The best business class seats on Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787s

Now appearing on flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City and also Sydney-Hanoi, the Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 offers business class travellers the usual staples of a fully-flat bed and direct aisle access: but as is often the case, some seats are certainly better than others.

Australian Business Traveller maps out your top inflight pics whether travelling solo for work or on holidays with your partner.

Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 business class: the basics

Business class on Vietnam Airlines’ Dreamliners comes in a pleasing 1-2-1 layout, with space for 28 passengers in total:

Seats by the windows are labelled ‘A’ and ‘K’, while those in the middle pairs are ‘D’ and ‘G’. Unlike some other airlines flying from Asia, Vietnam Airlines numbers its business class cabin from row 1: 1A being a front-row window seat, and so on.

Also read: Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 business class review, Sydney-Hanoi

Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 business class: best seats

For solo travellers – the window seats: It should come as no surprise in a 1-2-1 cabin that individual passengers will find the most comfort in the single seats by the windows which come sans seatmate.

For couples – the centre seats: Another straightforward selection to tick off the list: centre seats of two, for two people travelling together. Conversation can be a little difficult if your seats are both fully upright, but the seat can slide forward so that you’re both within view.

Now for the fussier flyers…

For a cooler ride – the ‘A’ + ‘K’ seats: Yes, Vietnam Airlines’ Boeing 787s have personal adjustable air vents, and yes, they’re available at every seat – but if you sleep best with the air conditioner cranked up at home, choosing a seat by the windows gets you two air vents rather than one for that little extra comfort.

For light sleepers – aim for rows 4, 5: As the galleys and lavatories border rows 1 and 7, these particular rows are best-avoided by travellers prone to waking at the slightest noise.

In addition, three fixed TV screens are also in place ahead of row 1 and often display the moving inflight map at full brightness (below) – even when the cabin lights have been switched off – so aiming for a seat in rows 4 or 5 keeps you away from that light (and the forward galley noise) without getting too close to the sources of noise behind you.

For good views and natural light – avoid row 1: Choosing a window seat doesn’t necessarily guarantee you the best view, with passengers in row 1 having less natural light and only one window to peer through compared to two windows for most passengers behind.

For parents with young children – 1A, 1K: These seats might not have the best views but they do have bassinet capabilities for parents travelling with little ones (another reason why light sleepers are best-placed further back in rows 4-5).

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.