This might be the best value premium economy seat in the sky

Did I just find the best value premium economy seat in the sky? That was my first thought, after my seat catapulted back into its fully reclined position. 

I actually wondered if my seat might be broken. How could a premium economy seat provide, what felt like, an almost-horizontal position?

But as I looked around the cabin, I realised other passengers were enjoying the same amount of exceptionally generous recline.  

And that’s not the only reason Vietnam Airlines has been named “World’s best value Premium Economy” three years in a row (by AirlineRatings), as I discovered on my recent flight from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh.

The website and app were both easy to navigate. Online check in was quick and easy. I was able to select my seat, add in my special meal request and find all the information I needed relating to baggage allowance and in-flight services.

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Check in

It’s worth noting the Premium Economy Flex ticket allows free seat selection, but there’s a USD40 fee for advance seat selection on the Classic fare.

Vietnam Airlines provide a dedicated check in counter for premium economy passengers, so I was able to cruise into the terminal just under two hours before departure.  

Chronic over-packers will love the 2x 23kg baggage allowance. And premium checked bags are tagged priority, so they’re among the first on the conveyer belt when you land.

I prefer to travel with only hand luggage whenever possible, so I appreciated the substantial 18kg hand baggage allowance.

The premium economy ticket does not include a priority security pass or lounge access, but I was able to board in group 2, straight after business class.

The cabin

The premium economy cabin, with only 36 seats, was located directly behind business class.

There was one dedicated toilet for premium customers, not shared with business or economy. The cabin upholstery could be described as either “retro cool” or “outdated”, depending on personal opinion. 

Premium economy cabin layouts vary depending on the aircraft, but I wasn’t a fan of the 2/4/2 config on my A350. 

It’s all good if you can grab a window or aisle seat on the side, where you’ll only have one person beside you. But it certainly wouldn’t feel like a ‘premium’ experience if I paid extra and ended up stuck in the middle seat of the middle row of 4, wedged between two strangers. 

And even if you somehow end up with the entire row to yourself, the seats on both ends have fixed armrests, so you can’t stretch out across all four. I imagine the middle four seats in Premium Economy would only really appeal to a family travelling together.  

Thankfully I scored a window seat in the front row (row 10), with the added bonus of no one sitting (or reclining) in front of me. 

Row 10 is directly behind the toilet, but I could only hear the occasional flush when I wasn’t wearing my headphones.

The crew also did a great job of keeping the toilet clean because there were no unsavoury scents wafting into my row at any stage during the almost nine hours I spent in my seat. 

The seat

The generous recline is easily the best thing about Vietnam Airlines Premium Economy. It would have been even more comfy if my extendable footrest wasn’t broken, and I was able to fully stretch out.

OK if you’re paying more, you expect more. So here are the stats and the basic differences between the Premium Economy and Economy seats on the A350:

• The Premium Economy seat offers a 15cm recline, compared to 13cm in economy. It might not sound like a lot, but combined with the extra legroom, it makes a big difference. 
• The distance between seats in PE is about 96cm compared to 81cm down the back. You’ll also get about one extra inch of width on the premium seat. 
• It’s a 10.6 inch (27cm) entertainment screen in premium compared to 10.4 inches in economy.
• In-seat USB ports and power outlets are available in both cabins.

The service

Waiting on my seat when I boarded was a pillow, blanket, headphones, a pair or slippers and a small bottle of water. 

I was also offered a cold towel and a water or juice before take off. There was no amenity kit for PE passengers, but dental kits and razors were available in the toilet. 

Vietnam Airlines promises ‘premier service’ with their PE product and there were definitely more than enough flight attendants to service the small cabin.

The service was efficient and attentive throughout the flight. 

I’ve also noticed a ritual on all Vietnam Airlines flights (domestic and international), where the flight attendants all stand in the aisles briefly, just before landing, and bow in unison, to express their gratitude and cultural pride to passengers. It’s a lovely gesture.

The food

Lunch was served 40 minutes after take off. Premium economy passengers are not given a paper menu but instead, shown the menu at the time of serving, and asked to make a decision/selection on the spot. 

There’s a comprehensive menu online allowing passengers to pre-order special meals, with many dietary restrictions catered to. My pre-ordered Vegan meal was delicious. Hot noodles with bok choy, a cous cous pumpkin side salad, and a warm bread roll. Dessert was a small fruit salad and a jelly cup.

We were served another ‘light meal’ two hours before landing, but my meal was actually pretty substantial – tasty potato cakes with spinach and mushrooms and a fruit plate. 

The standard meals offered in the Premium cabin were Chicken with black pepper sauce and rice or Beef Bolognese fettuccine and then a Beef pie or Fried rice with egg and pork.

Both meals were presented on a tray with proper cutlery, but all drinks were served in paper cups, which did feel a bit budget.

There were no snacks offered between the two meal services or available in the galley. 

The entertainment

There were more than enough entertainment options to get me through the 8 hour flight with a great selection of new release movies and popular TV shows.  I was also impressed by the extensive selection of music, podcasts, audio books and games.

I was excited to discover 4 episodes of the TV show, The Madison, were available – a show that had been on my must-binge list for ages!  The headphones provided were adequate, but certainly not noise cancelling.

The Wi-Fi

This premium economy experience offered everything I needed for a comfy flight … except … reliable Wi-Fi.

Whilst Wi-Fi was offered (and apparently available) on the flight, it caused me some serious headaches. After the free 15-minute messaging service, I paid USD$20 for an additional four hours. It worked perfectly for about 10 minutes, but that was it. Despite multiple frustrating attempts, I couldn’t get it back.  

Onboard Wi-Fi is hit-and-miss with most airlines, but I was impressed with the Vietnam Airlines flight attendants, who seemed genuinely invested in helping me try and solve the problem.

They also offered me a free Wi-Fi voucher to use on my return flight. I wondered if passengers received this level of service in economy.

Despite my infuriating battle with the Wi-Fi, this flight felt a lot shorter than eight hours. After four episodes of The Madison, two delicious meals, a brief work stint on my laptop, and a cheeky 30-minute nap, we were putting our seats upright and preparing to land.

The bad news

The Premium experience comes to an abrupt end when the wheels touch down.

We arrived at a dreaded remote parking spot – which is surely one of the most annoying things about international travel. Is anyone ever happy to see those steps and the tarmac bus when they land? 

I did notice the business class passengers were escorted onto their own private van and whisked away immediately, while the Premium economy and economy passengers were herded together and squeezed like sardines into two large buses.

Whilst the premium economy passengers were escorted off the plane first, we then had to wait on the hot stinky bus for all the economy passengers to deboard the plane and join us.

There’s no express or priority lane for premium economy passengers at Saigon  Airport passport control. Although I couldn’t see an express lane for business passengers either. 

A word of warning: Tan Son Nhat International Airport Arrivals and Immigration is not for the faint-hearted. There are no directions, there’s no clear signage, just hundreds (if not thousands) of tired, frustrated passengers waiting in very long lines. 

I arrived at 4pm, and it took me just under 90 minutes to clear customs. The arrivals hall is incredibly hot and chaotic with little to no air conditioning and nowhere to sit down. It’s like participating in an endurance sport in there. 

The best advice I can offer is to take water and wear light cool clothing. Even better, book the airport fast track service if you can. I wish I’d known about this before my flight. I’ll definitely be booking this next time.

In summary, Vietnam Airlines Premium Economy is a basic, value-driven product with a very comfy seat and a few handy travel perks.

As a regular business class flyer, I would very happily fly Vietnam Airlines premium economy again, and I’d have no hesitation booking Premium to Europe (via Ho Chi Minh).  

In fact, that new route they’re offering to Copenhagen looks very, very tempting. 

Sami Lukis travelled as a guest of Vietnam Airlines. All opinions are her own. You can follow Sami on instagram @samilukis.