This is the return flight back to Singapore from Ho Chi Minh City. I covered the outbound on the Boeing 787-10 in a separate review, so I won’t repeat the trip context or go through the Singapore Airlines regional economy product again.
We were on the Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 this time, the variant that carries a premium economy cabin, although premium economy isn’t sold as a separate class on this sector.
Check-in
The regular queue at Tan Son Nhat was long. No surprise there, since the airport has been operating over capacity for years and the terminal was never built for the numbers it handles now. Star Alliance Gold got us into the priority lane and we were done in a few minutes. Easily 20 minutes saved, probably more.
Beside us, a group of four were having a long back-and-forth with the check-in agent. From what I could gather, only one of them held KrisFlyer Elite Silver, and the assumption was that the rest could follow him through. He checked in the Elite Silver member at the priority counter and explained that the other three had to join the regular queue. I couldn’t tell whether they were all on one booking or just trying their luck.
Technically, the agent was right. Priority check-in follows the member, not the booking, and that applies to KrisFlyer Elite Silver and Star Alliance Gold alike. In practice, it usually isn’t enforced that strictly. As a Star Alliance Gold member, I’ve never had a problem bringing a few other folks travelling with me through the priority lane, whether at Changi or elsewhere. But it depends on the airport, the length of the queue, and which agent you get. If only one person in your group has status, treat it as a bonus.
Singapore Airlines doesn’t operate its own lounge in Ho Chi Minh City. What you get instead is a voucher, and at check-in we were offered three options: dining voucher, a contract lounge, or the spa.
We had our own Priority Pass, so the lounge was pointless, and the spa was the obvious pick. Choosing the Sen Viet Spa would mean 20 minutes of head and shoulder massage each. It wasn’t life-changing, but it beat sitting in a packed contract lounge picking at a buffet, and we still had plenty of time left afterwards to use the Priority Pass lounges.
Boarding
Boarding followed the usual order. Business class and PPS Club members first, then Star Alliance Gold, then economy by zone. The gate area was packed and people were already crowding the entrance before their zone was called. We took our time and were among the last few to board.
The seat
The Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 Long Haul variant of the aircraft carries 253 seats: 42 in business, 24 in premium economy across rows 31 to 33, and 187 in economy from row 41 back, laid out 3-3-3. There are over 30 of these aircraft in the fleet and they spend most of their time on Europe, US and Australia routes, though occasionally on regional flights like the one we’re flying.
Economy here is 32 inches of pitch and about 18 inches of width. The Airbus A350-900 cabin is wider than the Boeing 787-10, so there’s a little more shoulder room than on the way over. Legroom was fine and the recline was usable.
The seat is the older generation and you can tell from the design. Having flown the Boeing 787-10 only a few days before, the difference was obvious the moment I sat down. Nothing was wrong with it, it just looks its age.
In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi
KrisWorld and the free Wi-Fi for KrisFlyer members work exactly as they did on the outbound. I didn’t use either properly this time. The sector is short and I ended up having some shuteye instead.
Food and drinks
We both took the Vietnamese stir-fried pork with lemongrass with steamed rice, and it was quite good. Proper lemongrass flavour coming through, pork that still had some bite to it. It’s the sort of dish that holds up after being reheated at altitude, which is more than I can say for most economy main dishes.
Dessert was a caramel custard pudding, which fits the route given how much bánh flan you’d have eaten on the ground. I finished mine, which was very tasty.
Drinks came round with the meal, and the crew moved fast, which counts for a lot when the service window is this tight.
Concluding thoughts
Having now flown both aircraft on this route within a week, there’s no real difference between them. On a sector this short, book whichever is cheaper.
What made the difference was Star Alliance Gold on the ground. Tan Son Nhat is not a pleasant airport to turn up at as a regular economy passenger, and skipping the check-in queue made the whole departure feel unhurried.
