Vietnam ministry proposes meals for passengers on flights delayed 2 hours or more

The proposals, which are included in a draft decree on air transport, mark a significant expansion of passenger rights compared with current rules.

The ministry is collecting feedback on the draft decree from other ministries, agencies, and relevant organizations.

Under the draft, a delayed flight is defined as one that departs more than 15 minutes later than the scheduled departure time published by the airline as of 3:00 pm on the previous day.

When a flight is delayed, airlines are required to promptly notify passengers, issue an apology, and clearly state the reason for the delay.

They must also update the revised estimated departure time on airport flight information displays at least once every 30 minutes.

Under the prevailing regulations, in the case of delays of two hours or more, airlines shall only offer passengers options such as changing itineraries, adjusting departure times or transferring to another flight.

The new draft goes further by mandating that for delays of two hours or longer, airlines must provide meals and drinks or vouchers of equivalent value.

For delays of three hours or more, airlines would be obligated to both provide food and beverages and offer a full ticket refund, or a refund for the unused portion of the ticket, if passengers do not agree to change their itinerary or transfer to another flight.

If a flight is delayed by more than four hours, airlines would have to meet all the obligations applicable to delays of three hours or more, and additionally provide passengers with a non-refundable advance compensation payment, provided they have confirmed reservations and valid tickets.

These thresholds represent a notable change.

Under existing rules, airlines are only required to refund tickets when delays reach five hours, and there is no mandatory requirement to provide meals or drinks for delays of two or three hours.

For delays of six hours or more, airlines must currently provide food and beverages, refund tickets upon request, or arrange suitable accommodation for passengers who choose not to receive a refund, depending on airport and local conditions.

The draft decree also addresses flight cancelations and cases where passengers with confirmed tickets are denied boarding.

In such situations, airlines must promptly inform and apologize to affected passengers, clearly explaining the reason for the cancelation or denial of carriage.

Airlines would then be required to offer passengers a choice of remedies, including rebooking on a suitable alternative itinerary or flight without restrictive conditions or additional surcharges, or a full refund or refund of the unused portion of the ticket.

If passengers decline these options, airlines may fulfill their obligations through other arrangements agreed upon with the passengers.

According to the ministry, the proposed changes are intended to strengthen airlines’ responsibilities and better protect passenger rights in the event of flight delays and cancelations.

Once the decree is issued by the government, the ministry will detail the levels of non-refundable advance compensation, the methods and timelines for payment, and airlines’ obligations regarding information disclosure and reporting in cases of delays and cancelations, replacing the current regulatory framework.