Vietnam Airlines Customer Service Plan

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) believes that in addition to the conventional requirements of safety, on-time performance and comfort, we are expected to provide service that meets the individual needs of each customer. It is our objective to exceed customer expectations by creating added value.
Inspite of success in this objective most of time, there are unforeseen events that affect our ability to meet our customers' satisfaction. These irregularities are caused by events within our responsibility, as well as those beyond our control, such as weather or traffic congestion at the airport. Therefore, VNA has established this Customer Service Plan to inform our customers about the service provided amid unpredictable and uncertain situations at the time of your flight.

• Offer the lowest appropriate airfare.
• Provide prompt ticket refunds.
• Delays, cancellations and diversions.
• Baggage delivery.
• Accommodation of customers with special needs.
• Overbooking.
• Response to customer comments and concerns.
• Provide customers with related information (aircraft information, flight situation, VNA Lotusmiles, other policies)

1. Reservation and Ticketing

Offer the lowest appropriate airfare
Customers calling VNA's Call Center, visiting our website (www.vietnamairlines.com) will be offered the lowest available published fares, when customers provide specific dates, including the planned date of departure, preferred time, class of service and date of purchase .

Provide prompt ticket refunds
VNA is dedicated to provide refunds of tickets to our customers with minimal inconvenience. Passengers can cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty within twenty - four (24) hours after the reservation if the reservation is made one (1) week or more before departure. After this twenty four (24) hour period, the refund amount will be calculated based on the fare rules of the tickets.

For refunds of all eligible tickets with credit cards from Vietnam Airlines within the U.S., refunds will be forwarded a credit to your credit card company within seven (7) business days of receiving the required information. Please be advised that the credit card issuer will refund the purchase price under the terms of the credit card agreement; the refund transaction may take up to 2 billing cycles to reflect on your credit card statement.
For refunds of all eligible tickets purchased with cash or checks from Vietnam Airlines within the U.S., refunds will be provided within twenty (20) business days of receiving a complete refund request, including refunding fees charged to a passenger for optional services that the passenger was able to use due to an over sale situation or flight cancellation. If your ticket is purchased through a travel agent, please contact your travel agent for refund request.

2. At the airport / Onboard

Occasionally it is necessary to delay, cancel or divert flights due to various conditions, such as congestion at the airport or poor weather conditions. In these instances, we are committed to provide all customers, whether at the airport or on board the aircraft, the best available information as quickly as possible.

We strive to provide our passengers with new information as soon as feasible and will provide status updates every 30 minutes until a new departure time is set for the flight or alternative travel arrangements have been made pursuant to section 3 of this Customer Service Plan.

a. Delays, cancellations and diversions

When major delays or cancellations occur and VNA is unable to provide transportation to the final destination on the expected arrival date due to events within our responsibility, VNA will provide accommodation subject to availability. Regardless of the circumstances we are dedicated to minimize your inconvenience and burden as much as possible.

If a flight is delayed or cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control, such as severe weather, VNA will offer customers assistance in arranging services; however, incidental expenses will not be covered by VNA. In case of lengthy onboard ground delays without access to an airport terminal, we will make sure that all customers are provided with food, water, restroom facilities and medical assistance as necessary, conditions safely permitting.

Services provision at the airport:
The passenger having confirmed ticket and having been informed of the delayed/cancellation shall be provided with following service:
• From 1 hour to less than 2 hours: Drink
• From 2 hours to less than 6 hours: Meal and drink
• More than 6 hours: Accommodation

Compensation payment:
• For flights within Vietnam: In case of long delay, cancellation or denied boarding on flights departing from Vietnam, passengers shall be compensated as Circular 14/2015/TT-BGTVT dated 27/04/2015 signed by the Minister of Transport on non-refundable advance compensation in air transport.
• For flights outside Vietnam: Compensation, if any, shall be applied in compliance with the current law of concerned countries or our regulations.

Waiver of liability:
Under the provisions of the Government of Vietnam , we shall be exempt obligation to provide services and compensation in the following cases:
• The delay or cancellation flight caused by Force Majeure conditions as Act of God, war, strike, aviation security, request of competent authorities.
• We prove that passengers have been informed of the cancellation no later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure; or that passengers have not registered their contact address; or failure to contact with their registered address.
• If passenger is denied boarding due to the passenger‘s reasons (health status, disease, passenger’s failure to comply with Carrier’s Conditions of Carriage/ The terms and conditions of the contract of carriage/ laws and regulation), aviation security, request of authorities.
• Other Force Majeure events occur.

Flights to/from US:
With respect to known flight status changes (*), VNA will, within thirty (30) minutes of becoming aware of such change, advise customers via our website, in the boarding gate area for flights at U.S. airports and on U.S. airport display systems (if available) and upon inquiry to our notification system.

(*) Flight status changes: delays in excess of thirty (30) minutes or more, cancellations and diversions that occur within seven (7) days of the scheduled date of flight.

b. Tarmac delays

Passengers are to be informed of tarmac delay including the reasons, if known:
• Immediately once a delay in known, and not later than 30 minutes after schedule departure time (including any revised departure time that passengers were notified about before boarding).
• Every 30 minutes thereafter that they have the opportunity to deplane from an aircraft that is at the gate or another disembarkation area with the door open if the opportunity to deplane actually exists.
• A further update will be made every 30 minutes while the aircraft is delayed.

Passengers are served with adequate food and portable water after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of departure) or touches down (in case of arrival) if the aircraft remains on the tarmac, unless the pilot – in – command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service:
• Flights to/from US: No later than 02 hours from the commencement of the tarmac delay.
• Flights to/from Korea, China (except Hong Kong, Ma Cao, Taiwan): If tarmac delay is exceeding 02 hours.

Customers are served with operable lavatory facilities, as well as adequate medical attention if needed while the aircraft remains on the tarmac. VNA will also ensure a comfortable cabin temperature is maintained.

Passengers are not kept on the plane without the option to disembark:
• Flight to/from US, Korea: More than 04 hours from the commencement of the tarmac delay.
• Flight to/from China (except Hong Kong, Ma Cao, Taiwan): More than 03 hours from the commencement of the tarmac delay.

The only exceptions that passengers are allowed on the aircraft longer than period mentioned above:
• In the event the pilot – in – command determines there is a safety and/or security reason for not permitting customer disembarkation
• Air traffic control advises the pilot – in – command that returning to gate or another disembarkation point elsewhere in order to deplane passengers would significantly disrupt airport operations.

Irregular handling:
• Adequate food and portable water are not provided if the pilot – in command determines that food and water service cannot be provided due to safety or security reasons. For example, when an airplane is taxing on an active runway, it may be unsafe for flight attendants to hand out food and water.
• If passengers are offered the opportunity to get off the plane during a tarmac delay, and the passengers choose to get off, passengers will be responsible to change their flights.
• If passengers decide to exit the aircraft during a tarmac delay and the aircraft eventually take off for it intended destination, VNA may not be required to offload that passenger’s checked baggage before the plane takes off. Passengers will need to contact VNA about returning your checked baggage at later time.

Vietnam Airlines has sufficient resources to implement this Plan.

Vietnam Airlines has coordinated this Plan with airport authorities (including terminal facility operators where applicable) at each U.S. airport that it serves, including regular U.S. diversion airports, and, if necessary, will work with airport authorities and other airlines to share facilities and make gates available in an emergency.

Vietnam Airlines has coordinated this Plan with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at each airport that we regularly use for international flights, including diversion airports, and with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at each U.S. airport that we serve, including regular U.S. diversion airports.

c. Baggage delivery

VNA will make every effort to ensure that checked baggage travels on the same flight with the customer. In the event the baggage does not arrive on the same flight, please notify our staff upon arrival. VNA will make every effort to return mishandled baggage within twenty four hours and return it to you as quickly as possible. Customers will be provided with updated information relating to the missing baggage until its return. If you have expenses resulting from a baggage delay and are eligible to receive compensation according to applicable international agreements, VNA will compensate you for reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket expenses. If your bag is lost, VNA will reimburse you for any fee charged to transport that bag.

In the further unlikely event that your baggage cannot be located or your baggage is damaged, we will pay compensation for lost or damaged baggage as required by applicable international agreements and according to our Conditions of Carriage. Moreover, in cases of lost (even temporarily) or damaged baggage, we will reimburse passengers for any fees paid for carrying such baggage.

d. Accommodate customers with special needs

VNA will assist passengers with special needs, such as those traveling with infants, accompanied minors, elderly, expectant mothers, customers with disabilities, as well as those with illness or injury, so that they may travel safely and in comfort throughout their travel experience.

If needed the Call Center is available to assist customers with a disability, illness or injury in planning to board our international and domestic flights. Please contact VNA's Call Center for further assistance and details.

e. Overbooking

Occasionally we may not be able to provide you with a seat on a specific flight even if you hold a ticket and check in on time. This is called an over sale, and it occurs if the number of customers who check in (ready to board) exceeds the number of available seats.

If you voluntarily give up your seat, we provide compensation and transportation on an alternate flight. A notice which explains the obligations and the compensation in an amount pursuant to Vietnam Airlines’ policy will be given to you.

If you are involuntarily denied boarding, we also provide compensation and transportation on an alternate flight. A notice which explains the obligations and the compensation in an amount determined by Vietnam Airlines will be given to you.

The policies and procedures that we follow ensure you receive fair and consistent treatment if such over sales occur.

f. Comments and information

We will notify in a timely manner of changes on your flight when there is a change so as not to affect your itineraries. We will contact you about the schedule changes when the event is known, using the contact information you provide us in your reservation.

If you purchase tickets on website www.vietnamairlines.com, we will send the schedule change notification to your registered email.

Response to customer comments
Customer comments and feedback are most welcome. VNA will respond to customer comments, requests and complaints at the first point of contact. VNA values your comments as they are a means to service improvement.

Flight to/from US:
VNA shall acknowledge in writing receipt of each complaint regarding our scheduled service to the complainant within 30 days of receiving it and shall send a substantive written response to each complainant within 60 days of receiving the complaint. A complaint is a specific written expression of dissatisfaction concerning a difficulty or problem which the person experienced when using or attempting to use an airline's services.
Comments, requests or complaints to VNA can be made on a Comment form available on board or on on-line at VNA's website (www.vietnamairlines.com).

Provide customers with information

We provide the following information on VNA's website (www.vietnamarlines.com), which we hope you find useful in making your trip more enjoyable. (Information is also available at VNA's Call Center, and airport counters and in-flight magazines).

• Available seats, flight schedules, departure and arrival information, situation of flight operation, route information, and fare information.
• Reservations, purchase and payment of tickets.
• Contents of service provided onboard and at airports.
• Local travel information
• Conditions of Carriage.
• VNA Lotusmiles, new customer services, campaigns.