I realised as I started writing this Vietnam Airlines review that it’s been a while since I have flown a full service airline. In fact, the last time was a fabulous flight in first class on an Emirates A380, so I was as pleased as punch when I got a great deal on Vietnam Airlines economy class tickets from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Up until recently the Vietnam Airlines B787 Dreamliner didn’t have much competition on the Sydney to HCMC route (VN772), but just after our trip Jetstar started flying direct from Sydney to Saigon at a much lower price point. So is it worth paying a few extra dollars for Vietnam Airlines 787 economy class? Read all the details of my Vietnam Airlines review to make up your own mind …
Booking Vietnam Airlines 787 Economy Ticket
I’d been on the hunt for a bargain flight to Vietnam for three years. I employed all my favourite tricks to secure a cheap flight and came up empty but I refused to cave and pay for a full price ticket. For three years!!!! Vietnam Airlines’ monopoly on this route was largely to blame. They didn’t need to discount given the lack of competition and they knew it. I had all but given up hope of ever getting a return flight under a grand and had pushed it out of my mind when my email pinged with an alert from Skyscanner. I wasted no time booking two return tix for the absolute bargain price of $1,126.28. Obviously this bottom-of-the-range fare came with very few bells and whistles, including not being able to select our seats. Vietnam Airlines’ advise was simply to arrive early for check in and hope for the best which wasn’t ideal. After booking we took up Optiontown on their empty seat options on both legs of our journey and hoped for the best.
Checking In With Vietnam Airlines
We arrived at the airport almost three hours before VN772 was due to take off which is very unlike us. I much prefer to swan in at the very last minute but given we had no seats assigned and were sweating on whether our Optiontown upgrade would come through, we broke with our normal MO. There were 3 queues; business, sky priority and economy. We joined the back of the economy queue and it was almost an hour before we reached the front. Have I mentioned how much I hate queues? It didn’t help that I was starving. It also didn’t help that all the cabin crew were checking luggage (why????) and monopolised a server for 20 minutes while the paying customers inched along with only two counters serving. It paled in comparison to my brilliant check in experience with China Airlines. My mood lifted slightly when we were advised that our Optiontown empty seat upgrade came through. We had registered for one empty seat but were assigned two so off we went clutching boarding passes for seats 32A, B, C & D between the two of us. It was a particularly welcome treat as The Hubs had just worked a night the shift and had been up for almost 24 hours before we even started and I had only managed 3 hours sleep myself after packing until 3am. When will I learn!!!!
At Sydney Airport
Sometimes travelling is streamlined, efficient, painless and stress free. Rarely I grant you, but I have heard it occasionally happens to other people. Most times though, nothing goes to plan. At every single turn the travel gods thwarted us. After the hour checking in, we waited another 30 minutes to get through customs and immigration only to wait another 45 minutes in the TRS queue. We had to abandon the line only 5 from the front which was very frustrating. We left our completed form in the hands of an officer by the door with no confidence we would ever get our sixty bucks back. We ran to the boarding gate, which of course was the furthest away. We were the last passengers to board and had to do the walk of shame but we didn’t feel too bad because we languished at the gate for another 30 minutes before the final cabin door was closed. After sitting through the longest safety video I have ever seen VN772 finally took the skies.
Vietnam Airlines B787 Cabin
Row 32 was waaaaaay down the back. Behind the wing. I was never comfortable not being able to select our seats on booking and almost instinctively knew that we would get screwed over. The 3x3x3 configuration on the Vietnam Airlines B787 Dreamliner meant our second empty seat was on the other side of the aisle. There was another passenger seated in 32F so using that seat would have been pointless and we sat in 32A and 32C with an empty seat between us. In our sleep deprived state we were thrilled to see a pillow and blanket thoughtfully placed on our seats. I have no clue why airlines persist in settling the cabin temperature in the sub arctic region but I was grateful for the extra blanket from the spare seat. Had we though more about it, we should have grabbed the spare from 32D as well but as soon as the seat belt sign was switched off someone swooped. I dubbed this passenger ‘Ms Delightful’. She didn’t stop complaining from take off to landing and there was almost always a crew member crouched on their haunches in the aisle trying to appease her for some ridiculous reason or another. I wanted to tell her to HTFU but I was too far away and The Hubs had way too much class.
Vietnam Airlines Economy Class Seats
The Vietnam Airlines 787 economy cabin was exceptionally clean and I loved the split folding tray tables which give you a little more room when you just have a drink. Leg room was reasonable and way more generous that a budget airline. All the controls were in easy reach and the absence of window shades meant the windows were darkened electronically. When it came time to sleep, I curled into the fetal position across mine and the empty seat. By bending my body almost in half I was as able to achieve a horizontal position. For the next three hours I performed a series of moves that would make a contortionist proud. I ending up flat on my back with my legs folded across the window when my thighs could no longer take being cramped against my mid section. It was still better than trying to sleep upright in the confines of a single seat. Which is what The Hubs did.
Entertainment On Board VN772
After a stressful morning I started up Bridget Jones’ Baby as soon as I settled in my Vietnam Airlines economy class seat. If I was a more annoying type, I would have belted out a passionate slightly very off key version of ‘All By Self’ as the credits rolled. But I restrained myself. Just. I backed up Bridget with my standard inflight movie Bad Moms. You have no idea how much it pains me to spell Mums like that! I bopped along in my seat as Mila, Kirsten and Katherine kicked ass before attempting to sleep for a spell. After my nap I switched on Lion. I missed the last 15 minutes as the crew decided to switch the entertainment off way too early for my liking. I found it strange as most airlines keep the system operating all the way to the gate but Vietnam Airlines disabled all Lotustar facilities at least 10 minutes before landing. The first thing I did on the return journey was find out how it ended! In additional to inflight movies, Vietnam Airlines economy class passengers can while away the hours with a game or two. I played a few minutes of Bejeweled before giving up as it was rather uncomfortable keeping my arm suspended in mid air to use the touch screen. I was thrilled to see The Boss on the music selection and I kept the middle seat’s screen permanently on the flight map so I could keep track of VN772’s progress.
Vietnam Airlines Economy Class Food
Not long after take off the drinks cart rumbled down the aisle of flight VN772. I admit I did get a little thrill from ordering a wine without having to whip out my credit card. The Hubs was not amused that the only beer on offer was VB and he settled for a Coke instead. The obligatory airline snack of mixed nuts was also provided. They were the good ones too. With hardly any peanuts. As Bridget gave birth to her baby boy dinner was served. Vietnam Airlines met the ‘chicken or beef’ cliche head on and I chose the beef. It always amazes me how airlines manage to squeeze a three course meal Tetris style into those tiny trays. Entree was vegetable salad topped with prawns. If you have read any of my previous restaurant reviews you will know my aversion to those disgusting little critters well. The Hubs has no such qualms so he got flung mine. I couldn’t detect any other vegetables apart from potato in the salad but it wasn’t half bad after I added lashings of pepper. The beef goulash was served with mash and veg and the still warm roll made the perfect foil to mop up the last of the tomatoey sauce. The finale was a strawberry cheesecake which would have been better without the jelly. Of course I had another glass of wine with dinner.
The second meal was served not long after I awoke. Neither the grilled fish with potato or noodles with pork mince, thrilled me but by the time they got to row 32 they were out of pork so fish it was. Suffice to say I didn’t eat a bite but I did like the warm bread role and fruit salad.
On the return journey we had a choice of an ‘Asian style’ or ‘European style’ supper. I chose the European style which was a potato, walnut and ham salad followed by beef stroganof and finished with carrot cake. When they were plating they placed my hot meal on the wrong tray and I ended with the Asian style starter and dessert which they rectified when I brought it to their attention.
Breakfast was served just before landing back in Sydney and a choice of a Spanish omelette or 5 spiced beef was offered. Given I can’t eat eggs, I opted for the beef but it was a little to heavy for me first thing in the morning. The fruit salad and the roll were all I needed. Overall Vietnam Airlines did a great job on the food which is no easy feat at 36,000 feet.
Vietnam Airlines Review – The Final Word
We arrived in Saigon on an overcast afternoon and given we had to disembark onto the tarmac and bus it to the terminal it could have been disastrous if the heavens had opened. As we landed late, waited ages for our luggage and hightailed it over to the domestic terminal to catch our Veitjet flight to Hanoi. If you are staying in town catching a taxi from Ho Chi Minh City Airport is relatively easy from the ranks in front of the terminal. Despite a couple of hiccups, Vietnam Airlines delivered on all my expectations. The cabin was modern, clean and spacious (for economy class!), the food was above par and the entertainment system was enough to keep most amused for hours on end. The icing on the cake was when our Optiontown empty seat upgrade come though for our return journey and we had six seats all to our selves. Winning! I would not hesitate to rebook with Vietnam Airlines if the price was right. It will be interesting to see what effect Jetstar flying this route will have on Vietnam Airlines’ pricing strategy. I’m hoping there will be a lot more discounts offered but only time will tell.
I hope you have found my Vietnam Airlines review helpful. Have you flown Vietnam Airlines? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Until Next Time …
Disclosure Statement: This post is not sponsored. I paid for my flight on Vietnam Airlines in full. The information in this article is based on my own personal experiences and has not been influenced in any way by the brand(s) featured. This post contains affiliate links which if clicked may earn me a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.
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Rajeev says
Planning for your first international tour can be a troublesome task but, you can sort it out with an organized pre-planning and a lot of research. Especially, it is essential for all the newbies to know about the flight you are traveling in.
Rajeev says
Your description is good and looks real. You had extra empty seat which must have given you ample space to rest. Glad that you had an awesome experience!
Valaza says
HI Allison thanks for a great review. It matched my personal experience on Vietnam airlines having returned from Saigon just a week ago. Only one thing puzzled me was that the controller for the in flight entertainment was placed right at the elbow position on the armrest. This led to many passengers inadvertently switching on the Attendant Call lights and pressing pause on movies. It was the single most irritating issue and in my opinion was the worst possible place to position the controller which could not even click out on a cable as on the A380. Other than that it was a great flight on Vietnam Airlines and it was one of those places to be returned to!
Allison Smith says
I can’t say that I noticed that at the time but maybe because we had extra room in both flights. I’ll certainly look out for it next time!
Carol Saunders says
Thanks for the great review on Vietnam Airlines, will be travelling with them later this year so feeling slightly better now !
Carol
Jessica Esa says
SO glad you had a nice flight! I took budget options when I was in Vietnam but I thought the Vietnam Airlines colour and planes were so pretty. I would definitely fly with these guys one day,
Tonkin - Travel Vietnam says
Oh, I’m really happy to know that you had the the wonderful time in the flight from Australia with our national flag carrier. A few years ago I tended to choose international airlines for my flights like Thai Airways, ANA or Cathay Pacific, but everything has changed since 2016. I really enjoy my flight with Vietnam Airlines thanks to the upgrade in service quality and the young fleet size, especially B787-9 or A350. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Sandy N Vyjay says
We have never flown Vietnam Airlines. However this flight looks like a good option. I like the fact that I can see a lot of leg room available between the seats. The in-flight entertainment also appears to be qulte exhaustive too. The food too is tempting. So a great flying experience in all, I am sure.
Christopher says
Hot damn this plane looks bad ass. It looks like it would be roomy for a tall guy like me. The food also looks great for airplane food…So modern, I hope I get a chance to fly with them soon!!!
Allison Smith says
The Hubs is 6ft and he was fine. Sure makes a change from cramped budget airlines!
Mei from Travel with Mei and Kerstin says
We also chose Vietnam Airlines a couple of years ago, to fly to Hanoi from Frankfurt, and back. Some of our friends told us to avoid this company, and to choose a European one instead (Air France or British Airways). But I must say that everything went well, and both the service and food were perfect too. Glad to know that it’s still good! Thanks for sharing your review!
Allison Smith says
So glad it worked out for you Mel. Vietnam Airlines were streets ahead of a budget airline and for not much more money with the special we got.
Madhurima Maiti says
I have never flown with Vietnam Airlines. This was a good read and I came to know so much about it. Good that you had a good service.
Karla says
I like that you had good service and movie options. For long haul flights, it’s something to at least keep me preoccupied.
Allison Smith says
The flight was nine hours do not too bad and definitely enough to keep me entertained. I feel like all airlines subscribe to the same movies though as Bad Moms always features lol
Megan Jerrard says
Sorry to hear there were so many transit delays – sounds like a pretty decent flight overall – definitely not worth the upgrade for an extra seat though if it’s on the other side of the aisle, kind of defeats the purpose! Awesome to have so many spare seats on your return flight though! Will definitely be interesting to see how competition from jetstar affects the price 🙂
Allison Smith says
Once we got on board things started to get better. I swear Sydney Airport does my head in at times. I can’t Vietnam Airlines responsible though. Most definitely one of the better flights I have taken recently.
Kim-Ling Richardson says
I’ve never flown Vietnam Airlines before (or been to Vietnam, for that matter either), but I sometimes see they have sale flights to Europe and I’ve wondered what they’d be like to fly with. Sounds like they are mid-range. The price you got for your flights was so good, considering you got food and entertainment. Sucks about not being able to pick your seats though! I have a weird allergy to certain fish, so I would be so annoyed they didn’t stock up enough options (I find it weird when airlines have fish as an alternative to meat, when so many people have seafood allergies!). Thanks for the detailed review.
Allison Smith says
We were really happy with the price. It was worth the 3 year wait lol. Mid-range is right, much better than a budget airline any day ?
Daniela || Ipanema travels to says
Good review! And good to know what they are offering. However I am flying mostly low cost.
Rhonda Albom says
Sounds like a decent flight with lots of good food choices. I guess it wouldn’t compare to the Emirates flight, but not much would.
Allison Smith says
True! Emirates are outstanding but I had no complaints about Vietnam Airlines. I thought the crew did an outstanding job of dealing with Ms Delightful. I would not have been so accomodating that’s for sure!
Danijela WorldGlimpses says
Given that it’s economy class, it doesn’t look bad. Nice review, you’ve covered it all. And I’m so pleased to hear that they have good entertainment, since I can’t sleep on the plane. 🙂
Allison Smith says
Sleeping was a whole lot easier with the empty seats that’s for sure but I usually struggle to sleep as well.
My Travelogue by Bhushavali says
I took a Dreamliner from London to Delhi! I think it was Jet Airways! The sophistication of dreamliner is just awesome! Many including me were first timers in Dreamliner and to see a window without a shutter was just surprising! The food in your flight looks absolutely yummm…
Allison Smith says
I do like a Dreamliner but the A380 is my favourite. For economy class I though Vietnam Airlines did a great job on the food.
Katalin says
Very detailed review! I miss good food on flights! Will keep in mind the Vietnam Airline if I have to choose in the future.
Zoya says
Living in Asia I have become so accustomed to budget airlines, but I must admit sometimes I wish I just spent a few more pennies to get actual legroom, feel like I’m not sitting on the person next to me and a nice meal on a flight. I haven’t flown with Vietnam Airlines yet, but I am planning a trip to Vietnam later this year – will totally consider flying with them now. Thanks for sharing!
Allison Smith says
I would have no hesitation flying with them again. If the price was right of course! I use budget airlines a lot as well but it’s nice to upgrade every now and then ?
Eve Kay says
Nice review! I’ll look out for Vietnam Airlines if I fly to Vietnam in the future. I was also watching Bridget Jones Baby on my last flight, and all my brain was playing in the next few days was “All by myselfffff….don’t wanna be all by myself..”. I never realize this tune was so catchy until this movie.
Rachelle says
What a fun review! I’ve only taken a handful of flights that have been longer than the customary beverage service, so this was a treat to live through your adventures! Thank goodness for awesome in-flight entertainment, even if they DID turn off the movie before you could find out what happened! My friend took a long flight from LAX to Fiji and the entertainment options were having technical issues on her row, so she was stuck looking at a blank screen for hours and hours! She probably would have joined in your “All By Myself” chorus!
Allison Smith says
That is so annoying when that happens Rachelle. We had that happen once on another airline and they gave us a iPad instead which was better than nothing. In flight entertainment is a life saver on long haul.
Mimi & Mitch says
We flew Vietnam Airlines many times and it always was basic since we never flew such a long haul! Food doesn’t seem too exciting, we hate it when it runs out of options when you are sitting at the end of the plane. Worse when the option is actually FISH!
Allison Smith says
The food was actually OK but yes it was disappointing when they ran out and there was only fish left. I guess everyone else hates fish too lol
Parnashree Devi says
I am scheduled to go to Vietnam soon. I am quite impressed with VIETNAM AIRLINES B787 and its facilities. The entertainment options also look good. I watched the same movie, Bridget Jones’ Baby while flying to Helsinki. Ypu have written a detailed review. Great Post indeed.
Allison Smith says
I hope you have a great time in Vietnam Parnashree and enjoy your flight with Vietnam Airlines ? Make sure you check out the Optiontown upgrades. ?
Joanna says
I have never flown Vietnam Airlines before but I do like the layout of the cabin (I will be flying a Dreamliner soon for the first time as well but to a different part of the world). Your movie choice made me laugh because on my last long haul flight I watched Bridget Jone’s Baby as well, even if I’ve seen it previous at the cinema. It’s that kind of a movie that makes you relax, laugh and then fall asleep by the end. I find the food choices a bit strange, beef and fish for breakfast. I don’t think I’ve ever flown an airline that offered such a consistent breakkie.
Allison Smith says
You gotta love a bit of Bridget! The beef for brekkie was very heavy but luckily the fruit salad and the roll were there. I do love a Dreamliner. Not as good as the A380 but still very good ?
Juliette | Snorkels to Snow says
A very detailed review. I totally back your choice of movies! I would have been singing “All By Myyyyseeeeeeeeellf” along with you. That made me chuckle about the longest safety videos! Some of them go on and on forever. Great that they were attentive and brought you the correct meal rather than making a fuss over it too. Sounds like a pretty reasonable airline to fly.
Allison Smith says
Glad I wouldn’t have been along Juliette! Oh my the safety video … there is only so much time that needs to be devoted to buckling and unbuckling a seatbelt and this was Uber the top. Besides … they were keeping me from Bridgette ???
Peter Korchnak says
This must be the most comprehensive review of an airline I’ve ever read. My hat off to you! That first photo with empty seats and screens on looks like the bleak future that awaits for the next several hours of the flight. I usually find the booze to be the only redeeming feature of flying. Glad you liked Vietnam Airlines enough to write this up.
Allison Smith says
Yes the booze is good but not for The Hubs as he refused to drink VB lol
Maggie says
This looks like a great airline! You’re like me, I refuse to pay a lot for airfare and will wait as long as it takes for it to drop. I really like the tray tables, so many times I wish there was a separate drink section!
Allison Smith says
I’m stubborn like that lol! I wish it had been a bit quicker than three years though! I loved Vietnam and itching to go back! I hope I don’t have to wait another three years for a special!
Jennifer says
It’s nice to know some airlines haven’t completely forgotten about customer service. I love when I get a seat next to empty seats too! It’s almost like I’m flying first-class at economy prices:)
Allison Smith says
The empty seats were brilliant Jennifer! Best money I ever spent! Every airline should do this!
Suzanne says
I really identify with your long wait times during the journey. It’s one of the things I don’t really like when traveling but it’s something that has to be done. I’ve never gone to Vietnam nor flown with Vietnam Airlines but your review is very comprehensive. I will keep it in mind if travel plans take me there.
Allison Smith says
I hate waiting so much but other than the check in queue the rest was out of Vietnam Airlines’ hands so I can’t really hold them responsible for that. I would fly with them again. I questions asked. ?
Megan says
Wonderful detailed review! I want a review like this for every airline before I fly it, because the information impacts so many of my decisions. The seats really do look spacious for economy class, which is crucial for our tall family. Next time we’re flying in that area of the world, I have to keep Vietnam airlines in mind.
Allison Smith says
I always read airline reviews before I book but I could find very little on Vietnam Airways. I love looking at the first class reviews and dreaming lol
Arnav Mathur says
What a detailed review about the airlines, with a lot of useful insights. Too bad that you had to wait for a long time in the queues but then it seems that Vietnam Airlines did a pretty decent job with the food and maintaining the comfort in the cabin.
Allison Smith says
The food was good (apart from the fish lol) and comfort was great for Economy. The queues weren’t all their fault. Sydney Airport has a lot to answer for some days!
neha says
Compared to the economy classes that I have generally flown in, this one looks so much better. I would love to give it a try when I fly to Vietnam. There is ample leg space, the food looks good and the seats don’t look cramped.
Allison Smith says
I’m short Neha so I had great leg room but even The Hubs was comfortable so no complaints there!
Linda says
I’ve never had a chance to fly with Vietnam Airlines but I’m really digging this airline. I love the teal theme throughout and find it interesting that they also do their upgrades with Optiontown like Air Asia!
Allison Smith says
I tried Optiontown once before with Air Asia and we were not successful so I was thrilled when both upgrades can through this time! The extra room was very welcome!
Kristina says
I’m quite impressed with how this airline looks! And the food doesn’t look that bad either. It’s always touch and go with economy. Glad you got a great deal!
Allison Smith says
For economy I could not complain at all. I’m always in the look out for a bargain fare ?
Flo says
What a detailed review! Sorry to hear that it took nearly an hour to check in but glad that your upgrades came through on both legs of the flight. I too like to sleep across an empty seat instead of upright – I don’t know how your husband does it!
Allison Smith says
He doesn’t have a lot of choice Flo as I manage to take up any extra room we get lol.
Ania Travels says
You had some pretty good movie options which is awesome. I love that you thought the food was great too, that’s always such a hard thing when traveling a long international flight.