Business class award fares to Ho Chi Minh City from Los Angeles started at 116,000 points one way in PointsGPT's recorded finds, and five of the 8 Los Angeles business finds were at that price. Economy from San Francisco started at 36,000 points. This is a small sample: 31 finds in all, 10 in economy and 17 in business. These finds were from US departure cities, recorded September to November 2026, for one traveler, one way, as of 3 November 2026. They were available when someone searched and may not be by the time you do. Award availability changes frequently.
What the recorded finds show
A recorded find is the cheapest award fare a PointsGPT search returned in the cabin and on the dates the person asked for. The figures below are airline miles, one way, for one traveler, to Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat (SGN). When your card points transfer at 1:1, the miles and the card points are the same number.
From New York (JFK, Newark and LaGuardia):
- Business (1 find): 105,000 points from JFK through Emirates Skywards, with a connection. One find is a single example, not a pattern. We recorded no New York economy finds.
From Los Angeles (LAX and the nearby airports):
- Business (8 finds, from 8 people): five were 116,000 points, all through Emirates Skywards. Half were at or below 116,000, and the rest were 189,000 or 193,000.
- Economy (1 find): 37,500 points through American Airlines AAdvantage.
- Premium economy (1 find): 104,000 points through Emirates Skywards.
From other cities:
- San Francisco: economy (5 finds, from 4 people) had one find at 36,000 points through Virgin Atlantic, and the other four were 42,500, two through Alaska Atmos and two through Emirates Skywards. In business, one of the two finds was 116,000 through Emirates Skywards.
- Houston: two of the four business finds were 116,000 points through Emirates Skywards.
- Boston: economy at 37,500 points through AAdvantage, and premium economy at 95,000 through Emirates Skywards.
- Las Vegas and Seattle each had a business find at 250,000 through United MileagePlus. Chicago and Detroit each had one economy find, at 55,000 through United.
From every US departure city we recorded:
- Business (17 finds): a quarter and half were both at or below 116,000 points, and three quarters at or below 193,000. The most common price was 116,000 (8 of 17), then 250,000 and 193,000 (2 each).
- Economy (10 finds): the finds ran from 36,000 to 55,000 points. A quarter were at or below 37,500, and half and three quarters were both at or below 42,500. The most common price was 42,500 (4 of 10).
- Premium economy (3 finds): 95,000, 104,000 and 125,700 points.
None of the 31 finds was nonstop. Every single-city figure and the premium economy figures rest on fewer than 10 finds, so read them as a range.
| Recorded | Route | Cabin | Program | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct 2026 | JFK → SGN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 105,000 |
| 8 Oct 2026 | LAX → SGN | Economy | American Airlines AAdvantage | 37,500 |
| 26 Sep 2026 | LAX → SGN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 116,000 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | LAX → SGN | Premium economy | Emirates Skywards | 104,000 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | SFO → SGN | Economy | Virgin Atlantic | 36,000 |
| 29 Oct 2026 | SFO → SGN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 116,000 |
| 17 Oct 2026 | IAH → SGN | Business | Emirates Skywards | 116,000 |
| 3 Nov 2026 | BOS → SGN | Economy | American Airlines AAdvantage | 37,500 |
| 29 Oct 2026 | BOS → SGN | Premium economy | Emirates Skywards | 95,000 |
Which programs priced these fares
Of the 31 Ho Chi Minh City finds, Flying Blue and Air Canada Aeroplan were each on the board for 25, United MileagePlus for 20 and Emirates Skywards for 19. Emirates Skywards priced the find itself most often (15 of 31), ahead of United (7), with AAdvantage, Virgin Atlantic and Alaska Atmos at 2 each. In business, Emirates Skywards priced 11 of the 17 finds.
These are the card points that reach each program, from the transfer grid PointsGPT uses:
- Emirates Skywards: Amex Membership Rewards at 5:4, Bilt Points at 1:1, Capital One miles at 4:3 and Citi ThankYou Points at 5:4. At 5:4 or 4:3, you move more card points than the miles the fare shows.
- United MileagePlus: Bilt Points and Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1:1.
- AAdvantage: Citi at 1:1.
- Virgin Atlantic: Amex, Bilt, Chase and Citi at 1:1.
- Alaska Atmos: Bilt at 1:1.
- Flying Blue: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi, all at 1:1.
- Aeroplan: Amex, Bilt, Capital One and Chase at 1:1.
You can check each of the programs PointsGPT searches before you pick one. Partner lists and ratios change, so check your card's current partner list before you transfer. A transfer cannot be undone.
Watch the cash part on Ho Chi Minh City fares
Every award fare carries taxes and fees paid in cash, and some programs add carrier surcharges. Here the cash part followed the program.
- Business: all 11 Emirates Skywards finds carried four-figure cash charges. The 4 United finds and the 1 Aeroplan find were two-figure, and the 1 Flying Blue find was three-figure.
- Economy: the AAdvantage, United and Alaska Atmos finds (2 each) were all two-figure. The Virgin Atlantic and Emirates Skywards finds (2 each) were three-figure.
- Premium economy: the 2 Emirates Skywards finds were three-figure and the 1 United find two-figure.
So the 116,000-point Emirates business fares came with a four-figure cash part, while the United business finds cost more points with a two-figure cash part. Add both before you choose, and see the surcharge trap for why programs charge so differently.
Plan your search
- Flexible dates: search a whole month. With so few finds, wide dates help.
- Two or more travelers: search for everyone at once. One award fare does not mean the price is open for your whole party.
- Nonstop or one stop: every find connected, so compare travel time too.
- Another gateway: our guide to points needed for Singapore has a larger sample of recorded fares in the region.
Points or cash?
Before you transfer, compare the points plus the cash part with the cash fare. When the cash fare is low, paying cash can save your points for a trip where they cover more. Our guide to points versus cash covers the questions to ask.
How to search it in PointsGPT
When you start a search, type the trip the way you would say it, for example:
Economy from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City, any week in March, 2 travelers, I have Bilt points
- Tell PointsGPT which card points you hold, so it can mark the fares those points reach.
- Compare the points and the cash part on each fare, nonstop and connecting.
- Confirm the fare with the airline program before you transfer, because the transfer cannot be reversed.