The secret’s out about this cheaper business class to Europe

The airline: Vietnam Airlines

• Route Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City, flight VN780
• Frequency Daily
• Aircraft Airbus A350-900
• Class Business, seat 6D
• Flight time 8 hours, 40 minutes

Checking in

At Melbourne Airport, Vietnam Airlines’ ground experience is relatively straightforward, but the real surprise comes in the lounge. Business passengers are directed to the Marhaba Lounge. Also accessible to paid guests, it’s an unexpectedly strong offering. There’s plenty of natural light and the space feels open and calm. The food is genuinely good, with a solid range of hot and cold options, and the service stands out: warm and attentive. My only gripe comes courtesy of a fellow passenger who has decided this is the ideal setting to run a full remote office, complete with three screens and a headset, loudly conducting what sounds like a high-stakes engineering meeting. There’s a limit to how much “shared space” should be shared.

Baggage

Two checked bags (32 kilograms each), plus two pieces of cabin baggage for a combined total of up to 18 kilograms (with a maximum of 10 kilograms a piece), along with a personal item. It’s an unusually generous allowance, though a word of warning – it may not carry through to onward flights, either with partner airlines or even on some Vietnam Airlines connections.

Loyalty scheme

Vietnam Airlines’ Lotusmiles program is part of the SkyTeam alliance, with reciprocal earning and redemption across partners including Air France, KLM and Korean Air.

The seat

Vietnam Airlines operates its Airbus A350-900 on this route (it also deploys the Dreamliner), with a business class cabin in a 1–2–1 configuration. Every passenger has direct aisle access, and all seats convert into fully flat beds. This is a daytime flight, but getting your feet up is still the holy grail of air travel. The seat itself measures about 21 inches (53 centimetres) wide, not especially generous compared to some competitors, but it’s comfortable. That flat bed extends to about 75 inches (190 centimetres), and crucially, it feels like a natural sleeping surface rather than something you have to negotiate your way into.

There’s a reasonable amount of privacy and the cabin is thankfully quiet enough to properly switch off. Storage is adequate, controls are intuitive, and everything works as expected. You get nice amenity kits, a warm blanket and pillow.

Entertainment + tech

Each seat is equipped with a personal screen of about 15 inches (38 centimetres), along with USB charging and power outlets. The entertainment library has new titles across movies and TV, box sets and plenty more to keep you engrossed. The airline is rolling out Wi-Fi on its A350-900s, so as yet, availability is not guaranteed. It is best for browsing and messaging, not streaming.

Service

Service is where Vietnam Airlines excels. Cabin crew are warm, attentive and refreshingly natural in their approach. There’s none of the overly scripted delivery you sometimes encounter. It feels genuine and relaxed, while still being efficient.

Food

Meals draw on a mix of Vietnamese and international influences, with menus that favour lighter, fresher flavours. The quality is good, even if it doesn’t quite reach the level of the very top-tier carriers.

Sustainability

The airline is introducing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on selected routes, investing in newer Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft that burn less fuel, optimising flight operations to cut emissions, and replacing many single-use plastics onboard with paper, bamboo and other more sustainable alternatives.*

One more thing

Vietnam Airlines has become one of the more practical ways for Australians to reach Europe via Asia, with daily services from Melbourne and Sydney into Ho Chi Minh City, and onward connections to destinations including Paris, Frankfurt and London, and often at a noticeably lower price point. It’s no longer exactly a well-kept secret. Loads are strong, and availability in premium cabins can be tight, particularly during peak periods.

The price

From Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh return in business class from about $4500. From Melbourne to London return in business class from about $8900.**

The verdict

Vietnam Airlines’ business class doesn’t try to compete at the very top end of the market. It focuses on value. That equates to taking care of the fundamentals: a fully flat bed, direct aisle access and warm, reliable service at a competitive price point.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

See vietnamairlines.com

The writer was a guest of Vietnam Airlines.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.