From London to Vietnam: we tried business class on Asia's most undiscovered airline
Bamboo Airways is what commercial aviation enthusiasts would call a 'rare gem,' at least in the skies far from Far [...]
SGN
Vietnam
Bamboo Airways is what commercial aviation enthusiasts would call a 'rare gem.' at least in skies far from the Asian Far East. The Vietnamese company flies, outside that slice of the world, only to Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and, in Europe, to Frankfurt and London. No is part of any of the three major international alliances (Skyteam, OneWorld, and Star), not even as 'partners,' has its own frequent flyer program called Bamboo Club, and has 'interline' (not codeshare) agreements with Emirates, Japan Airlines, Eva Air, and Air Canada.
What Bamboo offers
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B787
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- LGW - SGN
- Price:
- 1200$
- Book
The best bonuses
Established in her homeland, where (despite only starting to fly in 2019) holds about 20% of a domestic market dominated by Vietnam Airlines and the low-cost Vietjet, Bamboo is virtually unknown to the general traveling public who travel between Europe and East Asia (or vice versa) each year.
This is despite the fact that it offers probably the best value for money of all the airlines flying between those two regions of the world: Business Class tickets start at $1,400 one-way and entitle you to all related amenities: reserved check-in boarding, fast track at security checkpoints, 64-pound baggage allowance, lounge access, four-course meals with fine wines, individual entertainment and armchairs that turn into beds in a cabin with rows of 1+2+1, in which each place has free access to the corridor.
The business class seat is one of the most famous, the same as on board ITA Airways' A350/900s, in British Airways' Club World Suite and many other carriers.
Behind, there is a Premium Economy with a 2+3+2 layout, followed by an Economy in the classic 3+3+3 layout of all Boeing 787s. Bamboo, of Dreamliners, has three in the -9 series (hence the skimpy intercontinental network). Economy, which entitles passengers to meals and drinks and individual entertainment, is also well priced, with the one-way ticket that starts at $360 between Europe and Vietnam.
In short, Vietnam's first private full-service company may be a good alternative (in terms of price and in-flight service) to the many other European, Middle Eastern, and Asian carriers, either to travel between the two continents, or to use the hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for stopovers during a trip between Europe and Australia, or vice versa.
From where Bamboo flies
The 'problem, for the Italian traveler, is that the Vietnamese 787-9s have to pick them up in Frankfurt (a destination usually very expensive to fly to from Italy due to the absence of low-cost airlines) or London Gatwick. The latter is definitely the preferable option, as the London airport is connected to several Italian cities by easyjet and Wizz Air, which have affordable fares.
At the airport
On a Sunday morning in early summer, I took off very early from Malpensa bound for Gatwick, from where Bamboo Airways departs for the Vietnamese capital Hanoi at 11:10 am. Arriving at the South Terminal with only carry-on luggage around 8:30 a.m., I reached the Vietnamese carrier's check-in counters, located in area J of the departure lounge: six for Economy and two for Business.
By booking a few months in advance I had managed to purchase a Business ticket at the lowest fare available on the company's website, which included a stopover in Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon).
The agent, after handing me my boarding pass with the seat I chose online (16K, window on the right side of the cabin), informed me that in Ho Chi Minh City I was supposed to pick up my luggage, go through passport control, change terminals, and redo the boarding procedure for the domestic leg to Hanoi, as well operated by a 787-9.
Traveling in Business, I had access to the fast track at security checkpoints, which in the UK are always a nightmare because of the issue of liquids to be stuffed into clear bags (and the antiquity of the machines in which hand luggage passes), and then to the No. 1 Lounge and Clubrooms, which was at that hour quite crowded but offered an excellent English breakfast buffet and an outstanding view of the southern part of the apron and the runway.
On board
Half an hour before departure time, I walked to gate 13, discovering that I was the last one yet to board. As soon as I boarded, one of the three Business Class flight attendants escorted me to my seat, then came by a couple of minutes later with a warm scented wipe and a welcome drink (choice of water, juice, and 'sparkling wine,' as she called it).
I noticed that all the flight attendants were wearing FFP2 masks and that both the pillow and the blanket were sealed inside plastic wrappers (Many other companies should learn to do this, especially with pillows...).
In-flight entertainment headphones were on a shelf to my right, next to a vanity kit with very rich contents. There was neither water nor a menu.
During pushback, thehe commander announced an 11-hour, 55-minute flight along a route that, avoiding Ukrainian and Russian airspace because of the war, would take us over Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, northern India, the Bay of Bengal, and Malaysia, before beginning the descent to Ho Chi Minh City.
Reaching cruising altitude, the crew tinted the porthole windows. Which I can't stand, so wanting to look outside, I 'reopened' the two available to me.
Food&Beverage
Onboard service began about an hour after takeoff with an aperitif (roasted, lukewarm, salted almonds) still accompanied by water (lukewarm, a typical Far Eastern custom), juice, or sparkling white wine.
Then, the flight attendant returned with an Ipad to take the meal orders, explaining that paper menus are only available on flights from Hanoi (which I would actually ascertain on the return). To my frustration, I learned that the Asian menu was no longer available because, with only eight passengers in the Business cabin, very few had been boarded.
Seeing my disappointment, the hostess went to the galley and then came back to tell me that, if I wanted, the Asian menu soup (with soybean sprouts, lemongrass, and shrimp) was available and that she would gladly add it to my Western menu, consisting of a plate of bresaola with arugula and quinoa as an appetizer, followed by a caprese salad and grilled salmon with cous cous and pure grilled vegetables.
Along with the soup, it turned out to be a really hearty 'east-west' lunch, followed moreover by the passing of a fruit and cheese cart, and a dessert. In all, the meal lasted about an hour and a half. At the end, curiously, neither coffee, tea, nor digestives were offered, but only another scented hot towel and a small bottle of water. The service, thanks perhaps in part to the few passengers, was very precise and attentive, almost personalized, and the mise en place And the composition of the dishes very elegant, in typical Asian style according to which food should be good, but also beautiful to look at.
IFE
As we flew over eastern Turkey, I began to explore the Inflight Entertainment System. (IFE), which offered some 70 films (all in English and Vietnamese and without subtitles), a small selection of TV series (ditto for language and subtitles), a huge selection of Vietnamese music alongside a few Western pop and rock albums. But what I found most intriguing were the 26 albums of 'revolutionary music' (understood as that which, in the 1970s, reunified the country under Ho Chi Minh's communist regime).
I asked if wi-fi was provided on board, but was told no. A very serious lack, moreover aboard a state-of-the-art aircraft such as the 787, which Bamboo will have to remedy if, as is its intention when more 787s arrive in the fleet, it intends to try its hand at connecting to the West Coast of the United States.
After a movie, whose plot I was at least able to follow despite the absence of subtitles to make the English dialogue a little more understandable, as it was already darkening outside I laid the seat flat, preparing myself for the (short) night. For the Business class of its Dreamliners, Bamboo Airways has opted for Collins Super Diamond seats: not a particularly original choice, but a product that provides excellent comfort thanks to three tabletops, two closable compartments (in short, plenty of space to cram one's belongings) and an ottoman that provides sufficient space for one's feet and lower legs (so, at least, one can change position, while sleeping).
And, indeed, the four copious hours of sleep were of good quality, interrupted only by the flight attendant who very gently woke me up by informing me that it was an hour and a half before landing and that they were about to serve breakfast. A real English breakfast accompanied by croissants, jam, fruit and (this time yes), tea or coffee.
In conclusion
Usually, I can tell if the travel experience was of a good standard if, as the plane descends in altitude to land, I would actually like the trip to last a few hours longer. And this was indeed the case with Bamboo Airways. Touching at the end of the service was the bow that the three flight attendants gave us in unison.
Half an hour later I was outside the international terminal of Hanoi airport, with 35 degrees already at 6 a.m. and a humidity to wring out my clothes. E I thought of poor Robin Williams, when in the movie of the same name he woke up American troops by shouting 'Good Morning Vietnam!' on the radio.
Pro
- Service
- Gastronomic offerings
- Armchair
Against
- No Wi-fi
- Films in English and Vietnamese only