Cheap flights from London to Vientiane

April is the cheapest month to fly this route, and the price calendar covers most months of the year, so it pays to compare a spring trip against the autumn and winter window before you commit. Fares climb around the December holidays and again in the summer school break, when families travel. Midweek departures usually cost less than Friday or Sunday flights, and booking several weeks ahead gives you a better pick of connections. If your dates are flexible, let the calendar lead and choose the month first, the airline second.

Nothing on this route is low-cost: every carrier flying between London and Vientiane is a full-service airline, so a checked bag and meals usually come with the ticket, though the lightest fare classes can still exclude luggage. Emirates, Etihad Airways and Oman Air are Gulf carriers; China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China and Tianjin Airlines are Chinese carriers; Thai Airways Intl, Srilankan Airlines and Air India cover the Asian legs. Because every option connects, compare total travel time and layover length, not just the ticket.

Wattay is the only airport serving Vientiane, and it sits close to the city — a short ride to the riverside centre rather than a long transfer. Taxis and pre-arranged hotel transfers are the usual ways in, and it helps to have your address written down for the driver. If your itinerary puts a long connection before Vientiane, check whether your bags are tagged through to Wattay or whether you collect and re-check them on the way. Keep your first evening loose in case the connection runs late.

Currency

LAK (₭)

Power sockets

Type A, B, C, E, F · 230 V

Language

Lao

Emergency number

190, 191, 195

Driving side

right

Calling code

+856

Internet domain

.la

Population of Vientiane

948 k (2020)

Time zone

UTC+07 (Asia/Bangkok)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare leaves from — London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted are not interchangeable.
• Read the baggage rules for your fare class, since the lightest tickets on a full-service airline can still charge for a checked bag.
• Add up the layovers before you book, because every itinerary to Vientiane connects.
• If the legs are on separate tickets, leave a generous gap in case the first flight is delayed.
• Check the entry rules for Laos and make sure your passport has enough validity left.
• Compare April, the cheapest month, against the autumn and winter fares before you commit.