Quick summary
Our fare scan on 9 October 2026 found round-trip Australia–Ho Chi Minh City economy seats from A$388, nonstop, departing 30 November. That price covers the Vietnam leg only: VietJet’s Ho Chi Minh City–India sectors are priced separately, so the A$400–600 saving this article once claimed on India flights is not supported by the fare data.
VietJet’s base fare carries 7kg of carry-on and no meals, and the Deluxe bundle adds 20kg plus seat selection for about A$100 per person. Compare totals with baggage, not headline fares.
On 9 October 2026, a round-trip economy seat between Australia and Ho Chi Minh City was selling from A$388, according to ATC’s fare scan that day. The flight was nonstop, departing 30 November and returning 13 December. It was the cheapest Australia–Vietnam fare the scan surfaced. It was not an Australia–India fare.
This article previously told readers that VietJet flights from Australia to India via Ho Chi Minh City saved A$400–600 per person against direct carriers. That comparison used a Vietnam fare against an India fare. The saving is unproven rather than disproven, but it cannot be repeated as fact.
VietJet’s Australia–Vietnam network is larger than the old article said
VietJet’s Australian map is bigger than this article used to report. On 13 October 2025 the airline increased Ho Chi Minh City–Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City–Sydney to seven return flights per week, Ho Chi Minh City–Brisbane to five weekly and Ho Chi Minh City–Perth to three weekly, according to VietJet’s announcement of the October 2025 frequency increase.
The Brisbane service has flown an A330 wide-body since its June 2023 launch, so the long sector is not a narrowbody run. VietJet’s Ho Chi Minh City hub routing operates year-round as of February 2026. Hanoi–Melbourne launched on 15 June 2023, with Ho Chi Minh City–Brisbane following a day later.
Sydney and Melbourne each have a departure every day. More seats on the Australia leg mean more chances of a cheap hop to the hub. The Australia leg no longer dictates the trip’s dates. The India sector still does.
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The HCMC–India link: what actually flies
There are nonstop flights from Ho Chi Minh City to India. VietJet’s Ho Chi Minh City–Kochi route operates four times weekly, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and the airline’s own booking pages also list Ho Chi Minh City–Bengaluru.
No VietJet flight from Australia reaches India nonstop. Every itinerary on this carrier lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and changes aircraft, making the routing one-stop by design. The Australia–Vietnam leg is the long one; the India sector is the second flight.
The hub serves a substantial market. Vietnam–India passenger numbers passed 300,000 in the first half of 2023, nearly five times the same period in 2022, a figure Aviation Week attributed partly to VietJet’s expansion.
The real cost of VietJet’s low base fare
VietJet’s base fare includes 7kg of carry-on baggage and no meals. On a long sector, that is a starting point rather than a price.
The Deluxe bundle adds 20kg of checked luggage and seat selection for approximately A$100 per person, according to VietJet’s Deluxe bundle page.
With a bag, the Australia–Vietnam leg costs about A$488.
Baggage on the India side
Air India’s direct flights include 46kg of checked baggage, more than twice the Deluxe bundle allowance. For travelers carrying gifts, electronics or household items to family in India, that gap is the real difference between the two options, before any fare comparison.
Meals are another separate cost on the base fare. Our guide to pre-ordering meals on low-cost carriers covers how to secure one before departure rather than relying on the trolley.
The Deluxe bundle has a weight ceiling. Any additional weight costs extra, on top of the bundle price, and narrows any gap against a full-service fare.
The Vietnam leg is priced separately from the India leg
The fare data covers only the Australia–SGN leg. The Ho Chi Minh City–India sector is priced on its own demand and its own schedule, and anything spent on it sits on top of the Vietnam fare.
VietJet does sell Australia–India itineraries through its Australia–India booking pages. A combined price therefore exists, but it does not appear in the data behind this article.
For travelers who want to skip the return domestic leg inside India, an open-jaw ticket into one Indian city and out of another is an ordinary multi-city booking, not a special fare. That is useful when the India sector is the part you are still choosing.
What the two-leg structure means for your trip
For Australian travelers weighing the hub against a direct carrier, the decision rests on three numbers: the Australia–Vietnam fare, the baggage bundle and the India sector.
Traveling with checked bags. If bags are the reason you fly, the comparison is baggage allowance against baggage allowance, not fare against fare. Check the total with bags before you commit, and check what VietJet charges for additional weight before booking if you need more than the bundle allows. Less suited: travelers who need more than 20kg and would have to buy extra weight.
Carry-on only. The base allowance is workable if you pack light. Pre-order a meal rather than relying on the trolley. Less suited: anyone whose trip runs longer than a week of carry-on.
Flying on fixed dates. Adding connections is not where the saving sits, so a cheap Australia–Vietnam leg is worth taking nonstop when the schedule allows. Less suited: travelers whose dates are fixed by an event in India and who cannot shift the Australia departure to match a cheaper fare.
Check what the Australia–SGN leg costs on your dates before building the India sector on top. Book only after pricing the complete Australia–India itinerary with baggage included.
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Questions? Answers.
Are there direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to India?
Yes. VietJet’s Ho Chi Minh City–Kochi service runs four times weekly, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and the airline’s booking pages also list Ho Chi Minh City–Bengaluru. VietJet’s Australia–India itineraries connect at Tan Son Nhat rather than flying through nonstop.
Does VietJet fly from Australia?
Yes, and the network grew in October 2025. As of 13 October 2025 VietJet runs seven return flights a week between Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne and between Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney, five to Brisbane and three to Perth. Western Sydney is also listed among its Australian departure points.
Can I fly VietJet outbound and Air India on the return to maximise baggage?
Yes, but it means two tickets. Air India’s direct flights include 46kg of checked baggage, and that allowance applies to the Air India ticket; the VietJet leg carries its own 7kg base allowance, or 20kg with the Deluxe bundle. Check both airlines’ baggage rules before you commit.
How far in advance should I book to catch a VietJet sale?
VietJet’s sales run as dated windows rather than a fixed calendar. Its Sky Connection promotion, for example, opened at 00:00 on 23 September 2026 and closed at 23:00 on 25 September 2026, with travel into 2027. Set an alert on Google Flights rather than waiting for a particular date.
Is the VietJet routing worth it for a short 1-2 week trip?
Only if the total with baggage beats the alternative. The routing adds a change of aircraft at Ho Chi Minh City, and the base fare carries 7kg of carry-on, so a one- or two-week trip with checked bags needs the Deluxe bundle at about A$100 per person on top of the fare.
