Promo Radar™
List of promotions, sales, and discounts as announced by airlines.
We are currently monitoring over 150 carriers, including Lion Air.
updated November 27, 2023
What is the best time to book Lion Air flights?
The best time to book international Lion Air flights is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) is 4–6 months before takeoff. For Lion Air domestic flights within Indonesia, making a reservation from 4 to 8 weeks in advance is recommended.
Why do prices fluctuate?
Airfare prices fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches.Airlines such as Lion Air use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales. Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Lion Air start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – the airline typically starts by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights with Lion Air, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. It is the “Prime Booking Window” – after some seats have already been sold, the airline starts dropping prices to stimulate demand. It may also offer promotions and sales (especially for flights departing from its hub in Soekarno–Hatta International Airport CGK, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport UPG, Juanda International Airport SUB). This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. The Indonesian airline charges higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
Select a late night or early morning (1–5 am) flight to save on airfare. Lion Air often offers discounts on their first morning flight (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by Lion Air for dates it expects to be popular. Avoid the high season during summer and major holidays, including holidays in the country you’re flying to.
Looking for cheaper flights? Get deal alerts to save 40% — 80% (free)
We are searching 24/7 for the best deals from all airlines, including Lion Air. Get our weekly deal alerts straight to your inbox, and start your vacation with an affordable flight!
- Every deal is 40% to 80% cheaper than the regular fare
- Including business class seats at the economy prices
- Ready to book on airline websites
Join 110,000+ savvy travelers:
Why is Lion Air so cheap on ATC?
Lion Air can be extremely cheap when you seize opportunities such as ‘mistake fares‘, sudden price drops, sales and promotions or employ strategies like hidden city ticketing. Moreover, Lion Air flights associated with their main Indonesian hub airport — Soekarno–Hatta International Airport CGK — are typically priced lower due to the benefits of economies of scale and streamlined operations.
Air Traveler Club has a team of experts who diligently monitor for price reductions, promotional offers (often not widely advertised), under-the-radar airline sales, and other potential savings on flights. In the case of Lion Air, we particularly focus on tracking prices for flights originating from their Jakarta hub.
These valuable findings are then promptly relayed to our subscribers as exclusive SuperDeals.
Lion Air reviews 2023,A.I. summary
We let the A.I. analyze thousands of Lion Air reviews for an averaged, more accurate rating and opinion. Please note: this is an experimental feature.
Overall rating
| Baggage handling | ★★★☆☆ |
|---|---|
| Seat comfort | ★★★☆☆ |
| Food | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Entertainment | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Crew | ★★★☆☆ |
| Customer support | ★★☆☆☆ |
Is Lion Air a good airline?
Lion Air struggles to gain favor among travelers, a sentiment crystallized by its 2/5 (poor) rating from passengers.
Although the airline boasts an extensive network within Indonesia and Southeast Asia, it is frequently criticized for delays and last-minute cancellations. While fares are generally affordable, the cost-saving measures often translate into a bare-bones in-flight experience, leaving passengers wanting more in terms of comfort and amenities. Customer service is another area where Lion Air has room for improvement, with common complaints highlighting inefficiencies and unresponsiveness.
Given these factors, Lion Air may offer a broad range of destinations and competitive pricing, but its low rating suggests it does not offer good value for the money.
Strengths
- Extensive route network: Lion Air scores points for its wide-ranging routes, especially within Indonesia and neighboring countries. This provides passengers with numerous options for both local and regional travel.
- Competitive pricing: Budget-conscious passengers often appreciate Lion Air’s wallet-friendly fares, particularly on short-haul routes where luxury services aren’t a priority.
- Frequent flight availability: The high number of flights Lion Air operates on key routes offers a level of flexibility that passengers value, making last-minute bookings or itinerary changes more manageable.
Weaknesses
- Frequent delays and cancellations: One of the consistent criticisms of Lion Air is its poor punctuality, which often leads to disrupted travel plans and additional expenses for passengers.
- Poor customer service: Inefficient and unresponsive customer service remains a recurring issue in passenger feedback.
- Basic in-flight amenities: The airline’s minimalistic service model can fall short of passengers’ expectations in terms of comfort and onboard offerings, with a lack of complimentary snacks and entertainment often cited as negative.
Passenger's experience
Is Lion Air a budget airline?
Yes, Lion Air is a budget airline. Lion Air is referred to as a LCC (low-cost carrier) due to its business model which is focused on offering basic air transportation services at the lowest possible cost.
The low-cost model has a few key characteristics that distinguish Lion Air from traditional full-service carriers (FCC). The Indonesian airline predominantly operates short to medium-haul flights, and it adopts a high-density seating configuration in its aircraft to maximize passenger numbers and revenue per flight. Lion Air also offers an “unbundled” fare structure, where the base fare usually only includes the seat and a small personal item. Additional services such as checked luggage, seat selection, extra legroom, and in-flight meals may be available but incur extra charges.
These strategies allow Lion Air to keep operating costs low. The savings are then passed on to passengers in the form of lower ticket prices, hence earning it the label of a budget airline.
What can I expect when flying with Lion Air?
When flying with Lion Air, you can expect a focus on affordability and an extensive route network, especially within Indonesia and nearby countries.
However, this low-cost carrier has been commonly criticized for its frequent flight delays and cancellations. The in-flight experience is rather basic, lacking complimentary amenities like food and entertainment.
Additionally, customer service is often reported as less than stellar, with complaints about unresponsiveness and difficulties in handling refunds or modifications. Despite its competitive pricing and frequent flight schedules, the airline’s shortcomings suggest you may want to temper expectations regarding overall service quality and reliability.
What are the seating options?
When flying with Lion Air, passengers will primarily find an Economy Class offering, as the airline leans towards a low-cost model.
The seating in Economy is generally configured to maximize capacity, meaning legroom and seat width can be limited compared to full-service carriers. While you won’t find a range of cabin classes such as Business or First Class, the airline does offer the option to purchase “hot seats,” which are located at the front of the cabin or exit rows, providing a bit more legroom for an additional fee.
Is Lion Air economy comfortable?
Comfort in Lion Air’s Economy Class is a subject of varied opinions, but the general consensus leans toward the basic side.
The airline operates a no-frills, low-cost model, and this is reflected in its seating options. In Economy Class, the seats are designed to be functional but may offer limited legroom and seat width compared to what you might find on a full-service carrier.
While the seats are generally adequate for shorter flights, they may not offer the level of comfort desired for longer journeys.
How to get an extra legroom seat on Lion Air plane?
Securing an extra legroom seat on a Lion Air plane requires some planning and flexibility, but you can easily score one of these seats by familiarizing yourself with the cabin layout and checking in for your flight early. You may also consider paying for an upgrade to a seat with ample legroom and enhanced comfort.
As the location of the extra legroom seats varies depending on the aircraft, we recommend visiting the SeatGuru website. By simply entering your Lion Air flight number, you can access a detailed seat map specific to your flight. Hover over individual seats to identify those with ample legroom. They are often found in exit rows, bulkhead rows (the first row in each cabin section), or other designated areas that offer additional legroom.
Due to their desirable features, the preferred seats are in high demand. They are often limited in number and typically incur additional fees. Seats with extra legroom located in front and exit rows ("hot seats") are priced higher. However, for medium– and long–haul flights, the additional cost of $10-$50 may be worth the increased comfort. Hot seats typically provide at least 36 inches of legroom (4-6 inches more than standard economy seats), wider seat pitch, and may also have adjustable footrests and recline further back.
Paying for an extra legroom seat is usually a more affordable option than upgrading to a Premium Economy.
What is the baggage allowance?
- Hand Baggage: One piece allowed with a maximum weight of 7 kg and dimensions not exceeding 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm.
- Checked Baggage: For most domestic routes, the standard baggage allowance is 20 kg. However, certain routes might offer different allowances.
- Excess Baggage: Additional fees apply for baggage that exceeds the stipulated weight limit. The charges are usually calculated per kilogram and vary depending on the route.
Does Lion Air have Wi-Fi?
Lion Air does not offer in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity on its aircraft.
Does Lion Air have refundable tickets?
Yes, Lion Air does offer refundable tickets with conditions tied to the timing of the refund request before the flight’s departure. Here’s how their refund structure breaks down:
- More than 72 hours before departure: A refund fee of 25% of the basic fare is levied. Airport tax, PPN (Value Added Tax), and Iuran Wajib Jasa Raharja (mandatory service fees) are refundable.
- Between 72 hours and 4 hours before departure: The refund fee jumps to 50% of the basic fare. However, the airport tax, PPN, and Iuran Wajib Jasa Raharja remain refundable.
- Less than 4 hours before departure: The refund fee escalates to 90% of the basic fare, leaving only a nominal amount for refund. Again, airport tax, PPN, and Iuran Wajib Jasa Raharja are refundable.
How do I obtain my Lion Air boarding pass?
Lion Air boarding pass is a travel document that contains crucial information about your flight, confirms your seat and allows you to board the plane. It includes the passenger’s name, flight number, boarding time, boarding zone, gate number, seat number, and other essential flight details. The Lion Air boarding pass can be in paper or electronic format. The boarding pass is issued during check-in — online on the airline's website (usually available 24 hours before the flight), its mobile app (mobile boarding pass) or at the airport. You can print your boarding pass at home or use a mobile app to store the digital boarding pass on your smartphone. Alternatively, you can check in at the airport, where the airline's representative will issue the boarding pass for you.
How to check Lion Air flight status?
Unfortunately, Lion Air does not provide information about flights status on their website – you’ll need to use an external tool.
There are several online platforms where you can check the status of Lion Air flight: FlightRadar24, FlightStats, or FlightAware. They offer comprehensive information about any flight (regardless of the airline) – including real-time flight tracking.
Alternatively, input your flight number directly into Google's search bar. Drawing data from diverse sources (including the airlines themselves), Google will provide you with all the crucial flight information right on the search results page.
Lion Air shortcuts
Essential links to Lion Air official website.
Lion Air flight booking
Search Lion Air flights and book your Economy class ticket online.
Online check-in
How to check-in and receive your Lion Air boarding pass?
Lion Air baggage policy
Learn about checked and hand luggage regulations on Lion Air flights.
Flexible tickets
Want to change your flight? Lion Air flexible booking offer and policies.
Refunds and cancellations
Guidelines on returning a Lion Air ticket and getting your money back.
Lion Air help & support
Get in touch with the airline: customer service numbers, call centers, offices, and more.
Why are Lion Air flights so expensive in 2023?
Airfares soared in 2023. Lion Air flights are more expensive now due to rising demand, limited supply, inflation, fuel prices, closed airspace, and increased operational costs.
One key factor within your control is the timing of your booking. To save money on travel, it’s wise to plan ahead – the best time to book international flights with Lion Air is between 2 to 8 months before your departure date.
The primary elements that impact the cost of flights:
- Rising demand With more people traveling in the post-pandemic era, airlines have no incentive to lower prices. Instead, they capitalize on spiked demand and raise prices to make up for lost revenue during the period of 2020-2022.
- Limited supply In 2023 Lion Air is still operating at reduced capacity after the pandemic. Staffing shortages of pilots, plane crew, and airport workers lead to flight cancellations and delays, affecting the supply even more. With fewer flights, the Indonesian carrier charges more for the plane tickets that are available.
- Inflation Inflation has a significant impact on flight prices, as it directly increases the cost of fuel and labor for airlines. This can be particularly true for Lion Air that operates in countries with high inflation rates.
- Jet fuel costs Fuel is a significant airline cost, influenced by crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. To cope with rising fuel prices, the airline may pass it on to travelers in the form of a fuel surcharge added to the ticket price.
- Closed airspace Avoiding airspace due to war, political conflicts, extreme weather, or natural disasters make airline tickets more expensive. Lion Air may be forced to take longer routes to reach the destination airport – which means higher fuel and labor costs.
- Lion Air operating costs The costs of labor, aircraft maintenance, aircraft leasing or purchasing expenses, marketing, etc. significantly increased in 2023. As Lion Air aims to remain profitable, it must factor in these operating costs when setting ticket prices.
- Will flight prices go down in 2023?Historical trends suggest that airfare prices will fluctuate based on the factors described above. As long as the demand for travel is up, so is airfare. After tough years the Lion Air is in no position to offer discounts for passengers and will likely try to maximize profits in 2023.
Lion Air price history charts
and price-drop alerts
Understanding past airfare trends for your chosen Lion Air flight route can help you forecast future prices and identify ideal booking times.
Google Flights is one of the best tools that provide access to price history — it tracks airfare fluctuations, predicts price changes based on historical data, and helps to pinpoint optimal booking times. In addition to viewing price history charts, you can set up price alerts for Lion Air flights via email — and catch price drops as they happen.
While the tracking tools provide valuable insights on Lion Air price history, they cannot guarantee future prices. They are also usually restricted to one particular route. For regular updates on price drops and deals across various popular destinations (holiday ideas!), consider Air Traveler Club — it’s free to join.
Lion Air tips
How to ensure smooth transit between Lion Air connecting flights
Before your trip, research your connecting airport. Familiarize yourself with its layout, terminals, amenities, and the location of your connecting gate. This will save you time and stress during your layover. Every airport has a minimum connection time — make sure your layover is longer than this minimum time.
Additionally:
- You may need to move between terminals if you have a connecting flight with a different airline or separate point-to-point tickets with Lion Air. Each flight may require individual check-in procedures and an additional pass through security. As your luggage may not be automatically transferred to your final destination, you’ll need to retrieve your bags and check them in again for your subsequent flight.
- When flights are booked on separate tickets, Lion Air is not responsible if you miss your connection due to a delay with the first flight. Allow plenty of buffer time between flights to account for any potential delays.
- Gate assignments can change. Regularly check the flight information boards to ensure you’re in the right place.
- If your airport connection is tight (1-hour layover or less), pick a set near the front of the plane. It can shave 5–10 minutes off your deplaning time, especially on larger planes. Consider purchasing “hot seats” if available on your plane — they cost extra, but it may be worth it.
- When flying domestically, try not to book the last flight out of your connecting airport. In case of a cancellation, the airline will put you on its next flight, but it will require an overnight stay and arrival a day later.
- Flights can be delayed or canceled. Have a backup plan in case you miss your connecting flight. Know your rights and the Lion Air policy on missed connections.
Booking group flights with Lion Air
Flights are cheaper when purchased in bulk rather than as individual tickets. Booking group flights with Lion Air can be a cost-effective option for a school trip, family reunion, or corporate group traveling to a conference.
To qualify for the special group rate, the group must usually have at least 10 passengers. Discounts depend on the group size and travel dates and typically range from 5% to 20% off the regular airfare.
Lion Air website typically limits automatic group bookings to 9 passengers. This limit reflects the complexity of managing larger groups, which require personalized service and more time to coordinate. To get the price quote for your group, you’ll need to contact the airline directly.
A travel agent may be better if you want more personalized service. Travel agents may have access to discounted group rates for Lion Air and can help with logistics and scheduling.