{"id":3746,"date":"2026-07-13T00:38:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/vietnam-flight-compensation\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T00:38:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:02","slug":"vietnam-flight-compensation","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/vietnam-flight-compensation\/","title":{"rendered":"Full refund for a four-hour delay: the money business travelers can recover under Vietnam's new rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

From July 1, 2026, a new rule took effect letting passengers hit by delays or cancellations on flights to and from Vietnam claim fixed compensation and refunds from the airline. It rests on Decree 208\/2026 and the Transport Ministry's Circular 48, which puts it into practice, and covers both domestic and international flights. Vietnamese routes are prone to delays, especially afternoon flights in the rainy season, and this summerDomestic flights set for a major increase<\/a>means seats become easier to get, but as the number of flights rises, so does the chance of hitting a delay or cancellation. For those arranging same-day business trips or connecting back to Japan, knowing \"in what situations, how much, and within how many days you get your money back\" directly changes how much you lose.<\/p>\n

What changed from July 1<\/h2>\n

Until now, Vietnamese airlines handled delays and cancellations differently from carrier to carrier, and it was unclear whether passengers could receive any compensation. The new rules unify this into a national standard, spelling out the amounts passengers can claim and the deadlines for delays and cancellations caused by the airline.<\/p>\n

There are two main pillars. One is, based on flight distance,Fixed compensation<\/strong>the other, for delays of four hours or more or cancellationsA full refund of the ticket<\/strong>These are two separate systems, and if you meet the conditions you can claim both. It is worth knowing in advance that cases not caused by the airline, such as bad weather, fall outside the fixed-rate compensation.<\/p>\n

The definition of a delay, and compensation amounts by distance<\/h2>\n

The new rule defines a flight whose actual departure is more than 15 minutes behind the scheduled time as \"delayed,\" and one running four hours or more behind as a \"long delay.\" The fixed compensation amounts break down by flight distance as follows. Under the scheme, the amounts are set in dong for domestic flights and in US dollars for international flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Classification<\/th>\nFlight distance<\/th>\nCompensation amount (currency as set)<\/th>\nApproximate yen conversion<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Domestic flights<\/td>\nUnder 500 km<\/td>\n220,000 dong<\/td>\nAbout 1,300 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Domestic flights<\/td>\n500 to under 1,000 km<\/td>\n330,000 dong<\/td>\nAbout 1,950 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Domestic flights<\/td>\n1,000 km or more<\/td>\n440,000 dong<\/td>\nAbout 2,600 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International routes<\/td>\nUnder 1,000km<\/td>\n28 dollars<\/td>\nabout 4,300 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International routes<\/td>\n1,000 to under 2,500 km<\/td>\n55 dollars<\/td>\nabout 8,500 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International routes<\/td>\n2,500 to under 5,000 km<\/td>\n88 dollars<\/td>\nAbout 13,600 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International routes<\/td>\n5,000 km or more<\/td>\n165 dollars<\/td>\nAbout 25,600 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The yen conversions are rough estimates figured at 10,000 dong \u2248 59 yen and 1 dollar \u2248 155 yen (approximate for July 2026). Direct flights between Japan and Vietnam generally fall in the 2,500\u20135,000 km band, so around 88 dollars is the upper guideline. International flights out of Ho Chi Minh City will, going forward,Some flights are being moved in stages to the new Long Thanh Airport 40 km to the east<\/a>so be sure to check your departure airport and terminal when you book.<\/p>\n

What you can receive for each length of delay<\/h2>\n

Beyond the compensation, the services an airline must provide are also set in stages according to the length of the delay. Knowing what you can ask for while stuck at the airport changes how you handle it.<\/p>\n