Bamboo Airways B787-9 business class

HANOI–LONDON

BACKGROUND

Bamboo Airways is a private airline that launched in 2017 and has quickly expanded, with domestic flights to 21 out of Vietnam’s 22 airports and an increasing roster of international services such as London and Sydney. Its long-haul routes are served with a small fleet of B787 Dreamliners, which were originally intended for Hainan Airways.

The airline launched weekly flights between London Heathrow and Hanoi in March – this is a review of the return flight. The outbound flight review is available on businesstraveller.com, and there are video reviews of both on our YouTube channel.

On October 29, the carrier suspended the Hanoi-London Heathrow route, launching a Hanoi-Gatwick service instead. Ho Chi Minh City-Gatwick flights also launched in December.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I arrived at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International airport at midnight for the 0215 departure on QH23, a flight time of 11 hours and 25 minutes. There was a long queue at the economy check-in but, thankfully, the premium queue was much shorter and we were quickly checked in. To get airside you have your passport and boarding card inspected at check-in, just before security, and then again just after security, though there were only a few passengers around at this time so it didn’t take long. Shoes and watches have to be removed for security.

LOUNGE

Business class passengers have access to the Song Hong lounge, which is shared with many airlines but is a good size and wasn’t full during my visit. It had a range of hot and cold food, soft drinks and alcohol including spirits and wine.

BOARDING

It was a long walk out to Gate 36, even with automatic walkways, and once we got there boarding had already started (this was around 0130). Once on board, I was guided to my seat and my jacket was taken and hung in the forward wardrobe.

THE SEAT

Bamboo has two different business class seats on its long-haul B787 aircraft. On the flight over I experienced the Safran Cirrus seat, while on this return flight it was a different business class cabin featuring the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond – the same seat used by British Airways in its new Club Suite, as well as Etihad Airways.

The cabin starts at row 11 and goes back to row 19 in a 1-2-1 (A D-G-K) configuration for a total of 26 seats, with all seats having direct aisle access.

The seat has plenty of storage space, from the large armrest on the aisle to the side table with a flap that can be opened to reveal the AC power, USB and handheld control for the inflight entertainment (IFE) as well as more storage. There is a small compartment by your feet, plus more room under the footrest. Finally there is room for some magazines.

The bed is a long one – around two metres, but is a little narrow

The seat has a built-in control panel with various pre-sets. It works well and is not in the way, so you won’t accidentally touch the controls.

The IFE screen is a good size (18 inches) and needs to be large because it is fixed and facing you directly as you sit in the seat. As with the flight over, the choice of IFE was poor. The table is tucked away under the IFE screen and has several positions which can be manipulated using a lever underneath to bring it closer. It is also bifold, so you can use it in several different ways.

Note that there is a shoulder strap which should be used for both take-off and landing. It is necessary because you are facing forward, but in an angled way, and the surround of the seat in front is close enough for you to hit your head on it in the event of, well, let’s say sudden deceleration. Despite this, the flight attendants seemed

unaware of it – we were not told to use them, and very few people did, either for take-off or landing at Heathrow.

BEST SEATS

They are all good. I was in the front row window seat 11K, but wasn’t disturbed by the galley or the toilet, which is on the other side by the door to the flight deck. If you are travelling with someone, go for the centre seats.

THE FLIGHT

Before take-off we were offered a choice of three soft drinks. I chose a lime juice. There was no offer of Champagne or sparkling wine, and in fact there wasn’t any on board. We received a substantial amenity bag with all the usual items – all wrapped in plastic, unfortunately.

After take-off our orders were taken for both drinks and food. There was a choice of two white wines and two reds: a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, a chardonnay from France, a merlot from Chile and a shiraz from Australia. The menus were shown to us on an ipad, which makes environmental sense, but it does mean it’s difficult to remember exactly what was on offer.

There seemed to be a choice between a Western and Vietnamese menu, though I had pre-ordered a vegan main. This was not very tasty and I left most of it. I spoke to colleagues on the flight and they were also disappointed with their meals, which contrasts to the meals served on the flight out of Heathrow – strange as an airline’s meals are normally best out of its home base.

My main course was two pieces of bread, which at first I mistook for large slabs of tofu, with some ratatouille. There was also a salad, a small fruit bowl with single, thick slices of orange, apple and melon, a bread roll and a pot of jam. The meal service included draping a table cloth over the table.

My main aim for the flight was to get some sleep, so I was looking forward to trying out the seat and asked a flight attendant to make the bed. This involves placing a brown undersheet on the bed, which loops over the headrest to keep it in place. With the addition of a small, Bamboo Airways-branded pillow and a comfortable blue blanket I had no problem getting settled.

You can lower the large armrest on the aisle for more room around the shoulders, or keep it raised if you like the security. The bed is a long one – around two metres, but is a little narrow if you like lying on your side. There was a fault on my seat in that it didn’t go completely flat – getting stuck perhaps five degrees away from that, but I could still sleep in that position.

I woke after about six hours and saw we were scheduled to arrive well over an hour early – at around 0845 as opposed to 1010.

I worked for a while and was offered a pot noodle as a snack, which was just what I needed. Breakfast came with the same three pieces of fruit and the same ratatouille, though this time with pasta, which was odd for breakfast. The coffee was good though, I had it with condensed milk – Vietnamese style.

ARRIVAL We arrived at 0845, some 80 minutes early, but then waited over an hour for a stand. We disembarked around 1000 and were quickly through immigration, but then the bags took 45 minutes to arrive. I finally left the airport around 1115, some two-and-a-half hours after landing.

VERDICT

A comfortable flight with a top class seat, great service and a modern aircraft. The food could be better, and so could the choice of inflight entertainment, but otherwise, very much recommended.

Watch Tom here: youtu.be/2tC3PZd3sMY?t=314 FLIGHTTIME

11 hours and 25 minutes

CONFIGURATION

1-2-1

SEATWIDTH

21 inches

BEDLENGTH

79 inches

PRICE

Internet rates for a one-way business class Hanoi-Gatwick flight in February start from £1,342

CONTACT

bambooairways.com

I had pre-ordered a vegan main. This was not very tasty and I left most of it