Vietnam Airlines will begin direct flights between Sydney and the Vietnamese capital Hanoi from late March, adding the northern city to its current Sydney-Saigon and Melbourne-Saigon schedule.
While Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City) is Vietnam's largest city, business travellers needing to visit the political and bureaucratic epicentre have previously done so via a two hour hop on connecting flights via the busy Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
A spokesperson for Vietnam Airlines confirmed the launch to Australian Business Traveller, with the new non-stop Boeing 787-9 flights expected to be on sale this month.
Beginning March 28 the aptly-named flight VN787 will depart Hanoi at 11.55pm for a 12.15pm arrival into Sydney every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday; the return leg VN786 will be wheels-up from Sydney at 2.15pm starting March 29 to reach Hanoi at 8.50pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The SkyTeam member's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner packs a standard three-class layout with 28 lie-flat business class seats based on the familiar Zodiac Cirrus design popularised by Cathay Pacific...
... with direct aisle access for every passenger, a pleasing mix of open design and per-passenger privacy, plenty of legroom and space for your carry-on kit plus a long fully flat bed.
There are 35 premium economy seats with a 38 inch pitch, 20 inches wide and a seven inch recline, arranged 2-3-2 layout...
... while down the back of the bus, the economy cabin adopts a common 3-3-3 layout, with a tighter 32 inch pitch, 18 inch seat width and 6 inches of recline.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
I don't think the PE and Y seats are the same width. The PE seats look visually wider as well as having a much wider armrest.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
Reeves35 I dont think it was suggeted that were the same width given they are seven across versus 9 across for economy.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2561
Earlier version of the article (based on info from SeatGuru) referenced SeatGuru's incorrect 'same width' stat – now updated to correct widths.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
02 Sep 2014
Total posts 17
With the fares they charge to Europe that biz class looks like a steal compared to the likes of BA/CX/EK/QF who consistently value their products much higher than their worth.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jul 2012
Total posts 118
I just returned back from a trip to Europe on VN.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2011
Total posts 148
Ho Chi Minh city hasn't actually been officially called Saigon since it was renamed 40yrs ago...
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
And yet many people know it first and foremost as Saigon, the airport code is SGN and people know why, and everybody knows when you say Saigon that you're also talking about HCMC.
13 Nov 2015
Total posts 49
Yes, and the global expat Vietnamese community still refer to it as Saigon. Aussies should do well, especially the young, to refer to it as Saigon out of respect for the brave ADF personnel who died in the Vietnam Conflict, for freedom. Thank you.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Southern expat community! Don't say that to a northerner.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 113
This is great, for those who only have an Australian passport it was not always possible to connect through to London with VN but now you can without the need for a visa.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jul 2012
Total posts 118
VN organizes visas for you if your fare is anything above bare-bones economy.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Use of a transit hotel was offered to you for free? Their airfares are really attractive but the long layovers have always put me off booking.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jul 2012
Total posts 118
Yes the room (Ramana hotel) was free and quite good.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 111
Hopefully MEL-HAN not too far off either!
13 Sep 2013
Total posts 116
The Hanoi-Prague announcement shouldn't be too far away either
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
20 Dec 2013
Total posts 31
Just got back this week on my third MEl-SGN-LHR trip in VN's business in three years. Six stopovers in SGN and six different hotels and all hotels were very good. On the way back from LHR this week, we stayed at a four star hotel near the airport. The room was very good and we were given lunch and dinner as well as the offer of a free tour of the city which we didn't take as we'd done it on a previous trip. Remember to take a few spare passport sized photos of yourself as they need to stick one on the one day visa. The brand new B787-9 Dreamliners are very nice at the pointy end of the plane. Good to see VN get rid of the A330 and the tired B777. The new A350 from Hanoi to LHR was also very good. For $3800, this is extremely good value for money. However, I wish they could do something about the long layovers.
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