Privacy Policy

Article 1. General information about Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines JSC, a national flag carrier, is lawfully incorporated under the law of Vietnam, having its head office at 200 Nguyen Son Street, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi, Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as “Vietnam Airlines”). In 2016, Vietnam Airlines has been certified as a 4-Star Airlines by the international air transport rating organization SKYTRAX.

Article 2. Vietnam Airlines' commitment regarding the protection of personal data

This Privacy Policy published on our website and our mobile applications explains why and how we collect, record, organize, structure, store, adapt or alter, retrieve, consult, use, disclose, align or combine, restrict, erase or destroy your personal data provided when you travel with us, purchase or use our services, visit our website, use our mobile applications or interact with us. This Privacy Policy also instructs you how to exercise your rights relating to your personal data.

Vietnam Airlines undertakes in particular to respect the following principles:

1. Your personal data are processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently, in accordance with the applicable laws;
2. Your personal data are collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes and are not further processed in way incompatible with these purposes, in accordance with the applicable laws;
3. Your personal data are stored in an appropriate and relevant manner and are limited to what is necessary to the purposes for which they are processed, in accordance with the applicable laws;
4. Your personal data are accurate, kept up to date and all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that inaccurate data, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay, in accordance with the applicable laws;
5. In accordance with the applicable laws, Vietnam Airlines implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.

Furthermore, Vietnam Airlines contractually imposes the same level of personal data protection on its subcontractors (service providers, suppliers, etc.).

In addition to aforementioned principles, Vietnam Airlines undertakes to comply with all other principles required under the applicable regulations on the protection of personal data, and more specifically concerning the rights conferred on data subjects and the obligations relating to cross-border transfers of personal data.

Article 3. Items of personal data which may be collected and processed by Vietnam Airlines

1.    General data

When using our services and in particular the services accessible on our website, our mobile applications, our loyalty program (Lotusmiles), our call centres and sales agencies, Vietnam Airlines may collect and process the following categories of personal information:

1. Name, passport number and other identifying information: name, gender, date of birth, passport or other personally identifiable number (date of issuance, place of issuance), nationality, language;
2. Your contact details and personal account or registration details: contact information, such as telephone number, mailing address, email address, fax number; home address, mobile number, private email address, hobbies, preferences and information related to Customer’s special needs;
3. Your payment information: payment information of credit or debit card such as name of cardholder, card number, expiry date, verification code;
4. Information about your reservations, bookings and purchases: reservation and booking information such as your flight, prices and the date of your reservation or booking;
5. Your membership of our loyalty programs like Lotusmile: information relating to our loyalty membership Lotusmiles including membership number, your miles or credits balance, awards and benefits, type and level of membership and other information in relation to your membership.
6. Information collected when you use our website, mobile applications and other digital media: personal information that is collected automatically when Customers using Vietnam Airlines’ website and mobile applications such as IP information, cookies, website log;
7. Our communication with you: communication, communication preferences (unsubcribing from newsletters, choosing to receive your booking related communication, …), registration of your questions, survey, research, complaints or phone calls;
8. Information in relation to social media: Depending on your social network settings, we may receive information from your social network provider. For example, when you sign in for our services by using a social network account, we may receive your social network profile including your contact details, interests and friend list.

2.      Sensitive data

Vietnam Airlines may also collect certain information revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs which can be considered as ''sensitive personal data" pursuant to the law of Vietnam and applicable regulations of other countries. Subject to your express consent, Vietnam Airlines may collect, use and share your special categories of sensitive data with third parties for the purposes as described in Article 5 below with a view to providing you with assistance during your travel (medical needs and persons with reduced mobility).

3.      Cookies and similar technologies

When you use our website, Vietnam Airlines may collect information via cookies and similar technologies. For more information, please read our Cookies Policy on Vietnam Airlines’s website or mobile applications.  

Article 4.  Methods of personal data collection

Vietnam Airlines may collect the personal information or data set forth in Article 3 of this Private Policy through our website, mobile applications and sales offices, namely when you book a flight, register for Lotusmiles program, use one of our mobile applications and communicate with us via social media, when you subscribe to our newsletter or when you register for electronic newletters, register to participate in Vietnam Airlines’ events or promotional contests. Furthermore, your personal data may be obtained from our group companies, partners or other service providers when you request for our services (travel agents, third party platform providers, hotels, car rental companies, …) subject to your consent to provide Vietnam Airlines with your personal information or from public authorities or governmental organizations.

Article 5. Purposes of personal data collection and processing

Personal information or data provided to us is primarily used to serve your interests and privileges when you enjoy travelling with us, purchasing or using our services, including Lotusmiles, accessing to our websites, using our mobile applications or contacting us. For this reason, the main purposes for which we collect and process your personal data are as follows:

1.             To perform our contractual obligations and enable an appropriate level of service to our customers

In order to handle and perform the contract of carriage and/or travel arrangement, Vietnam Airlines will process the information including your name and surname, passport number and other identifying information for issuance of your ticket such as your contact details in order to inform you properly about changes of your flight status according to Article 3 of this Privte Policy.

Vietnam Airlines offers you the possibility to indicate some sensitive information such as information about your specified medical needs or special meals provided on board. Collection and processing of these sensitive personal data will be subject to your express consent and will be exclusively used by Vietnam Airlines in order to perform the contract of carriage and provide you with an appropriate level of customer care services.

2.      For Lotusmiles membership's purposes

To facilitate our Lotusmiles program, we use the personal data as described in Article 3.1 in order to (i) update Members on new Lotusmiles policy and regulation, (ii) let you benefit from new discounts and rewards subject to the express consent of Members, (iii) process and administer the reservation and issuance of tickets for Customer, (iv) contact Members regarding their enquiries, (v) provide services requested by Members, (vi) manage, analyse and evaluate data on flight frequency of Lotusmiles Members to develop the appropriate fare policy and customer service policy, (vii) receive information, comments, suggestions, claims of Members to improve the service quality of Vietnam Airlines.

3.      To ascertain a high level of security and safety on our flights

Vietnam Airlines uses your personal information in order to protect safety of all passengers by namely (i) checking every passenger identity before they check-in, (ii) maintaining a list of the passengers who have not observed the safety rules, public orders or disciplines, either on board or on the ground, and for which Vietnam Airlines will refuse the carriage or restrict it to specific conditions, (iii) sharing your identifying information and your booking and travel information with public authorities or governmental organizations for the purpose of border control, immigration, entering the territory of a State, security or combatting terrorism. 

4.        Accounting and financial requirement

We collect, store and use your data for internal business purposes, such as to record keeping and to comply with our legal and fiscal obligations.  These data will be kept for a period of 10 years pursuant to applicable laws.

5.      For customer care purposes

Your personal data are used by Vietnam Airlines to provide you with customer care services enabling Vietnam Airlines namely (i) to receive information, comments, suggestions, claims of Members to improve the service quality of Vietnam Airlines, (ii) to contact and communicate with customers regarding their enquiries, (iii) perform statistical analysis in order to develop and improve Vietnam Airlines services and offerings on the basis of personal information and customer’s requests and (iv) to provide more quickly responsive support to customers and improve the content and designs of Vietnam Airlines' website and mobile applications, (v) to realize surveys regarding the satisfaction of customers and for better understanding of customers’ needs subject to the express consent of customers, and (vi) handle potential complaints or claims of passengers.

6.      To communicate with you

We use your contact details to communicate with you with a view to performing our services contracted with you or loyalty programs, as well as to answer your questions or to handle your complaints. 

7.      For direct marketing purposes

Vietnam Airlines may use your personal information for purposes of direct marketing such as (i) to send you latest promotions and offers in connection with our products and services, (ii) to send you e-newsletters, magazines, promotions or other marketing communications, (iii) to analyse which information is relevantly suitable to you, (iv) to communicate with you for marketing campaign and strategy to serve Members' best interests and preferences, (v) to send you personalized ads and special offers for aviation related products and related ancillary services through our booking comfirmation emails, (vi) send you latest offers from Vietnam Airlines and our partners relating to our services and products.

We only send you direct marketing notifications as described in the first paragraph subject to your prior consent (opt-in). 

You can always object to the use of your personal data for such direct marketing purposes, by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email or contacting us.

Article 6. Legal basis of the processing of your personal data

Vietnam Airlines processes your personal data (i) on the basis of your explicit consent, (ii) to perform the contract of carriage or take steps at the request of the data subjects prior to entering into a contract, (iii) to exercise and comply with legal obligations according to applicable laws or (iv) to perform Vietnam Airlines' legitimate rights and interests.

Your consent may be always withdrawn at any time in accordance with Article 9 below. In such case, be aware that the withdrawal of your consent shall not affect the lawfulness of the previous processing based on your consent before the withdrawal. Furthermore, if you refuse to provide Vietnam Airlines with some of personal data or if you provide Vietnam Airlines with incomplete or inaccurate information required for the performance of the contract or for compliance with legal obligations, be aware that we may not be able to provide or deliver you all or parts of the services, which you may have requested from us in full quality.

Article 7. Period for Personal data retention

Vietnam Airlines will retain your personal data collected on our internal system in the period of services provision or up to fulfilling the purposes for which it was collected or in so far as such data is necessary to the compliance with statutory obligations and to solve any dispute or until the information proivided are required to be deleted by you.

Article 8. Potential recipient of your personal data

1.      Potential recipient of your personal data

Vietnam Airlines may disclose the personal data to third parties, such as authorized Vietnam Airlines' employees, units and subsidiaris of the Vietnam Airlines group, business partners (our travel agents, SkyTeam Airlines, car rental companies, hotels, credit card companies...), service providers or travel-related businesses pursuant to the purpose of performing our services (bookings and travel arrangements, support services and customer care services, loyalty programs, statistical analysis,…), excersing our legal obligations (security and safety on board, PNR information,…), our legitimate interests (direct marketing purposes of Vietnam Airlines or our partners subject to the express consent of customers,…) and for the purpose of providing the best services to you.

As any airline company, Vietnam Airlines may be required to provide personal information to public authorities (customs, immigration, police, etc.), such as for the completion of mandatory immigration formalities or for the purpose of preventing and fighting terrorism and other serious offences. Moreover, pursuant to the Directive 2016/681 of European Union in 27 April 2016, Vietnam Airlines may be required to provide competence authorities with information on passengers’ booking, check-in and boarding procedures.

Vietnam Airlines will use best endeavours to ensure that our employees, officers, agents, consultants or such other third parties mentioned above who are involved in the collection, processing and disclosure of personal information will observe and adhere this Privacy Policy.

The disclosure personal data to sub-contractor will be conducted on a contractual basis where requires and ensures the protection of your personal data in accordance with this Private Policy and the applicable laws.

2.      Transfers of personal data to third countries

You are informed that Vietnam Airlines may transfer your personal data to third parties located outside the European Union, such as mainly Vietnam and the USA in order to be processed and stored.

In such context, Vietnam Airlines, by issuing and implementing Bindings Corporate Rules (BCRs), undertakes to protect your personal data in accordance with the applicable laws.

Article 9. Your rights to the personal data collected

1. Subject to the applicable laws, you, as the personal data subjects, have the following rights:

a.      The right of access

You have the right to ask Vietnam Airlines, at any moment, for confirmation that certain of your personal data are processed by Vietnam Airlines, as well as to provide you with certain information such as the categories of personal data concerned, the purposes of the processing and the recipients or categories of recipient of those data.

b.      The right of rectification

You have the right to obtain from Vietnam Airlines the rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data concerning you.

c.      The right to be forgotten

You have the right to obtain the erasure of your personal data stored by Vietnam Airlines in accordance with the applicable laws, such as in situations where your personal data are no longer necessary to the initial purposes for which they were processed as well as situations where these data were processed unlawfully.

d.      The right to restriction of processing

You have the right to obtain from Vietnam Airlines a limitation of the processing of your personal data without deleting the concerned personal data in the conditions in accordance with the applicable laws.

e.      The right to data portability

You have the right to recover some of your data for your own use or to transmit them to another company/enterprise in the conditions in accordance with the applicable laws.

f.       The right to object

You have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for prospecting and direct marketing purposes.

g.      The right to withdraw consent

When the processing of your personal data is subject to your prior consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You shall be aware that the withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of the previous processing based on your consent before the withdrawal.

In case of such withdrawal, it may mean we will not be able to provide or deliver you all or parts of the services, which you may have requested from us in full quality, if you withdraw the consent relating personal information which directly affects our service provision or service quality.

h.      The right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint to the competent authorities in the event of violation by Vietnam Airlines of the applicable legislation regarding the protection of personal data.

2. You can exercise your rights listed above by sending a postal mail or an email to the following address:

Vietnam Airlines BSC

Mr. Nguyen Nam Tien, Data Protection Officer

Email:        dpo@vietnamairlines.com

Address:   200 Nguyen Son Street, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi City, Vietnam.

In this context, please include in your request the elements necessary to your identification (name, first name, e-mail) as well as any other information necessary to the confirmation of your identity.

Article 10. Personal information of children

We collect, share and use personal information of a child under fourteen (14) years who hold a Korean nationality, only when obtaining consent of the child’s parents, legal representative and/or guardian, who may request to view, edit their child’s personal information or to alter or withdraw the consent at our sales offices or via sending a postal mail or an email to the address provided in Article 9 above.

For a child who is in a Member State of European Union and below the minimum age permitted to giving consent in accordance with Member State's regulations (13 for Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom, 14 for Austria and Italy, 15 for Czech Republic and France, 16 for Germany and The Netherlands), we may collect information of the child requiring consent after obtaining the consent or authorization from his or her parents or guardian.

For a child who hold another nationality, we may collect information of the child after obtaining consent or authorization from his or her parents or guardian in accordance with the applicable laws on data protection.

Article 11. Technical measures for protecting personal information

To secure the safety of personal information from a loss, theft, leak, falsification, or damage, Vietnam Airlines’ employees may take the following technical, managerial, physical measures as:

1. The important personal information is stored and managed in password protected mode within the limited access.

2. Given the risk of hacking, likelihood and severity of damage to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, Viet Nam Airlines undertakes:

1. To prevent customers’ personal information from leakage or damage by hacking or computer virus.
2. To control the access suspension system, unauthorized accesses from outside.
3. To take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including the pseudonymization and encryption of personal data.
4. To ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services;
5. To restore the availability and right to access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident;
6. To ensure a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organisational measures with a view to ensuring the security of the data processing
7. To operate an exclusive organization for protecting personal information.

Article 12. Communication with you and notification to the local authority in case of a breach of your personal data

1. We will notify immediately, after we are aware of that your personal data are breached, to you and to the local authority in accordance with the applicable laws. This notification about your personal data breach will describe in clear with plain language the nature of the personal data breach and contain at least the following information and measures:

1. Name and contact details of the data protection officer or other contact point where more information can be obtained;
2. Description of the likely consequences of the personal data breach.
3. Description of the measures taken or proposed to be taken by the controller to address the personal data breach, including, where appropriate, measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects.

2. The notification to you as referred to in paragraph 12.1 of this Article shall not be required if any of the following conditions are met:

1. Vietnam Airlines has taken appropriate technical and organizational protection measures, in particular those that render the personal data unintelligible to any person who is not authorized to access it, such as encryption.
2. Vietnam Airlines has taken subsequent measures which ensure that the high risk to your rights and freedoms referred to in paragraph 1 is no longer likely to materialize.
3. It would involve disproportionate effort for Vietnam Airlines. In such a case, there shall instead be a public communication or similar measure whereby you are informed in an equally effective manner.

Article 13. The Data Controller and the Data Protection Officer.

The Data Controller is Vietnam Airlines JSC, a lawfully incorporated under the law of Vietnam, having its head office at 200 Nguyen Son Street, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi City, Vietnam

Name:        Vietnam Airlines JSC

Email:        dpo@vietnamairlines.com

Address:   200 Nguyen Son Street, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi City, Vietnam

In order to ensure the security of your personal information and to protect your rights and freedoms, we have appointed two Data Protection Officers:

Name:        Nguyen Nam Tien (Mr.)

Address:   200 Nguyen Son Street, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi City, Vietnam

Email:        dpo@vietnamairlines.com

Name:        Pham Ngoc Binh (Mrs.)

Address:   51-53 avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, France

Email:        dpo@vietnamairlines.com

Article 14. The effectiveness of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy shall take effective as of 25 May 2018 and supersedes our previous Privacy Policy.

Vietnam Airlines guarantees that the protection for personal information is implemented comprehensively and our Data protection officers comply with this Private Policy.

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy from time to time if necessary. Any amendments, supplements of this Privacy Policy shall be registered at the competent authorities and shall be posted on our website and mobile applications right after getting approvals of the competent authorities. This Privacy Policy shall be effective after 03 days of publication.

This Privacy Policy is last updated as of August 2019.