--- title: "Vietnam Airlines Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation" url: https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/vietnam-airlines author: "Jaacov Sonenblick" published: 2026-09-04 updated: 2026-10-06 publisher: FlightCompensations summary: "Vietnam Airlines is a Vietnamese carrier, so EU261 and UK261 cover only its flights leaving an EU/EEA or UK airport — not arrivals from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City." --- # Vietnam Airlines flight delay and cancellation compensation Vietnam Airlines is a Vietnamese carrier, so EU261 and UK261 cover only its flights leaving an EU/EEA or UK airport — not arrivals from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. ## Which Vietnam Airlines flight delay cases give you a claim? **Vietnam Airlines flight delay** compensation **pays** €600 per passenger on departures from Paris or Frankfurt to Vietnam, and £520 from London. Flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City into Europe fall outside EU261 and UK261. You qualify after a three-hour delay at your final destination, a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, or involuntary denied boarding. Vietnam Airlines (VN) is the flag carrier of Vietnam and a SkyTeam member, flying from **Hanoi** and **Ho Chi Minh City** to Paris, Frankfurt and London. It is **not an EU or UK carrier**, and that single fact decides where your rights reach. Because Vietnam Airlines holds no EU or UK operating licence, protection attaches to the **airport you departed from**, not to the airline: - **Departing any EU/EEA airport on Vietnam Airlines** — EU261 applies. - **Departing the UK on Vietnam Airlines** — UK261, the retained British version of the rules, applies. - **Arriving into the EU/EEA or the UK from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City** — **not covered**, because Vietnam Airlines is not a Community carrier. Inbound flights need an EU airline under EU261, or a UK or EU airline under UK261. So a Paris Charles de Gaulle departure to Hanoi is protected; the same aircraft flying Hanoi to Paris is not. Every Vietnam Airlines route out of Europe is long-haul, which places eligible claims in the top compensation band. Compensation is triggered by a **delay of three hours or more at your final destination**, a **cancellation with under 14 days' notice**, or **involuntary denied boarding**. ## How much you could receive The amount is fixed by route distance, not by the fare or the cabin, and each passenger with a confirmed booking claims separately. - **EUR 250** — flights of 1,500 km or less - **EUR 400** — flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km - **EUR 600** — flights over 3,500 km, which covers Vietnam Airlines' departures from Europe to Vietnam UK261 claims use the sterling bands of **GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520**. ## When Vietnam Airlines doesn't have to pay There is no compensation where the disruption was caused by **extraordinary circumstances** that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures, security alerts or a bird strike. Two points are widely misunderstood: - **The airline carries the burden of proof.** A one-line message citing "operational reasons" is an assertion, not evidence. - **A strike by Vietnam Airlines' own crew is generally not extraordinary**, while strikes by third parties — air-traffic controllers, airport handlers — usually are. Routine technical faults found during ordinary maintenance normally remain the airline's responsibility. ## How do you claim from Vietnam Airlines? Keep the booking reference, your boarding pass, and any message announcing the delay or cancellation. Ask, in writing, for the reason. We handle the submission, the follow-up and any appeal from start to finish. ## Do you pay anything if the Vietnam Airlines claim fails? The eligibility check is free. If we recover your compensation we charge a **fixed EUR 39 success fee** — the same whether you're owed EUR 250 or EUR 600 — and the airline's payment goes to you. No win, no fee. ## How to claim Vietnam Airlines compensation Start with the flight itself. Our [free flight check](/claim) reads the recorded times for your Vietnam Airlines flight and tells you which band it falls in, in about two minutes. For the law behind the figure, the [flight delay compensation guide](/flight-delay-compensation) covers arrival delays and the [cancellation compensation guide](/flight-cancellation-compensation) covers a flight that never operated. If Vietnam Airlines has already refused you, the [case law summary](/passenger-rights/case-law) sets out what the courts have said about the usual excuses. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is my Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Paris covered? No. Vietnam Airlines is a Vietnamese carrier, not an EU or UK airline, so a flight arriving into Europe from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City falls outside both EU261 and UK261. Only the outbound leg departing Paris, Frankfurt, London or another EU/EEA or UK airport is protected. ### My Vietnam Airlines flight from Frankfurt was delayed four hours. What am I owed? Frankfurt to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City is well over 3,500 km, so a delay of three hours or more at your final destination puts the claim in the top band of EUR 600 per passenger, unless Vietnam Airlines proves the delay was caused by a genuine extraordinary circumstance. ### Does a SkyTeam codeshare with Air France change my claim? The claim follows the operating carrier. If Air France, an EU airline, actually flew the sector, the broader coverage for Community carriers applies, including arrivals into the EU. If Vietnam Airlines operated the aircraft, only departures from an EU/EEA or UK airport are covered, regardless of the flight number you booked. ## Sources - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004R0261 - https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/ - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-402/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-549/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-195/17 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-452/13 Read the full page with the claim check at https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/vietnam-airlines