Vietnam Airlines has Airbus A350-900 aircrafts with two types of seats in business class. The aircrafts with staggered seats are primarily used on short and medium haul routes within Asia while the aircrafts with reverse herringbone seats (like on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner) are primarily used on long haul routes. I recently flew Vietnam Airlines on a A350-900 from Tokyo Haneda to Hanoi. Upon making my reservation, I though that I would be seated in a staggered configuration but I ended up having the reverse herringbone configuration instead. In this review, I share my experience of my flight including my thoughts of the Sky Lounge in Tokyo Haneda.
Flight: Vietnam Airlines 385
Route: Tokyo Haneda (HND) – Hanoi (HAN)
Date: Sunday February 9, 2020
Depart: 4:35PM
Arrive: 21:00PM
Duration: 6h25min
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Class of service: Business Class
How I Booked Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class
I booked Vietnam Airlines business class using Flying Blue miles. The flight was part of one way business class award from Denpasar, Bali to Hanoi via Tokyo that costed 29,000 miles and $ 114.15 USD in taxes in fees. This also included my flight with Garuda in business class. Read more about how I booked these flights in my Trip Intro – Around The World On Frequent Flyer Miles.
29,000 miles is certainly not bad for 2 long haul flights in business class and a layover in Tokyo. Read more about these Flying Blue Intra Asia Awards in this article which I wrote earlier this year.
Vietnam Airlines Business Class Check In Tokyo Haneda
I arrived at the airport about 3 hours before departure of my flight. Tokyo Henda International Airport has 3 terminals, two of them are used for domestic flights while one is used for international flights. After I gave my passport, I was asked what seat I wanted. While the seat map didn’t indicate what configuration my aircraft has, I assigned myself seat 6A.
Tokyo Haneda is a wonderful airport where everything is clearly indicated. Before I went through security and passport control, I decided to have a look at the observation deck for some plane spotting. About half an hour later, I went airside.
Sky Lounge Tokyo Haneda
Unfortunately, Vietnam Airlines doesn’t have its own lounge at Tokyo Haneda. Therefore, the Sky Lounge is the only lounge Vietnam Airlines business class passengers can use. The lounge is owned by Tokyo Haneda airport and is located on the second floor. After security, go to the left and look for the lounge signs. The Sky Lounge is accessible for business class passengers and frequent flyer elites from certain airlines that don’t have their own lounge at Tokyo Haneda. Also Oneworld business class passengers as well as Sapphire and Emerald elites can access the lounge.
You also can buy lounge access for just ¥ 1030 JPY (about $ 10 USD) which is incredibly cheap but only when space is available. The Sky Lounge is open 24/7 but facilities are quite limited as there are no showers. The lounge seating area looked clean and spacious and wasn’t that crowded during my visit. All seats are faced to the window which offers a fantastic view on the planes. The upper left section offers the best view for some plane spotting. While the beverage selection is quite extensive, the buffet itself was decent.
Boarding
I spent about 1,5 hours in the lounge and then proceeded to my departure gate. My flight was leaving from gate 147 which was about 5 minutes walking from the lounge. I wanted to take some pictures of the A350 in beautiful Vietnam Airlines colors but the boarding process was already started when I arrived. I boarded the plane through the first door.
Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class Cabin
The Vietnam Airlines A350-900 aircrafts with reverse herringbone configuration have at total of just 29 seats in business class. While cabin color scheme is rather drab, the cabin felt clean and specious due to the lack of overhead bins above the middle seats. While the middle seats are best for couple and those who are traveling together, the window seats are best for solo travelers. All seats are looking almost the same.
Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class Seat
After taking some pictures of the cabin, a friendly flight attendant in green uniform accompanied me to my seat. Like I mentioned above, I was seated in seat 6A which is a window seat. On my seat, I found a pillow and blanket while the amenity kit and slippers were placed on the footwell. The tray table is located on the left side of the seat and can be unfolded by just pressing the button. Below the tray table is a storage compartment where I found some magazines.
On the right side of the seat is an armrest that can be lowered and raised. However, this had to be lowered during take off and landing. Next to the armrest is a also a storage compartment. On my left side, I found the seat and entertainment controls as well as a reading light and the power outlets with USB plug. Here is also an extra storage compartment where I found my headphones.
The Charriol amenity kit was well stocked for a 6 hour flight. The kit contained moisturising lotion, lip balm, a comb, an eye mask, a toothbrush with toothpaste, comfort socks and ear plugs. I also found some stickers for ‘not disturb’ and ‘wake me up for meal’ that can be placed on the seat. I have never seen this before but found it to be very effective.
Pre Departure Service And Take Off
All flight attendants were Vietnamese, except one who was Japanese. A few minutes later, a flight attendant came through the cabin to ask what passengers would like to have for pre departure drink. I opted for a glass of champagne. Vietnam Airlines served Charles Mignon Champagne Grand Cru on this flight and this was served along with some wet tissues, rather than a wet towel. For sure, this has something to do with safety measures against the coronavirus.
Also the menus were distributed so I directly had a look at what I should take for dinner during the flight. A few moments later, a flight attendant came my seat to take orders. The whole process was discussed in a very detailed way which I loved. I will explain more about the menu later during this review.
When all passengers where on board, I noticed that the business class cabin was occupied for just 25%. At 4:15pm, we taxied to the runway and took off with a clear blue sky at 4:35pm. From my seat, I could enjoy a wonderful view over Tokyo as well as on the Vietnam Airlines A350-900 engine.
In Flight Dining Service
After I ordered yet another champagne, a flight attendant made my table ready for dinner. I had the choice between a Japanse style dinner and Western/Asian style dinner and opted for the latter. The appetizer consisted of typical Vietnamese snacks along with salmon. For drink, I could choose for one of their red wines or champagnes but I decided to go for the Vietnam Sky cocktail which is one of Vietnam Airlines Signature Drinks. This was served along with nuts.
The appetizer tasted not bad and I especially liked the salmon. Then the second course was served and this consisted of Burdock soup with fresh vegetable salad. For drink, I decided to switch to a Château Haut Beyzac Cru Bourgeois Haut Medoc red wine. This was served with still water. Later another flight attendant came along with bred. While I enjoyed the soup, I did not like the salad which was way too tasty!
For the main course, I had two options. I could go for the Chicken & Provolone cheese in red wine sauce with Risotto but decided to take the beef steak with Chasseur sauce and fried potatoes. While the quality of the beef was decent, I enjoyed the main course. I also liked the presentation.
During the meal service, I regularly was asked for a refill and if I liked the food. Overall, I experienced a friendly and proactive service from the flight attendants. When I had finished my main course, I was ready for the dessert. On the menu, I could choose among a fine selection of cheese, fresh fruit and some Japanese sweets. I went for the green tea ice cream with brown sugar sauce.
In Flight Entertainment And Turndown Service
After the meal service, I took a Whisky and decided to have a look at what the in flight entertainment system had to offer. The screen is of a large size and can be turned towards you by pressing the button. I found the selection of music, series and movies to be decent compared to other airlines like Garuda and EVA Air.
Business class passengers have access to 3 lavatories, one in the front of the cabin on the right wide and 2 at the far end of the cabin, just before the Premium Economy cabin. The business class cabin was occupied by 25% so I didn’t have to line up. After I came back, I put my seat in full flat bed mode as the flight time to Hanoi would be about 4 more hours. As I had a red-eye flight with Garuda the night before, I was ready for some more sleep. Myself, I’m 6:2 and found the seat to be quite comfortable. This is way better and more spacious than the Solstys-style staggered seats I flew the night before on Garuda.
About 8:30pm local time, the pilot started the decent into Noi Bai International Airport where we landed at exactly 9pm. I thanked the flight attendants for the service on board and left the aircraft through the first door.
Vietnam Airlines A350-900 Business Class Bottom Line
I would say Vietnam Airlines has a decent hard product in their A350-900 aircrafts with reverse herringbone configuration. The cabin felt extremely spacious and clean due to the lack of overhead bins. I kind of disliked the colors though. Also their amenity kits were perfect, especially for just a 6 hour flight. During the whole flight, I experienced an excellent service from the flight attendants and I liked it that my order was discussed in almost every detail just before take off. The food on board disappointed me a bit to be honest. While the salmon was tasty, the salad was way too spicy.
The presentation looked nice though but the soft product is definitely a step back compared to what other airlines like Garuda and EVA Air are offering. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit a Vietnam Airlines lounge since I was not departing from one of their hubs. However, the stories I have heard about these lounges weren’t that good. Overall, let’s say that Vietnam Airlines did a great job with their hard product in reverse herringbone configuration. But they have to work on the food to compete with other airlines in the region.
What is your experience with Vietnam Airlines Business Class on the Airbus A350-900? Do you preferred staggered or reverse herringbone seats? Let me know your questions and thoughts in the comments below!
