Vietnam’s Vietjet is without a doubt one of aviation’s biggest success stories of recent years. Operating for just 13 years it already operates a fleet of over 100 Airbus aircraft serving more than 40 destinations across Asia, Australia and the Pacific.
We recently awarded Vietjet a place in our World’s Safest Low Cost Airlines Awards – an award they have won for four years straight. The airline has also consistently won our Value airline of the year award.
Generally speaking, Ultra Low Cost Carriers are similar across the globe, a bit ‘same same’ some would say. In exchange for a cheap ticket these airlines tend to have a small and in fact, below average seat pitch, a buy on board menu, no in-flight entertainment, no in seat power and no extras like blankets or amenity kits.
So how is an airline going to differentiate itself? By its staff, cleanliness, aircraft and prices.
Our Vietjet review flight to Ho Chi Minh city was on a 3 year old A321 Neo and we flew in the Skyboss Cabin – seat 1A to be precise.
Coming home we went to the back of the plane to experience economy.
The airline reserves the first three rows of its Airbus A321s to SkyBoss passengers, with seats in a 3-3 configuration. The seats are identical to those in economy width wise (18 inch) but have a larger though varying seat pitch to economy which sits at 29 inch. Row 1 in Skyboss being a bulkhead seat has more legroom than the other Skyboss seat.
Skyboss passengers have included in their fare up to 14 kg of carry-on baggage and up to 50 kg of checked baggage. You will also receive priority check-in, boarding and security, a private shuttle between the aircraft and gate, airport lounge access, priority seat selection, complimentary meals, snacks and drinks and an amenity pack featuring an eye mask pillow and blanket. Insurance is also included in the ticket.
As a Skyboss passenger on the first flight, boarding and disembarking the aircraft was an absolute breeze and the staff both landside and in the air were incredibly attentive. Now whilst we travel anonymously to avoid special treatment we do always take note of how everyone in the aircraft is looked after and this is where Vietjet shine.
The crew cared ‘beautifully’ for the more vulnerable or fragile members of the flight even going as far as to help an elderly lady to and from her seat to the toilet. Now tell us the last time you saw that happen on an airline. We certainly haven’t outside of the premium cabins on first class airlines.
Now speaking of toilets these were super clean on both flights and actually smelt good, like orchids.
With the help of my Skyboss amenity kit including the world’s softest eye mask, blanket and pillow, I drifted off into quite a deep sleep and was woken up only to put my seatbelt on for turbulence. When I woke however, I noticed that the cabin lights were dimmed and the window shade around me had all been shut by the crew. Yet again another extra touch that made the flight that more comfortable.
For the second meal service there was no Pho left but the crew again went out of their way to create a pho out of what they had on board bringing additional fresh herbs to make it even tastier.
On the return flight in Economy of course there was a less personalized service but the staff attentiveness and willingness to help passengers that needed that extra help was again very apparent.
Certainly in economy I noticed the tight seat pitch of 29 inch which for me at 168cm tall was ‘ok’ for this 6.5 hour flight but for anyone much taller I would really recommend paying a little extra at the time of booking to secure seats with extra legroom such as those in the emergency exits. In addition to this, the seats do recline about 3 inches so if the person in front of you does out their seat back then you really are going to feel the squeeze.
Most ultra low cost carriers operate with a seat pitch of 28-29 inch with the odd one giving a ‘generous 30 inch’ so secure your extra legroom seat at the time of booking or choose SkyBoss.
Now to the food – the all important and often disappointing part of a flight but not this time. Yes a lot was your typical packaged style microwave food like the soup and the noodles but the flavours were GOOD and the meal filling. The menu had a lot of choices and different price options. If you are looking for something a little more ‘fresh’ we highly recommend the delicious singapore noodles.
As expected, as an Ultra Low Cost Carrier there was no inflight entertainment, in seat power or WiFi.
On paper with a small seat pitch, buy on board menu and no extras, Vietjet looks like just another Ultra Low Cost Carrier but it absolutely isn’t. Our Vietjet Review showed attentiveness by staff for all passengers, the clean, modern aircraft, a tasty on board menu, a great option in SkyBoss and incredibly low fares are why this airline will keep being shortlisted for awards focusing on value and hospitality. For us it’s a big YES to Vietjet.
