Decent short haul airline with potential. Review on Vietnam Airlines

I have a Vietnamese wife and have considerable experience of using this airline both on domestic routes and for flights in the region (Hong Kong, Cambodia etc) going back to 2003. The following is my overall assessment of all my flights with this airline to date.

The domestic services are extremely good value, all the more so since the former policy of charging foreigners more has been phased out. A economy flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is available for well under £100 – this is a fairly long flight of about 2 hours. If you choose to fly business class the flight is not excessively greater, sometimes as little as 20%, but it does tend to fill up for this reason.

Until now I have always had to buy a paper ticket but have only had one minor problem with a booking being honoured for my party. That was back in 2003 when I flew from Haiphong to Ho Chi Minh City, a route that is almost always heavily booked; moreover it was resolved to our satisfaction.

Overseas flights tend to be significantly more expensive. Flights to Europe tend to be so much more than their competitors that I have never been induced to try them (a change being necessary in Frankfurt or Paris). If they do get a much converted London slot I may be otherwise tempted with 2 small children in the equation – I know they are keen to acquire this route.

The above incident aside I have always found check in to be quick and courteous. I have joined the frequent flyer scheme – Golden Lotus – which is maybe an advantage though I do not think significantly, most Vietnamese in the service industry are relatively polite.

Waiting facilities in Vietnamese airports are not the best in the world, the domestic airports can be particularly limited in terms of facilities. However, with only one flight a day in some places you cannot expect too much. Lounges are not brilliant for domestic flights but they are quieter than the common areas, Vietnam is though a fairly noisy country.

The airline have ditched the old Soviet fleet many years ago and now run a largely  modern fleet of well serviced aircraft including a range of Airbus, two ATR models and Boeing 777-200s. They have ordered the 787 for the future.

On board the airline offer a decent service. Many people have alleged that the cabin crew get their positions through corrupt means being the children of prominent families and hence provide a tardy service. I have to say that with the odd exception I have always found the crew to be very professional and much harder working than their counterparts on many airlines in Europe.

Seating is quite comfortable and on the 777 (used on the Hanoi – HCMC route quite often) you will have in flight entertainment through seat back TVs. Business seats are of a better standard in terms of size and pitch (unlike most short haul carriers in Europe which offer minimal differential in this respect but reasonably typical in Asia).

Flights using the smaller prop planes like the ATR tend not to offer a business service rather than try to get away with providing cramped conditions and a slightly better quality sandwich. On the topic of food, it is always quite adequate and you will be served something on even a short flight. Usually your meal comes in a box and is invariably Vietnamese style on a longer flight or a sandwich, drink and maybe a sweet if it is just an hour or less. Coffee is usually available and beer is offered on Hanoi – HCMC domestic and international flights as may other alcoholic drinks depending on the aircraft and duration.

Punctuality is invariably very good and so long as they have your contact details, in the event of any delay they will ring you and advise you of this. I like this feature very much, things can go wrong in Vietnam with adverse weather at certain times of year as indeed it can in much of the region.

Overall, I think it is a good airline and one that I am sure will grow and develop in the future and offer some stiff competition in years to come on longer haul routes if they make their price a little more competitive.