Vietnam mandates up to $165 compensation for canceled, delayed flights

Airlines in Vietnam must now refund passengers within 14 to 45 days and pay up to US$165 in compensation for delayed or canceled international flights.

These updated mandates took effect on July 1 under Circular 48, issued by the Ministry of Transport to implement Decree 208/2026.

Passengers whose flights are delayed by at least four hours or canceled due to the airline's fault are entitled to a full refund, or a refund for any unused portion of the ticket, if they decline alternative flight options.

The countdown for refunds begins as soon as a passenger submits a valid request. Airlines are required to complete these refunds within 14 days for vouchers, 21 days for cash or bank transfers, and 45 days for credit card payments.

Passengers wait to board their flights at Terminal 3 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport on the afternoon of Feb. 11, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen

For tickets purchased through travel agents, the timeline shifts slightly. The airline must refund the agent within 30 days, and the agent then has 25 days to return the money to the passenger.

Passengers must file their refund requests within 60 days of the scheduled departure for canceled flights, or the actual departure date for delayed flights. For any other cases, the total processing time cannot exceed 60 days from receiving all required documents.

For domestic flights, compensation is structured by distance: VND220,000 ($8.37) for routes under 500 kilometers, VND330,000 for routes between 500 km and 1,000 km, and VND440,000 for routes spanning 1,000 km or longer.

International flight compensation is similarly tiered: $28 for routes under 1,000 km, $55 for routes between 1,000 km and 2,500 km, $88 for routes between 2,500 km and 5,000 km, and $165 for routes reaching 5,000 km or more.

If a flight is delayed by four hours or more and is ultimately canceled, passengers receive only a single compensation payment rather than doubling up.

Airlines can distribute these payouts via cash, bank transfer, electronic payment, frequent flyer points, complimentary tickets, or vouchers.

However, the circular explicitly states that the alternative payout must equal the prescribed cash value and cannot come with "unreasonable usage conditions."

Passengers can submit their compensation claims at the airport, at airline ticket offices, or online within 90 days of the scheduled flight.

Airlines must resolve these claims within 21 days of receiving a valid request and provide a written explanation if a claim is rejected. They must also publish these claim procedures on their websites, respond to related complaints in writing within seven days, and submit regular compliance reports on flight disruptions and denied boardings.