Fleet Updates: Vietnam Receives A350; Postpones B787

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) earlier today took delivery of their very first Airbus A350-900 (A359). The aircraft is the first new widebody added to VNA's fleet in over 10 years, and alongside the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789), will mark the modernization of its long-haul fleet, currently consisting of Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s.

Photo courtesy Airbus/ATWOnline

VNA becomes only the second carrier to operate the A359, after Qatar Airways (QR), and has orders for 13 additional A359s.  The inaugural route will be from Hanoi (HAN) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) sometime in 3Q of this year.

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As for the B789 delivery schedule, sources have confirmed that the handover will be delayed until July 24. There was reportedly a minor issue with the planned interior configuration, and changes had to be implemented before the aircraft received its airworthiness certificate.

This is the same aircraft, operated by Boeing pilots, that wowed spectators earlier this month at the Paris Air Show with a near-vertical takeoff.  Below is a video from Boeing on the preparation and warmup flights.

VNA plans on introducing the B789 on its London-Heathrow (LHR) routes.

First Boeing 787 for Vietnam Airlines Rolls Off Assembly Line

Short but sweet news: FlightGlobal reports that Vietnam Airlines' (VNA's) first Boeing 787-9 (B789) has completed assembly and has rolled out of the hangar.

Photo courtesy Vietnam Airlines/FlightGlobal

Its next stop will be the paint shop to put on the VNA livery, then test flights will commence.

VNAFlyer previously broke the story about interior cabin configurations.

This first B789 is leased, and will have 28 business class seats from Cirrus and 283 slimline economy seats from B/E Aerospace.

While the leased aircraft will not have a deluxe economy section, VNA's purchased airframes will be configured with 28 business, 35 deluxe economy, and 211 economy seats.

The first B789 will be deployed on the Hanoi (HAN) to London-Heathrow (LHR) route commencing June 29, and split time with the Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)-LHR sector.

Update: VNA's First 787 in Final Assembly

Apparently Vietnam Airlines' (VNA's) first Dreamliner has entered the beginning stages of final assembly at the Boeing factory in Everett, WA. 

Final assembly means that most of the smaller components that can be installed have been installed, and all that's left is to join the large body sections such as the flight deck, fuselage, wings, engines, and landing gear. This process can take a month or more to complete.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines Releases Interior Images for 787, A350

VNA is due to receive the 787-9 (B789) in late May, with the first scheduled long-haul flight scheduled for Hanoi (HAN) to London-Heathrow (LHR) on June 29. It will be painted in VNA's updated livery that has already appeared on a number of Boeing 777-200s (B772) after repainting, and on the new Airbus A350-900 (A359) that emerged from the paintshop in Toulouse recently.

(H/T: All Things 787)

Vietnam Airlines Confirms New Cabin Uniforms; But a Different 787 Business Seat?

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has confirmed the introduction of new uniforms for cabin and flight crew members:

VNAFlyer previously posted an Instagram photo of the purported uniforms captured on the computer screen of an unknown person.

The traditional Vietnamese ao dai is preserved, though now uniform colors are based on the cabin being served: blue for economy, and gold for business. The new uniforms can already be seen on some international routes.

What's most striking to me actually isn't the flight attendants posing in their uniforms. It's that they were photoshopped onto a background of a 787 cabin, and the seats shown are decidedly different than the ones that were "officially released" by VNA:

Honestly, the doctored photo with the FAs could be more accurate, as they show an interior color palette that more closely resembles their current cabin, as well as the rendering for the A350 cabin:

I will follow up with what I find out...

American Confirms 1st 787 International Routes to Beijing, Buenos Aires

American Airlines (AA), which took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (B788) last month, officially announced today the first revenue flights for the new advanced widebody aircraft.

AA's B788 will be based at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), AA's headquarters and main hub. On May 7, it will initial fly domestic familiarization and training flights to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) twice daily.

On June 2, the B788 will make its inaugural international flight from DFW to Beijing, China (PEK). After its return from PEK, on June 4 it will then fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE).

These flights will be available for booking starting this Saturday, February 14.

"We look forward to welcoming our international customers onboard the 787 with its modern amenities and comforts beginning this summer," said Andrew Nocella, American's chief marketing officer. "Adding the 787 Dreamliner to our network gives us the opportunity to increase our efficiency on long-haul flights across the globe and potentially open up new markets in our network. It's a big win for customers and just the latest example of how American is going for great."

For travelers from the United States to Vietnam, AA's DFW-PEK flight opens up another option, as AA fare rules generally allow passengers to connect in China onto Vietnam Airlines (VNA) and other carriers. For instance, a passenger can fly DFW-PEK then onward to Saigon (SGN) or Hanoi (HAN) on VNA.

VNA is set to take delivery of its own Dreamliner later this year.

The B788 will have 2 classes of service, with 28 lie-flat seats in business class with all-aisle access, arranged in a unique 1-2-1, foreward/backward-facing configuration. In-flight entertainment is on a 15.3-inch HD touchscreen, and Bose noise canceling headsets will be provided. A walk-up bar for midflight drinks and snacks will also be available.

In economy, there are 198 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration, 48 of which will be in the extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra section, reserved for the airline's elite passengers and also available for a fee. Each economy seat will feature a 9-inch HD touchscreen.

All seats will feature universal AC and USB power outlets, as well as onboard Wi-Fi.

AA has ordered 42 Boeing 787s in total, in both the -8 and the stretched -9 versions, with options for 58 more.

Vietnam Airlines Releases Interior Images for 787, A350

On Tuesday, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) posted seatmaps and rendered images for their new Boeing 787-9 (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359) aircraft. The images appeared on VNA's official Facebook page.

The images confirm my previous anonymously-sourced information on the B789 that the new business class seats are the Cirrus from Zodiac Aerospace, the deluxe economy seats are from HAECO (nee TIMCO), and the economy seats are the lightweight Pinnacle seats from B/E Aerospace.

Rendering of VNA's B789 business cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's B789 deluxe economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's B789 economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

What was surprising to me were the images for the A359 interior. Instead of going for fleet commonality in business class by installing Cirrus on the Airbus, VNA opted to use what looks like a version of EADS Solstys, which is a staggered forward-facing product.

Rendering of VNA's A359 business cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Also surprising: It seems that VNA is choosing outfit the A359's deluxe economy cabin with the regular Pinnacle economy seats, still at 9-abreast in a 3-3-3 configuration (instead of the 7-abreast, 2-3-2 truly bigger seat configuration on the B789), just with more legroom!

Rendering of VNA's A359 deluxe economy cabin (?).
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Rendering of VNA's A359 economy cabin.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

I'm really REALLY hoping that the A359's configuration is not set in stone, especially in regards to the deluxe economy cabin. While VNA apparently installed a proper premium economy product on the B789s, they didn't do anything special on the A359s except give more leg room (akin to what many US-based carriers do). Perhaps this was a mistake in posting the images? Or an incorrect interpretation?

I feel that VNA had the chance to ensure fleet commonality in seating and features, departing from their previous ragtag fleets mixed from owned aircraft and aircraft from different lessors. Instead, they provide two completely different premium cabin products, which can only lead to operational complexities, crew confusion and dissatisfaction for the premium passenger.

I'll admit that I love the Cirrus seat, and I'm sure that the Vantage XL is a fine product as well. I do feel they should have stuck with one or the other. My speculative guess? There may have been a seating supply shortage from one vendor that required using the other's product, as to not delay delivery for either aircraft any longer.

One last small point of contention: I do hope VNA follows the lead of other carriers of installing a proper walk-up bar in business class, instead of what was pictured:

Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Still, it's an exciting time for VNA, with two new widebody types coming online this year to replace their aging long-haul fleet. New planes, new cabins, new seats, and even Wi-Fi on board.

What about that seat map?
Let's compare what I thought the seatmap was going to be vs. what was actually released by VNA.

VNAFlyer's predicted mockup.

VNA's released seatmap.

I think I came pretty close! Especially with the deluxe economy seats and the economy section after the 3rd doors. What I didn't get quite right:

• While I knew there were 211 seats in economy (and VNA's seat map confirms this), I miscounted and only put 205 seats;
• I might have given deluxe economy a little too much leg room;
• I was off on some of the mid-cabin lavatory and galley positions;
• My business class rows were off, with the middle set more forward rather than being in line with the window seats.

Hopefully VNA will release a seatmap of the A359 soon, so that we can confirm my worst fears the seating arrangement.

You'll find the B789 flying to London as soon as June 29.

(H/T: Flyertalk user nam_sg)

Vietnam Airlines' Inaugural 787-9 Flight to London-Heathrow on June 29

The inaugural international service for Vietnam Airlines' (VNA's) new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789) is currently scheduled to be on June 29, 2015, flying from Hanoi (HAN) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR).

This replaces service currently flown on VNA's Boeing 777-200ER (B772).

Flight VN055 will depart HAN at 12:30am for an overnight flight, arriving at LHR at 6:40am.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

The first return flight, VN054, will depart from LHR at 2:45pm on June 29, and arrive back at HAN the next day at 7:50am.

Then on June 30, the B789 will operate a revenue domestic flight for repositioning, Flight VN237 from HAN to Saigon (SGN), departing at 10:00am and landing at 12:05pm.

The first B789 flight out of SGN will depart early on July 1 at 12:05am and arrive at LHR at 6:40am the same day.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines: In-Flight Wi-Fi to be Available on New 787, A350 Aircraft

It seems that while the equipment information has been loaded, VNA is using their B772 seatmaps as placeholders, so if while one can select a seat on a flight scheduled to be on a B789, it's very likely to change.

A screenshot of the seatmap that appears on the LHR routes operated by the B789,
though it's clearly the configuration for the B772. Image source: Reader Andrew R.

A blog reader reports that he was able to select a business class seat on the map, even though he is currently booked in a premium economy seat. I cautioned him to:

• Recheck for new seat assignments when VNA loads the final B789 seatmap into the system; and,
• Prepare to ask for a refund, since the first 4 B789s are slated to arrive with no deluxe economy seating.

(H/T: Andrew R.)

Boeing Signs Memo with CAAV, Pledges to Help Start Direct Vietnam-US Flights

Vietnamese carriers are prohibited from flying directly to the US until the CAAV receives the FAA's "Category 1" designation, which is based on meeting ICAO standards around safety and oversight. VNA has a stated goal of eventually flying from SGN to LAX and will have the aircraft to fly it, but no current authority to do so.

Signing ceremony. Image source: US Department of State

The Boeing Company and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) recently signed a Memorandum of Collaboration, with the goal of guiding Vietnam towards receiving the "Category 1" designation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which would allow Vietnamese airlines to begin flying their aircraft into US airports.

The only Vietnamese carrier currently with international long-haul service is Vietnam Airlines (VNA), which has stated its desire to start direct flights from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon (SGN) to Los Angeles (LAX) as soon as 2016.

VNA's main domestic competitor, Vietjet Air (VJ), has stated that it will not start long-haul services for several years.

Read more: VietJet Air wants to grow aggressively, gets money to do it, needs even more money

At a ceremony in Hanoi attended by both Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong and US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, representatives from the CAAV and Boeing pledged to work closely together to achieve the coveted CAT-1 status.

CAT-1 status is attained by a nation's civil authority when it meets standards set forth by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Such standards include an evaluation of overall safety, legislation, enforcement, and oversight.

Vietnam is not currently listed on the FAA's evaluation results because of the lack of air service to the US; this gives Vietnam a "Category 2" rating by default, preventing the launch of air service directly to the United States.

Additionally, an ICAO audit in 2007 found that Vietnam's civil aviation system had glaring deficiencies, to the point that the European Union (EU) was considering banning VNA and other Vietnamese carriers from flying in EU airspace.

While this memorandum is non-binding on the parties and the FAA, it does emphasize Boeing's active role in aiding the CAAV undertake and complete corrective measures, and highlights the aircraft manufacturer's view of Vietnam as a major growth market in commercial aviation.

While its current fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s do not have the range to make the SGN-LAX flight nonstop, VNA is poised to take delivery of two new advanced and efficient aircraft types, the Boeing 787-9 (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359), in the next few months to replace the current long-haul fleet.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

SGN-LAX is approximately 8,169 miles.
The shaded area is beyond the
B789's range.
Image source: Great Circle Mapper.

Both the B789s and A359s have the range to reach most of the US and all of Canada.

In recent years, diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States have warmed significantly. Vietnam has had a long-standing desire to connect the country to the largest populations of Vietnamese abroad. Efforts to convince overseas Vietnamese to come to their homeland have included the relaxing of travel visa requirements, the implementation of visa waivers, and the facilitation of travel for those wishing to conduct business and commerce in Vietnam.

Over 270,000 people in the greater Los Angeles area identify themselves as Vietnamese or of Vietnamese heritage, with half that population in Orange County alone.

Overall, there are more than 1.5 million Vietnamese living in the US. Other top Vietnamese populations centers are in Northern California Bay Area (over 181,000), Texas (Dallas and Houston metro areas, over 174,000), Washington, DC (over 57,000), and Seattle (over 55,000).

Failing to meet ICAO standards has had a long-reaching effect on Vietnamese aviation, beyond not securing the FAA's CAT-1 designation.

Transport Canada also prohibits Vietnamese carriers from flying into Canadian airports. There are over 220,000 living in Canada who claim a Vietnamese lineage.

Vietnam has invested heavily in aviation infrastructure, including the opening of a new US$645 million international terminal at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport (HAN), new terminals at smaller airports like Vinh, and a completely new airport on Phu Quoc (PQC) Island to allow larger aircraft to land.

But recent lapses, such as a power outage at an air traffic control center that left airspace around SGN unmonitored for over an hour, give the ICAO and FAA cause for concern.

VNA Aims to fly Saigon to Los Angeles Direct in 2016

Author's Note: A substantial version of this entry was originally posted on the Flyertalk.com forum on January 1, 2015.

VNA outlines its fleet and route expansion plans in its IPO prospectus, including the desire for direct SGN-LAX service in 2016.

In Vietman Airlines' (VNA's) initial public offering (IPO) prospectus, a very interesting tidbit popped out at me, regarding VNA's route expansion plans:

"North America: We carefully expand our presence in this market in order to maintain the efficiency of the entire network. In specific, to develop our trans-Pacific network, route from Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles will be inaugurated in 2016 while flights to San Francisco, Washington and Vancouver will be inaugurated when applicable."

Obviously a lot can happen (or not happen) in 1-2 years. I do think the lynchpin to this whole expansion plan is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) acceptance of Vietnam-flagged aircraft into US airports, and that's predicated by Vietnam's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAV) meeting the International Civil Aviation Organization's safety standards.

VNA must be very optimistic that the issues can be worked out.

If you'll allow me to indulge in my own speculation:

• The FAA will have to give VNA their blessing sometime in 2015 to make the 2016 timeframe work.
• SGN-LAX would instantly become VNA's crown jewel route (sorry Paris-CDG). 
• VNA would throw the best equipment they have on this route if available, so an Airbus A350 (A359), which has more seats than a Boeing 787-9 (B789)... or may even push VN into acting on their memo of understanding in regards to the Airbus A380,
• I see San Francisco (SFO) going A359; Vancouver and Washington, DC could go B789.
• San Jose (SJC) will try give VNA the kitchen sink to win the route over SFO; it would be more convenient to the expatriate & refugee population centered in San Jose, and SJC would love to have another Asian destination (in addition to Tokyo [NRT] on ANA [NH]).
• I'm surprised Houston (IAH) wasn't mentioned, perhaps it was an oversight? A B789 would work well on that route.
• Since launching SGN-LAX would require a bilateral agreement, I would guess that a US-based carrier would launch service to compete with VNA. The obvious choice would be United (UA), as they already fly to SGN via Hong Kong (HKG). However, I'm putting my money with long odds on American (AA) with a B789.

What do you think?

Vietnam Airlines Livery and Branding Gets Minor Refreshening

Ahead of its landmark deliveries of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 widebody aircraft, VNA's corporate identity receives first updating since 2002.

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No. VN-A146 pictured, in new livery.
Image source: Long Ethan

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has been quietly working behind the scenes on its rebranding effort, but the first photos of their updated livery have surfaced thanks to some planespotters.

At least 2 of VNA's Boeing 777-200ERs (B772s), reg. nos. VN-A143 and VN-A146, have been sighted with a new paint job, and it looks pretty sharp.

You can see the current livery (I call this "current" because VNA hasn't officially announced the corporate rebranding yet) next to the new livery below:

VNA's current livery (left) and new livery (right).
Image source: Long Ethan

The differences:

• Gone is the battleship gray belly, replaced with a much more sleek white.
• The straight cheat line has been given some curves, and uses VNA's secondary color, gold.
• The tail logo has been enlarged, and actually continues onto the fuselage.
• The logos have been removed from the engine nacelles.

This livery will undoubtedly appear on VNA's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359), both due to be delivered later this year. 

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

I like the refreshed look, it keeps to VNA's popular livery while making it more modern and sophisticated, and the current long haul fleet is in desperate need of some TLC. Check out the same aircraft (VN-A146) before it received the new paint job (enlarge it to see how bad it really is):

Image source: Szabo Dani/Airliners.net

What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Comment below!

Vietnam Airlines: In-Flight Wi-Fi to be Available on New 787, A350 Aircraft

VNA to introduce Wi-Fi on the newest planes first, with plans to expand "on a wide scale" later.

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Vietnam Airlines (VNA) intends to introduce in-flight high-speed wireless Internet access on its fleet, starting with the introduction of the newest aircraft to be delivered later this year.

New deliveries of Boeing 787-9s Dreamliners (B789s) and Airbus A350-900s (A359s) will come with the equipment to deliver Wi-Fi already installed. The current fleet of aircraft will have to have the hardware retrofitted, which will cost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of US dollars per aircraft.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

VNA's CEO Pham Ngoc Minh indicated that access on international flights will cost US$15-20 per flight, with the possibility of no-charge access on domestic sectors.

This indeed would be welcome news to many travelers, especially to those in the ever-important business segment. On the heels of learning about lie-flat business class seats on the B789, this news makes VNA's willingness to invest in passenger comfort even more impressive.

Would you pay to use inflight Wi-Fi if offered on VNA? Does Wi-Fi make you more likely to fly on VNA? Comment below!

Vietnam Airlines to move London operations to Heathrow on March 31

SkyTeam flyers will soon have another comfortable option to Southeast Asia

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It took 7 years, but Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has finally secured slots at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) and will shift its operations away from Gatwick Airport (LGW) beginning on March 31, 2015.

Image source: SkyTeam

VNA will be located in LHR's Terminal 4 with other SkyTeam alliance partners and giving Golden Lotus Plus (GLP) Platinum, SkyTeam Elite Plus, and premium class flyers access to the wonderful joint SkyTeam Lounge at LHR.

VNA has been flying to LGW since 2011. The 4-times weekly London service, split between Saigon (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN), is currently operated by the aging Boeing 777-200ER (B772) fleet, but will eventually see VNA's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789) plying the route, with an eventual buildup to daily service.

An additional frequency from HAN will be added when VNA moves to LHR.

Read more: Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

With the introduction of B789 service comes modern, lie-flat seats in business class, as well as a revamped economy cabin. However, premium economy will be not be available, at least initially, as VNA will receive its leased B789s first, which will not be equipped with a Deluxe Economy section.

VNA had previously announced its intention to begin revenue B789 service on July 1, but I feel that's a bit optimistic... I think August is a more realistic timeline.

Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787: New Lie-Flat Seats in Business, 2 Different Economy Configurations

Sources confirm details on business class seats, as well as two different configurations in economy for leased and purchased aircraft.

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Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has been very quiet regarding the interior plans of its newest widebody aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (B789) and Airbus A350-900 (A359), especially in light of the fact that VNA is due to take delivery of its first of both models within the next few months.

When the order was first announced in 2005, VNA was expected to take delivery of 16 of the smaller 787-8 (B788) in 2009, but the Dreamliner program experienced years of delay. In the interim, VNA opted to change their order to the stretched B789 model, which pushed delivery back even further. Subsequently, additional units were ordered.

The acquisition was a mix of direct purchases and leasing agreements. This is important because the cabins in the leased aircraft will be different from airframes owned by VNA.

VNAFlyer, through unnamed sources familiar with VNA's fleet renewal plans, has learned the seat types and cabin configuration for its soon-to-be-delivered B789s.

Business Class

Translated caption: VIP guests of
Vietnam Airlines will experience
Class C (business class) service on
Airbus A350 aircraft. Image source:
baogiaothong.vn

The first purported detail of the new seats came from a Vietnamese website showing a screen capture from a local TV show of VNA demonstrating a new business class seat to be used on their A359s (H/T: Flyertalk user soorox). While the screencap is low quality, it does look like a version of the Cirrus seat from Zodiac Aerospace, 

VNAFlyer can confirm that the Zodiac Cirrus is indeed the premium seat selected for VNA's Dreamliners, and very likely for its A359s as well. This represents a huge leap forward in passenger comfort from the seats currently in its widebody fleet. (Note: VNA does not offer a first-class cabin on any of its fleet.)

Current B777 business class seat.
Image source: Vietnam Airlines

Cirrus Seats
Image source: Zodiac Aerospace

I have been fortunate enough to sit in a few versions of this seat on various airlines, and they were fantastic. The most important design element is having seats that lie completely flat and parallel to the floor, a big win for passengers being able to more easily rest or sleep. 

Reverse herringbone layout.
Image source: American Airlines

Also, the "reverse-herringbone" layout of the cabin gives all passengers unimpeded, direct aisle access without disturbing anyone else. For the airlines, there is very little impact on seating capacity, since each row saves space by tucking a passenger's feet under the arm console of the row in front, giving the passenger room to stretch their legs while spacing the rows closer together.

Add in ample storage, easy to use controls, plenty of privacy, charging outlets, and a huge entertainment screen (AA uses a 15.4" touchscreen), and you have yourself one heck of a seat offering from VNA. The in-flight entertainment system will be sourced from Panasonic.

Image source: Cathay Pacific

Overall, the Zodiac Cirrus widely receives high praise from frequent flyers and business travelers alike. While the specific details of VNA's version are not yet available, you can see how other airlines utilize the Cirrus to outfit and refresh their premium cabins, notably: Air France, American, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, and EVA.

VNA will have 28 business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. This likely represents 7 rows occupying the space between the 1st and 2nd doors (Air Canada manages to cram 30 Cirrus seats into the same area).

Deluxe Economy

Image Source: Aircraft Interiors
Expo/TIMCO

With the B789s and A359s destined for long-haul service, VNA will retain its premium economy product (called Deluxe Economy), using the TIMCO (now HAECO) 3050 Featherweight Premium Economy seats, offering up to 10-15 degrees in recline, minimum 38" pitch, up to 75-degree leg rest, a 4-way headrest, and a max 10.4" screen (VNA-specific configuration not available). These seats have articulating cushions, so when a passenger "leans back" the seat doesn't intrude into the space of the passenger behind.

However, Deluxe Economy will only exist on their owned aircraft. Leased B789s will not have a Deluxe Economy section, and will be all regular economy instead (see below).

More slightly bad news... the first few B789s off the line will be leased.

On VNA's purchased B789s, the deluxe economy section will have 35 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. You can also find these seats on Thomson Airways' Dreamliners as well as in the premium cabins of many narrowbody fleets. 

Image source: JetBlue

Economy

The economy cabin will feature the B/E Aerospace Pinnacle, the lightest aircraft seats in the market. Notably, Delta Air Lines recently tapped B/E Aerospace to install the Pinnacle on 225 of its narrowbody fleet. JetBlue is also using this model to refurbish 70 of its aircraft, and installing it on 30 new deliveries. While slimline seats have generally been panned as being uncomfortable, B/E's version seems to garner less ire from passengers.

VNA will install 211 of these seats in the economy section of their purchased B789. No word yet on pitch, entertainment options, or other dimensions, but don't be surprised if VNA uses a 3-3-3 layout.

On leased aircraft, removing 35 Deluxe economy seats allows for the addition of 72 more regular seats, boosting the number to 283.

Possible Seat Map?

Taking the information above and comparing to what other airlines have done, I've extrapolated this mockup of what VNA's B789 seat map may look like with Deluxe Economy:

Note: This is only a mockup, and it's for B789s purchased by VNA, which will be delivered later.

And in a 2-class configuration without Deluxe Econmy:

Note: This is only a mockup, and it's for B789s leased by VNA, which will be delivered first.

Final Thoughts

While I feel that there isn't much variance between different types of premium economy and economy seats (and most passengers probably don't notice anyway), VNA's selection of Zodiac's Cirrus seat for business class definitely elevates its premium game in the region. It stands to reason that the same seats will be used for both the B789 and A359. 

The carrier will need to continue on this trajectory to be able to compete with the likes of THAI Airways and Singapore Airlines, as well as stay ahead of other competing carriers. I certainly hope that VNA management realizes that an outstanding hard product alone won't help much... they'll have to revamp their on-board soft product to the same degree, as well as vastly improve their customer service both onboard and on the ground.

What do you think? Does this make you want to give VNA a try (or come back)?

By the way, the first planned long-haul revenue service on the B789 is to London Heathrow (LHR), split between Saigon (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN). While there are reports that this would commence in July of this year, I'm guessing that it won't happen until at least August, since delivery is right around end of May.

UPDATE: Vietnam Airlines: In-Flight Wi-Fi to be Available on New 787, A350 Aircraft