Vietnam Airlines delights on short-hop with 787-9 wide-body

Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is the only full-service option flying from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, and frequently operates Airbus and Boeing widebodies between the two Vietnamese cities. That means its international business class hard product is often available to try for a fraction of the regular price.

Booking a ticket just 24 hours before flight time, a bump to business class aboard one of the airline’s Boeing 787-9 twinjets — typically priced at two to three times above economy — was now only a few dollars more, totaling $310US.

Business class passengers also receive access to the airline’s well-appointed lounge, which offers a decent spread of snacks and drinks and great views of the runway. It was an easy decision to plump for the premium cabin.

The next day, boarding began on time and like many flights in Vietnam, the aircraft was relegated to a remote stand. Business class passengers, however, have their own dedicated bus. It boasts plush seats and plenty of personal space, making the experience quite pleasant.

A flight attendant greeted me at the top of the boarding stairs and directed me to my seat in 7K, at the rear of the business class cabin.

Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, the cabin is mostly an inoffensive off-white, with pops of earthy green and yellow. My backpack fit easily into the empty overhead bins.

With a short flight time of just 90 minutes, the seat was not adorned with the usual bedding package and amenity kit. Only a pair of flimsy-looking headphones hung in a small storage cubby, with a package of fresh covers for the cans.

A crew member came by almost immediately and offered a refreshing pre-departure beverage of water with mint and citrus.

Vietnam Airlines utilizes a relatively off-the-shelf version of the popular Safran Seats (formerly Zodiac) Cirrus business class seat. It features all the standard requirements of any serious premium hard product: large TV screen, tray table, USB plus standard power outlets, reading light, and of course the fully adjustable lie-flat seat itself. A handful of small storage spaces peppered throughout enable smaller items to find a home while aloft.

The space is roomy, though it was also showing its age. Standard wear and tear marks, scuffs and fraying were evident. Nonetheless, I settled into a very comfortable reclining position for most of the flight.

I dove into the inflight entertainment, dubbed LotuStar, almost right away. It isn’t the most well stocked IFE system out there, offering a modest number of regional movies and TV shows alongside some Western titles.

Thankfully, however, the airline was showing a recent Hollywood release that I had been itching to see. And surprisingly, those flimsy-looking headphones outperformed first impressions, and weren’t half bad.

A meal service began not long after departure. Feeling dehydrated, I regretfully passed on what looked like a delicious house cocktail, and settled for a bottle of water and some apple juice.

A tray appeared with vermicelli and grilled beef wrapped in Lolot leaves. Add in the spicy fish sauce and it was absolutely delicious! A small dessert of tapioca pearl with grass jelly in coconut milk was also very tasty. The star, unexpectedly, was a cup of green tea. I don’t know where they get it, but as a budding tea fan, it was exceptional.

The flight landed 95 minutes after departing Hanoi, and pulled up to a glorious jet bridge in the domestic terminal. The cost for this experience was the only downside, though again I booked very late.

Nonetheless, the experience was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of multiple days of flying economy around the region. The extra space of the seat, the delightful soft product and service, and a good flick made it well worth the splurge. The only lasting regret was that the flight was not longer.