Vietnam is moving to sharply strengthen passenger protections in the wake of persistent flight delays, with a new draft decree that would entitle travelers to full ticket refunds when flights are delayed by three hours or more. The proposed rules, which would apply to all carriers operating in the country including flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, aim to end the limbo passengers often face when departure times keep slipping with little accountability or compensation.
A Major Shift in Vietnam’s Air Passenger Rights Landscape
The draft decree, released for public consultation in February 2026, marks one of the most significant overhauls of Vietnam’s air transport rules in years. It is designed to guide implementation of the Civil Aviation Law 2025 and directly targets one of the industry’s most contentious issues: chronic delays and the limited recourse available to affected travelers.
Under current practice, passengers are generally only entitled to a refund if their flight is delayed by five hours or more. Delays falling short of that threshold often result in vouchers, snacks, or rebooking options, but many passengers report long, uncertain waits with only minimal support. The new proposal would cut the refund trigger from five hours to three, dramatically lowering the bar for travelers to reclaim their money and walk away from an disrupted journey.
The move reflects growing public frustration with erratic schedules and congested airports, especially at key hubs such as Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat and Hanoi’s Noi Bai. Delay statistics in recent years have highlighted punctuality as a weak spot in Vietnam’s aviation recovery, even as passenger numbers have surged beyond pre-pandemic levels. Regulators now appear determined to balance rapid growth with a more robust framework for passenger rights.
What Exactly Will Change for Passengers?
At the heart of the draft is a clear escalation ladder of airline obligations tied to the length of a delay. A flight would be considered delayed if it departs at least 15 minutes later than scheduled, a definition that aligns Vietnam more closely with international punctuality standards. From that point onward, specific thresholds trigger specific forms of assistance.
For delays of two hours or more, airlines would be required to provide food, drinks, or vouchers of equivalent value, and to facilitate free, penalty-free changes to new flights or itineraries to help passengers reach their final destinations. This codifies what in many markets remains a gray area where goodwill gestures vary by carrier and circumstance.
The most groundbreaking change lies at the three-hour mark. If a delay reaches three hours and the passenger does not accept a revised itinerary, an alternative departure time, or a transfer to another flight, the airline must refund 100 percent of the ticket price or the unused portion of the ticket. This entitlement would apply across the board, affecting national carriers such as Vietnam Airlines as well as low-cost and foreign airlines flying from Vietnamese airports.
Beyond three hours, obligations become even more stringent. A delay of four hours or more would trigger mandatory non-refundable advance compensation in addition to any refund on request. If a delay stretches beyond six hours during daytime and evening operations, the airline would be required to arrange suitable accommodation or agree on an alternative solution with the passenger, effectively preventing travelers from being stranded overnight on terminal benches.
Vietnam Airlines in the Spotlight
Although the decree is drafted to apply to all carriers, Vietnam Airlines inevitably sits at the center of public attention. As the national flag carrier with extensive domestic and international networks, it is often the face of Vietnamese aviation for both locals and foreign visitors. Its operational practices and response to delays shape perceptions of the entire system.
Vietnam Airlines and its peers already operate under existing compensation rules that include non-refundable advance payments for long delays and cancellations. However, these obligations typically come into play at the four-hour mark or beyond, and passenger advocacy groups have long argued that the thresholds were too high given the frequency and impact of disruptions.
Under the new framework, Vietnam Airlines would likely have to significantly adjust its planning, scheduling, and customer service protocols. Tighter timetables, greater buffer times between rotations, and more flexible crew and aircraft allocations could be required to reduce the financial risk of crossing the three-hour refund and four-hour compensation thresholds. For a full-service carrier with ambitions to position itself as a regional leader, failure to adapt could prove costly both financially and reputationally.
Industry observers note that while Vietnam Airlines has improved operational reliability compared with some low-cost competitors, it still operates within an infrastructure network that has struggled with congestion, limited runway capacity, and rapid demand growth. The proposed decree may accelerate pressure on both airlines and airport operators to address structural bottlenecks, not just customer-facing service standards.
From Five Hours to Three: Why the Threshold Matters
Reducing the refund trigger from five hours to three may sound like a technical adjustment, but in practical terms it could transform how delays are managed and experienced. A five-hour delay is often an exceptional event; a three-hour delay, by contrast, is relatively common during peak seasons or at overstretched airports. That means a far higher proportion of disruption events would fall under strict refund and compensation rules.
For passengers, the change represents a fundamental shift in leverage. Instead of being compelled to wait out long, uncertain holdups in exchange for meal vouchers or a seat on a later departure, travelers will have a clearer option: after three hours, they can walk away with their money, rebook at their discretion, or choose another airline or mode of transportation. This not only reduces the psychological burden of waiting in limbo but also restores a sense of control over disrupted trips.
For airlines, however, the drop from five to three hours introduces substantial financial and operational exposure. Carriers will be incentivized to avoid crossing the three-hour line at all costs, potentially leading to more proactive cancellations and earlier rebookings when they see a major delay looming. Analysts expect airlines to invest more heavily in predictive operations systems, real-time crew management, and recovery planning to keep disruptions below the critical thresholds wherever possible.
The government’s argument is that by tying costs more directly to delay duration, airlines will be pushed to improve punctuality and make more realistic schedules. In theory, this should also benefit travelers through fewer last-minute changes and a more reliable timetable, particularly on busy domestic trunk routes that connect major cities and tourist hubs.
Ending the Era of Uncertainty at the Gate
Beyond refunds and compensation, the draft decree places new emphasis on communication and transparency, aiming to tackle one of the most common complaints among air travelers in Vietnam: being left without clear, timely information when something goes wrong. Regulators are insisting that carriers keep passengers fully informed from the moment a delay is anticipated.
Under the proposal, airlines must promptly notify passengers of any expected delay, issue an apology, clearly explain the cause, and continuously update the revised departure time on airport information displays at intervals of no more than 30 minutes. This requirement responds directly to recurring scenes at major airports where departure boards change sporadically while passengers struggle to obtain accurate updates at boarding gates.
The draft goes further for passengers already on board. If travelers have boarded but the aircraft remains on the ground, airlines must ensure adequate ventilation, temperature, and sanitation. Should the delay exceed three hours without a confirmed takeoff time, passengers must be allowed to disembark if they wish, except where doing so would compromise aviation safety or security. This provision is intended to prevent situations where passengers feel trapped on parked aircraft with little clarity about when they will finally depart.
Together, these measures are designed to end the perception that passengers are passive bystanders in the face of disruption. By mandating consistent updates, explicit apologies, and the right to step off the aircraft or abandon the trip with a full refund, Vietnam’s regulators are signalling that the era of waiting indefinitely in limbo is coming to an end.
How Vietnam Compares with Global Standards
The proposed refund and compensation rules would move Vietnam closer to the more robust passenger rights regimes seen in parts of Europe and North America, where compensation, care, and reimbursement are tightly regulated. For instance, many European carriers operating under EU rules must provide meals, accommodation, and monetary compensation for significant delays and cancellations, except in cases of extraordinary circumstances beyond their control.
Vietnam’s draft decree mirrors several of these principles while adapting them to local conditions. It links assistance to delay duration, mandates direct refunds for long disruptions, and obliges airlines to arrange accommodation for extended waits. At the same time, it maintains exemptions for force majeure events such as severe weather, security threats, or other extraordinary situations that airlines cannot reasonably anticipate or avoid.
For international travelers familiar with strong passenger protections elsewhere, the shift may enhance confidence in booking flights into and within Vietnam, especially during peak tourism seasons when airport congestion is most acute. By aligning more closely with international benchmarks, the country also reinforces its image as a modern aviation market committed to fair treatment and consumer protection.
However, some differences will remain. The specific compensation amounts, the timelines for processing refunds, and the mechanisms for dispute resolution are expected to reflect Vietnam’s regulatory framework and legal culture. How effectively these rules are enforced at ground level will ultimately determine whether passengers experience them as real safeguards or merely theoretical promises.
Industry Pushback and Operational Challenges
Airlines have reacted cautiously, warning that the new compensation and refund requirements could weigh heavily on carriers, especially those already navigating tight margins and rising costs. Cutting the refund threshold from five hours to three exposes airlines to more frequent payouts, while mandatory compensation and accommodation obligations at the four and six-hour marks add additional layers of financial risk.
Executives argue that not all causes of delays lie within a carrier’s control. Air traffic congestion, limited runway capacity at busy airports, sudden weather changes, and upstream disruptions at connecting hubs can all cascade into late departures and missed slots. When such delays do not qualify as force majeure, airlines would be responsible for both caring for passengers and absorbing the cost of refunds and non-refundable compensation.
There are also concerns about how these costs may ultimately be passed on to travelers. Higher operating risks can translate into increased ticket prices or additional fees as airlines seek to protect their balance sheets. Low-cost carriers in particular, which rely on tight turnarounds and minimal schedule padding, may have to rethink their business models if the decree is enacted in its current form.
Regulators, on the other hand, contend that strong incentives are necessary to change behavior and raise standards across the sector. They point to persistent high delay rates and uneven enforcement of existing rules as evidence that voluntary improvements are insufficient. The new framework is intended not only to compensate passengers after the fact, but to compel airlines and airport operators to invest in more resilient operations, better infrastructure coordination, and realistic planning.
What Travelers Should Do Now
For now, the proposed rules remain in draft form while the Ministry of Construction gathers feedback from airlines, consumer associations, legal experts, and the traveling public. The consultation process will determine the final wording of the decree, including any refinements to definitions, thresholds, and enforcement mechanisms. Once approved, the decree would provide the detailed legal basis for implementing the Civil Aviation Law 2025 in the area of passenger care and compensation.
Travelers planning trips within or to Vietnam in the coming months should monitor announcements from regulators and airlines about the progress of the decree. If the rules are adopted as proposed, passengers will soon enjoy clearer and more generous protections, including the right to full refunds after three-hour delays, structured compensation for longer disruptions, and mandatory accommodation for extended overnight waits.
In the interim, understanding existing rights remains important. Current regulations still provide for assistance, non-refundable advance compensation, and refunds in cases of long delays or cancellations, albeit with higher thresholds than those in the draft. Passengers experiencing significant disruption should retain all travel documents, keep records of communications with airlines, and politely but firmly request the assistance and compensation to which they are presently entitled.
Whether flying with Vietnam Airlines or another carrier, the broader message is encouraging. Vietnam’s aviation authorities have made clear that the days of passengers quietly absorbing the cost and inconvenience of repeated delays are numbered. If the decree is finalized in its current form, air travelers in Vietnam can expect a future where their time, comfort, and financial rights carry far more weight when flights do not go according to plan.