From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Airlines operates a small fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft to domestic and international destinations such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Phu Quoc. These aircraft tend to be on the older side and they lack modern amenities such as lie-flat seats, WiFi, and personal entertainment but since they are mainly used for short-haul operations, the experience isn’t too bad. On this trip, I flew Vietnam Airlines Business Class from Ho Chi Minh City to the resort island of Phu Quoc. The short, one-hour flight, offered a no-frills but comfortable experience.
At Ho Chi Minh City International Airport (SGN), there are two terminals and they are not connected airside. Terminal 1 is the domestic terminal and Terminal 2 is the international terminal. If you are arriving on an international flight and are connecting to a domestic flight, then you must go through customs and immigration, collect your bags, and exit the terminal before connecting to your domestic flight. It doesn’t matter which airline you are flying, if you’re connecting to a domestic flight, you have to walk outside, make a right, and walk towards the domestic terminal, where you can check in with your next airline. It’s only a 2-minute walk and the pathway is covered but it’s still annoying nonetheless.
Flight: VN 1827
Aircraft: Airbus A321-200
Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Phu Quoc (PQC)
Depart: 1:25 PM on Tuesday (1:18 PM actual)
Arrive: 2:35 PM same day (2:12 PM actual)
Duration: 0hrs 54mns
Seat: 3G Business Class
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200 aircraft are configured in a two-class configuration, featuring 16 recliner seats in business class and 162 standard seats in economy class. In business class, there are three rows of seats in a 2-2 layout, and in economy class, there are 27 rows of seats in a 3-3 layout. The business class seats offer 21 inches of width and 45 inches of pitch and the economy class seats offer 18 inches of width and 32 inches of pitch.
These business-class seats are older and are definitely showing their age but I actually think these seats are more comfortable than any domestic first-class seat offered by any U.S. airline and these seats are significantly better than any “business class” seat on any intra-European route. They feature four-way adjustable headrests, lumbar support, and adjustable legrests.
The seat controls are located on the outside armrest and an IFE remote is located on the other side (but don’t worry. You won’t need it.).
The center divider in between the two seats is wide and offers an additional cocktail tray for your drinks.
The tray table and personal IFE monitors are located in the armrests. However, on this flight, the entertainment was not activated and was unable to be viewed on your personal IFE monitor. But to be honest, I’m not sure they are activated on any flight, regardless of the destination.
On this flight, I was seated in seat 3G, a window seat on the right side of the aircraft. No amenities were provided on this flight. No blankets, no pillows or slippers. And as I later found out, not food either. As I got settled in my seat, the flight attendant came by to offer me a glass of water or juice before takeoff. The captain then came on the PA to welcome us aboard and we left for the runway shortly after that.
Once we reached our cruising altitude, the flight attendant came around with a cold towel and another round of drinks. However, no meals or snacks were offered on this flight. I actually found this a little disappointing as I know how efficient Asian carriers can be and it’s not uncommon for them to offer a small snack even on short flights.
For business class passengers, there is one lavatory located up front. The only amenity provided in the lavatory was a bottle of hand lotion.
And just like that, our flight was over. We landed ahead of schedule to a beautiful sunny day in Phu Quoc.
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 Business Class Bottom Line:
Overall, this was a pretty comfortable but slightly disappointing flight. The seat was older and the amenities were lacking on this flight but the service was warm and friendly. I really was expecting at least a pillow or light snack to be provided on this flight but considering the short flight time, I can understand why no amenities were provided.
What are your thoughts? Have you flown Vietnam Airlines Business Class recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
The other related posts in this series include:
- oneworld Lounge LAX
- Starlux Airbus A350 Business Class, Los Angeles to Taipei
- Plaza Premium Lounge Taipei
- Oriental Club Lounge Taipei
- EVA Air Boeing 777 Economy Class, Taipei to Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 Business Class
- Sheraton Phu Quoc
- Intercontinental Phu Quoc
- Hoa Sim Business Lounge Phu Quoc
- Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon
- Apricot Lounge Ho Chi Minh City
- Jasmine Business Lounge Ho Chi Minh City
- Starlux Airbus A350 Economy Class, Taipei to Los Angeles
