Vietnam sets air ticket refund deadlines for delayed, canceled flights

Airlines must issue refunds within 21 days for cash or bank transfer payments, 14 days for vouchers, 45 days for credit card purchases, and 30 days for bookings made through travel agents.

The requirements are set out in the Ministry of Construction’s circular on air transport.

Under the circular, airlines must provide drinking water for delays of at least two hours and meals for delays of three hours.

Passengers whose flights are delayed by four hours or more, canceled, or who are denied boarding are entitled to a ticket refund.

The refund deadlines are calculated from the date a passenger submits a refund request.

Refund requests must be made within 60 days from the scheduled departure date of a canceled flight or the actual travel date of a delayed flight or one on which the passenger was denied boarding.

Ticket agents are required to refund passengers within 25 days after receiving reimbursement from the airline.

The circular also requires airlines to provide advance, non-refundable compensation to passengers affected by flight delays of four hours or more, flight cancellations, or denied boarding, regardless of the actual financial loss incurred.

For domestic flights, the minimum compensation is VND220,000 (US$8.4) for routes shorter than 500 kilometers, VND330,000 ($12.6) for routes between 500 and under 1,000 kilometers, and VND440,000($16.8) for routes of 1,000 kilometers or more.

For international flights, the minimum compensation is $28 for routes shorter than 1,000 kilometers, $55 for routes between 1,000 and under 2,500 kilometers, $88 for routes between 2,500 and under 5,000 kilometers, and $165 for routes of 5,000 kilometers or more.

Airlines may offer compensation exceeding the minimum amounts specified in the circular.

However, if a flight delayed by four hours or more is subsequently canceled, passengers are entitled to receive the advance compensation only once.

Passengers may choose to receive compensation in cash, by bank transfer, through intermediary or online payment services, or via other legally recognized electronic payment methods.

They may also opt for frequent flyer reward points, complimentary tickets, vouchers, or travel credits, provided these alternatives are equal in value to the required compensation and are not subject to unreasonable usage restrictions.