No entertainment, but this budget business class is unbeatable value

The airline: Vietjet

• Route Melbourne (MEL) to Hanoi (HAN), flight VJ094
• Frequency Direct on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Other days via Ho Chi Minh City.
• Aircraft Airbus A330
• Class Business; seat 2G
• Flight time 9 hours 40 mins

The Vietjet Airbus A330.

Checking in

It’s straight to the desk when I arrive for check-in this morning – there are only 12 seats in this business class section, and the entire flight is less than half full, so the whole process is fast and painless. My business class ticket includes entry to The House lounge by Aspire, which has arrangements with several airlines including VietJet, Etihad and Priority Pass members, and welcomes non-affiliated walk-ins, too. It’s almost empty at 6.30am, so there’s no queue for the coffee machine or pastries.

Baggage

With up to 18kg in carry-on and 60kg of checked luggage (and an extra allowance for a set of golf clubs), this is the airline and class to use if you’re moving countries. There’s no set specification for the weight or configuration of your carry-on luggage.

Loyalty scheme

SkyJoy is VietJet’s own frequent-flyer program. It’s not linked to any other airline alliances, but points can be spent via its app at Vietnamese businesses including the omnipresent 7Eleven and Highland Coffee.

The seat

The business class seats are configured in two rows of 2-2-2 – that means no middle-seat misery. A snappy little amenity kit has the usual toothbrush and socks, lip balm and hand moisturiser from L’Occitane, and a pair of soft slippers, much nicer than socks for the bathroom shuffle. The seats are 18.95 inches (48 centimetres) with 59 inches (150 centimetres) of pitch.

VIetjet’s business seats, minus screens.

A note of warning: these are not lie-flat beds – after much button pushing and groaning of machinery, I max mine out to its full capacity, at about 85 per cent flat, but I’m a sleeper, and I manage a solid five hours beneath the cherry-red, fluffy blanket. The aircraft is noisy and I’ve forgotten my earbuds – a pair of those squishy earplugs wouldn’t go astray in the amenity kit. Each seat has a moveable reading light.

Entertainment + tech

There are no screens on this aircraft – incredible as it seems, not even in business. Bring your own laptop, phone or tablet, and pre-load it, as there’s no Wi-Fi, either. Thankfully, there is power in the seats for you to charge your devices.

Service

The crew’s “boy-scout-meets-designer” livery.

Service is gentle and intuitive, but also super prompt, as it should be in such a small section of just 12 seats. I am a huge admirer of the staff’s boy-scout-meets-designer livery; the female crew are in snappy plaid shorts, and a gold-trimmed ringmaster’s jacket makes for a flashy addition to this low-cost carrier.

Food

There are two meal services on this day flight, which departs at 7.30am and arrives in Hanoi mid-afternoon. The winning dishes are the savoury sticky rice and the grilled basa (fish) fillet, and my tray includes a bread roll that comes both fresh and warm, a fresh noodle roll with dipping sauce, and even a whole coconut filled with coconut jelly. The menu advertises that much of its fare is organic. While wine and a few cocktails are on offer, an 8am Tequila Sunrise is too early even for me. Between meals, the cabin is served a generous plate of cheeses, nuts, dried fruit and crudites. All food is served on pressed plates made from a local palm with disposable wooden cutlery in a bid to minimise plastic waste.

Carbon emissions

The cabins have a jaunty red colour scheme.

1.8 tonnes for a business class passenger*. The airline recently flew Vietnam to Melbourne on a trial using new sustainable fuel, derived from used cooking oil, wood biomass and municipal waste, which it says can reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent when compared with traditional fossil fuels.

One more thing

Vietjet launched in Australia in April 2023, and this Melbourne-Hanoi direct flight is its newest route, which started in June, the first time there’s been a direct route to the Vietnamese capital. It’s one of seven new routes flying into five Australian cities. The airline seems to always be offering flash sales; get on the mailing list.

The price

From $2268 return for business class.**

The verdict

Sure, it’s a cut-down version of business class, but the fare is unbeatable, the luggage allowance generous and the food is a winner. A warning: with only 12 seats, this class books out fast.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew as a guest of Vietjet Air. See vietjetair.com

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.