Is It Cheaper to Ship or Pay Excess Baggage? Vietnam Edition

You’re at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, staring at two overflowing suitcases and a bag of souvenirs. Your flight is tomorrow. You already know you’re over the luggage limit. The question is: should you pay the airline’s excess baggage fee, or ship the extra stuff home?

Let’s break down the numbers.

What airlines charge

Excess baggage fees on flights from Vietnam vary wildly by airline and route, but here’s what you can generally expect:

Overweight bag (5-10kg extra): $50-150 per bag
Extra checked bag: $100-200 per bag
Oversized or bulky items: $200-400+
Sports equipment or art: $150-350

These fees can spike on budget airlines. Vietnam Airlines is more generous with luggage, but budget carriers like VietJet or AirAsia charge premium rates for extra weight.

What shipping costs

Shipping via DHL, FedEx, or UPS from Vietnam typically costs:

To Asia (Japan, Korea, China): from $20-25/kg
To Australia/NZ: from $30/kg
To USA/Canada: from $35/kg
To Europe/UK: from $35/kg

So a 5kg package to the US costs roughly $175 via express courier — which is comparable to or cheaper than one extra checked bag on many airlines.

When shipping wins

Shipping is usually cheaper when:

You have heavy or bulky items (ceramics, marble, large art pieces) that would cost $200+ as excess baggage
You’re flying a budget airline with expensive baggage add-ons
You have fragile items that need professional packing (airline baggage handling is rough)
You want to travel light for the rest of your trip — ship early and enjoy without heavy bags
You’re heading to multiple destinations after Vietnam and don’t want to carry extra luggage

Bonus: when you ship with us, we provide professional packing. Your ceramics and art arrive intact — something airline baggage handlers can’t guarantee.

When paying the airline wins

Airline fees make more sense when:

You only have a small amount of extra weight (2-3kg)
You’re flying a full-service airline with reasonable baggage policies
Everything fits in a standard suitcase (no fragile items)
You need items immediately on arrival (shipping takes 2-5 days)

The hidden advantage of shipping

Beyond cost, shipping has a convenience factor that’s hard to beat:

Free hotel pickup — we come to you. No dragging bags to a post office.
Professional packing — ceramics, art, and fragile items are wrapped properly.
Travel light — ship your souvenirs early in the trip and enjoy the rest bag-free.
No airport stress — no weighing, no repacking at the check-in counter, no arguments with airline staff.

Our recommendation

If you’re over by more than 5kg or have fragile items, shipping almost always wins on both cost and convenience. For a small overweight penalty on a full-service airline, just pay the fee.

The sweet spot: ship your souvenirs and fragile purchases, fly with your clothes and essentials.

Ready to compare? Get a free quote — we’ll tell you exactly what shipping costs for your items, so you can decide which option makes sense.

Still weighing your options? Check our excess baggage guide for more details on how our pickup and shipping service works.