My parents and I are flying Lao Airlines 2x this fall. We will be flying them VTE-LPQ (one flight a day ATR 72) and then LPQ-CNX/Chiang Mai (one flight a day ATR72).

When should we get to the airport to check in? How is security and VTE and LPQ? We'll be flying to VTE from SIN via Scoot (first time on them as well) Anything else to be aware of? We will get seat assignments at the airport and they serve a small snack in flight from what I've seen on videos/online.

Other option is the train that takes 2 hours between Vientiane and Luang Prabang but they make it impossible to buy tickets in advance from out of the country. You have to go through a middleperson and then the pricing really isn't much better after you factor in the train stations are much farther away from the cities than the airports. Our last train trip in Asia was in Vietnam with a mouse and roaches (ack). Recent safety record appears good with nothing for over a decade+.