Quantcast

Review: Flying Economy Class with Vietnam Airline's Airbus A321 from Singapore - Saigon

Spirit Airlines Explores Bankruptcy Filing
Here's how Southwest Airlines' new seating and boarding process will work
Delta Adds New Route to Asia
Southwest Airlines will begin selling assigned seats in 2025
United Airlines Pilot Buys Passengers Pizza In Albuquerque After Flight Was Delayed 7 Hours
Czech Airlines to Cease Operations, Ending 23-Year SkyTeam Partnership
An Asian airline hopes launching one of the world's longest narrowbody routes will actually be a comfort upgrade for passengers
Airlines begin canceling flights, offering rebooking ahead of Hurricane Helene
Southwest Airlines to cut service and staffing in Atlanta to slash costs
New heights, new features: Discover Alaska’s enhanced Flight Pass subscription service
Alaska Airlines completes acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, expanding benefits and choice for travelers
American Airlines welcomes JetSMART to the award-winning AAdvantage program
Explore Japan for free? Japan Airlines offers free domestic flights to foreign travelers
Delta named Official Airline Partner of Birmingham City Football Club
American Airlines to Cut These Routes to Las Vegas, Orlando, and More — Here's Why
Alaska Airlines completes acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, expanding benefits and choice for travelers
Southwest wouldn't really start charging for bags — right?
JD Power ranked this Midwest airport as the best among largest airports in North America
Alaska Airlines Chief Plans More Routes After a Deal With Hawaiian
Air Canada could begin suspending flights soon as strike deadline nears
JetBlue's new ticket policy entitles every passenger to a carry-on bag
Why United Airlines’ CEO makes as few decisions as possible
American invests in the future of aviation maintenance with new jobs, additional work
DOT probe seeks to determine if frequent flyer programs are fair to travelers
American Airlines flight diverted after passenger starts vaping
Russian Airline Wants $100 Million From Canada for Seizing Its Giant Cargo Plane
Here's where American Airlines is adding flights to Europe in summer 2025
Major airline grounds Airbus A350 fleet, citing faulty engine component
Airline CEO wants airports to cap passengers at 2 alcoholic drinks to limit on-board disruptions
Regulator cuts Malaysia Airlines' air operator certificate duration after probe
Review: Flying Economy Class with Vietnam Airline's Airbus A321 from Singapore - Saigon
Policy
Webp 0ryj13lfhrvfm8k87x7a7lbge4f0
Airline Ratings | Airline Ratings

Our journey between Singapore and Sydney via Saigon with Vietnam Airlines continued on their short-haul economy product aboard the Airbus A321.

The aircraft, VN-A397, is a 12-year-old Airbus A321-200 delivered to Vietnam Airlines in 2012 under a lease agreement. It’s one of 62 A321s in their fleet, which includes a mix of A321CEOs and A321NEOs commonly used on domestic routes. VN-A397 is configured with 16 Business Class seats in a 2-2 layout and 168 Economy seats in a 3-3 arrangement. While initially assigned seat 31A, we were moved to a bulkhead seat in 10C, just behind the Business Class partition—a fortunate upgrade.

The Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City route is seasonally popular, connecting travelers seeking cultural experiences. It’s served by four carriers offering 68 weekly flights on both widebody and narrowbody aircraft, with Vietnam Airlines operating the latter. While previously flown by VN’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliners, today's full flight on the A321 reflects consistent demand for this service.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Vietnam Airlines’ A321 economy seating offers a straightforward experience akin to other short-haul economy products—simple and standard for the price of a ticket. Each of the 168 economy seats features comfortable fabric cushioning, an 81 cm (32 inch) seat pitch, an18 inch seat width and and an11.5 cm backrest recline. Seated in a bulkhead row provided generous legroom.

The seats come with firm armrests housing foldable tray tables. The structured design contributes to spaciousness, making them feel surprisingly wide even in the narrow-body aircraft's3-3 layout .

Having flown with Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways recently set high expectations; however , Vietnam Airlines did not disappoint . From boarding to deplaning as last passenger , hospitality was exceptional . Every cabin crew member interacted courteously throughout journey . Imagining Vietnam Airlines cabin crew without smile feels as unlikely as eating cereal without milk — simply impossible .

Our two-hour journey included meal service reminiscent late lunch served shortly after reaching10 ,000 feet . For today’s meal chose chicken rice sauce accompanied seasoned vegetables reaffirming Asian carriers excel delivering outstanding Oriental-inspired catering Each bite tender flavorful complemented savory yet slightly sweet sauce Paired warm steamed white rice meal felt comforting almost like soul food fitting choice marking first solo trip quite some time VN Economy meal trays come bread roll butter banana choice beverages including fruit juices soft drinks alcohol Following meal service approached Vietnam southern coast crew offered hot beverages gladly accepted savoring warm drink prepare six-hour layover ahead Tan Son Nhat International Airport

On our A321 personal IFE screens available either Economy Business Class However browsing literature seat pocket discovered option mobile-based entertainment Connecting onboard LotuStar WiFi passengers access same IFE system found seat-back screens Vietnam Airlines widebody aircraft pleasant surprise worth noting WiFi support internet browsing Seat pocket well-stocked variety items including airsickness bag Lotushop catalogue magazine perhaps notably “Heritage Guide” Ho Chi Minh City handy resource travelers eager explore Saigon Despite short flight blankets provided all passengers However pillows provided Lavatory standard economy-class lavatories located rear A321 kept clean well-maintained throughout flight equipped basic amenities hand soap towels perfectly adequate domestic short-haul routes Wet Towels Before takeoff aircraft taxied toward runway disposable hand towels distributed all economy passengers Packaging attractively branded Vietnam Airlines signature colors adding nice touch experience

The standout feature this flight undoubtedly value money Vietnam Airlines faces stiff competition Singapore Airlines SQ sets benchmark quality VietJet Air VJ dominates low-cost market Vietnam Airlines however strikes balance offering affordable though necessarily cheap fares included meal service entertainment exceptional hospitality short regional flight In opinion true value Vietnam Airlines lies type aircraft fly clear criticizing A321 onboard offering However when route operated one widebody aircraft passengers enjoy far comprehensive experience comparable Singapore Airlines renowned service arguably gold standard region insider note fares flights sometimes drop upgraded widebody aircraft making even better value

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Delta Air Lines will introduce new in-flight menu options created by celebrity chef José Andrés starting November 4.

Oct 25, 2025

The Blue Sky partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue launched today, allowing members of both airlines’ loyalty programs to earn and redeem points across the two carriers.

Oct 25, 2025

Air Canada is set to expand its presence at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) by introducing four new nonstop routes to the United States in 2026.

Oct 25, 2025

United Airlines has announced it will add 10 new destinations from its Chicago O'Hare International Airport hub starting next year.

Oct 25, 2025

The partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue, known as Blue Sky, has officially launched.

Oct 25, 2025

American Airlines will introduce its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft on December 18, marking the first time a U.S. airline operates this model.

Oct 25, 2025