Wondering whether to fly with Vietnam Airlines? Are they safe? comfortable? reliable? Personally I think they offer excellent value for money and are one of my favourite airlines to use in Asia. Hopefully my Vietnam Airlines review will encourage you to book a flight with them.
Vietnam Airlines is the national carrier of Vietnam, offering both domestic and international flights across Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Passengers can choose from Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class, each with its own set of amenities and features.
This Vietnam Airlines review focuses on what you get with an economy ticket.
Check in & Boarding Process
I checked in at row L in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, the queue to check in was about 25 minutes.
The lady at the check in desk took a while inspecting all the details on our Vietnam E-visa, she then informed us that my boyfriend gave the wrong expiry date on his visa, and that this would be a problem. We ended up waiting about 40 mins to sort it all out, agreeing to pay $25 at immigration in Hanoi.
Next up was Thai immigration, this took 10 minutes, they just double checked the end date on our stamp. Security was very quick, we did not need to queue.
When it was time to board, we waited for approximately 10 minutes for our row to be called. The whole process felt so quick compared to other airlines.
Vietnam Airlines Seat Review
The plane was a B787 Dreamliner with 3 x 3 x 3 design. I was seated in aisle 29 (3rd row in economy). There was plenty of leg room with a seat pitch of 32”, I felt comfortable for the full flight. The flight was almost empty and the guy beside me moved so I had even more room.
Vietnam Airlines Entertainment
The entertainment system offered movies, TV shows, music, and games. However, they didn’t provide us with earphones, so we could only play games and monitor the flight progress. I assume they didn’t give out headphones because of the short duration of our flight.
This didn’t bother me much, as I usually have a TV show or podcast downloaded on my phone. However, I can imagine it being frustrating for those who didn’t do this, as they likely expected to use the inflight entertainment system.
Vietnam Airlines Inflight Meal
Food service began about 15 minutes after take off. I have to say that this was one of the nicest meals I have ever had on a plane.
We were served soft chunks of beef in a rich and fragrant tomato sauce with rice noodles and a bread roll. If this hearty meal was not enough to fill us we were then handed a fruity cupcake. For a drink I ordered white wine mixed with sprite (classy, right?!) and a coffee. The coffee was not nice but it gave me some well needed energy.
After we finished the meal, we began the descent. I felt I just got on a plane for the sole purpose of eating a meal, it was that quick!
The landing was like butter however, there was a lot of smog so we did not have a view touching down in Hanoi. Once we disembarked we joined the passport control queue which was very disorganised taking about 45 – 60 minutes. However, we flew during TET so likely some staff were on holidays.
Overall Opinion of Vietnam Airlines
I would not hesitate to fly Vietnam Airlines again, they are Vietnams national carrier and have a brilliant safety record. Their food is so good and the staff were lovely and always smiling. Vietnam Airlines is a great option for travellers looking for a comfortable and reliable airline with a wide range of destinations.
Is Vietnam Airlines safe?
Vietnam Airlines meets all the European and US safety regulations.
They have experienced only a few minor incidents in recent years and no fatalities since 1997.
Where to book tickets
I book all my tickets on Skyscanner, it is a brilliant flight comparison site.
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