For most of the last five years the answer to "which Vietnamese airline" was a genuine three-way choice. In 2026 it is not. Bamboo Airways stopped selling scheduled domestic tickets on 1 August 2026 and flew its last rotation on 22 August, which leaves the practical decision between Vietnam Airlines and VietJet — a full-service carrier with everything bundled against a low-cost carrier that sells you the seat and prices the rest separately.
This page covers all three anyway, because Bamboo is still the airline people ask about, and because what happened to it is the most useful thing to know before you book. For route-by-route pricing see our domestic flight prices guide; for the deeper operational data see the airline reliability atlas.
Side by side
| Vietnam Airlines | VietJet | Bamboo Airways | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA code | VN | VJ | QH |
| Model | Full-service flag carrier | Low-cost, unbundled | Hybrid, formerly full-service |
| 2026 status | Operating normally | Operating normally | Scheduled sales halted 1 Aug 2026 |
| 2024 domestic share | 46.9% (group) | 43.3% | 6.8% |
| Cheapest fare includes bag? | Yes, 23kg | No, Eco is cabin only | Yes, 20kg, when selling |
| Hand baggage | 10kg (7kg on ATR72) | 7kg Eco and Deluxe, 10kg SkyBoss | 7kg |
| Economy seat pitch, A321 | About 32 inches | About 29 inches | About 30 to 31 inches |
| Meal in economy | Included | Paid | Included |
| Seat selection | Free on Classic and Flex | Paid on all fares | Paid on lower fares |
| FY2025 on-time, CAA-V | About 75 to 80% | 55.0% (nine months) | 83.2% |
| Refundable economy? | Yes, for a fee | No, taxes only | Fee-based |
| Lounge on domestic | Business, Premium Economy, elites | Business and SkyBoss | Bamboo Club tiers |
| Loyalty | Lotusmiles, SkyTeam | SkyJoy, no tiers | Bamboo Club, four tiers |
Baggage, and what each fare really includes
This is where the money is, so start here.
Vietnam Airlines includes one 23kg checked bag and 10kg of hand baggage on every domestic economy fare — Lite, Classic and Flex alike, dropping to 7kg hand baggage on the ATR72 turboprops that serve thin routes like Con Dao. A meal comes with it. That means the price you see is close to the price you pay.
VietJet sells the seat. The Eco fare carries 7kg of cabin baggage and nothing in the hold. Deluxe adds 20kg checked, SkyBoss carries 30kg checked and 10kg cabin. Checked allowance bought with the ticket online typically runs 20 to 30 percent cheaper than the airport counter, and the counter rate can be roughly double. VietJet also checks weight and size at the gate, not only at check-in, which is where travellers get caught: a backpack that sailed through check-in unweighed becomes a hold bag with a fee attached at the jet bridge.
Bamboo sat in the middle when it was selling seats — 7kg carry-on and 20kg checked on most fares, closer to the Vietnam Airlines model than the VietJet one.
Seat pitch and cabin
VietJet configures its Airbus A321s tightly, at roughly 28 to 30 inches of pitch, with 29 inches the common figure. SkyBoss, despite the name, occupies the first three rows in the same 3-3 layout at broadly the same pitch — you are buying priority, baggage and service rather than a bigger seat. Vietnam Airlines runs about 32 inches, or 81cm, in A321 economy and has rolled Premium Economy out across domestic services, which carries a 32kg checked allowance and 18kg of hand baggage.
On a 70-minute Hanoi to Da Nang hop the three inches are a detail. On a two-hour-plus Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to Phu Quoc sector, with a full cabin, they are not.
Punctuality
Vietnam's civil aviation authority CAA-V publishes departure punctuality and Cirium publishes arrival punctuality, and the two answer different questions. Both matter, and neither flatters VietJet.
On CAA-V figures for full-year 2025, Bamboo led at 83.2 percent with a 0.2 percent cancellation rate, Vietnam Airlines sat around 75 to 80 percent, Vietravel Airlines was 67.7 percent across the first half, and VietJet trailed at 55.0 percent over nine months, with a record monthly low of 43.3 percent in April 2025. On Cirium's arrival measure, Vietnam Airlines recorded 76.7 percent for 2024 and ranked sixth in Asia-Pacific.
Context matters. By December 2025 the Pratt and Whitney GTF engine inspection programme had grounded 13.1 percent of Vietnam's national commercial fleet, including 24 A321neos, and industry-wide punctuality fell to 62.6 percent in the first half of 2025. Every carrier suffered. VietJet suffered most, partly because it runs the densest schedule and therefore has the least slack to absorb a delay.
Typical fares on the trunk routes
As of mid-2026, converting at roughly 26,000 VND to the dollar:
| Route | Advance-purchase low | Typical | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City | 950,000–1,300,000 VND ($37–50) | 1,500,000–2,200,000 VND ($58–85) | 2,800,000–3,800,000 VND ($108–146) |
| Hanoi–Da Nang | 700,000–1,000,000 VND ($27–38) | 1,100,000–1,700,000 VND ($42–65) | 2,200,000–3,000,000 VND ($85–115) |
| HCMC–Da Nang | 700,000–1,000,000 VND ($27–38) | 1,100,000–1,700,000 VND ($42–65) | 2,200,000–3,000,000 VND ($85–115) |
| HCMC–Phu Quoc | 650,000–1,000,000 VND ($25–38) | 1,200,000–1,900,000 VND ($46–73) | 2,200,000–3,200,000 VND ($85–123) |
The low column is almost always a VietJet base fare with no bag. Read it as a starting point rather than a price. Book trunk routes about 30 to 45 days out; see the cheapest month to fly guide for seasonal timing.
Changes and cancellations
Vietnam Airlines is the flexible one. Domestic Economy Lite carries change and refund fees each in the region of 500,000 to 800,000 VND; Economy Classic is about 360,000 VND to change; Economy Flex changes free outside the Lunar New Year period and refunds for around 360,000 to 500,000 VND. Every fare is at least refundable in principle.
VietJet is not. Every VietJet fare is non-refundable for a change of mind, and only unused statutory taxes can be reclaimed through a form. Eco and Deluxe can be rebooked up to three hours before departure for a rebooking fee plus any fare difference, and the rebooking fee itself is never refundable. SkyBoss changes free of charge apart from fare difference, and name changes are permitted only on SkyBoss and Business.
Lounges, loyalty and ground service
Vietnam Airlines runs the Lotus Lounge network, open to Business and Premium Economy passengers and to Lotusmiles elite members. Lotusmiles is the only Vietnamese programme inside a global alliance — Vietnam Airlines has been a SkyTeam member since 2010, so miles credit and burn across the alliance, and the programme runs status matches from dozens of airline and hotel schemes.
VietJet's SkyJoy is a points-and-rewards ecosystem rather than a classic frequent-flyer scheme: no elite tiers, but over 1,200 partner brands and a footprint now extending into Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Business and SkyBoss fares include lounge access at departure airports, dedicated check-in and priority boarding, with fast-track security where the airport supports it — see our airport fast track guide.
Bamboo Club ran four tiers with lounge access and baggage benefits, and extended members' tiers during the restructuring. Its practical value in 2026 is negligible.
What happened to Bamboo Airways
Worth understanding, because the collapse was slow and public. Bamboo launched in 2019, expanded fast under FLC Group, and reached a peak fleet of 44 aircraft including Boeing 787-9 widebodies on London, Frankfurt, Sydney and Melbourne routes. Founder Trinh Van Quyet was arrested on fraud charges in 2022 and convicted in 2024; FLC unravelled; Him Lam Group took control through a debt-for-equity swap in mid-2023 and shed the widebodies and the long-haul network.
The rebuilt airline was operationally excellent and financially unviable. It posted the best punctuality and lowest cancellation rate in the country on a shrinking fleet — seven aircraft and 12 domestic routes by September 2025, three by mid-2026, with one A321 active. Auditors estimated roughly 350 million US dollars of debt in July 2025 and tax authorities pursued a further 16.8 million. Ticket sales stopped on 1 August 2026 and the last rotation flew on 22 August. Refunds are being processed, with eVouchers quoted at 7 to 14 business days and cash refunds at up to 90.
If you hold a Bamboo ticket, file the refund and rebook. If you are planning a trip, treat the airline as unavailable.
Where each is the right pick
- Choose Vietnam Airlines when you have checked luggage, when you are connecting to or from an international flight, when the schedule matters, when you want SkyTeam credit, or when you are flying a long domestic sector and want the extra pitch.
- Choose VietJet when you are travelling light on a short hop, when you want the densest schedule on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City corridor, or when the all-in price genuinely undercuts the alternative. Buy the bag online, be at the gate with a compliant carry-on, and build slack into any onward connection.
- Do not choose Bamboo in 2026. Vietravel Airlines remains a small fourth option, and Sun PhuQuoc Airways has begun serving the Phu Quoc market, but neither has the network depth of the big two.
Limitations
Fares, fees and allowances change constantly and are hedged ranges observed as of mid-2026, converted at roughly 26,000 VND to the US dollar; the airline's own booking page is always the authority. Punctuality figures come from CAA-V monthly bulletins and Cirium rankings, which measure departure and arrival respectively and are not directly comparable with one another. Seat pitch varies by aircraft sub-type and configuration, and both carriers operate multiple A321 layouts. The Bamboo Airways position described here reflects reporting through late August 2026; the airline retains a stated ambition to rebuild, so its status may change. Safety information is limited to published regulator ratings and third-party audit listings, and this page does not rank the carriers against each other on safety.