Vietnam Airlines

We flew Vietnam Airlines from London Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh City and returned from Hanoi to London, with three additional flights (in Vietnam and Cambodia). Bad start as the check-in was chaotic and we waited for over an hour in what was a relatively short queue. Thereafter, the experience improved. We flew on one of their new aircraft. The seats were comfortable with plenty of legroom. The outbound flight was not full, so we were able to move to other seats for increased space and comfort. The food was good. I opted for the Asian choices as they tend to heat up better than European food, and they were tasty and sufficient. Wine was served and I received three large glasses in total, which is as much as I would normally expect. The IFE took the form of in-seat screens, which were large and the resolution was fine. There was a reasonable choice of films to watch, though they weren't the latest blockbusters. I was able to watch a couple of films that I had missed a few months ago at the cinema, plus some older classics that I had never seen. The main point is to pass the time, so that was just fine with me. The crew were friendly and DID smile. I asked for a snack in the middle of the flight (instant noodles) and was served immediately. My overall impression of the long-haul flights was good. The shorter, internal flights were fine too, though only water was served. All flights were on time.

Bangkok to London via Ho Chi Minh. I booked Vietnam Airlines on the basis that the long sector would be on the new Boeing 787 and therefore offer a flat bed for the 12 hour flight. Prices were good but other airlines offered similar or fares close to what was paid. The first leg Bangkok to Ho chi Minh was non eventful and as expected for a short regional flight. But upon arrival into Ho chi Minh I was shocked at the state of the business class lounge. It was extremely tired and offered nothing much more than cans of soda / water. What food was offered looked old and pastey certainly a risk to eat it (was not refrigerated). Upon boarding the flight to Heathrow it was quickly evident that the advertised Boeing 787 was a no show and in its place was a tired tatty old Boeing 777. The aircraft was filthy, seating was broken and archaic and the entertainment system didnt work. Ipads with 5 very old movies were given out, but if the seat in front reclined you couldnt stand it up to watch anyway, When I addressed these issues to the crew they openly admitted all the faults shrugged and dissappeared. The meal service was inedible, even a simple dish like the Pho. So it was a long hungry trip to London with no entertainment to boot. My adjacent passenger was also livid with the experience having completed 8 sectors on Vietnam Airlines all of which were as bad. Overall the experience was worse in Business class than other airlines in Economy. A total waste of money. Upon arrival in Heathrow I tried to speak to VN staff but they were not interested. Needless to say i didnt fly back with Vietnam Airlines but rebooked on Thai Airways back to Bangkok, onboard the lovely A380 in a very nice business class pod. Fly Vietnam Airlines at your own risk, pay a little more and ensure you have a good flight with a better airline.

Vietnam Airlines from Hue to Hanoi. Smooth check in with no queue and check in counter automatically gave me exit row seat. The aircraft was boarded via a bus but this was just 20 metres or less!. The flight about 75% full and was punctual with good pilot communications. It's a 1 hour flight and staff gave every one a bottle of water and left everyone in peace with minimum disruptions. Baggage was quickly delivered and whole process was seamless.

Direct flight from Singapore (not easy to find) to Phu Quoc. I often select holiday destinations based on the availability of direct flights from Singapore. Friendly and attentive crew serving an often almost empty business class cabin. Perfect time slots when taking hotel check-in and check-out timing into consideration. Food and snacks are acceptable. When rerouted due to cancellation of a flight, we were surprised with a small refund, paid in cash in Ho Chi Min. Not a big amount, but a nice gesture. Once the outbound direct flight was cancelled and re-booked with a transfer in Ho Chi Minh. Due to very short transfer time in Ho Chi Minh, we, as business class passengers, were supposed to be escorted through customs, passport check and to the domestic terminal. This resulted in chaos. Mainly due to the ground attendant for some reason having to serve many other (economy) passengers as well. Also, the second leg (Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc) was in a very small turboprob airplane. Again chaos and no business class. The flight back was as per normal: direct flight in business class. Good to start your holiday. Will use again.

As a family group of 7 flew from Melbourne to Nha Trang via Ho Chi Minh on a plane that was not clean and with extremely disinterested staff. Returning from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh, due to change of flight time we missed our flight. On speaking with their office in Nah Trang the person was unhelpful, said there were no available seats until possibly 10.30pm. He said he would call us back in 1 hour and didn't. When we phoned back the office was shut for lunch. As we had to be back in Ho Chi Minh we booked with another airline with the view we would follow this up on our return home. Little did we know that when we checked in at Ho Chi Minh Airport we were advised that we were not booked on our flight back to Australia as we had not taken the leg from Nha Trang and to add insult to injury, we had to pay for preticketing. Then they advised that the bassinet for the 1 year old had been allocated to a mother and infant. They were dishonest as when we got onboard the seats were taken by a mother and teenager. The extra cost to us was some $2500 and after 3 months of communication they have refused to refund any of this money. This is my first review. As a frequent traveller I have never experienced such poor customer service from ground staff to flight attendants and together with the worrying poor condition and age of the planes, I would not recommend ever flying with Vietnam Airlines.

Flow on the new Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 from London Heathrow in Economy. Couldn't prebook the seats going out but had 3 together. The plane seats were very comfy and adequate leg room. Take an iPad as the films are quite limited, also wifi didn't work on the way out. The food was terrible, luckily took some food on for my daughter and she had a roll. The service is probably the worst ever, one drinks service, they then go and sit for about 8 hours before one more meal service. My biggest concern was the non existent safety checks. They didn't carry out any seat belt checks, one lady was still in the toilet ten minutes before landing and two people next to us didn't even have their belt on for landing. We paid £1200 for 3 return direct flights - cheaper than flying to Greece!

We flew on an Airbus 330 which left Sydney late. This aircraft was old and needed some TLC. The seats were uncomfortable and cramped. The service was unprofessional and the food was just passable. The aircrew spoke and understood very little English. This airline has a long way to go.

Reading some of the reviews we were apprehensive about what our experience would be of Vietnam Airlines business class. We were pleasantly suprised that our apprehension was unfounded. The staff were very attentive, the food was good, the seat / bed was comfortable with plenty of room. We are looking forward to the return flight as part of our holiday experience.

It was one of the first B787-flights from Vietnam to Germany. Compared to the old B777 it was a big step forward for VN. The seats were fully flat and every seat has direct access to the aisle. Seat was spaciuos and comfortable. The service by the crew was excellent and personal. During the whole flight the crew was very attentive and helpful. The meals were great and delicious with a very good quality and quantity. IFE had a bigger choice than on the old B777, but still behind other airlines. The Screen had an excellent HD quality. Overall I would recommend flying on the new B787.

I travelled from Singapore (SIN) to Hanoi (HAN) and back on flights VN662 and VN663 respectively. The aircraft's used were both rather new A321-200s - VN-A361 and VN-A611 - with the cabin of the former showing some wear and tear and that of the latter being in very good condition. I found the Economy Class seat more than adequate for the short-to-medium-haul flights for which Vietnam Airlines uses its fleet of A321-200s. The legroom and seat pitch were comparable to those of the short-to-medium-haul Economy Class products of other full-service airlines. The lack of an audio/video on demand (AVOD) system was missed, though the short films shown on the overhead screens helped break the monotony of the flight. The catering from Singapore was not as good as I expected but the catering from Hanoi was excellent - it should be noted, though, that I ordered the lacto-ovo vegetarian meal (VLML). The crew conducted all service efficiently and with courtesy. I particularly appreciated Vietnam Airlines' use of Terminal 3 in Singapore as well as the 30kg baggage allowance. For the price of S$252.20 return, Vietnam Airlines offered excellent value for money.