Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 Business Class

I recently flew with Vietnam Airlines on one of its most popular regional routes between Hanoi and Bangkok. The less-than-two-hour journey was onboard one of the carrier’s Airbus A321-200s, featuring 16 business class seats and 168 in economy.

Pre-flight experience

With my flight to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) scheduled for 13:15, I arrived at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport’s (HAN) relatively new Terminal 2 with over two hours to spare. I visited the Vietnam Airlines dedicated business class check-in counter, which fortunately had no queue.

Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

I then made my way to security – the security lane was not busy, taking less than 10 minutes to get airside. Having reached the departure hall, it was time to experience the airline’s lounge offering – Vietnam Airlines premium passengers can enter its ‘Lotus Lounge’ upstairs near Gate 22.

Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

The lounge offered a good range of hot and cold food, including curries, soups, fruit and cakes, along with customary coffee, tea and soft drinks. The lounge was fairly quiet and the WiFi was fast, although I had to relocate tables as coverage wasn’t comprehensive.

Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

The airline announced over the PA system that my flight was boarding, so it was time to leave.

Business class experience

My seat (2A) was by the window and offered more than enough legroom and width (for those wondering, seats have a pitch of 45 inches and a width of 21 inches). Seat controls are handily integrated into the armrest, with functions including recline, lumbar and footrest extend – the recliner seats are not lie-flat, but this wasn’t necessary on a short flight.

Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

While only a two-hour journey, it was enough to appreciate the value of having a spacious, comfortable seat. I could nap very easily in this seat without any extra pillows, aided by the adjustable headrest and extended footrest.

Inside the right armrest is an in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen for those wanting to watch a movie or documentary – the airline’s ‘Lotustar’ system houses a wide range of entertainment from across the world. After boarding, I was offered a fresh glass of orange juice, and before I knew it, we were in the air.

Meal service

The seat table unfolds out of the armrest and a cabin crew member set the table for meal service. For lunch, three options were available – fried tamarind chicken with white rice & vegetables, shrimp curry with white rice & vegetables, or stir-fried beef with oyster sauce with noodles & vegetables.

Photo: Luke Bodell | Simple Flying

I went for the first option, which also comes with a vegetable salad with Italian dressing and a yogurt cake dessert. Perhaps the best part of the meal was the bread service, serving up warm and toasty breads to accompany your main. The food met my expectations for a business class meal and didn’t taste too salty either, which is always a good thing when flying.

Vietnam Airlines rotates its international business class menus every two months, so you can likely expect something different on your next flight.

Smooth arrival

As the aircraft prepared for its descent, the crew served me a nice hot latte before preparing for landing.

Photo: Cesare Palma | Shutterstock

The plane touched down at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the afternoon Bangkok heat, and it wasn’t long before we disembarked via airbridge. In all, traveling in business class made the two-hour flight and pre-boarding experience pass by like a breeze. I can’t point to any major faults with the overall experience – while the business cabin is understandably not at the level of Vietnam’s long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 fleet, it was very good for a regional route, and the service was stellar from beginning to end.

Have you ever flown business class with Vietnam Airlines? Which route did you fly on, and how did you find the experience? Let us know in the comments.