Vietnam
Headed out on a mix of Star Alliance carriers to Vietnam. I'm out for a short trip on personal business and was able to buy a last minute fare to Hanoi on United and Vietnam Airlines. Interestingly, I did not realize that United would sell non-partner flights on their website. I guess Vietnam Airlines (like Hawaiian Airlines) is some kind of secondary code share partner and so will pop up on the United site.
My layover in Haneda Interational Aiport was a few hours. Unfortunately, ANA Lounge did not accept my ticket on Vietnam Airlines despite being a codeshare flight and I wondered around the terminal. I was disappointed to be denied of karaage and curry. Yet again, I am unable to get ANA karaage! On the bright side, I was able to upgrade on the United segments to business so I can't complain too much.
Despite the fanfare of Polaris in United literature, I did not get the "full" Polaris experience. The seats were not yet installed but the bedding and amenity kit was available. The food service was very good and I enjoyed the wine flight. I will have to wait for full deployment to make any more comments on Polaris. My layover at San Francisco International Airport did not have a Polaris lounge either. All work in progress.
I did find the economy service in Vietnam Airlines good. It has improved since the last time I was on their planes. This time, they did allow for passengers to have mobile devices on in the flight.
Landed into Noibai International Airport and was greeted by the hotel shuttle driver to Sheraton Hanoi. For some reason, the hotel was rather full the one night I booked and I was not able to get the best rate possible. Since I am nearing my need for Hilton stays, I decided it wasn't terrible to split my time between Sheraton and Hilton. The room was nice and the breakfast buffet was plentiful and tasty.
The next morning, I moved to the Hilton Hanoi Opera. I generally like staying at the Hilton given the amenities. In retrospect, I should have opted for the Hilton Garden Inn as I was not able to get to the afternoon tea or evening appetizers. The breakfast buffet at the Ba Mien restaurant also changed. Perhaps the clientele is changing but it didn't seem as authentic as the last time. Overall, I think I would have liked the Sheraton more.
One thing that has changed since my last visit is the addition of Uber. Apparently, it has become very popular with everyone as a way to avoid the notorious reputation of the taxi service. I did find that the taxis tended to be more than Uber. It was also a good way of keeping less cash on me to navigate around the city.
I headed down to Ho Chi Minh City for 36 hours. I booked a Vietnam Airlines flight (this time I was able to get Delta credit) to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Flying in domestically let me avoid the more corrupt custom agents and I was able to grab a taxi to the Le Meridien Saigon. I have always wondered why the hotel chain refers to Saigon in its title as it isn't the official name anymore. (It isn't the only one) Maybe as a reminder of past history.....
I've always enjoyed this particular hotel especially compared to the Sheraton. Being a paltry gold SPG member, I was not able to get into the club but I didn't mind paying $25 USD for breakfast buffet in the restaurant.
Upon checkin, I was also given a 50% off coupon for the spa. With the afternoon wide open for me, I opted to sign up for a Swedish massage. I didn't have high expectations but I ended up enjoying the experience far more than I was thinking. For the price and service, it was great. It made me think of the time when I did get a massage from an independent spa and I thought this was better.
The next morning, I had breakfast at the restaurant before heading out on errands. Since I was leaving at 2 am, I had opted to book two nights even though I wasn't staying the whole night. Upon returning in the afternoon, I opted to get afternoon tea at the coffee bar. The only thing I didn't like was the macarons. It was hard as a rock.
For dinner, I met with a colleague at Black Cat on 13 Phan Van Dat, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was down the street from the Le Meridien and known for fusion Viet food and Mexican and American food. Odd mix but the banh mi I ordered was tasty enough.
Headed back to the US on Eva Airways. On the return leg, I was able to find a business saver award ticket flying through Taipei. I had never flown with Eva (being a new Star Alliance member) nor have I ever been in Taiwan. The business class seat configuration was different. It felt narrow but very podlike.
Landed in Taoyuan Airport without much issue. After a brief meandering through the airport (eyeing the Hello Kitty waiting area), I went to the Eva Club Lounge. There are like five different types of lounges for Eva Airways and I went into the Infinity Lounge. It took a little googling to figure out what the difference between the lounges were but it appears that the business class folks get access into Infinity. The entrance is split between Star and Infinity and I found being inside Star was more appealing (roomier and they had Haagen Daz instead of Movenpick ice cream) All I cared about is grabbing a shower and you have to go through the desk to get a key.
I was told the business class showers included a toilet versus the star alliance version. Overall, I walked between the two relatively easily but found the food somewhat lacking. I had spied on a Singapore Airlines lounge on the way in and decided to go inside. The lounge as not as aesthetically appealing as the Eva lounges but the food was far superior and quieter!
On the flight back to the US, I settled back into the Eva pod. On this segment, I was given an amenity kit and pajamas. I'm not small like the typical Asian person so I was only able to fit into the large pajama top. It was nice to have the option of getting pajamas. I also liked that the stewardesses asked if they should wake me up for breakfast. Overall, a pleasant experience.
My layover in Haneda Interational Aiport was a few hours. Unfortunately, ANA Lounge did not accept my ticket on Vietnam Airlines despite being a codeshare flight and I wondered around the terminal. I was disappointed to be denied of karaage and curry. Yet again, I am unable to get ANA karaage! On the bright side, I was able to upgrade on the United segments to business so I can't complain too much.
Despite the fanfare of Polaris in United literature, I did not get the "full" Polaris experience. The seats were not yet installed but the bedding and amenity kit was available. The food service was very good and I enjoyed the wine flight. I will have to wait for full deployment to make any more comments on Polaris. My layover at San Francisco International Airport did not have a Polaris lounge either. All work in progress.
I did find the economy service in Vietnam Airlines good. It has improved since the last time I was on their planes. This time, they did allow for passengers to have mobile devices on in the flight.
Landed into Noibai International Airport and was greeted by the hotel shuttle driver to Sheraton Hanoi. For some reason, the hotel was rather full the one night I booked and I was not able to get the best rate possible. Since I am nearing my need for Hilton stays, I decided it wasn't terrible to split my time between Sheraton and Hilton. The room was nice and the breakfast buffet was plentiful and tasty.
 |
| Sheraton Hanoi Breakfast Buffet |
The next morning, I moved to the Hilton Hanoi Opera. I generally like staying at the Hilton given the amenities. In retrospect, I should have opted for the Hilton Garden Inn as I was not able to get to the afternoon tea or evening appetizers. The breakfast buffet at the Ba Mien restaurant also changed. Perhaps the clientele is changing but it didn't seem as authentic as the last time. Overall, I think I would have liked the Sheraton more.
One thing that has changed since my last visit is the addition of Uber. Apparently, it has become very popular with everyone as a way to avoid the notorious reputation of the taxi service. I did find that the taxis tended to be more than Uber. It was also a good way of keeping less cash on me to navigate around the city.
I headed down to Ho Chi Minh City for 36 hours. I booked a Vietnam Airlines flight (this time I was able to get Delta credit) to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Flying in domestically let me avoid the more corrupt custom agents and I was able to grab a taxi to the Le Meridien Saigon. I have always wondered why the hotel chain refers to Saigon in its title as it isn't the official name anymore. (It isn't the only one) Maybe as a reminder of past history.....
I've always enjoyed this particular hotel especially compared to the Sheraton. Being a paltry gold SPG member, I was not able to get into the club but I didn't mind paying $25 USD for breakfast buffet in the restaurant.
 |
Le Meridien breakfast buffet options
|
The next morning, I had breakfast at the restaurant before heading out on errands. Since I was leaving at 2 am, I had opted to book two nights even though I wasn't staying the whole night. Upon returning in the afternoon, I opted to get afternoon tea at the coffee bar. The only thing I didn't like was the macarons. It was hard as a rock.
For dinner, I met with a colleague at Black Cat on 13 Phan Van Dat, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was down the street from the Le Meridien and known for fusion Viet food and Mexican and American food. Odd mix but the banh mi I ordered was tasty enough.
Headed back to the US on Eva Airways. On the return leg, I was able to find a business saver award ticket flying through Taipei. I had never flown with Eva (being a new Star Alliance member) nor have I ever been in Taiwan. The business class seat configuration was different. It felt narrow but very podlike.
 |
| Eva Airways Business Class Seat |
I was told the business class showers included a toilet versus the star alliance version. Overall, I walked between the two relatively easily but found the food somewhat lacking. I had spied on a Singapore Airlines lounge on the way in and decided to go inside. The lounge as not as aesthetically appealing as the Eva lounges but the food was far superior and quieter!
On the flight back to the US, I settled back into the Eva pod. On this segment, I was given an amenity kit and pajamas. I'm not small like the typical Asian person so I was only able to fit into the large pajama top. It was nice to have the option of getting pajamas. I also liked that the stewardesses asked if they should wake me up for breakfast. Overall, a pleasant experience.
Comments