Vietnam Airlines A321 Business SGN-KUL
I got up pretty early to get breakfast and check out and grab a taxi. It took me almost 90 min to get to the hotel the other day so I wanted to make sure I had time since I had never flown out of SGN I wasn't sure the check in lines, immigration queues, etc.
I went to the Web Check In line...the Economy line was pretty busy so I figured even though I had to check a bag and I already checked in online I was good to go there.
When I gave her my passport and she pulled up my info she said "You are flying business class."
I used Option Town to pay/bid for an upgrade to J when I booked the ticket. I think it was like $40? I never got an email saying it cleared...it must have been in the 2h between when I got up and checked in and got to the airport. She was a little ticked off that she had to load a J BP into the machine and also walk over and get the tags telling me "Next time use the business class line."
I would have if I knew lady!
It was nice because it meant I could cut the security line (all those guys in front of me got turned around because they thought one guy they were with was flying J/Sky Priority and they could all go with him.
Also a quicker immigration line.
Good thing I had lounge access because I got to the airport at about 7:45 and the flight was 10:10.
I made my way out a little before boarding to change my money and check out the airport. Seemed decent enough, a nice upper level with some food and stuff and then some shops on the departure concourse.
We ended up at a bus gate and after a fake out to line up to board they had us sit down for a bit because "the flight may be delayed".
A nice touch for J/SP pax is similar to LX when you get a bus gate you get your own van...however, IIRC the LX one is actually only for J/F pax, not elites in Y.
Only myself and an Aussie guy would be in the whole J cabin. Got a snotty look from two suit and tie Western guys who were on the van as SkyP but flying in Y. Hey, not my fault you didn't bill an extra $40 to the client to ride up front!
Lovely FA who took good care of us. 3 options for lunch! I took the beef and rice...other was seafood noodles and something chicken.
A little bland but had a chili sauce packet that helped.
We ended up leaving 50min late because it turned out we swapped aircraft from our original one. We would end up landing 40min late.
Saw this "whited out" MH 747...didn't say cargo on it so I'm not sure if that's what it is actually used for. But you'll notice no windows.
Their poor slumbering giants.
We landed at a satelitte so after walking to find the train and walking and walking it took about 15min to get to the immigration counter. From there it was pretty smooth sailing through to grab the bags, get some MYR and then buy one of the vouchers for a taxi to the city. Considering it's about a 45 min ride it was pretty cheap to get the "Premier" car (a mid size Nissan thing) for 100 MYR, the "Luxury" were mid-00s E-classes for 200 MYR and I'm not sure the price of the budget but they were some older compacts.