Should you fly VietJet Air?
With a fleet size of 66+ aircraft, it is rather likely that you will hear about VietJet Air if you are traveling to Vietnam or neighboring countries. The question is: are they legit?
First impression
One of the first things that struck me was their website. No, it is not their website using the Wayback Machine, this is how it looks like in 2019.
The booking process and everything feels very outdated. So not really the best experience, especially if you compare it with AirAsia.
Safety record
Their aircraft seems to be in good shape and the fleet is rather young. They also fly about 11 brand-new Airbus A320neo. So this is a positive sign.
While they did not have any fatalities or lost any aircraft, they had a few serious incidents like landing at the wrong airport, on the wrong runway or making a hard landing and blowing some tires. So there is clearly some room for improvement when it comes to safety.
What others say
One of the first things I do when traveling with a company I don’t know is to check their reviews on airlinequality.com.
And it did not look good: cancellations, delay, spoor customer service, baggage fees.
My experience
I have flown VietJet Air at least 5–6 times for international and domestic flights and they have been somewhat consistent.
Their website rarely allows you to check-in online. Most of the time you can check-in and select your seat at the airport check-in kiosk (if they have one!) or you will need to queue at the check-in counter.
They usually weight ALL your hand luggage, so make sure you are within the limits to avoid any extra fees.
Expect that your flight will be delayed or that you will be moved to a later flight (this happens a lot!). So don’t book any connecting flights when using this airline. Allow like 24h between flights, especially if the tickets are expensive. You can use flightradar24.com to get an idea if the flight has been delayed in the past 7 days.
The staff and cabin crew are actually quite friendly. But don’t expect anybody to apologize for delays.
VietJet Air feels more or less like a bus service, taking you from A to B, which for most passengers is okay. Most likely this will be the only or the most affordable option to fly. If you can live with delays and don’t have fixed plans, this airline offers a good value for the money.
How was your experience? Write a comment in the section below.
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