There were only a few options to get a nonstop flight from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City on the day we needed to travel. Both Vietnam Airlines and Cambodian Angkor Air had nonstop evening flights which were around $180 per person in economy. There was one other option: Qatar Airways. They apparently fly a triangle route from Doha-Phnom Penh-Ho Chi Minh City-Doha. I suppose they don’t have enough traffic for a nonstop to both places so they collect/deliver passengers in both cities. They also sell the short flight from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City separately. When I checked, it was around $200 per person in economy and $600 per person in business – for a 45 minute flight!

I found award space using Avios for 8400 Avios plus $80 per person in economy or 16800 Avios plus $109 per person in business class. This is a silly amount of miles and cash to pay for business class but given that we have a ton of Avios right now, I just figured I would splurge the extra 16000 or so Avios and enjoy lounge access, a nice seat, and a quick exit from the plane in Vietnam.

We arrived at the Phnom Penh Airport around 3pm after taking a Grab from the Hyatt Regency. We checked in with Qatar Airways. There was a bit of confusion as I used my US passport and visa to enter Cambodia, but I was using my UK passport (no visa required for Vietnam) to enter Vietnam. I ended up showing both passports at check-in and exit immigration.

Exit immigration was fast as was security. We found our way upstairs to the Plaza Premium Lounge. As it turned out, we could have had access with Priority Pass anyway so perhaps those extra Avios were wasted.

The lounge was quite nice and fairly empty with a lot of different seating options and even a spa (paid treatments only).

Food choices were plentiful with a made to order local dish, a hot and cold buffet, soups and plenty of drink options with a staffed bar.

We found a comfortable place to sit and charge our devices while we enjoyed some food and drinks. Around 4:45pm, we walked down to our gate. The airport seems fairly modern, but it is being completely replaced by a brand-new much larger airport in a couple of years which is further away from the center of town (similar to Siem Reap).

QR971 PNH-SGN 777-300ER
Scheduled: 17:30-18:35
Actual: 17:26-18:26

We pre-boarded again due to my wife’s ankle boot. We had window seats on the left side of business class. This was not a Q-Suites aircraft, but had a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone seat, similar to what you will currently find on American Airlines 777s.

Blankets and pillows were provided and we were offered a pre-departure drink of choice while the rest of the passengers boarded. There were about six other people in business class I think.

The captain announced our flying time as 48 minutes (at this point, I really began to question the value of booking this flight in business class). The flight attendant took post takeoff drink orders while we were taxiing out. I ended up just getting a club soda as my stomach had been bothering me earlier in the day.

The climb out was smooth and I received my drink with mixed nuts after we reached our cruising altitude. I at least enjoyed looking out the windows as we took off and then approached Ho Chi Minh City.

We landed at SGN a bit early. I had booked a combination of airport transportation and fast track immigration via an app called Klook that has a lot of Asian tour and transportation options. It was about $70 total compared to $250 for booking the same thing through the Park Hyatt Saigon. I had read about long lines to go through immigration at SGN.

In the end, we arrived at a time when there were not a lot of people at immigration so it was probably unnecessary to have the fast track service. Our greeter led us to the line, met us on the other side and took us to the driver so at least we did not have to look for anyone or waste any time.

I asked the greeter where the currency exchange was and he led me to his friend who was willing to exchange my dollars at what was a much better rate. The XE app showed almost exactly 25000 Vietnamese Dong to the US Dollar, which is essentially the median price (you can’t actually get this rate either way). He gave me 24950 Dong to the Dollar which was better than the gold shops in the city were offering that day (usually the best available rates). I changed $200 and that was enough to get us through a week in Vietnam given the number of places that took credit cards directly or Apple Pay.

Our driver pulled up after about five minutes and we had a nice air-conditioned Toyota SUV ride to the Park Hyatt. It was great to be back in Vietnam after almost six years and we were looking forward to our visit.

Up Next: Visiting Ho Chi Minh City

If you have questions about this post, let me know in the comments or send me an email at emptynestermiles@gmail.com. If you are thinking about opening a new credit card, please use one of my links.