International airline reviews

Vietnam, Air France, Lufthansa, Jetstar & Emirates

Author: Will Maley

Whilst it's much more in vogue to review first and business class, there remains nearly 90% of travellers that sit in a much cosier space known as economy. For our front of the plane flyers, please look away now as you may find the following images confronting!

Over the European summer and autumn, we travelled across to Europe a few times, using a mix of airlines along the way. Whilst every flight has a different experience that can depend on the cabin crew, caterer, weather, other travellers, and more, these were our personal takes on what was around 100 hours of economy flying and transit.

Key take aways:

Best Airport(s): Munich & Singapore

Best Seating: Airbus A380 (Emirates)

Best Entertainment: Air France for the audio visual & Emirates for selection

Best Food: Lufthansa

Best Service: Lufthansa

Best for Kids: Lufthansa

Best Value for Money: Vietnam Airlines codeshare on Air France

As a note, I am 188cm tall and for most flights we were travelling with our 3 & 5 year old children. Whilst airport experience is largely out of the control of the airline, I have provided details on this part of our experience as it can assist in deciding where to transit and stop over and have a significant impact on your overall experience.

---

Vietnam Airlines:

Vietnam is classed as a mid-level carrier that has two main hubs, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

Flight path: Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh

Flight time: 9 hours

Aircraft: Airbus A350, 3-3-3 configuration

Check-in: The process was efficient with only around 15 minutes waiting. Highly recommend checking in online for all flights as this saved us a much longer wait if you were doing check-in at the airport. Checking in online once open also reduces your chances of being bumped on an oversold flight. Processing through immigration was quite quick, which is particularly helped by having kids to help you get fast tracked.

Pre-flight: We have AMEX lounge access so utilised this at Melbourne Airport. Whilst the lounge is only small and fairly limited in offering, it is a good spot to relax away from the noise of the general airport area.

Seating: Leg room was relatively tight however not uncomfortable for a day-time flight.

In flight entertainment: The seat back entertainment is free and the screen size is standard for economy, however the range and quality of shows and movies is very limited, particularly for children. If you have a streaming package that allows you to download shows prior to travel, it is definitely recommended here.

Meals: Adult and kids meals were serviceable for an airline but quite basic. Highly important to order a kids meal as adult options did have some spice.

Service: The staff were all friendly and efficient however were largely unsighted outside of meal service.

Arrival: Ho Chi Minh airport is very hectic and queues to get through immigration were extremely long. We were 'fast tracked' as have young kids, but even this was very slow and probably took about an hour. There is an option to pay for priority lane access if you don't have kids and we'd recommend this.

As a note, Vietnam Airlines domestic and international flights now depart from different terminals in HCM. We suggest a minimum three hours is required for this as they are a transfer apart. If you are connecting to somewhere like Da Nang, consider flying with an airline like Singapore Airlines where you can fly in directly, avoiding the need to clear immigration and changing terminals in HCM.

---

Air France:

Air France is classed as a mid-upper level carrier that's main hub is Paris, Charles de Gaulle, with further hubs across France.

Flight path: Ho Chi Minh to Paris

Flight time: 13 hours

Aircraft: Airbus A350-900, 3-3-3 configuration

Check-in: We had an early flight out of HCM and the check-in process was very efficient with no line up whatsoever. We did have to shuffle about 3kg of weight from one suitcase to another though which is always a pain and something that is hard to understand the reasoning for.

Pre-flight: Ho Chi Minh airport security and immigration was a very slow process to get through and there was no fast tracking for families with young children. Recommend holding on to your water as the line moves very slowly to security and there are water emptying points up until the last 10m or so. The departure area has a small amount of shopping and dining.

Seating: Whilst visually the seating didn't seem to have much difference to Vietnam Airlines, the feel was of having a bit more width and length which was appreciated given the longer flight.

In flight entertainment: This would have to be the best economy system that I have experienced. The screen size was the largest I have used and the picture and sound quality was excellent. The breadth of offering was also good (particularly if you are happy to watch French films and shows also), although a bit less than that offered by Emirates.

Meals: Food quality was quite good for economy, with some reasonable wines to choose from. The kids were well serviced with specially designed offerings for them that were quite healthy.

Service: The staff were all friendly however not particularly quick to clear the meal service which can be a bit of a pain if you need to move around the cabin.

Arrival: Paris arrival was more efficient than in previous years which is likely due to us arriving late afternoon, rather than in the morning when the bulk of flights arrive.

As a note, we took the day time flight from Ho Chi Minh which meant we arrived to Paris around 4:30pm which is ideal for minimising jet lag on arrival. We were also on a Vietnam Airlines ticket as they code share with Air France. This option works out cheaper than buying an Air France ticket.

---

Lufthansa:

Lufthansa is classed as an mid-upper level carrier that's main hubs are Frankfurt and Munich, with further hubs across Germany.

Flight path: Munich to Bangkok

Flight time: 11 hours

Aircraft: Airbus A350-900, 3-3-3 configuration

Check-in: We flew Lyon to Munich to then connect to the long haul flight. Both Lyon and Munich were very efficient with quick processing through both airports.

Pre-flight: Lyon airport is more like a domestic airport than a major international airport. There was an excellent kids play area and decent food offering. We had a late flight out of Munich airport and it was very quiet with a lot of areas closed. We were able to get some nice cafe style food and German beer before flying. There is also a kids play area for those travelling with young kids.

Seating: Similar to Air France, the seating seemed reasonably spacious and for an overnight flight it was about the best to hope for in economy.

In flight entertainment: The screen size was quite good and entertainment offering quite broad. For the kids the options were fairly limited so having extra activities for them on a day flight is recommended.

Meals: Of all the flights over this season (and from recent memory), the food with Lufthansa was definitely the best we have had. The quality was excellent across all options.

Service: We were happy with the staff's attention to detail and engagement and they were quick to clear after the meal when everyone was ready for sleep.

Arrival: Bangkok arrival was quite hectic as is always the case. We were ushered between lines by the airport staff with a view to make it quicker but it was probably longer in the end. This is the same experience we have had in previous years so was expected.

---

Jetstar:

Jetstar is classed as a low cost carrier that's main hubs are Sydney and Melbourne, with further hubs across Australia.

Flight path: Bangkok to Melbourne

Flight time: 10 hours

Aircraft: Boeing Dreamliner, 3-3-3 configuration

As a pre-cursor to the below, it is worth noting that our flight was delayed by around 5 hours due to mechanical issues delaying the plane's departure from Melbourne to Bangkok. Fortunately Jetstar let us know prior to heading to the airport and we had our accommodation through to the next day so could stay there. Thailand has compensation laws for late departures so we actually had our transfers reimbursed and also received about $100 per person back from Jetstar plus around $25 per person in food vouchers for the airport. Jetstar to their credit were quick to process this.

Check-in: The process at Bangkok airport is typically fairly efficient provided you have done on-line check-in. We weren't able to one year and it made for a drawn out saga. Our flight was also at 3am due to the delay so the airport was very quiet.

Pre-flight: Bangkok airport is noisy, particularly in the food and shopping areas. Due to our late flight the food options were limited. Be aware that you can't take liquids to the gate. There is a security point before you descend to the gate waiting area so best not to purchase drinks with a view to having them with you while you wait or onboard.

Seating: Jetstar have leather seating that is reasonably comfortable for a low cost carrier. Leg room is pretty tight so being an overnight flight it was difficult to get comfortable.

In flight entertainment: Jetstar charge a fee of around $10 per screen for access to the inflight entertainment. The range is similar to Qantas, so ok but nothing special. Best to download your own shows to your phone/ipad if you can. Don't bother with your laptop though as it is too squeezy!

Meals: These are also paid for either pre or in-flight. We bring our own food as previous experience is that the food is not great.

Service: One benefit of the limited food service is that you can get to sleep much quicker. The staff were all friendly and they helped out where they could.

Arrival: Arriving later into Melbourne was much better. We often find Melbourne to be very hectic and long lines for passport control and customs but this wasn't the case and we were quickly on our way.

Emirates:

Emirates is classed as a premium carrier that's main hub is Dubai.

Flight path: Milan-Dubai-Singapore

Flight time: 6 & 8 hours

Aircraft: A-380 3-4-3 & B-777-300 3-4-3

Check-in: Check-in at Milan Airport was very efficient. I was travelling with a bike and this didn't pose any issues and the staff were happy to check my luggage through to Melbourne with my connecting Qantas flight and issue my boarding passes. Not all staff will do this when travelling on separate tickets. This made life much easier for when I reached Singapore as it meant I didn't have to go through customs and re-check in.

Pre-flight: Milan airport is pretty basic with not a big range of shopping or places to relax. The food is of a better standard and pricing though than most airports.

Seating: For the first flight I had exit row seating so leg room was not an issue. If you are travelling on your own, I recommend the window seat (68A or 68K) on the row behind the exit row. This seat doesn't have a seat in front so you have full leg room and ease of access, but as it is set back you don't have the issue of people doing their calisthenics on top of you as can be the case in the main exit row.

For the second flight I had a window seat. Leg room is pretty similar to most flights. The A380 does have greater shoulder room though as the curve of the side of the plane starts higher.

In flight entertainment: Emirates' ICE platform is one of the leaders. They have a huge array of movies, shows, games and music. The thing I really like is that they have live sport and news programming. The live sport often includes AFL and NRL, as well as soccer, golf and tennis.

Meals: Emirates food offering seemed better on the ex-Milan flight to the ex-Dubai flight, neither worth getting excited about, and on some of the flights they quickly ran out of the second option which can be a bit disappointing if it's what you have your eye on!

Service: The staff were very efficient and friendly. They regularly came around between meal service with water and juice, and were happy to provide extra drinks and snacks on request.

Arrival: Dubai airport remains one of my lesser preferred airports. The bright lights and shopping focus is tough to deal with in the middle of the night and it's often that you have to do quite a transfer between terminal to get to the connecting flight. The food offering has improved in recent years though with more variety and quality on offer.

Singapore Airport is a more relaxed experience with dimmer lighting and more subdued shopping a welcome relief. Singapore Airport has plenty on offer with a swimming pool, gardens, airside hotel, cinema and relaxation areas throughout. It is worth noting that the 'HSBC Rain Vortex' requires clearing customs and immigration.