Review: Vietnam Airlines A321neo Business Class Bangkok (DMK)- Da Nang (DAD)
Intro
Checking out of Le Meridien in Bangkok was an early one due to our scheduled 5:05 am departure out of Don Mueang. Surprisingly, this was my first time flying out of DMK airport, even though I have been to Bangkok tens of times.
Vietnam Airlines was a new airline for me, and I found it to be quite decent overall. For a short flight, I couldn't have asked for much better. Especially considering the cost of the ticket.
Let's get into it!
Route-Bangkok (DMK)- Da Nang (DAD)
Seat- 2F
Flight Number- VN628
Aircraft- Airbus A321neo
Date- January 2nd 2024
Flight Time: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
Price Paid- 204$
How I Booked
The only direct flight at the time, which had business class, was the morning departure from Bangkok to Da Nang. At the time of writing this, the route has been discontinued, unfortunately, most likely due to lack of demand.
The total came out to 204.70$ per person one-way. Not bad at all for a flight of an hour and a half. Considering this included lounge access, I wasn't complaining at all. If you happen to find space, Vietnam Airlines can be booked through Delta and Skyteam.
Check-In
We arrived at Don Muaeng at about 3:00 in the morning. Vietnam Airlines uses Terminal 1 at Don Muaeng, so keep that in mind.
The line for check-in wasn't long, thanks to having priority access with our business class ticket. Another added perk of flying business class😁.
An agent handed over a lounge access card for the Coral Lounge, which I have reviewed here if you want to check it out!
Boarding
We decided to head out from the lounge about 35 minutes before boarding, just in case it was a far walk. Turns out we got there just as group 1 was boarding, or as I should say, about 2 other people.
Once onboard, the cabin crew was energetic at this hour, wishing us a good morning. Vietnam Airlines set the mood for Vietnam the second we stepped on board.
Originally, I found my assigned seat, 2C, for this flight.
However, with just my mum and one other person in the 8-seat cabin, I opted to move over to 2F to get my own window. Funnily enough, when I travel with my mum, this is an ongoing trend.
The Seat/Cabin
Interestingly, the aircraft assigned today was an Airbus A321neo with only two rows of business class.
The seats are relatively basic, not too thick and with golden touches around them.
I recommend selecting seats in the second row if possible, primarily due to the privacy. The legroom was more than adequate in row two.
Much like the recliners around the world, there was a button on the side to recline your seat. I found it to be decent for a short 10 minute nap.
The one part of the seat that stood out to me was that the armrest was lifted to contain a secret compartment big enough for a 13-inch Macbook. I wish more airlines would do this as it would be wasted space if they didn't.
The modern tray table popped out from the other armrest.
In terms of amenities and IFE, we were only offered a blanket for this flight. The blanket wasn't too bad, and I managed to curl up in my two seats with it!
As far as I know, there was no IFE or Wifi offered on the flight, but we departed south of 5 am, so I cannot confirm as I was half asleep.
Departure
At 4:45 am, the cabin crew came around to offer each of us a pre-departure beverage. I opted for some water, and it was nice to see it served in glassware.
The captain came onto the PA at 4:55 am and informed us of our flight time of just over an hour and an early arrival into Da Nang.
At 4:58 am, we pushed back (7 minutes ahead of schedule). I guess Jamie Vardy was having a party in Bangkok🙃.
The airport was dead silent at this hour, and we were wheels up 10 minutes later at 5:08.
Meal Service
Once we hit 10,000 feet, the cabin crew snapped into action to begin the meal service. I apprecaited how the curtains provided ample privacy to the economy class cabin.
I settled in with my blanket while the FA took the meal orders.
A couple of minutes later, the Flight Attendant came around and laid out a beautiful tablecloth.
And that is when my beautiful breakfast was presented. Chicken and rice were among the options, as well as something egg-related. The presentation was as good as the food was; it was delightful!
The bread was one of the letdowns, unlike my recent Singapore Airlines flight and their garlic bread😳.
Arrival
At this moment, one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever witnessed came about. Due to the heavy rain beneath us, the light reflected off of the clouds, providing some gorgeous pictures.
Just like that, we were on the descent, heck it's only a 527-mile flight, and we landed 20 minutes early into Da Nang on a miserable morning.
I had our e-visas already processed, and once we were off the plane, it took a matter of moments to be let through. If you ever cannot figure out E-visas, I highly recommend IVISA for this service, even if it is expensive.
Bags took about 10 minutes and we were met by our Four Seasons Da Nang driver (review coming very soon). Seeing as we were "pool villa guests", BMW SUV transfers were included in the cost. Talk about some service!
Luckily, Four Seasons allowed us to have an 8 am early check-in. Everything worked out perfectly!
Final Thoughts
Vietnam Airlines doesn't provide the best hard product in the sky, nor is it the best soft product with a lack of wifi and IFE. However, Vietnam Airlines makes up for it with good hospitality, tasty food, cheap fares, and, at the time, the only direct flight in business class between the two cities.
I would choose Vietnam Airlines again in Business Class if the opportunity presented itself. This is primarily due to the cost of the ticket. Now, I would really like to try their A350 product, as it seems to be miles above what is offered here. Sadly, my trip to Asia next week was supposed to include that flight up to Seoul, but it turns out that won't work😒.
Meal Service | 8/10 |
Seat (2F) | 7/10 |
IFE/Amenities | 5/10 |
Lounge | 7/10 |
Overall Service | 9/10 |
Total | 36/50 |
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