Can I claim compensation for a delayed flight to Vietnam?

EU261/2004 applies to flights departing from EU airports (regardless of airline) and to EU-carrier flights to/from the EU. Most flights to Vietnam involve EU departure airports or EU carriers, making many travellers eligible for claims on delayed inbound journeys.

How much can I claim for a delayed flight to Vietnam?

For delays of 3+ hours on flights over 3,500km, the maximum EU261 claim is €600 per person. The amount depends on the route distance and delay length.

Which airlines flying to Vietnam are covered?

Any airline on a flight departing from an EU airport is covered. Vietnam Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and other carriers operating EU-origin routes to Vietnam can all be subject to EU261 claims.

Flight Delay Compensation Vietnam

Long-haul delays are common. Knock-on effects from weather, air traffic control, or technical issues at connecting hubs - Bangkok, Dubai, Doha, Singapore - can push a Vietnam arrival back by three, five, or more hours. For information on booking those flights in the first place, see our flights to Vietnam guide. If your outbound leg departed from an EU airport, you may have a legal right to compensation worth up to €600. Most people never claim it.

What EU Regulation 261/2004 Covers

EU261 is the regulation that gives passengers rights when flights are delayed, cancelled, or overboarded. It applies to:

Any flight departing from an EU airport, regardless of which airline operates it
Flights arriving at an EU airport operated by an EU carrier, regardless of where the flight departed

For most Vietnam-bound travellers from the UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, or other European countries, the outbound flight departs from an EU airport. This means EU261 covers the outbound leg even on non-European airlines - if you’re delayed three or more hours on arrival, or your flight is cancelled, you have a claim.

Note on the UK: Following Brexit, the UK has its own equivalent regulation (UK261) with substantially the same rules. UK departures are covered under UK261, not EU261, but the compensation amounts and eligibility criteria are very similar.

Compensation Amounts

The amount you can claim depends on the distance of the flight:

Flight distance	Compensation
Under 1,500 km	€250
1,500–3,500 km	€400
Over 3,500 km	€600

Hanoi is approximately 9,200 km from London, 9,000 km from Amsterdam, and 9,100 km from Frankfurt. Vietnam-bound flights from European airports are all in the €600 tier - the maximum amount under EU261.

These amounts are per passenger. A delayed family of four has a potential claim of €2,400.

What Qualifies for a Claim

You have a valid claim if:

Your arrival was delayed by 3 or more hours (not departure - the clock runs to when the doors open at the destination)
Your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice
You were denied boarding involuntarily (e.g. due to overbooking)

Airlines can avoid paying compensation if they can prove the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” beyond their control - genuine extreme weather, air traffic control strikes, and similar events. However, technical faults are generally not considered extraordinary circumstances, which means most mechanical delays are claimable.

How to Claim

You can pursue a claim directly with the airline by writing to their customer service team with your flight details, delay length, and booking reference. If the airline rejects your claim, you can escalate to the relevant National Enforcement Body (NEB) in the country of departure at no cost.

Alternatively, no-win-no-fee claims management services handle the process on your behalf — correspondence with the airline, legal escalation if needed — and charge a commission only if compensation is paid. This is useful for complex cases involving connecting flights or delays on intermediate legs where eligibility is less straightforward. There is no upfront cost if you use this route.

Time Limits

The time limit for submitting a claim varies by country:

UK: 6 years from the flight date
Germany: 3 years
Netherlands: 2 years
France: 5 years
Spain: 1 year

If you had a delayed or cancelled flight in the past few years and never claimed, it may not be too late — check the time limits for your country of departure above.

Practical Notes

Keep records. Boarding passes, booking confirmations, and any airline communications about the delay are useful when submitting a claim. You don’t need extensive documentation for the initial assessment, but having it ready speeds the process up.

Long-haul delays are genuinely worth pursuing. A €600 claim per passenger on a delayed Vietnam flight is a meaningful amount of money. Dealing with airlines directly is time-consuming and often unsuccessful without legal backing — which is why claims management services exist for passengers who prefer a hands-off approach.

Plan Your Trip

✈️ Book your flights to Vietnam 🛡️ Get travel insurance 📱 Stay connected with an eSIM 🚗 Rent a car

Flight Delay Compensation: Your Rights on Flights to Vietnam