Vietnam Airlines

Not Verified |  My wife and I flew Vietnam Airlines Business from Paris to Melbourne in August 2023. We were overall very pleased with the standard of the aircraft and level of service. It was not Singapore quality but quite satisfactory. Having obtain a Vietnam visa to leave the airport in Ho Chi Minh during a 14 hour stopover was a bit of a pain but that is not the airlines fault. Based on last years experience we decided to use Vietnam Airline again for return Business Class tickets from Melbourne to London. The first problem was the online booking. The site is quite tricky to negotiate and often you have to get all the way through before you are advised the flights don’t exist. When you do get to actually book the site will not accept your credit card. I contacted the “Helpdesk” which could not have been less helpful. Eventually I had to download the VA app. and do the booking through that. I then had another issue I need sorted. I rang the “Helpdesk” but despite perseverance was totally unable to follow the staff members English. She was also very curt and hung up while I was still endeavouring to follow what she was saying. I then emailed the several addresses on the VA website setting out my query in detail. Responses from VA took around 7 days and were universally dismissive. They did not address my concerns at all and the one line reply essentially amounted to , “we cannot and will not offer assistance”. Very unprofessional and frustrating. It appears once off the ground the airline shows some potential but on the ground it is still very much stuck in a communist mindset.

✅ Trip Verified | I had the misfortune of booking this airline for a family trip to Da Nang, Vietnam. The airline emailed on multiple occasions to adjust the flight time and seating ahead of the trip. 24hrs beforehand, it was not possible to complete online check-in despite getting multiple emails from Vietnam Air asking me to check-in online. On the day, queues at the flight check-in desk were out of control and it took two hours to check into the flight. The airline didn't open the check-in until 30mins after the scheduled departure time. The flight departed two hours behind schedule. Inside the plane, my daughter's screen didn't work. The coffee on board the flight was good and the service was OK too. After arriving two hours late, we missed our connection from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang. An alternative booking was made for 3 hours later. Upon arriving in Da Nang we were informed that our bags had been left in Ho Chi Minh (this seemed to affect at least 20-30 people on this flight). We were promised their return by 11.30pm that night but didn't receive until 12.30am. The bags eventually arrived soaking wet.

✅ Trip Verified | My family of 11 booked our flight to Vietnam in Dec 2023, flying via HCM to Dalat. Even before we set off, the airlines emailed us 3 times to inform of flight changes due to operational reasons. It not only caused us stress due to disruption to our tour schedule but also incurring international call cost to make alternative arrangements. There is also inconsistency in their procedures. When we call their customer service line, we were told that because our transition time is less than 100 minutes, we have to change to a later flight and asked us to email in our request. After I have sent in my request for change, I received a reply that said that their ground staff can help us with our transit even though our transit time is only 95 minutes. The only consolation was that the customer service of their air crews were good. Vietnam Airlines needs to improve their flight schedule planning in order to call themselves a 4 star airline.

✅ Trip Verified | Check in was a breeze but there after everything went down hill with lounges, service & journey. Our check-in was 05.30am for a 7.10am departure and we headed to the Lotus Domestic Lounge and it had a poor selection of food just Viet Soups and Noodles no real breakfast items of such just fruit and sweet rolls. We had coffee and thought we would get some form of breakfast offering in Business Class for a 7am departure, how wrong was we on board the crew looked tired and offered a juice and cold towel service not a bad start. I could smell something from the galley thinking maybe croissants or a meal. Once we took off we were offered Coffee or Tea then waited and waited and nothing. I left my seat to use the bathroom and the crew were huddled in the galley with the curtain closed eating hot food and looked shocked. Never before have I taken a short business flight and not been offered a cookie or pretzel and the flight is scheduled at 1 hour 15 minutes so plenty of time to give some service , but sadly not to be Vietnam airlines we pay a premium for what? On descending they come from behind the curtain full from breakfast whilst us fools paying business class had our pants taken down. Awful flight from start to finish.

✅ Trip Verified | I swear I will never take Vietnam Airlines again. This is the worst flight experience I ever had. I am travelling with this airline with connection time more than 12 hours. And I actually suffer to just wait outside the boarding gate during this period. No crew from Vietnam Airlines guiding. No food and beverages provided as promised. No transit tour provided as broadcast. How can this airline nominated as 4 star airline with such poor service. Before my flight, I actually contacted the airlines and was assure that the staff will take guide me through when I arrived Hanoi Airport. At the end, no one knows. I go to the airline connection flight counter, no one there. Go to LOTUS Lounge, said not entitled to. Felt I am paying for 4 star airlines and treated as in I am taking budget airlines. The flight VN531 was also very terrible. Is just a budget craft without inflight entertainment and small seat. Luckily I didn't upgrade to business class when checked in because the business class is actually just a curtain away from economy class. Trust me, I shocked when I onboard the flight just now. The flight supposed to fly at 3.25pm, but only move at 4pm. Supposed to arrived at 6.55pm, at the end arrived at 7.30pm. I wonder the flight duration took longer than estimated because the flight is old? Very huge turbine noise when the flight flying up. Anyway, I just felt blessed that I arrived safely. Conclusion, I paid for so called 4 star flight but ended with budget airlines service. Listen to me, I am writing now while overnight at Departure Gate of Hanoi Airport. Not worth for your trip with Vietnam Airlines.

✅ Trip Verified |   This review is for people considering flying with your pet with Vietnam Airlines. The only word, a nightmare from ticketing to all the check-in processes. Ground staffs at both SGN and DAD are both useless and heartless with no clear procedures, not owning any responsibility, having attitude toward travelers. I had my tickets issued, giving all the necessary information of my puppy to have her with me on board and got the validation of VNA, then VNA called back, just saying that she had to be checked in without further notice or explanation! Upon check-in process in Saigon, I showed all the docs as requested, then the check-in agent informed me that they need the approval of the captain of the flight… point that had never been communicated. The “supervisor” came to repeated the same words, not taking ownership or consideration of someone traveling with a pet, then who might be “refused” by the captain, under the pretext of safety for my pet! The whole thing went on and on with them saying that if you are not happy, call VNA. And they are VNA staff. On the way back, VNA staff at DAD airport asked me to show another paper which was not requested on the other flight. Then they said they need the approval of the captain again as we are not in rules! The whole procedures went on and on and they did not event clearly know their procedures. When I challenged them, they asked me to call VNA while I talked to the highest person at the VNA office there (or pretendedly). That agent dared lecturing me for my next flights’ knowledge when VNA staffs was not event cohesive on their own procedures! And for her, the fault is on SGN airport staffs’ side! The top of it was that one agent informed me that my pet will be sent out to the aircraft as an “oversized” luggage!!! Then again, the highest person of VNA at DAD airport had to show up again, and again it’s not her fault. I had to precise to them that the procedure is to have someone personally take my pet to the aircraft and then bring her from the aircraft to the terminal. Therefore, please consider before putting you into the troubles with the ground staff of VNA, as they are arrogant, heartless and non comprehensible and they are not event trained to have the same procedures and standards! Expect to have multiple explanations and you should know your points and rights if you don’t want your pet to be let behind because of a bunch of untrained staff. VNA cabin staff have improved tremendously and I am flying all the time with them, but ground staff, only one word, a nightmare. As a part of this whole experience, VNA should have 0/10 and they should own it to improve and to be truest what they pretend to be!

✅ Trip Verified | If you want to fly with this airline, better add one hour to your check-in time at airport or get business class to get priority check in. I arrived at Changi airport at 12pm and there were already long queue in front of check-in counter (seem like longest one in the whole terminal). I have to wait for almost 1 hour to check in my baggage and get my boarding pass. I've never had to wait that long before, even if with cheap airlines.

✅ Trip Verified | This was my 30th domestic flight this year on Vietnam Airlines and my review of this flight is representative of my overall business class experience with this airline. The good things are: fast check-in and security at departure, fast deplaning and luggage pickup at arrival, outstanding cabin service. The bad things are: uncomfortable and overcrowded lounge at SGN, uncomfortable and overcrowded boarding experience at SGN, business class seats on the A321 aircraft ALWAYS have a broken headrest, you are locked in if the person ahead of you decides to recline and row 1 is usually reserved for VIP’s.

✅ Trip Verified | Vietnam Airlines is just simply horrible. This is like a budget airline and their customer service is non-existent. I had an issue with their flight and needed their help. I chatted with a customer service agent online and she/he just ended the conversation abruptly after telling me that I needed to email customer care. They didn't even wait for me to say anything else just said "bye". Then I emailed customer service twice and that was 7-8 days ago and still no responses and I already took the flight. I will never fly with them again. The plane was not cleaned properly when I flew them and my food was horrendous. The croissant was dry and inedible. The chicken rice was gross. Flight attendants were lukewarm at best and they didn't even care to go around to make sure that all tray tables were up and seats were in an upright position. Avoid this airline at all costs.

✅ Trip Verified | Very good flight. Excellent seat pitch. Departed on time and arrived 15 minutes early. During the flight a bottle of water was handed out. Only complaints were about the behaviour of the passengers. Many dragged so much into the cabin that overhead storage was overflowing. While waiting to disembark people got really pushy. The cabin crew did not intervene in any way. Apparently this kind of behaviour is the norm on flights in Vietnam.