Vietnam Airlines A321 | Ho Chi Minh city (SGN) – Phu Quoc Island (PQC) | (FULL trip report in 4K)

Vietnam Airlines A321 | Ho Chi Minh city (SGN) – Phu Quoc Island (PQC) | (FULL trip report in 4K)

TAN SON NHAT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SGN) Dubbed the “jade island”, Phu Quoc is an island resort located in the southern Vietnam This all year round destination is famous for its stunning beaches, warm climate, fresh seafood, a lot of things to do & see I visited Phu Quoc several times, and today I will take another flight to this paradise island The scheduled short flight departs from Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh city) I will fly with the national carrier of Vietnam Airlines TERMINAL T1 Tan Son Nhat is the Vietnam’s largest airport Tan Son Nhat Airport has three Terminals: T1, T2 & newly built T3 (just inaugurated on April 19, 2025) While Terminals T1 & T3 serve domestic flights, T2 is dedicated to international routes My flight No. VN 1831 will depart at 4:40PM and arrive at Phu Quoc airport at 5:45PM (1 hour + 05 minutes traveling time) Terminal T1 welcome about 15 million visitors annually Check-in counter of Vietnam Airlines on my left hand Vietnam Airlines has officially moved all domestic flights to Terminal T3 after it put in operation on May 17, 2025 Self check-in service of Vietnam Airlines Unlike my previous flights, I’m often check-in at counters with airline staff For this flight, I checked-in at a self check-in machine (Kiosk) The way of check-in is also quite easy, you just need to enter the reservation code that was sent via email at the time of online booking And carefully read and follow the instructions (select the seat number, enter the weight of checked-baggage, meals…) I will demonstrate with my case First, enter the passenger code you have received via email before Then press the button SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP CARD NUMBER if you are a member of Vietnam Airlines If not, press the button PROCEED CHECK-IN Press YES if you want to print a baggage tag Then select the seat number if you did not choose before Since I did not enter the number of pieces of luggage, so the system require me do again If you have 1, enter 1 in the box (the baggage icon to the right of passenger name) A little note that you need to weigh your luggage first and remember the number of kg for convenience in entering data at this step Because I didn’t remember my luggage weight, I had to re-enter it twice If you don’t remember the exact weight of the luggage, you can estimate with a round number Press CONFIRM button to process The process will take a few minutes to complete Free of charge: Usually 1 piece 23kg (Economy, Premium Economy) or 1 piece 32kg (Business) My boarding pass and luggage tag My window seat 30A Because it was my first time checking in at a kiosk I didn’t know how to peel and stick the luggage tag and had to ask the airline staff for help In general, carry-on baggage must not exceed 12kg (Economy and Premium Economy) or 18kg (Business Class), including 1 piece and 1 accessory Tan Son Nhat International Airport has a total capacity of 50 million passengers per year after the Terminal T3 comes into operation Of which, the new Terminal T3 has a capacity of 20 million passengers per year, while the previous terminals T1 and T2 have a capacity of 30 million passengers per year The traveling time from Tan Son Nhat airport to Saigon center is about 20 – 30 minutes, depending on the distance and type of vehicle you use Tan Son Nhat Airport was built by the French in 1930 for military purposes with a red dirt runway, more than 1,500m long By 1933, the airport received its first landing flight, departing from Paris, France In 1956, the US built a larger concrete airport, 3,000 meters long, twice the length of the airport built by France before Tan Son Nhat International Airport is a civil airport combined with military flight operations In which the civil area is located in the east and south, the military area is located in the west and north of the airport SECURITY CHECK Tan Son Nhat is the busiest airport in Vietnam, so the passengers depart and arrive are always crowded regardless of the time of day or night A corridor lead to the Domestic Departure Hall Here you can find a wide range of stores, souvenir shops, cafes, lounges… and other services aim to cater the needs of flyers Currently at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, there are 06 domestic airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jestar Pacific, Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines and VASCO) operating domestic and international routes And more than 43 international airlines operate, including passenger and cargo carriers You can buy air tickets to Saigon from domestic airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, Vietravel Airlines to take a flight to Tan Son Nhat International Airport Currently, some domestic routes to Tan Son Nhat airport include Hanoi – Saigon, Nha Trang – Saigon, Hai Phong – Saigon, Vinh – Saigon, Da Nang – Saigon, Saigon – Phu Quoc, Dalat – Saigon… Direct international flights landing at Tan Son Nhat airport include Hong Kong – Saigon, Seoul – Saigon, Bangkok – Saigon, Singapore – Saigon… And are operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Asiana Airlines, Nordwind Airlines,… You can experience shopping for a variety of products such as food, perfume, fashion, cosmetics, souvenirs,… At SASCO Duty Free stores in both Domestic and International terminals Tan Son Nhat International Airport has an economic, political and geographical position that is very convenient for civil aviation activities Because it is located on the busy East-West and South-North air traffic routes of the region Is the gateway for Ho Chi Minh City to trade with other economies in the world, a convenient and ideal stop in the flight network From Europe, South Asia to Southeast Asia, Northeast, North Asia and Asia – Pacific In the future when the construction of Long Thanh International airport is completed and put into operation, expected in late 2025 and early 2026 Tan Son Nhat airport will only serves domestic flights A A350-900 aircraft of Vietnam Airlines with its signature blue livery It’s time to boarding Most passenger fly to Phu Quoc for their vacations Boarding gate 9 The flight number VN 1831, estimated departure time at 4:40PM Get on the bus to reach the plane At almost Vietnam airports, passengers are often have to board a bus to get to their flight instead of boarding with PBB (Passenger Boarding Bridge) Close up the massive of A350-900 Tan Son Nhat International Airport’s aircraft parking stands has a total of 80 commercial parking positions, serving both day and night The apron has the capacity to accommodate aircraft ranging from small, medium-sized to large wide-body aircraft Such as Airbus A350/330/380, Boeing 747-400/787/767, ATR-72 and equivalent,… The advantage of taking a bus is you can admire the iron birds at very close up Another Vietnam Airlines’ A350 plane in pure white color The only one painted in white with Skyteam logo, Vietnam Airlines is a member of this alliance Elegant and impressive Vietnam Airlines own a total of 14 A350 planes in its fleet Finally, our aircraft comes into view Vietnam Airlines does operate 20 Airbus A321 aircraft Specifically, they have taken delivery of 20 Airbus A321-NEOs, but some of them are currently grounded due to engine issues The airline is also planning to convert some of these A321s into freighters for a new cargo airline to be launched in 2026 The A321 has distance range of 5.600 km, total length of 44,51 m, Wingspan: 34.1 m, Height: 11.76 m, Cruise speed ​​(km/h): 950 km/h Boarding ontime These are class seats, arranged in the front of the aircraft cabin, include 16 seats (4 rows, 2-2 configuration) and seat pitch: 38 inches The A321 has a total of 191 seats Economy Class: 175 seats (3-3 configuration) and seat pitch: 31-32 inches Airbus A321 is one of the most popular narrow-body aircraft models used in the world and especially in Vietnam The aircraft belongs to the Airbus A320 family, but is larger and has more capacity than the original A319 and A320 variants The Airbus A321 was launched in 1989 as a stretched version of the famous A320 The first commercial flight of the A321 was carried out in January 1994 with German airline Lufthansa Since then, the A321 has become a popular choice for airlines around the world, especially on high-traffic routes My window seat 33A The estimated flight time is 1 hour and 05 minutes IF YOU LIKE THE VIDEO, PLZ GIVE A THUMBS UP AND SUBSCRIBE The furniture seems to be cozy and elegant with light yellow tone of the seats Vietnam Airlines (VNA) is the national airline of Vietnam, playing a key role in the country’s air transport The airline was founded in 1956 and has gone through many stages of development to become a large-scale international airline, a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance Passengers on the second bus arrive Relatively large legroom, giving a comfortable feeling A sickness bag Aircraft safety card A Heritage Magazine Like a gentle “door” leading you on a journey to discover Vietnam Heritage is the leading Vietnamese – English bilingual Tourism – Culture – Entertainment publication in Vietnam published by Heritage Magazine And is a complimentary item to readers on Vietnam Airlines flights In-Flight Safety Instructions displays on screens It’s visual, lively, easy to understand Performed by flight attendants Pushing back Vietnam Airlines currently operates a wide network of domestic and international flights, with a modern fleet and highly rated service quality The airline has a dense domestic and Indochina flight network, convenient for passengers International routes extend to Asia, Europe, Australia and America Vietnam Airlines operates a modern fleet, including aircraft such as the A320NEO, A321, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787 Vietnam Airlines’ flight network covers 21 provinces and cities nationwide and 28 destinations in 26 countries and territories around the world Tan Son Nhat International Airport has two parallel runways 365m apart (measured from the center of the two runways) with dimensions of 3,048m*45m and 3,800m*45m respectively. However, because these two runways are built close together, planes cannot take off and land at the same time but must take turns to avoid possible collisions All Vietnam Airlines aircraft are painted blue with a white belly underneath The tail of the aircraft is painted with the Golden Lotus symbol However, the airline’s 12th Airbus A350 has a more special livery The entire fuselage is painted white with the Skyteam logo on the tail This is also the only Airbus A350 in the world to carry the Skyteam alliance livery For flights over 4 hours, Vietnam Airlines will provide passengers with blankets, pillows, and necessary personal items such as eye masks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and noise-canceling buttons In Business Class, passengers will also be provided with a sticker to send to the flight attendants to remind them to wake up or request food service Depending on each class of seat, Vietnam Airlines has its own service serving A Vietjet Air plane prepare for jetting off Turning on the runway A Bamboo’s airplane at the back Take off bit late compared to the estimated time 4:40PM ECONOMY CLASS LAVATORY It’s smaller than in Business Class Due to the short flight, passengers will be served with a bottled water Currently, only a handful of airlines offer Premium Economy class on their A321 aircraft In Vietnam, this class of seat is not yet popular on narrow-body aircraft such as the A321 However, Vietnam Airlines offers “Economy Plus” seats on some A321 aircraft with the following incentives Premium seats located in front of Economy class with extra legroom The distance between rows of seats is about 34 inches (compared to 31-32 inches of regular Economy) Priority boarding after Business class Checked baggage is 5kg more than regular Economy Upgrading from Economy to Premium Economy can be a good option if you want more comfort without paying as much as Business Class. The price difference is usually about 30-50% compared to regular Economy fares Vietnam Airlines is expected to receive 5 more A321neos in 2025 Vietnam Airlines uses the A321 mainly for routes within Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, along with high-demand domestic routes The aircraft is entering the airspace above the sea Finally, Phu Quoc island has appeared in the distance The plane is descending for landing The beautiful scenery under the wings The plane arrives in Phu Quoc at 5:45PM local time Phu Quoc International Airport (IATA code: PQC) Phu Quoc International Airport is being upgraded and expanded to meet the growing demand for tourism and air transport, especially to serve the APEC 2027 Conference In the period 2021-2030, the airport is planned to reach level 4E, with an expected capacity of 10 million passengers/year and 25,000 tons of cargo/year By 2050, the airport is expected to increase its capacity to 18 million passengers/year The airport terminal comes into view A final look at the Airbus A321 after disembarking Arrival Hall Baggage claim area The airport is about 10km from the center with many options for transportation.

I visited Phu Quoc several times, it’s a beautiful resort island for leisure, beach goers. Dubbed the “jade island” of Vietnam, located in the south, it’s always a hot destination for all year round thanks to the warm climate, fresh seafood, a lot of things to do and see. A worthy place to visit for any visitor. Join me onboard the Airbus A321 operated by the national carrier of Vietnam Airlines through this 4K full flight report!

Below is the information of the flight:
• Route: Saigon (SGN) – Phu Quoc Island (PQC)
• Carrier: the national flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines
• Aircraft: Airbus A321
• Class: Economy
• Seat: 33A
• Flight time: About 1 hour + 05 minutes
• Fare: around $70-90/one-way, depend on the time of booking

Key timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:14 Getting to & Arrival at the airport
3:07 Check-in at a kiosk / Baggage drop off
8:28 Security check
11:27 Domestic Departure Hall and the Airport landscape
17:07 Boarding gate 9
19:04 Get on the bus / Close up airplanes
23:31 The airplane / Boarding the plane
24:57 In-flight
26:55 My window seat 33A / Amenities
16:55 The seat & amenities
26:40 Flight Safety Instructions Movie
31:12 Push back
32:53 Taxiing
37:10 Waiting for take off
41:20 Turning on the runway
43:13 Takes off
46:31: Economy Class Lavatory
46:53 Bottled water
49:51 Begin flying over the sea
53:11 Descent for landing
54:41: Landing
56:05 Exit the plane
58:16 Domestic Arrival Hall
59:26 Baggage Claim Area / Exit Airport

On board Vietnam Airlines A321:
-No reclining seat
-Relatively large legroom
-No plug / USB socket
-No touch screen
-No Wi-Fi on board
-No meals included
-Cabin baggage included
-Checked baggage included
—————

Join me if we share the same passion, thank you: https://youtube.com/@ParaluxTRAVEL?sub_confirmation=1

Follow my other channels for more tours and travel inspiration:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/paraluxtravel
Twitter: http://x.com/paraluxtravel
Threads: http://threads.com/paraluxtravel