Vietnam Airlines Premium Economy, is it worth it?

Vietnam Airlines Airbus 350-900 XWB, VN-A890

Welcome back to my flight reviews, I just took a flight back to Melbourne from Ho Chi Minh city with Vietnam Airlines to complete my round-trip. 1st International flight in 2023 and I was very excited. Let’s see what does it look like.

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Flight Number: VN 781 Ho Chi Minh City ( SGN) to Melbourne ( MEL)

Aircraft: Airbus 350-900 XWB, VN-A890

Seat: 10K ( Premium Economy Class)

I arrived 4h before the flight and went straight to the check-in counter at the international terminal. However, there was some problems with the cabin so the staff told me to wait and then assigned to a middle seat because the window seat ( 10k) was blocked by the airlines due to technical failure at the seat. Thus, the staff told me to to arrive early at the boarding gate and ask the staff there to change my boarding pass. It took me a while but custom and security went well so I didn’t have any problem.

Before going to the gate, I spent my time in the Apricot Business Lounge for dinner and took a nap. The food selection was great and the space was good enough. However, I would prefer the Le Sagonnais lounge.

After nearly 2h here, I went straight to my gate and passed the security check for flight to Australia. As the other flight to Sydney depart in the same waiting area so it was very crowded. However, I could pass these long queues and reach the gate to get my new boarding pass as instructed at the check-in counter. It went smootly and I got on board with no other problems.

Welcome Drink & hot towel was served

Beside with hot towel and a welcome drink. Amenities such as headphone, blanket, slippers, a soft pillow and an Amenity kit was available at the seat. Same as the flight from Melbourne back to Ho Chi Minh city, there was a toothbrush, ear plug, socks and an eye-mask, which is great and valuable for a 8h flight. Magazines also available in the seat pocket. As the first row of the cabin, I got plenty of legroom to enjoy during the flight, which was exceptional.

Amenities

1h after take-off, dinner was served. There were two choices for the main course and I went with Rice& Fish curry option, which came with a cup of Vietnamese salad (‘gỏi’), a cup of Chè ( Vietnamese dessert), a small tray of fruit and a bun with butter. Beverage was available, which was great. The most interesting part was metal cutlery were available at this time, rather than wooden cutlery. The flight departed from 1 out of 2 main hub of the airlines so the catering was really good. Food was tasty, not too salty.

Dinner tray table

Tea and coffee was served after the meal. The seat features was a little bit strange to me cuz it was my first time sitting on the first row. I spent a while to sleep but there was a crying baby so I didn’t sleep well. Mid- flight snacks such as cakes, chips, buns and instant noodles were available so I asked the crew for a cup of noodle.

Mid-flight meal

These options are available on request so I could have as many food as I wanted. The crew also gave me a pack of nuts and drinks, which was great for supper. There are two lavatories for premium economy class passengers on the carrier’s Airbus 350-900 fleet so it wasn’t too crowded. The crew checked the lavatory after every use so I got nothing to concern about that. 2h before landing, breakfast was served.

Outstanding Breakfast meal tray

Once again, there were two options for breakfast. Look at this outstanding tray. I expected nothing more than this meal, which was perfect for breakfast. This time, I chose pork noodle option, which came with bok choy. The tray also included a small tray of fruits, bun and yoghurt. I had a cup of milk and a cup of tea after the meal. Food was delicious again and I would rate it 9 out of 10.

This flight mostly told how great is Vietnam Airlines Premium Economy Class is. The crew was friendly, kind and very helpful. They always checked the cabin to see if passengers need any supports or request. I just regretted of not be able to choose the seat on the left side of the aircraft, where passengers can enjoy the sunrise over Australia.

That is my experience with Vietnam Airlines, I will share more flight experience with Vietnam Airlines because they are my country’s national airline and has the best service. Vietnam Airlines is my first choice when it comes to International flights so stay stuned for further reviews.

What’s your experience, share them in the comment below.

For booking flight with Vietnam Airlines, visit https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/en/home

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