit is important, be sure to choose the Evergreen Deluxe class of service, because their standard economy section doesn't have personal TV units in the back of the seats. EVA Air is a partner of American Airlines.

My fiancee called Cathay Pacific (I've flown them everytime to VN; love the comfort and HKG) in Sai Gon and they quoted her a one-way fare from SGN to STL - transit in Hong Kong and Los Angeles - for $715 (including taxes). We don't have a choice in airline for her because I'm already ticketed on Cathay Pacific for my return after my contract is complete here in Vietnam.

Let her call around to some airlines in Sai Gon (i.e. Korean Air, Asiana Air, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, etc.) for some fares. However, a transit in Hong Kong, Singapore or Taiwan is nice because of their close proximity to HCMC. Better than a 6 hour flight to Japan or Korea and then another long one into the United States.

Hope that helps!

STL_HCMC

I am confused guys. Can I have a ling for EVA Air? I am using

http://ffp.evaair.com/online/html/English/plan/EIBSA005.asp

but no matter how I search I get no flights available for September.

Matt,

Your link is correct. I too got the same "no available flights" that you were getting. I would try calling around in HCMC to the different airlines and get one-way specific fare quotations. The more she can compare fares, then she can find out which airline/route/connection times are the best value for the fare.

Below is some contact info for EVA Airs office in HCMC:

EVA Airways - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ground Floor, BITEXCO
Building 19-25
Nguyen Hue Blvd
Q.1, HCMC

Reservations: (84.8)822.4488

STL_HCMC

Make sure you take a whole morning or afternoon when you go to that office and some good reading material or make some phone calls while holding on to your que #. Actually, after an hour of waiting, I finally went home and booked online (2004). Maybe, they've stopped booking online? Note, I've heard good reports about ANA Nippon, they use the Boeing 777 to fly from the Japan to the states. A lot better than the 747. (of course more expensive).

I hope we can get a lot of feedback on flights from everyone since we're all shelling out these big bucks going back and forth. "You can take the girl out of Vietnam but you can't take the Vietnamese out of the girl"........In other words, You've married a lady, her family and now the country.

When looking for international flights I go to:

http://www.airlineconsolidator.com
or
http://www.sidestep.com

hope this helps