Flight Report: VIETNAM AIRLINES VN 219 – Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City – Wide-Body Business Class Product in One of the World’s Busiest Domestic Routes [January 2023]

The Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City flight route has amazed me ever since; it is always busy with flights departing every 30 minutes. In an article published by Simple Flying last 29 December 2022, this domestic route within Vietnam was the world’s 4th busiest domestic route in the world for the year. It trailed behind Seoul Gimpo-Jeju, Melbourne-Sydney, and Jakarta-Denpasar Bali. The route had 21,574 flights for the whole of 2022 and even reached a peak of 70 flights daily.

Early this year, I had the chance to fly this busy domestic route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. I flew with Vietnam Airlines on flight VN 219 on business class on board their Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Join me in today’s flight report as I share with you my Vietnam Airlines experience in one of the world’s busiest domestic routes.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA AirIndonesia Air AsiaSingapore Airlines, Emirates & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines traces its roots back in January 1956 when the government formed the Vietnam Civil Aviation.  For decades, the carrier focused on expanding its reach domestically and internationally. In 1993, the airline went through restructuring and became a state-owned transport enterprise. It was also in the same year the airline was hailed as the Flag Carrier of Vietnam. The airline has experienced important developments throughout the years such as rebranding in 2002, receiving IATA membership in 2006, joining Skyteam Alliance in 2010, listing publicly in 2014, receiving 4-star rating from Skytrax and welcoming ANA Holdings as strategic investor in 2016.

Fast forward to 2023, Vietnam Airlines is the country’s biggest carrier. With a fleet of close to 100 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the airline flies to over 20 domestic destinations and over 40 international destinations across Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania. It has main hubs in Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and in Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi – the country’s capital. The airline also has substantial stakes in Pacific Airlines (formerly known as Jetstar Pacific) and VASCO (Vietnam Air Services Company).

Vietnam Airlines is known for its Golden Lotus Brand which drew inspiration from the Lotus flower – the country’s national flower. The airline is a member of the Skyteam Alliance and has codeshare agreements with a few airlines. The list of codeshare partners can be found here. The airline also has a frequent flyer called Lotusmiles. Lastly, Vietnam Airlines is a full-service carrier; it means that they provide check-in baggage, meals / snacks, and entertainment in their flights.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my ticket 5 months before the intended flight date. I was searching for the best Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City flight and randomly found a good business class deal from Vietnam Airlines. I got my ticket for $118.20 one-way on business class. For context, a normal one-way business class fare for this route costs $200-$380 per person. I paid my ticket in Japanese Yen (¥) because I believed it was the best currency to pay with at the time of booking. The ticket cost me ¥15,950. My bank charged me ₱6,733.73 including foreign currency conversion charges.

The business class ticket included 18 kilograms of hand baggage (allowed up to 2 bags + 1 accessory bag), 32 kilograms of checked baggage, priority check-in and security, lounge access before departure and a lie-flat seat with personal entertainment screens and a full meal onboard. The business class privileges seemed to be the usual ones; the deal breaker was the wide-body aircraft to be used in the flight. The flight utilized an Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft – the same type of aircraft used by most carriers for long-haul flights. It is hard to find an Airbus A350 assigned to a domestic route elsewhere.

The business class privileges I got plus the wide-body aircraft used for the flight made the ticket price worth it. Not bad for a first business class experience, eh?

Travel Requirements

Vietnam Airlines staff only requires a valid ID or passport (for foreign nationals) during check-in. Covid-19 requirements and restrictions have long been removed in Vietnam.

Before the Flight

Vietnam Airlines does not send any pre-flight reminders via e-mail. The airline cancelled my initial flight, VN 265, and did not inform me ahead of time. They moved me to the next flight VN 219 without any e-mail notification or alert.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Vietnam Airlines flight VN 219 was operated by a 7-year-old Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The aircraft, delivered to Vietnam Airlines in December 2015, is equipped with 29 business class seats on a 1-2-1 layout, 45 premium economy class seats on a 2-4-2 configuration and 231 regular economy class seats on the standard 3-3-3 layout.

This VN 219 flight took off from Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi at 7:32pm and landed Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Saigon at 9:15pm, a few minutes behind schedule. This smooth flight only took 1 hour and 43 minutes in contrast to its 2 hours and 10 minutes flying schedule.

Ground & Airport Experience

Vietnam Airlines’ domestic flights operate out of Nội Bài International Airport Terminal 1.

BUSINESS CLASS CHECK-IN

Business class passengers have dedicated check-in counters in the right part of the Vietnam Airlines section. The whole check-in process only took a few minutes. The check-in agent informed me that I have been moved to a later flight (VN 219 from VN 265) and that I was still given a window seat for the flight. After check-in, I went through security. Business class passengers have access to the fast-track section. Security was a breeze considering it was the start of the peak Lunar new year holidays in Vietnam.

DOMESTIC LOTUS LOUNGE

My business class ticket gave me access to Vietnam Airlines’ Domestic Lotus Lounge. This huge lounge is located on Level 3 Wing D and provides a nice view of the tarmac. It has hundreds of seating options, toilet and shower areas and a buffet spread. Food options were good but limited. It has a dedicated phở station for those who want to indulge in local Vietnamese noodles.

I was 3 hours early for my flight so I stayed in the lounge for more than 2 hours. I enjoyed the buffet spread, drinks selection, the comfortable seats and the beautiful tarmac view. I wish I had more space for the phở – maybe next time. I noticed the lounge did not get crowded during my whole stay.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After my long stay at the lounge, I went down and walked to Gate 5 to wait for boarding. The ground staff did not make any announcements regarding the status of our flight. I sat down and still waited for a few minutes before the boarding announcement was made.

BOARDING

The boarding process started at 6:48pm. Business class passengers, Lotusmiles and Skyteam status holders boarded the plane first. Economy class passengers followed and boarded by groups. Business class passengers boarded through the front jet bridge while economy class passengers took the rear jet bridge. The whole process only took 21 minutes; the cabin doors were closed exactly at 7:09pm.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

WELCOME DRINK & NEWSPAPER SERVICE

After all business class passengers settled in their respective seats, the crew started to walk around the cabin, introduced themselves and offered cold towels and welcome drinks. They offered a glass of passion fruit juice or water as welcome drink. The drink was served in Vietnam Airlines-branded coaster and glass. They also went around and offered local and English newspapers to all business class passengers.

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT FEATURES

Business class passengers on Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A350 aircraft have an access to lie-flat seats even on short domestic flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These seats are 21 inches wide and have a generous legroom of 42 inches. The seats have a footrest under the entertainment screens and can be placed in bed (lie-flat, reclined (or relaxed) and upright positions. These also feature adjustable head rests. Pillow and blanket are only available upon request.

The seat has a console that features the following: adjustable reading light, magazines, aircraft safety card, stowage spaces, seat controls, entertainment control system, water bottle holder, universal power outlet, USB port and a soft arm rest. The headphones are placed under the arm rest while the table and safety cards are found by the seat entrance. Unfortunately, the seat does not feature individual air nozzles.

INFLIGHT MEAL

Vietnam Airlines offers a full course meal on their domestic business class routes. Normally, they offer noodles, pasta or rice meals on these domestic routes. This flight, however, had a different meal offering. To join the whole country in celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year), the airline offered 2 traditional dishes on this flight to Ho Chi Minh City. I forgot the other option but I went for the Bánh Chưng / Bánh Tét – Vietnamese sticky rice meal.

The traditional meal came with a big portion of sticky rice with fatty pork and green bean fillings served in banana leaf, a piece of orange fruit, củ kiệu or pickled scallion heads and a traditional rice cake dessert. It also came with a glass of water and a drink of choice. Drink choices include carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, wines, fruit juices and beers.

The crew went around for the 2nd round of drinks offering tea, coffee, and water. Overall, it was a solid and filling meal. The only thing I hoped for during this flight was a non-traditional meal option for foreign passengers like me.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

All business class seats on Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A350 aircraft are equipped with 16 inches of personal entertainment screens. These personal screens, at that time, had 66 movies and around 100 television show episodes to watch and over 160 audio options to listen to. It also had games and a kids-only option for those travelling with kids.

The entertainment system also featured an inflight map which passengers can use, monitor and play around with during the flight. Individual headphones (which were not noise-cancelling) were also provided.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

The aircraft assigned to this flight was not equipped with inflight Wi-Fi connectivity.

LAVATORY

The business class cabin has 2 lavatories in the front section of the aircraft. These lavatories were both relatively spacious, clean, and well-maintained. It had a plant ornament in it and smelled great throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this business class flight was exceptional. The assigned cabin crew in our area introduced herself individually to the passengers. She served us with her best smile, answered our questions politely and even took note of our requests. She also engaged in small chats during the meal service.

I would also like to give a special shoutout to the cabin manager. After the assigned cabin crew took our food orders, she personally went up to me and apologized for only having the traditional food options. She explained what the meals consist of and advised me to reach out to her in case I have problems or issues with the food. After the meal service, she again came to my seat and asked how the food was. I appreciate her going out of her way and taking care of the only foreign passenger (me) in business class during the flight.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

Disembarkation and baggage claim on this flight to Ho Chi Minh only took a few minutes. Business class passengers disembarked first. Checked baggage were already in the luggage belt when we arrived in the arrival hall. Our aircraft apparently parked near the baggage claim section of the terminal. Believe it or not, I was already out of the terminal in about 5 minutes after I stepped out of the aircraft.

Final Thoughts

I had a decent and memorable first-ever business class experience with Vietnam Airlines. I believe the airline has a potential to become a major carrier in the region if they continue to improve their service and offerings.

This business class flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City had some notable positives. First, the airfare was affordable for such an experience. Imagine paying only $118 for a one-way full-service business class flight on a wide-body aircraft? It was definitely a steal. I got more than what I actually paid for. Second, the check-in process and security were quick. I finished everything in less than 10 minutes. Of course, I was able to enjoy this as part of the privileges of a business class passenger.

Third, Vietnam Airlines’ Domestic Lotus Lounge at Nội Bài International Airport offered limited but decent food and drink choices. The lounge had plenty of seat options and had a nice view of the tarmac. It also remained quiet during my stay given it was peak season in Vietnam. Fourth, it is rare these days to find lie-flat business class seats and wide-body aircraft utilized in short domestic routes. Flying the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route on a wide-body was a pleasant experience.

Lastly, the cabin crew service on this flight was pure excellence. The assigned cabin crew and the cabin manager took care of me throughout the flight and made sure that I have a memorable flight with Vietnam Airlines.

This flight also has some areas where the airline can further improve on. First, the airline should make sure that passengers are well-informed of flight changes, cancellations, and delayed boarding schedules. I was told by the ground staff during check-in that my initial flight, VN 265, was cancelled and that I was moved to the next flight, VN 219. I did not receive any e-mail notification of this last-minute flight change. Also, I, together with the rest of the passengers were not informed of the delay in boarding schedule.

Second, the seat assigned to me, 6A, is starting to show its age. I can hear an annoying eeky sound every time I try to adjust the seat from the bed, to relax and upright positions. Third, while I did not have issues with the traditional meal options (in fact I liked it), I hope the airline can include a third and western option for foreign passengers who do not want to have the traditional meal options. Maybe retaining the noodle option all throughout is a good option.

Fourth, the headphones provided in business class were not noise-cancelling. Fifth, I hope the airline can start rolling out Wi-fi connectivity systems in all their widebodies. Today, I believe Wi-fi connectivity service (whether free or paid) is already an integral part of the flight experience. I hope the airline works on these areas and try to further improve the passengers’ flying experience.

This sums up my first ever business class flight with Vietnam Airlines. Will I fly them again in business class? I will but only if the price is right. I am also keen on trying their economy class in both short and long haul if given the chance in the future.

For those aviation geeks out there, here are the technical details of this flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines:

Airline: Vietnam Airlines
Flight Date: 17 January 2023
Flight Number: VN 219
Route: Hanoi, Vietnam (HAN) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (SGN)
Duration: 1 hours & 43 minutes
Seat Number: 6A (window)
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 XWB
Aircraft Registration: VN-A889
Engines: 2 x Rolls Royce Trent XWB
Age (at the time of the flight): 7.1 years old
Delivered: December 2015


Have you flown with Vietnam Airlines in business class? How was your experience? Have you flown with them in economy? How was it? Is it worth trying? I had a memorable flight with them but I am also interested in your experiences. Feel free to share them in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about those mentioned above? You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Vietnam Airlines flight report! I hope you can also check out my previous flight reports with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air & other airlines I flew with in the past. Also, please watch out for more in the coming weeks & months. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Throwback Thursday Treat: N9 Weekend in Saigon

Hey everyone! I hope all had a memorable holiday break. Most of you are back to your normal paces while some people (like me!) are still enjoying the last few days of the break. I am on my last day here in the province; I will be flying back to Manila tonight.

Now back to business. Today, I will be introducing a section called Throwback Thursday Treat. I will blog about experiences I had in my past international & domestic trips. It will feature places to go, food to eat, activities / tours to take & a lot more.

First destination – Saigon! Last May 2014, I got the chance to visit Vietnam’s largest city, Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City). I went for a full 3-day weekend trip with my college blockmates, Shane & Jolly.

Saigon crew! (L-R) Paolo, Jolly & Shane

3 days were not enough to explore everything the city has to offer but here were 4 activities we did for that short weekend trip:

1. Mekong Delta Day Tour (My Tho & Ben Tre)

We booked this tour through our hotel a week before we arrived in Saigon. The tour guide picked us up in the hotel at 7:30 am. Kathy, a Filipino tourist who was on the same flight to Ho Chi Minh as ours & also a guest in our hotel. joined our group for that day. We took a 2 hour bus ride to My Tho, then transferred to a local motor boat to Unicorn Island. We were given samples of locally produced honey. We also went around the local village then headed to the natural water coconut canal. Each paddle boat can accommodate up to 6 people (2 guides & 4 guests). This is my highlight of that day tour. I enjoyed every moment while traversing the calm waters of the canal. I also saw a glimpse of how the locals survive the day-to-day challenge.

First stop at Unicorn Island (with Kathy!)

After the natural water coconut canal tour, we transferred to another local motor boat & headed to Ben Tre. We visited the handmade coconut candy workshop. The women from the shop showed us how they make the coconut candies. Then, we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. We were also given free time to go biking & explore the village. My friends & I opted to just sit down & talk. Last stop was the tropical fruit garden where we had slices of pineapples, papaya & dragon fruit while listening to Vietnamese traditional music. We then rode the motorboat back to My Tho, then to our bus back to Ho Chi Minh City.

At the paddle boat for the natural water coconut canal tour

If only I have a couple of days to spare, I would stay in one of the villages near Mekong Delta; but if you only have a few days in Saigon, this day tour is worth-taking. Just make sure to bring a big bottle of water & towels because it’s very hot in the area.

2. Saigon Hotpot Tours

Few weeks before our trip, I’ve read about Saigon Hotpot. It’s a non-profit organization of Vietnamese students & young professionals who take tourists around for free in exchange for English conversations. What usually happens is one books a tour via their website then days before your schedule, you will get an email from your guide re: arrangements of pick-up. Your guide will join you throughout the day / tour but you have to pay for their entrance fees & food / drinks. Fair enough, right?

With our walking tour guide Emily outside the War Remnants Museum

We took 2 tours with Saigon Hotpot. First, we had the city walking tour with Emily. She’s a very nice young woman who became our friend after the tour. She used to work for BCI Asia Vietnam (& I work for BCI Asia Philippines) & she knows my previous boss; probably the reason why we clicked. We walked around the different landmarks of District 1 namely The Ho Chi Minh City Supreme People’s Court, The Reunification (or Independence) Palace, The War Remnants Museum, Saigon Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral & Bến Thành Market. Normally the tour ends at 5:00 but we extended up until dinner. Good times!

Outside Saigon Central Post Office

 

Kathy joined us for afternoon coffee & dinner before she left for Manila

The 2nd & last tour we took with Saigon Hotpot is the traditional meal tour. It is somewhat similar to a Vietnamese cooking class; the meals are prepared & eaten in the house of the guide. Sue, a guide from Saigon Hotpot, picked us up at the hotel at 8:00 am & she accompanied us to our host Jenny & her house. Jenny’s family already went to the market earlier that morning to buy the ingredients we need. We prepared spring rolls, spinach with fish sauce, tofu & pineapple & a lot more. Apart from learning how to cook local dishes, we also got to know their family as well as their way of life. This tour is one of the best ways to get to know the locals, their food & way of life. In return, we tourists help them practice their English-speaking skills.

Traditional meal tour with our host Jenny & her good friend Sue

I recommend that you check out Saigon Hotpot when you go to Vietnam. We did not only know about the Vietnamese history, food & culture; we also met new friends & gained memorable experiences in their tours.

3. Vietnamese Cultural Show

Saigon is famous for 2 cultural shows – the water puppet show & the AO Show. The water puppet show features Vietnamese cultures & traditions through dancing water puppets. On the other hand, the AO Show depicts how the rural Vietnamese community adapts to modernization through traditional music & dances & modern acrobatic movements.

The Vietnam crew before the AO show

My friends & went for the AO show where we enjoyed traditional songs & dances with some nerve-wrecking acrobatic stunts. The show ran for about 2 hours with a 10-minute interlude. For more information about the show, schedule & ticket prices, head over to the AO Show website. I would recommend everyone going to Saigon to at least catch one of these 2 shows.

4. Food & Coffee Trip

There is no other way of knowing a country or a city than by trying its local cuisine. Vietnam is known for their spring rolls, phở, bánh mì & coffee. We’ve explored most of District 1 by foot; all I can say is that local restaurants, cafés & food stalls are everywhere. The food these cafés & restaurants serve are all delicious & affordable. I’ll give a brief overview below where we had some nice meals / drinks in Saigon:

Phở – We had dinner in Phở 2000, one of the 2 famous phở restaurants in Saigon. It is where former US President Bill Clinton dined when he visited Saigon in  year 2000. The place is a few steps from the famous Bến Thành Market. They serve really delicious phở. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Phở 2000’s famous dish

Coffee Trung Nguyên Coffee is the drink to beat! I don’t drink coffee but my friends do; so we tried it. I sipped from my friend’s cup; their coffee is really strong! I didn’t like it but I think other people love it. I brought home some packs for my mom & grandma.

Spring Rolls & Bánh mì – We’ve had a few ones of these, but I reckon the best ones are those sold in the streets. They’re everywhere so you won’t have any trouble looking for one.

Bánh mì from ABC Bakery

Milk Tea – There’s this small coffee shop after Bến Thành Market named Phúc Long Coffee & Tea. Yes, they also serve coffee but what I really enjoyed here is their winter melon milk tea. It is one of the best milk tea’s I’ve tried! Seriously, it is one drink you should try when you go to Saigon. Next time I fly back to Saigon, I will head to another Phuc Long Coffee & Tea Shop & order 1 big glass of milk tea!

Phuc Long’s Milk Tea

Side story: The first ever McDonald’s in Vietnam was in soft opening while we were there. Of course they had other fast food restaurants like KFC. People were lining up in the counters. We got curious so we tried McPork, a burger which was not in the McDonald’s menu in the Philippines. It tasted like our local longganisa & it was good.

Saigon skyline from Khu A – Công Viên 23/9 (September 23 Park)

There were still a lot places to discover, activities to do & local food to eat but we only had limited time so we were only able to do the ones above. Next time I go back to Saigon, I’ll definitely go for that Cu Chi Tunnels tour, watch the Water Puppet show, eat in the famous Lunch Lady & take a Vietnamese cooking class. I’m looking forward to my second visit to Saigon! 🇻🇳

PS: All photos taken using my HTC One M8.