VietJet Air rating

6.4/10Axel score · #23 of 77

5.0/10Repriceability · #18

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Deluxe eases changes, but fare drops leave no refundable balance

Axel considers VietJet Air worth comparing for travelers who can keep baggage light and do not expect money back after a fare drop. Eco includes cabin baggage, Deluxe removes change fees, and SkyJoy points never expire, but lower replacement fares leave no refundable balance and Eco changes can be expensive. Its punctuality and cancellation record could not be confirmed.

Best
Eco includes a main cabin bag and small personal item within a combined 7 kg.
Deluxe changes have no change fee, although higher fare differences remain payable.
SkyJoy points never expire, according to the program's current homepage.

Worst
Changing to a lower fare forfeits the surplus.
Eco domestic changes cost VND 350,000 before VAT, plus any higher fare difference.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

RarelyRepriceability 5.0/10

Rarely. A lower replacement fare produces no refundable balance, and no same-flight price-drop guarantee was found. Deluxe, SkyBoss and Business have no change fee, but higher fare differences remain payable. Eco charges VND 350,000 before VAT domestically, with international fees reaching VND 3,000,000 per passenger, sector and change, plus any higher fare. Cancelling and buying again may save money only after cancellation fees and credit restrictions. Cancellation normally returns Travel Credit usable only by the original traveler, although specified India and Group 2 routes allow cash refunds. Eco and Deluxe credits last one year, SkyBoss and Business two years, measured from scheduled departure.

Eco and Deluxe normally require cancellation at least 24 hours before departure. No general 24-hour free-cancellation window was confirmed. Indian nationals on India routes receive a refund-fee waiver within 48 hours of direct website/app booking and at least 15 days before departure. Axel has no published repricing sample size, observation period or savings result for VietJet Air.

VietJet Air fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
Eco	Per passenger/sector/change: VND 900,000 Southeast Asia; 1,000,000 Hong Kong/Taiwan/China; 1,100,000 Japan/Korea/South Asia; 2,000,000 Australia/Central Asia/Kazakhstan-Europe; 3,000,000 Europe. Connecting itineraries: VND 1,200,000–3,000,000. Fare difference is additional. Domestic: VND 350,000 before VAT. No fixed USD tariff confirmed.	Regional baseline: named Travel Credit less the same route-based amounts listed for Eco changes; request at least 24 hours before departure. Cash refunds are permitted on Group 2 and India itineraries with at least 24 hours' notice. Cash-refund fees: VND 1,500,000 India; VND 3,000,000 Australia/HAN–ALA/ALA–PRG; VND 4,500,000 Europe.	Included	0	Fee
Deluxe	No change fee	Same route-based cancellation fees and cash-refund exceptions as Eco. Normally request Travel Credit at least 24 hours before departure. Group 2 additionally permits credit requests until 72 hours after departure, with a no-show fee inside the final 24 hours.	Included	Not confirmed	Free choice
SkyBoss	No change fee	Same route-based cancellation fees and cash-refund exceptions as Eco. Named Travel Credit requests are allowed until 72 hours after scheduled departure.	Included	Not confirmed	Free choice
Businessbusiness	No change fee	Same route-based cancellation fees and cash-refund exceptions as Eco. Named Travel Credit requests are allowed until 72 hours after scheduled departure.	Included	Not confirmed	Free choice

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Lost. Fare Rules explicitly forfeit any surplus resulting from a ticket change. Article 6.4 also describes changes at an equivalent or higher ticket price. There is no published entitlement to cash or credit for a lower replacement fare. An inconsistent promotional comparison-table reference to fare-difference refunds was not used.
Same flight, lower price: Under the published change rules, a lower price does not create a refundable residual. No separate fee-free same-flight price-drop guarantee was found. Cancellation and a new purchase may produce savings only after cancellation fees and applicable credit restrictions; this is not a fee-free repricing entitlement.
Credits (Travel Credit): Measured from scheduled departure, not credit issuance: Eco/Deluxe credits last one year; SkyBoss/Business credits last two years. Eco/Deluxe normally require cancellation at least 24 hours before departure; SkyBoss/Business allow requests through 72 hours afterward. Group 2 Deluxe has an additional late-request provision with a no-show fee. Transferable: no.
24-hour rule: No general 24-hour free-cancellation promise was confirmed. On India routes, Indian nationals receive a refund-fee waiver when requesting within 48 hours of direct website/app booking and at least 15 days before departure. This is not a worldwide risk-free window.
Same-day change: Ordinary changes can be made on departure day: Deluxe requires at least three hours' notice and has no change fee, but fare difference remains payable. Eco pays its normal change fee. SkyBoss/Business require notice before departure. No separate fare-difference-free same-day confirmed-change or standby product was verified.
Schedule changes: The newer Passenger Rights Protection Policy distinguishes the reference schedule published at 15:00 Hanoi time the day before operation. For airline-attributable changes before that publication, departure at least five hours earlier or later qualifies for refund; afterward, the threshold is four hours. Airline-attributable cancellation or denied carriage also qualifies. Lesser changes can qualify for one free flight or itinerary change. Refund requests must be submitted within 60 days. Published processing limits are 21 days for cash/bank transfer, 14 for vouchers and 45 for cards. This newer policy is preferred over older 180-day-credit wording in the January 2026 conditions and older refund-form thresholds.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%5.0
- Standard fare change fee: 10.0/10 · Deluxe: no change fee
- Lowest fare flexibility: 4.0/10 · Eco: Per passenger/sector/change: VND 900,000 Southeast Asia; 1,000,000 Hong Kong/Taiwan/China; 1,100,000 Japan/Korea/South Asia; 2,000,000 Australia/Central Asia/Kazakhstan-Europe; 3,000,000 Europe. Connecting itineraries: VND 1,200,000–3,000,000. Fare difference is additional. Domestic: VND 350,000 before VAT. No fixed USD tariff confirmed.
- Lower fare on the same flight: 0.0/10 · Under the published change rules, a lower price does not create a refundable residual. No separate fee-free same-flight price-drop guarantee was found. Cancellation and a new purchase may produce savings only after cancellation fees and applicable credit restrictions; this is not a fee-free repricing entitlement.
- Credit terms: 7.0/10 · Measured from scheduled departure, not credit issuance: Eco/Deluxe credits last one year; SkyBoss/Business credits last two years. Eco/Deluxe normally require cancellation at least 24 hours before departure; SkyBoss/Business allow requests through 72 hours afterward. Group 2 Deluxe has an additional late-request provision with a no-show fee.; transferable: no
- Cancel the standard fare: 4.0/10 · Same route-based cancellation fees and cash-refund exceptions as Eco. Normally request Travel Credit at least 24 hours before departure. Group 2 additionally permits credit requests until 72 hours after departure, with a no-show fee inside the final 24 hours.
- Risk-free window: 4.0/10 · No general 24-hour free-cancellation promise was confirmed. On India routes, Indian nationals receive a refund-fee waiver when requesting within 48 hours of direct website/app booking and at least 15 days before departure. This is not a worldwide risk-free window.
- Same-day change: 10.0/10 · Ordinary changes can be made on departure day: Deluxe requires at least three hours' notice and has no change fee, but fare difference remains payable. Eco pays its normal change fee. SkyBoss/Business require notice before departure. No separate fare-difference-free same-day confirmed-change or standby product was verified.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%6.8
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 6.0/10 · Covered by: EU261, India_DGCA, Other_national; Vietnamese passenger-rights rules cover relevant departures from Vietnam; India's DGCA protections apply to applicable India services. EU261 covers VJ departures from Prague/EU airports, not its non-EU-origin flights into the EU merely because of destination. Published care largely implements legal duties: water after two hours, meals after three, and rest facilities or overnight accommodation after six, subject to stated conditions. Airline-caused disruption rerouting is within Vietjet's own network and capacity. Vietnam-departure international compensation is USD 28, 55, 88 or 165 by distance, subject to exemptions; vouchers require consent. No standing cash-compensation commitment beyond law or other-airline rebooking promise was verified.
- Refund conduct: 9.0/10 · 2024-08-27 District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, Hyderabad, India
- Refund complaints: no data, median 5.1/10 used · too few US passengers to measure
Reliability 15%7.7*
- On-time arrival: does not apply · no data
- Cancellations: does not apply · no data · Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025 and Southeast Asia monthly report page
Fees and transparency 15%7.5
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 · Eco includes one main cabin bag plus a small personal item within a combined 7 kg. Main-bag dimensions: 56 × 36 × 23 cm. Oversize or overweight cabin baggage can incur charges or be refused.
- First checked bag: no data, median 6.0/10 used · Sold by weight. Within 24 hours of booking, 20 kg costs VND 200,000 domestically before VAT; VND 480,000 Southeast Asia; 580,000 Hong Kong/Taiwan/China; 680,000 Japan/Korea/South Asia; 950,000 Australia/Kazakhstan; 1,520,000 Europe, per sector. Later purchase costs more. No fixed USD quote confirmed.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 · fee
- Children seated with a parent: no data, median 5.0/10 used · Eco advance selection costs extra. Limited seats can be selected free during website/mobile/kiosk self-check-in, depending on aircraft and policy. No explicit guarantee that every child aged 13 or under sits beside an accompanying adult free on every fare was found; family guidance instead recommends choosing seats or a bundled fare.
- Price shown is price paid: 10.0/10 · No fee-display findings in 5 years
Complaints and handling 10%5.2*
- Complaint rate: does not apply · too few US passengers to measure
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%10.0
- Miles expiry: 10.0/10 · SkyJoy's current homepage states that points never expire. Fixed Point awards follow a published flight-duration chart, are capacity-controlled and exclude taxes and fees; unused award points generally are not returned except when non-travel results from Vietjet's error.
- Devaluations: 10.0/10 · None in 24 months
- Award pricing: 10.0/10 · published_chart

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data at all for Reliability and Complaints and handling, so they take the median of all rated airlines. No data for 3 checks (Refund complaints, First checked bag, Children seated with a parent), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

Vietnamese rules cover relevant Vietnam departures, India's DGCA rules cover applicable India services, and EU261 covers EU departures, not non-EU-origin flights into the EU merely because of destination. Care includes water after two hours, meals after three and rest facilities or overnight accommodation after six, subject to conditions. Rerouting stays within Vietjet's network and capacity.

Qualifying airline-caused cancellations and major schedule changes permit refunds, requested within 60 days. Recent evidence did not establish routine withholding of owed cash refunds. On August 27, 2024, India's District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, Hyderabad, awarded INR 55,172 for replacement travel and compensation, an individual award, not a DGCA fine.

January 21, 2025 reporting said the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (a self-regulatory body) required removal of unsubstantiated Green Friday environmental advertising. No monetary fine was reported, and the exact ruling date was not established.

Regulator actions since October 2021

January 2025, Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (self-regulatory body): Reporting published January 21 described ASAS requiring removal of Vietjet's Green Friday advertising because environmental claims were not substantiated across its fleet. No monetary fine was reported; the exact ruling date was not established. Source
August 2024, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, Hyderabad, India: The consumer tribunal found negligence and unfair trade practices after Vietjet cancelled a family's Hyderabad service. It ordered INR 40,172 reimbursement for replacement travel and INR 15,000 compensation, totaling INR 55,172; this was an individual consumer award, not a DGCA fine. A reliable order-date USD conversion was not verified. Source

Reliability

No verified VietJet Air on-time arrival or cancellation percentages were found for the 2025 calendar year or a trailing annual period. Sources reviewed included Cirium's On-Time Performance Review 2025 and its Southeast Asia monthly coverage. A ground-handling transition at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport coincided with widespread delays and cancellations on April 20 and 21, 2025, but that incident is not an annual reliability measure.

Fees

Eco includes a main cabin bag plus a small personal item within a combined 7 kg. The main bag must fit 56 × 36 × 23 cm. No checked baggage is included, and baggage is sold by weight. A comparable first-checked-bag cost was not confirmed. Buying checked baggage within 24 hours of booking costs less than buying it later. Advance seat selection costs extra, and free seating beside a parent was not confirmed for every child aged 13 or under. No fee-display findings were identified in five years, but whether every mandatory charge appears in the first booking price remains unconfirmed.

Complaints

No comparable US complaint rate per 100,000 passengers is available because VietJet Air has too few US passengers to measure. Mishandled baggage and wheelchair or scooter figures were not reported to the U.S. DOT in April, May, July and August 2026. Bumping figures were not reported to the DOT for April to June 2026. These missing statistics do not establish good or bad handling.

Loyalty program

Vietjet SkyJoy uses SkyPoint, which its current homepage says never expire. Fixed Point awards follow a published flight-duration chart, alongside Market Fare and limited Member Deal awards. Fixed Point availability is capacity-controlled and excludes taxes and fees. No devaluations were identified in the last 24 months. Unused award points generally are not returned unless non-travel results from Vietjet's error.

Choose VietJet Air if

Travel with only Eco's included 7 kg cabin allowance.
Choose Deluxe when avoiding change fees justifies the higher fare.
Value SkyJoy points that never expire.

Book elsewhere if

You expect cash or credit whenever the same flight gets cheaper.
You need a confirmed punctuality record before booking.
You require guaranteed free seating beside your child.

Tips

Keep Eco cabin baggage within the combined 7 kg allowance and published dimensions to avoid extra charges or refusal.
Buy checked baggage within 24 hours of booking, since later purchases cost more.
Compare Deluxe against Eco plus baggage and seat selection, because Deluxe includes seat selection and a route-dependent checked allowance.

Questions travelers ask

Does VietJet Air charge change fees?

Deluxe, SkyBoss and Business have no change fee, but you still pay any higher fare difference. Eco charges VND 350,000 before VAT for domestic changes and route-based international fees, plus the fare difference. Eco and Deluxe changes require at least three hours' notice. SkyBoss and Business require notice before departure.

Can I get money back if my flight's price drops?

Usually not. VietJet Air forfeits any surplus when a ticket is changed to a lower fare, so there is no published entitlement to the difference in cash or credit. Cancelling and repurchasing can produce savings only if cancellation fees and credit restrictions leave you better off. There is no separate fee-free same-flight price-drop guarantee.

How long does VietJet Air Travel Credit last?

Eco and Deluxe Travel Credit lasts one year, while SkyBoss and Business credit lasts two years, counted from scheduled departure rather than credit issuance. Credit is named and cannot be transferred. Eco and Deluxe normally require cancellation at least 24 hours before departure, while SkyBoss and Business allow requests through 72 hours afterward. Whether travel must be booked or completed before expiry was not confirmed.

What do I get if VietJet Air cancels my flight?

For qualifying airline-caused cancellations, you can request a refund under Vietjet's newer passenger-rights policy rather than assume credit is your only option. Submit the request within 60 days. Published processing limits are 21 days for cash or bank transfer, 45 for cards and 30 through agents. Rerouting is within Vietjet's network and capacity, and care or compensation depends on applicable law and conditions.

How much do carry-on and checked bags cost?

Eco's cabin allowance is included, but it has no checked baggage allowance. You can bring a main bag plus a small personal item within 7 kg combined, and the main bag must fit 56 × 36 × 23 cm. Checked baggage is sold by weight, but a comparable first-checked-bag price was not confirmed. Buying within 24 hours of booking costs less than buying later.

Sources

Fare Rules, Vietjet Air
Fee and charges, Vietjet Air
Terms and conditions (Vietjet), Vietjet Air, 2026-01-12
Refund form, Vietjet Air
Baggage service, Vietjet Air
SkyBoss, Vietjet Air
Business Class, Vietjet Air
Passenger Rights Protection Policy, Vietjet Air
Notice Regarding the Impact of Typhoon Champi, Vietjet Air
Vietjet Ticket Classes and Hybrid Airline Model: Detailed Comparison, Vietjet Air
A complete guide on how to change a flight ticket from A to Z for beginners, Vietjet Air
Vietjet Air A330 Economy Class Review (Melbourne-Saigon), Australian Frequent Flyer
Vietjet Air JSC — AGM Note, VNDirect, 2026-04-28
Tet Tickets for Large Families: Buy Together or Separate Tickets?, Vietjet Air
Passenger Rights Protection Policy, Vietjet Air
Ticket Exchange, Refund, and Cancellation Process, Vietjet Air
SkyJoy homepage, Vietjet SkyJoy / GalaxyJoy
Vietjet's Flight Ticket Redemption Regulation, Version 1.2, Vietjet SkyJoy / GalaxyJoy, 2023-10-10
List of Flight Routes Applied for Fixed Point Ticket Redemption, Vietjet SkyJoy / GalaxyJoy, 2025-06-25
Tăng cường kiểm soát việc bán vé máy bay của các hãng hàng không, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, 2023-02-07
Caution on Using VietJet Air and Air Asia as Consumer Complaints Related to Refunds Increase, Korea Consumer Agency, 2023-06-28
VietJet Air told to pay Rs 55K to flier for cancelling tickets, The New Indian Express, 2024-09-10
VietJet forced to remove 'Green Friday' campaign in SG after greenwashing claims, Marketing-Interactive, 2025-01-21
Ủy ban Cạnh tranh Quốc gia giám sát, bảo vệ quyền lợi người tiêu dùng yếu thế trong lĩnh vực hàng không, Vietnam Competition Commission, 2025-08-19
Vietjet apologizes, offers vouchers to passengers over flight delays, cancelations, Tuoi Tre News, 2025-04-23
Airline consumer complaints rise 38% in South Korea year-on-year, ChosunBiz, 2025-09-14
Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium; report copy hosted by Poder360, 2026-01
September 2026 – Southeast Asia On-Time Performance Monthly Report, Cirium, 2026-10-19
VietJet Air is certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline, Skytrax
AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-20
VietjetAir Contact Center, Vietjet Air
Vietjet launches new routes to Prague, Almaty, and the Maldives, Vietjet Air, 2026-10-06
CAPA route coverage: VietJet Air Hanoi–Almaty–Prague commencement, CAPA – Centre for Aviation
VietJet faces aircraft, cash seizures in FitzWalter debt fight, The Edge Malaysia / Bloomberg, 2026-10-23
Notice Regarding the Impact of Typhoon Champi, Vietjet Air
Air Passenger Rights: Frequently Asked Questions, European Commission
Passenger Charter of Rights, India Ministry of Civil Aviation
India Flight Compensation & Air Passenger Rights, AirHelp
Double Day – Super Sale: Discount 20% Eco, Deluxe classes, October 8–10, 2026, Vietjet Air

For AI assistants: the whole rating as text, with every source