I recently had the chance to fly with Vietnam Airlines and wanted to share my experience. I was excited to learn that the airline had blue aeroplanes, which raised my expectations for a great flight (after all, all the best things are blue, right?). The thought of budget long-haul travel made me nervous because I am used to the luxuries provided by Emirates on board their planes. I was intrigued to find out how Vietnam Airlines would compare.
As luck would have it, I got to try the short and long-haul services of Vietnam Airlines. I travelled in economy class for all my flights, as I couldn’t justify spending an extra £1000 for a seat closer to the front (being a travelling dinosaur doesn’t pay enough for crazy luxuries).
Flights
During my three-week trip, I took five flights with Vietnam Airlines. The flight times ranged from a short 54-minute flight to a gruelling 13 hour one. Here are the flight details:
- London Heathrow to Hanoi (VN56) 11 hours and 18 minutes
- Hanoi to Da Nang (VN169) 1 hour and 8 minutes
- Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (VN115) 1 hour
- Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (VN812) 54 minutes
- Ho Chi Minh City to London Heathrow (VN51) 13 hours and 9 minutes
I travelled on a few different models of Vietnam Airlines’ fleet, including A321 neo, Dreamliner (B787-900), and Airbus A321. All of the planes were blue, modern, and very clean.
Short Haul
Fun fact – row 14 of the short-haul aeroplanes have no window. I had 75 minutes of the windowless window seat on my flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City. Honestly, I still haven’t forgiven my photographer for this mean joke (Do you have any ideas on how I can get my revenge?).
Despite the lack of windows, I found the short-haul flight quite comfortable. I appreciated having seats near the emergency exit for the extra legroom. I also liked having ample space under the seat in front of me to store my backpack since I had trouble reaching the overhead lockers.
My favourite part of the flight was the TV screen above the seats. The TV had a small map showing our location. I love this feature since it shows me what we’re flying over; I’m always intrigued to know what’s outside the window.
During each flight, the crew walked through the cabin with bottles of water. Providing water is something every airline should follow this practice as it’s easy to get dehydrated on a flight. Vietnam Airlines also hand out warm towels at the beginning of a flight to freshen your hands and face. I always appreciate these small touches, it really elevated my flying experience.
Although there is an option to fly business on short-haul flights, I don’t think it’s worth it. As soon as takeoff is complete, it’s almost time for the descent to your destination to begin.
Long Haul
I felt anxious about the long-haul flights because I had to navigate London Heathrow Airport and ensure I got to my flight on time. However, I was relieved to learn that both of my flights would depart from and arrive at Terminal 4. Terminal 4 is relatively small, with a few shops and a large Costa Coffee overlooking the runway (I love watching planes before a flight). It was easy to get around, and it only took me 20 minutes to walk from one end of the terminal to the other. My departure gate was gate 12, an area with seats and a small staircase leading up to a viewing platform. I enjoyed watching the planes take off and land. Unfortunately, I only discovered this spot about 10 minutes before I had to board my flight to Hanoi.
Both long-haul flights were on the Dreamliner with a 3-4-3 seating layout. Fortunately, I had a window seat on my way to Vietnam and an aisle seat on my way back to London. The legroom was adequate, and I still had enough space for my feet with my backpack under the chair in front of me. Each seat had a large tray table and a TV screen. The entertainment system offered many good films and TV shows; most were Asian dramas. My photographer friend was delighted to find the three Hobbit films were playing on the flight (watching them back-to-back takes about 8 hours). Between the Hobbit marathon, eating, looking out the window, and having a short nap, the 11 hours flew by (pun intended).
Unique touches
Their on-screen safety demonstration is in the form of a dance, and it is a visual masterpiece showing Vietnamese culture whilst portraying an important message (the cabin crew did not join in). It is the most unique and fun concept I have ever seen. It has stuck with me, and to this day, I am still humming the tune in my head. Combining Vietnamese traditions and vital safety information blended perfectly, giving a unique insight into Vietnamese culture.
The cabin crew were wearing traditional Vietnamese clothing. I loved how the airline incorporated Vietnamese influences into the cabin by using art, colours, food, and even the greeting at the beginning of the flight. I spent a lot of time using the entertainment system to learn about the places I was visiting in Vietnam. The only downside was that it made me want to explore many places not on my itinerary (maybe next time). I also enjoyed beating my photographer at the bowling game. I love how you can challenge others and win.
Food
The airline food wasn’t the best I’ve had. It wasn’t bad, but I found it to be repetitive. Most of the dishes took inspiration from Vietnamese cuisine. The regular menu offered two choices, an Asian or a Western dish, but the special menus didn’t have this option. The vegetarian meal was a tasty chickpea curry with jasmine rice and fresh fruit. Unfortunately, the following three meals were the same on the long-haul flights I was on. That’s why I’m not raving about the food (plus, I compare everything to Emirates’ vegan blueberry pancakes). I was pleased that the cabin crew knew the noodle pots were not vegetarian, so I felt at ease knowing they were familiar with the menu. The only snacks I could have were plain bread rolls, but they did the job. I need to learn not to eat all my snacks at the airport.
Things to do in Vietnam
Overall
Friendliness of staff 🦖🦖🦖🦖🦖
Service 🦖🦖🦖🦖🦖
Airplane 🦖🦖🦖
Food 🦖🦖
Entertainment 🦖🦖🦖🦖
Overall-Rating: = 4 (Stars) dinosaurs
Overall, I found Vietnam Airlines was a great choice for budget travel. Despite being in economy class, the seats were comfortable and the in-flight entertainment was good. The food was also decent, though not as luxurious as what you would find on Emirates. Overall, I found Vietnam Airlines to be very dinosaur friendly and I would recommend Vietnam Airlines to anyone looking for a budget-friendly flight without sacrificing too much comfort.
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