What a terrible experience.
Their costumer service made me buy a new ticket!
So, I have flown quite a bit over the past 10 years, so I have booked plenty of tickets. Several times I have been asked to use my initials instead of my full name when booking, because my full name doesn't fit on the boarding pass. As such, I have grown accustomed to using my initials 'FP' when booking my tickets, and have never had a problem with this whatsoever.
However, when checking in with Vietnam Airlines, they told me this wasn't possible. I was sent to costumer service. After a lenghty argument, they made me buy a new ticket or they wouldn't let me on the flight!
Truly outrageous! I would have been fine with paying a small fee to change the name on the ticket (it was still 2 hours before the flight and I hadn't checked in any luggage).
This airline has terrible costumer service and would absolutely not recommend it.
P.S.
The weirdest part is that I flew with one of their competitors VietjetAir just a week before, using my initials, also a domestic flight in Vietnam, and there was no issue whatsoever.