Vietjet Air launched in 2011 and has since carried over 25 million passengers across Vietnam and Asia. There are currently around 40 aircraft in the airline’s fleet with a wide range of options for flights across the region.
The Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to Hanoi route is the most frequent service operated by Vietjet Air. There are around 25 departures each day between the two cities, with fares for the two hour journey usually priced at around VND599,000.
Other destinations within Vietnam are also well served. For example, there are five or six daily flights from HCMC to Hue, often costing approximately VND580,000. Flights to Da Nang are even more frequent, with around 12 flights each day.
If you’re looking to travel across Southeast Asia then Vietjet Air offers a wide range of departures to neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore.
There are two flights each day from Hanoi to Bangkok and three from HCMC. Once you’re in Thailand you can also use Vietjet Air to travel domestically to visit popular towns and beaches all over the country. For example, there are four Vietjet Air flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai each day and three from the capital to Phuket as well as in the opposite direction.
Destinations in nearby countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar can also be reached by direct flights from HCMC and Hanoi. There is one daily flight to Siem Reap from Hanoi and one connecting HCMC with Yangon.
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are two of the largest transport hubs in the region and Vietjet Air have several services each day connecting these destinations with Vietnam. There is one flight per day from HCMC to Kuala Lumpur and two between HCMC and Singapore. Both flights take around two hours and are priced at approximately VND2,500,000.
There is also one flight per day from Hanoi to Singapore although this takes around 3 ½ hours.
Vietjet Air offer services to destinations slightly further afield as well. There is one daily flight from both HCMC and Hanoi to Seoul, with tickets usually from around VND2,800,000 from HCMC and VND2,200,000 from Hanoi. There are also two departures each day from HCMC to Taipei, which takes 3 ½ hours and one from Hanoi.
Vietjet Air offer a good choice of flights across a whole range of destinations. There is bound to be a departure that fits into your schedule! Because of this, the airline is an excellent option if you’re planning your trip at short notice.
The price of many of the flights is considerably lower than some of those offered by other airlines so Vietjet Air is ideal if you are travelling on a budget.
It is worth bearing in mind that Vietjet Air is a budget airline, therefore the level of service may not be what you are used to or expecting. Unfortunately, this is one of the pitfalls of using a budget operator and you’ll have to take this into account when booking your tickets. Also, the planes used are fairly old so they may not be the most comfortable seats that you’ll ever experience.
Although the fares are lower than those offered by some of Vietjet Air’s competitors, you will need to pay additional charges for luggage so this will increase the overall cost of your flight. Some other carriers include luggage in the fare so this may offer better for money.
Delays seem to be more common on Vietjet Air flights than some other airlines operating along the same routes. Again, this is a risk that you’ll need to take into account when booking your flights as to whether you consider the money saved to be worth the potential hassle of delays or poor customer service.
Fares can change rapidly, especially on budget airlines, so you should also fully research your flights to ensure you get a good deal. The prices quoted above are given as an indication but may be higher or lower due to demand or if there is a sale on!
Travellers usually pick Vietjet Air due to the low cost of fares and the wide range of services offered by the airline. It’s a popular choice with budget travellers flying across Vietnam and Asia, who may often need to book flights at very short notice.
There have been reports that Vietjet Air can rearrange your schedule more regularly that some other airlines, and amend your flight time due to high demand.
The biggest issue experienced by travellers on Vietjet Air flights inevitably tends to be the delays that are commonly reported. Unfortunately, issues such as these are a risk that you take when you are booking a ticket with a budget airline and you should always allow extra time in case of delays.