Thinking about going to Vietnam. A few questions
Aug 14, 2017, 5:45 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 226
My strategy would be get the Chase UR bonus points and transfer them to Korean Airlines so you can book a business class ticket. But $520 is a good price for a R/T with 1 stop, even though I am not a big fan of Air China and definitely don't recommend stopping in Beijing because it's a pain. I'm seeing ANA with a layover in Tokyo for about $610 (9/19-10/3), which would be more appealing to me.
As for hotels in Vietnam, I've stayed at some under $10 a night to over $100 a night. If you're staying in D1, then it's going to be more expensive. You're best bet would be independent hotels for about $25-50 a night. The major chains will be closer to the $100 range. You can also try AirBnB.
As for hotels in Vietnam, I've stayed at some under $10 a night to over $100 a night. If you're staying in D1, then it's going to be more expensive. You're best bet would be independent hotels for about $25-50 a night. The major chains will be closer to the $100 range. You can also try AirBnB.
im leaning on getting a hotel with breakfast and lunch included.
my friend isn't going to be my travel guide everyday (nor do I want him to) and I don't want to try food roulette with the street vendors.
Any website to use besides Hotels.com?
Aug 14, 2017, 11:18 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: EWR, SLC, SGN
Posts: 1,113
Too late I think to worry about credit cards, especially since you sound a bit new at this (I see you've been a member a long time though, so if I'm assuming too much here I apologize). If you fly United, just buy the pass for the lounge. If you fly via Tokyo, the ground time is usually quite short anyway, lounges aren't really necessary. I also avoid the high density 777 and look for 3-3-3 arrangements, usually on Cathay Pacific or Korean for me. I also really like EVA's 777, but I'm not sure when EVA and Cathay are starting/finishing the move to 3-4-3.
Agoda and Booking are two common sites to use around here. They have a lot of the smaller hotels at all price ranges. You can look in the hotel forum here, there is usually some sort of 10% or so for some sites listed in the hotel coupons thread. I'm not aware of many (any?) that also have lunch. Breakfast is pretty standard though. As mentioned before, it's common to do walk up bookings here, so you could easily book just a night or two then explore on foot the areas and look for a place you like to finish your stay and walk in and book in person. No need to worry about street vendors, just go to regular restaurants (plenty in Ben Thanh, more western style ones in Pham Ngu Lao), or even go to McDonalds if you're very nervous about it.
Re: construction near Ben Thanh, for walking or tourism, little is affected other than you can't access that end of the park. The market is open and the streets beside it with hotels are open. The roundabout street in front is half gone and the majority of that end of Sept 23rd park is fenced off from McDonald's through the roundabout. So traffic is now one way only in front of Ben Thanh. You can come from Pham Ngu Lao up the Tran Hung Dao street towards the bus station, then curve around the 1/2 of the roundabout to Ben Thanh and then proceed towards the New World Hotel. But cannot access the center of the roundabout for pics or turn back towards the bus station. It is not a horrible arrangement though, as the lack of merging traffic compensates a bit for having to go one way only.
Agoda and Booking are two common sites to use around here. They have a lot of the smaller hotels at all price ranges. You can look in the hotel forum here, there is usually some sort of 10% or so for some sites listed in the hotel coupons thread. I'm not aware of many (any?) that also have lunch. Breakfast is pretty standard though. As mentioned before, it's common to do walk up bookings here, so you could easily book just a night or two then explore on foot the areas and look for a place you like to finish your stay and walk in and book in person. No need to worry about street vendors, just go to regular restaurants (plenty in Ben Thanh, more western style ones in Pham Ngu Lao), or even go to McDonalds if you're very nervous about it.
Re: construction near Ben Thanh, for walking or tourism, little is affected other than you can't access that end of the park. The market is open and the streets beside it with hotels are open. The roundabout street in front is half gone and the majority of that end of Sept 23rd park is fenced off from McDonald's through the roundabout. So traffic is now one way only in front of Ben Thanh. You can come from Pham Ngu Lao up the Tran Hung Dao street towards the bus station, then curve around the 1/2 of the roundabout to Ben Thanh and then proceed towards the New World Hotel. But cannot access the center of the roundabout for pics or turn back towards the bus station. It is not a horrible arrangement though, as the lack of merging traffic compensates a bit for having to go one way only.
Aug 14, 2017, 11:23 pm
#18
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,543
Lunch is not a standard option.
Get a decent breakfast, and then figure out the other meals.
Agoda can be a decent option, and they often have a 10-15% discount code. Orbitz always has a 15% off code, and I think they rebate 5% if you use the mobile app.
Booking.com has a $40 off $80 stay deal that was mentioned in the AA thread.
Get a decent breakfast, and then figure out the other meals.
Agoda can be a decent option, and they often have a 10-15% discount code. Orbitz always has a 15% off code, and I think they rebate 5% if you use the mobile app.
Booking.com has a $40 off $80 stay deal that was mentioned in the AA thread.
Aug 15, 2017, 8:21 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: DFW
Posts: 675
too late to apply for chase sapphire for the 50k UR points for Sept travel?
im leaning on getting a hotel with breakfast and lunch included.
my friend isn't going to be my travel guide everyday (nor do I want him to) and I don't want to try food roulette with the street vendors.
Any website to use besides Hotels.com?
im leaning on getting a hotel with breakfast and lunch included.
my friend isn't going to be my travel guide everyday (nor do I want him to) and I don't want to try food roulette with the street vendors.
Any website to use besides Hotels.com?
I have never come across a hotel that provides lunch so you will be your own for that one. I'm also not a fan of hotel breakfasts because I don't like eating the same thing everyday. Vietnam has so many different food options so I would prefer to try something new everyday, then again I am a foodie. I suggest using Tripadvisor.com for restaurants and hotels. If you are planning to stay in D1, then there are plenty of restaurants to try including American ones in case you're not feeling adventurous. There is actually a food tour that will take you around on a moped to different street food places to get you acquainted.
Since this will be your first trip to Vietnam, it wouldn't hurt to visit the doctor's office and get some shots. I would also recommend bringing Pepto Bismo just in case.
Aug 15, 2017, 9:49 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 226
Aug 15, 2017, 3:02 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 1,674
Aug 17, 2017, 4:07 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
My doc said even if you dont get the injections in the time frame something is better than nothing.
Aug 17, 2017, 9:38 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 226
1) tons of hotels in Ben Thanh Market in District 1. 
just pick one of the 'recommended' ones on hotels.com?
hm.. this is the highest user rated (4.1/5) with lowest price ($29/nite) on hotels.com called "zoolut Stay 271"
https://www.hotels.com/hotel/details...=7&ZSX=0&SYE=3
2) it says Front desk safe.
so no in room safe?
3) I found a 11day United flight in sept on 777-200 (3-3-3 seat arrangement) that has an available aisle seat in the middle section from iad-nrt.
but on return flight for nrt-iad, it says :
Advance seat assignments are not available on united.com for this flight.
Please see an airport agent during check-in to receive your seat assignment.
that normal?
just pick one of the 'recommended' ones on hotels.com?
hm.. this is the highest user rated (4.1/5) with lowest price ($29/nite) on hotels.com called "zoolut Stay 271"
https://www.hotels.com/hotel/details...=7&ZSX=0&SYE=3
2) it says Front desk safe.
so no in room safe?
3) I found a 11day United flight in sept on 777-200 (3-3-3 seat arrangement) that has an available aisle seat in the middle section from iad-nrt.
but on return flight for nrt-iad, it says :
Advance seat assignments are not available on united.com for this flight.
Please see an airport agent during check-in to receive your seat assignment.
that normal?
Last edited by snail; Aug 17, 2017 at 10:22 am
Aug 17, 2017, 10:12 am
#26
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: DFW
Posts: 675
Here's what the CDC recommends on shots.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destina...r/none/vietnam
As for hotels, I would pull up a map and see where they are located. Some hotels are on a main street which can be noisy. There are hotels hidden in alleys which tend to be cheaper. The one you selected seems decent. It's close to a busy area which has pros and cons. And yes, safe at front desk usually means no safe in the room.
And yes it's normal for international flights not to have advanced seat selection.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destina...r/none/vietnam
As for hotels, I would pull up a map and see where they are located. Some hotels are on a main street which can be noisy. There are hotels hidden in alleys which tend to be cheaper. The one you selected seems decent. It's close to a busy area which has pros and cons. And yes, safe at front desk usually means no safe in the room.
And yes it's normal for international flights not to have advanced seat selection.
Aug 17, 2017, 10:39 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 226
booked sunrise central hotel ($41/nite before coupon).
it's 3.5stars but 4.0/5 from users.
11days $473 including tax and 10% coupon.
booked that instead of 'zoolut Stay 271' because zoolut has no refund.
sunrise has free cancelation till 9/6
it's 3.5stars but 4.0/5 from users.
11days $473 including tax and 10% coupon.
booked that instead of 'zoolut Stay 271' because zoolut has no refund.
sunrise has free cancelation till 9/6
Aug 17, 2017, 2:32 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 1,674
Hotel looks nice.
United.com? UA flight number? Are you booking it all as one trip or trying to price out separate tickets? Basic economy?
I'm guessing it's not a United flight
I'm guessing it's not a United flight
Aug 17, 2017, 2:51 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 226
interesting..
9/24:
sgn-nrt Flight UA 7974 is operated by Air Japan (Boeing 767-300)
nrt-iad Flight UA 7942 is operated by All Nippon Airways (Boeing 777-300ER)
this is directly from united.com.
neither leg of my return flight is United?!
are there any aisle seats available on the nrt-iad leg?
and there's a 4hr 30min layover in nrt.
buy a lounge pass on ebay?
edit:
never mind about aisle seats.
looked at ANA's website. none left
Last edited by snail; Aug 17, 2017 at 3:04 pm
Aug 18, 2017, 7:09 am
#30
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 1,674
Great!
You could. Since it's your first time to Asia (right?) it might just be fun to wander around. At this point you will be in Japan and this trip "just got real". There are shops and restaurants. The terminal is pretty easy to get around after you go through the transit security check. (You will have to go through a security area after landing in Japan)
You could. Since it's your first time to Asia (right?) it might just be fun to wander around. At this point you will be in Japan and this trip "just got real". There are shops and restaurants. The terminal is pretty easy to get around after you go through the transit security check. (You will have to go through a security area after landing in Japan)