What is it like to fly Lao Airlines?

I recently had a discussion with someone on an online forum about their fear of flying with Lao Airlines. They were planning a trip to Laos and preferred to enter the country overland rather than risk Lao Airlines. Of course they also admitted to a fear of flying lanterns, presumably falling out of the sky onto them, so they may not be the norm when it comes to discussing traveller’s fears.

Which made me wonder. Do people imagine a trip on Lao Airlines as one where you share your seat with livestock and the pilots are cooking noodles in the cockpit?

The Wikipedia page does not paint a pretty picture of the airline prior to its rebranding in 2003, what with Chinese and Soviet aircraft, a number of accidents, etc. But, given that the Vietnam War (or American War as it’s known in this part of the world) had only ended the year before the Airline was formed I guess it’s understandable that they used what they could. Flying would not have been the routine thing it is today.

Of course Lao Airlines has had a recent fatal accident. On 16 October 2013, Flight 301, an ATR 72-600 twin turboprop carrying 44 passengers and 5 crew, crashed into the Mekong River at Pakse,; all 49 on board died. An investigation put the cause as pilot error. It was a tragedy and a dark time for the Airline and the country.

But should you avoid Lao Airlines because of it, or Bangkok Airlines or Vietnam Airlines?

No, you shouldn’t.

My opinions here are based on having flown a lot. I wouldn’t call myself an aviation expert but I have taken more flights than I can possibly remember on many types of aircraft and airlines.

Firstly, despite the airline advertising, unless you are up the pointy end of the plane all airlines are basically the same. Same cramped seating, food, service and facilities. In this regard Laos Airlines is no different; flights on smaller aircraft do not even have a business class. You will get the same greeting as you enter the cabin, the same uninspiring meal and drinks service (although on a 45 minute to one hour flight what can you expect apart from a sandwich) the same safety briefing, the same view out the window. There is nothing to differentiate Lao Airlines from any other in this regard; I’ve had both “good” and “bad” flights but I can say that about any of the other hundreds of flights I’ve taken. The cabin is clean and tidy and I’ve never had any issues with either maintenance or the professionalism of the cabin crew.

As for the aircraft itself, I have had a couple of instances where there appeared to be an issue and we have had to wait until a new aircraft is brought in. For myself I would rather see this happen than taking off in a plane that may have an issue or may have a patch repair done. It has also happened to me on a number of other airlines, most recently on Air Asia, so it is not an out of the ordinary occurrence. A travel tip would be to allow more than the standard 3 hour layover if you are flying out of Laos and connecting in somewhere like Bangkok. I was once delayed on a flight to Bangkok from Luang Prabang on Bangkok Airlines by 5 hours as a replacement plane was brought in from Bangkok.

At the airport Lao Airlines is as efficient as any other airline I’ve flown. The new Luang Prabang International Airport is a step up from the old terminal and I have a post specifically dealing with the airport.

Even the Laos Airlines web site offers every booking convenience you would expect from an airline these days. However, if you are in Luang Prabang and wanting to book a flight, a visit to the Lao Airlines office is probably worth the effort. Many times I have been given a much better price in person at the office than online, almost $100 cheaper for a return to Chiang Mai on one occasion.

Ultimately, of course if you are a nervous flyer then the size of the aircraft, the size of the airport and simply the name will put you off. Nothing I can say will change that, but if you are just looking for a flight in or out of Luang Prabang then you shouldn’t dismiss Lao Airlines out of hand.

If you have a specific question then please leave a comment and I’ll try to answer it.

Lao Airlines office location.

UPDATE: There was an incident at Vientiane Wattay Airport yesterday 13/12/15 involving Lao Skyway. Please note that this is not Lao Airlines and is not someone I have flown or would recommend anyone to fly. The details are here and the comments will show why they do not get my recommendation.