Vietnam Airlines
The route: Sydney to Hanoi
The plane: Boeing 787-9
Class: Business Class, seat 2G
The seat
The business class seats are configured 1-2-1 which allows every passenger direct aisle access. For sleeping the seat folds down to create a lie flat bed. No mattress is provided but pillow, blanket and slippers are. There are also no pyjamas but probably not needed as the flight is mostly daytime and only slightly under 9 hours. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to keep personal belongings, with side pockets on one side of the seat and a larger storage space in the armrest, plus an AC power outlet that accepts Australian plugs.
Entertainment
The Lotustar inflight entertainment has a limited number of options, with only 10 ‘International movies’, plus some sports and documentaries. There are a wider variety of Asian movies.
Service and Food
The crew were courteous and polite but not overly attentive. There were plenty of choices in the lunch service with four mains as well as appetizers, soup, salad and dessert. French champagne and French red and white wine were on offer reflecting Vietnam’s French heritage. Also available was a cocktail menu featuring signature cocktails created for Vietnam Airlines such as Hello Vietnam, Red River and Saigon Sunlight which was a nice touch.
Lounge
In Sydney business class passengers can use the SkyTeam lounge.
