Which airline for London to Vietnam?

PompeyPete

Qatar airlines have several flights a day from Heathrow to their hub in Doha, and several flghts a day from Doha to Vietnam. All done on one ticket, and very efficient in the air and on the ground.

Shimrod

NiftyDigits wrote: »

....or just quote actual date ranges.

If that was in response to my post, the OP has only mentioned a summer flight, so exact dates seemed pointless.

NiftyDigits

Shimrod wrote: »

If that was in response to my post, the OP has only mentioned a summer flight, so exact dates seemed pointless.

No, a suggestion to the OP..

dj1471

Flew Cathay to Vietnam a few weeks ago - one of the best long haul economy flights I've had in recent memory. New planes, decent seats, good food and excellent value (only booked a week before).

Transferring in Hong Kong is ridiculously efficient, I got from the arrival gate on one side of the airport to the departure gate in a remote terminal on the opposite side of the airport in 30 minutes, having been delayed by the ground staff meeting passengers with short connections (could have done it in 15-20 minutes otherwise). There are some nice Plaza Premium lounges if you have a longer connection. Much preferred transiting here to Doha or Dubai.

I prefer a long flight followed by a short hop to splitting the journey in half by transiting Doha or Dubai, you get more time to rest during the journey.

The Emirates A380s are nice, but beware their old 777s (rubbish even in business) and likewise Qatar's Dreamliners (worst economy I've ever experienced).

richardw

Did you fly Cathay from Gatwick on A350 aircraft dj1471?

dj1471

richardw wrote: »

Did you fly Cathay from Gatwick on A350 aircraft dj1471?

I did, and back to Heathrow on 777 (almost identical). Nice and shiny, relatively comfortable, good IFE, decent service and Wi-Fi/mobile comms available. Legroom wasn't awesome but that's economy I guess. Even the little Cathay Dragon A320 onwards to Da Nang was fine, decent food and an exit row both ways. I think all 4 flights arrived early!

My only complaint is that I really don't like Gatwick South...

wadia860

Etihad from London to Ho Chi Minh City. Lovely.

Sadly, the second leg is operated by Vietnamese Airlines under the Etihad umbrella. I'm still in a battle with them over a year later over delayed flights. If you go with them, keep your tickets because it's normal to be delayed by then according to an English speaking Vietnamese passenger.

They've been dragging their feet asking for proof of Travel.

fifeken

PompeyPete wrote: »

Qatar airlines have several flights a day from Heathrow to their hub in Doha, and several flghts a day from Doha to Vietnam. All done on one ticket, and very efficient in the air and on the ground.

Only one to Hanoi though, and that stops at Bangkok on the way.

bagand96

Honestly I'd think about the airlines last. Start getting quotes through skyscanner/kayak/google flights etc. Consider price and itinerary first, what works best for you, departure times, connection times, overall duration etc.

After that I'd consider the airline and make a preference but in the first instance it'd be price and itinerary for me.

Plenty of options for Vietnam. The Middle East carriers will mean two flights with very even times. Airlines from Asia will mean a longer flight followed by a much shorter connection. Emirates from Dubai to Hanoi stop off in Yangon (Myanmar) on the way so consider that as some sites might show it as "direct".

Final word of warning, skyscanner and kayak are very good tools for comparing, but be wary of the cheapest agents they'll recommend. Always try and book through the airline direct or at least a reputable agent. Some will show a few pounds cheaper but it might end up being a false economy!