Non-refundable advance compensation in air passenger transportation

This notice has been created in reference to Circular No. 14/2015/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam and its amendments to non-refundable advance compensation in air passenger transport.

1. Applicability

Compensation shall be given to passengers holding confirmed reservations departing from Vietnam in an event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays of flights due to faults of the operating carrier.

2. Exemptions from paying non-refundable advance compensation in the event of the following:

a. Denied boarding:

• Due to health problems causing damage to passenger, other passengers or the flight.
• To prevent epidemic diseases.
• Due to passenger failing to conform to regulations on aviation safety, security and transport, or have had penalties imposed for administrative violations against civil aviation.
• Due to passenger violating public order, endangering flight safety or creating negative effects on lives, health and assets of other people.
• Due to passenger being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and losing control of their behaviour.
• Due to security reasons notified by a competent agency.
• At the request by a competent agency.

b. Flight cancellations or long delays of flights:

• Due to weather conditions causing negative effects on flight safety.
• Due to security risks causing negative effects on flight safety.
• According to the decision of a competent agency.
• Due to passenger health and medical conditions (passenger is suffering severe illnesses or dies after boarding).
• Due to damaged scheduled airplanes or fleets of airplanes.
• Due to armed conflicts, political instability or strikes.
• Due to aviation infrastructure or flight operational assurance failing to ensure the flight operation.
• Due to technical problems occurring during the operation of the aircraft, from the time the captain signs the record on receipt of aircraft ready for flight operation, until the end of the flight.
• Due to passenger being offered re-routing to the same destination in another flight resulting in an arrival time within 4 hours of the original scheduled arrival time.
• Due to passenger being offered re-routing to the same destination in another flight resulting in an arrival time within 6 hours of the original scheduled arrival time of the connecting flight.
• In an event of force majeure.

c. Other cases

Carriers are also exempted from providing compensation if:

• Passenger is notified of the flight delay, cancellation or long delay of the flight verbally, via SMS, or email no less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure as prescribed in Clause 7 Article 4 of Circular No. 14/2015/TT-BGTVT, or two telephone calls were made in a 20-minute interval from the first call attempt between 07:00 am 10:00 pm local time.
• There is no registered contact information, as required by the regulation.
• Carrier is unable to contact the passenger due to incorrect contact information.
• Passenger is holding a free or discounted ticket (industry/agent discount ticket).
• Passenger arrived late and did not meet the required check-in criteria.
• Passenger voluntarily cancels the confirmed reservation.

3. Compensation

4. Method of compensation

a. Cash.
b. Bank transfer or other appropriate payment intermediary services at the request of the passenger.
c. If passenger agrees, free tickets or vouchers for further use of the carrier’s service.

5. Compensation location

a. At the airport where the flight is cancelled or where the flight takes off or lands.
b. Qatar Airways office or its designated representative office. 
c. Compensation will be provided based on the account specified by the passenger.