Out itinerary has 2 options right now.
At the end we are visiting Siem Reap, having come in from Vietnam. Our flight home leaves from Hanoi on Korean Air.

I'm trying to figure out if i need a multiple entry visa for Vietnam if i'm coming from Siem Reap and just staying in the airport in Hanoi. Since it is a different airline (and i'm coming from a different country), i'm thinking i need to pick up my luggage in Hanoi, and check it back in with Korean, meaning i would have to go through immigrations, meaning i need a multiple entry visa.

I emailed the consulate, and they said if i stay in the "transit" area i don't need a multi visa. But i'm i'm picking up my bags, wouldn't that mean i'd leave the transit area?

We would allow plenty of time for our connection, getting to Hanoi at 7 or 8pm, or an 11:55pm flight, to be sure not to miss it if there are delays.

Has anyone traveled this route?
thanks

Oh , the other option is to get a multi visa, and stay the night in Hanoi and leave the next day...but if we don't have to, it would be preferable not to

What you need to know is whether the airline you are flying from Siem Reap to Hanoi will check your bags through to your home airport or not. If it were me, I'd want to confirm that with both airlines. If either one says no, then you will need a multi-entry visa.

Ok. I'll contact the airlines..thanks.

If Vietnam airlines understood my question correctly, and ithink they did, the said i would have to pick up my bags as the would not be put through.

BUT she said i wouldn't need a visa, as i wouldn't go through customs? Seems rather strange to me...
Maybe i should just get a multiple entry visa and be on the safe side, sucks to waste $100 though.

That is a confusing answer! Given that, I'd probably get a multi-entry visa. Since the single entry visa is $65 and the multi-entry is $100 it's a mere $35 difference.

I emailed the consolate, and a multiple entry visa is twice a single, at $130. If the difference were only $35 i wouldn't have worried as much.

But yes, given the confusing answer, i feel i have no choice but to get a multi visa, and stay that night Hanoi in case of delays...oh well.