VietJet Air is a cheap and cheerful low-cost airline based in Vietnam. It has a large flight network spanning central and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India and Australia. It’s an excellent option for visiting secondary cities within Vietnam (and China, where it serves a great variety of destinations), as well as for longer connecting trips like Australia to South Korea or Japan to India. VietJet also operates a Thailand-based subsidiary, Thai VietJet, with more than a dozen destinations there.
The VietJet Air model
VietJet’s flights can be almost unbelievably cheap, whether you’re flying domestically, to neighboring countries or further afield to the likes of Australia, India and Japan. Don’t be put off by the sometimes clunky English on VietJet’s website – it’s a major airline in the region with modern Airbus planes and I have no hesitation flying this airline.
The way the airline experience works at the airport and onboard is very similar to other low-cost carriers in the region. If you want a basic seat with just a personal item to take with you, you’ll get it at an incredibly low cost. Anything more, like baggage, meals or seat reservations, comes with an extra fee, though I still find these pretty reasonable, usually.
Classes of travel and fares
On almost all its aircraft, VietJet is all-economy and, like many low-cost airlines, you can choose from a variety of fare types that add benefits for a little more money. Eco is the most basic fare and includes just 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) of carry-on baggage. Essentially, that’s really just a larger personal item.
Deluxe fares include a checked bag up to 40 kilograms (88.2 pounds) to Australia or Kazakhstan and 20 kilograms (44.1 pounds) elsewhere. It also includes food and drinks if flying on Australia or Kazakhstan routes, limited seat selection and fare flexibility that eliminates a change fee, so you only pay the fare difference for your new flight.
The fabulously named SkyBoss, meanwhile, gets you even more luggage: 14 kilograms (30.9 pounds) carry-on for Australia or Kazakhstan and 10 kilograms (22 pounds) elsewhere, plus 50 kilograms (110.2 pounds) of checked baggage on Australia or Kazakhstan and 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds) elsewhere, and even a set of golf clubs.
With SkyBoss, you also get lounge access where available, priority check-in, priority baggage, fast-track security, a private shuttle bus to the plane if it’s parked at a gate where a bus is needed, priority seat selection, free food and drink, an amenity kit on flights over 4 hours and a full 24-month credit if you don’t use your ticket.
Where business class is available, a business class ticket brings everything SkyBoss does, except your carry-on limit increases to a massive 18 kilograms (39.7 pounds) and your checked bags to 60 kilograms (132.3 pounds) for Australia or Kazakhstan and 40 kilograms (88.2 pounds) elsewhere. Note that business class used to be referred to as SkyBoss, and you may still see this wording in some places but they are no longer the same.
VietJet Air seats
It’s no surprise that the basic seats on a low-cost carrier are tight with very little legroom – just 28 inches on most of the A320 and A321 aircraft in the fleet, including the newer A320neo and A321neo planes. If you’re over 5’8”, I’d recommend looking at an exit row seat for about 6 inches of legroom.
Also note that there are none of the common amenities in economy that you might be used to from larger carriers. You won’t find charging outlets, Wi-Fi or entertainment, so bring a book or load something to watch onto your fully-charged phone or tablet.
I always remind anyone traveling on a VietJet A330 plane that there is an extra seat in every economy row on these aircraft compared to full-service airlines. That means that the seats and aisles are much narrower than you’re used to, so if you’re broad in the shoulders (or anywhere else) you might want to consider business class, which is a really good value.
Seat selection
You can either let the airline pick random seats for you or pay a little extra for seat selection.
The cheapest seat option is called the Normal Seat and it’s found at the back of the plane. Next up is the Front Seat, which you’ll be unsurprised to learn is found toward the front. Emergency Exit Row Seats do have a little extra legroom. There are also Hot Seats at the very front of the aircraft, and SkyBoss seats also at the very front for people who purchased this fare class looking for the most premium experience.
As a tall passenger over 6 feet, the exit row seats are great value to me and worth the small fee. If you’re flying as a pair, I recommend buying the whole row, entering “EXTRA SEAT” as the name for the empty middle seat when booking. This allows you to spread out, use the middle table for drinks and take advantage of the extra under-seat storage, too.
VietJet offers business class on its A330 airplanes, which primarily travel long-haul routes but also see some action on shorter high-demand flights. Seats are arranged in a 2 by 2 by 2 layout, so if you like an aisle seat I recommend picking one of the center pairs so that you don’t have anyone climbing over you in the middle of the night.
This is an older style of business class sleeper seat with seats that recline to a lie-flat position, but one that finishes at an angle to the floor of the plane rather than parallel. There’s a power outlet for every passenger here, but no inflight entertainment. Meals are included but are more in line with delicious Vietnamese street food than a Champagne and caviar feast. Overall, it’s an affordable upgrade.
Check-in
Online check-in is available for most flights and opens 24 hours before departure. I always set an alarm to be one of the first passengers checking in, especially if I haven’t selected a seat yet, as this is when you can pick the best of what’s left.
You can also check in at the airport, but be prepared to wait in line. If you’re planning to check in at the airport, I’d choose a fare with fast-track priority line access. At many airports, you can pay your way into VietJet’s third-party partner lounge. They typically offer snacks and drinks at the very least, often including alcohol.
Connecting flights on VietJet Air
If you’re connecting internationally through Vietnam with VietJet, remember that Vietnam’s rules are different than most of the world, though they are the same as in the US. You’ll need to go through immigration and customs at the international terminal when you arrive in Vietnam, collect any checked bags and re-check them for your onward flight.
As there are some exceptions, I recommend asking your first check-in agent if you’ll need to claim your bags in Vietnam. Even if the bag tag is checked through to your final destination, you will likely still need to grab and recheck them, so you can’t just rely on what’s printed on your claim ticket.
Food and drinks
You can expect a tasty bite to eat on VietJet Air and the food onboard is really inexpensive for those who don’t receive it free with their purchased fares. I always lean towards something local, like savory sticky rice, Vietnamese steamed cake with pork floss, cudweed cake with Vietnamese pork sausage, pho – which you’ll find labeled as “Special Vietnamese beef noodle soup” – or banh mi, translated as “Vietnamese traditional bread.”
Don’t sleep on the drinks either. In addition to common global soft drinks, the nhan tran tea (translated to its botanical Latin name as “Adenosma caeruleum tea” on the menu) is a must-try. Iced coffee and bubble milk tea are also available. When booking your flight, look for bundle add-ons that include some food and drinks for savings.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
