Vietnam Airlines: Business Class worthy of the name

By Matt Lorenzo

For someone whose business class hopes are usually left at the gate, Vietnam Airlines was a pleasant surprise.

From check-in to touchdown, they delivered a quietly impressive reminder of what premium travel can still look like.

The experience began at Business Class check-in, where efficiency met genuine warmth.

No queues, no hassle, just swift processing by staff who seemed genuinely pleased to help.

The same attention to detail carried through security’s fast-track lane and into the departure lounge, where a couple of glasses of wine provided the perfect prelude to boarding.

What struck me immediately about the business cabin was its sense of calm. The décor is understated—soft pastels and clean lines—but everything feels meticulously maintained.

There’s none of the tired, worn-around-the-edges feeling you get with some major carriers. This felt fresh, purposeful, and genuinely luxurious.

The service philosophy here is spot-on: attentive without being intrusive, professional without being cold. My flight attendant appeared exactly when needed – champagne upon boarding, a refreshing cold towel, and a dinner menu that promised more than the usual airline compromises. The Vietnamese cod I ordered was exceptional, easily the best meal I’d have all week, and the portions were refreshingly substantial.

The seat itself transforms seamlessly into a proper bed—not the cramped half-measure you sometimes get, but something you can actually sleep in. With only four seats across the cabin, there’s a genuine feeling of privacy and space. I managed six hours of solid sleep, which on any flight is a minor miracle.

Even the domestic connection to Da Lat maintained these standards.

The smaller aircraft still offered generous seating, priority boarding, and complimentary service on what was barely a 45-minute hop.

Our luggage appeared first at the carousel—a small detail that speaks to systematic attention to the passenger experience.

The return journey offered its own pleasures, particularly the immigration fast-track that bypassed queues that would have added an hour to the journey. Being processed alongside aircrew felt like accessing aviation’s inner circle.

If there’s a weak point, it’s the shared SkyTeam lounge at Terminal Four, which was standing-room-only in the late afternoon. The airline’s own Lotus Lounge in Saigon, however, was a different story entirely—spacious, well-appointed, and properly managed.

Skytrax awards Vietnam Airlines four stars, but this experience felt like five-star territory.

Given that they’re the only carrier offering direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City, they could easily coast on convenience alone.

Instead, they’ve built something better: a business class product that justifies its premium not just in comfort, but in the kind of seamless, thoughtful service that makes long-haul travel feel less like an ordeal.

In an industry where premium often means paying more for slightly less disappointment, Vietnam Airlines delivers something rarer: genuine value for the upgrade.

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