[Davie]

Good afternoon guys I hope you can help.
Myself and my good lady are booked to fly to Vietnam on the 5th July, as it stands just now, the Vietnamese border is closed to all international travel. My flights are still saying they are active. Where do I stand with cancelling? do I wait for them or do it myself?
I bought the flights thru an agent online and not directly with an airline. The agency has been in touch to say that the flights could only be cancelled by myself and they would issue me a voucher, what If I didn’t want one and preferred a refund.
The agent also said to let them know 48 hours prior to your departure in case we decide not to travel in order for us to avoid no show penalties, what does that mean?
Thanks,
Hoggie

[capetonianm]

It would help in constructing an answer to know where you are travelling from and with what airline. With the information you’ve supplied there are too many unknowns to give a helpful answer. Also any answer that is valid today might not be valid next week.

The flight, might be operating, but only allowed to carry medical personnel, repatriations, and similar.

If you are travelling from a country such as the UK where the official advice is not to make non-essential trips, your insurance, if you have any, would almost certainly not be valid. Some insurances will cover you if you are unable to get a visa for reasons beyond your control.

You should probably wait for the airline to cancel, in which case, if you are travelling from the EU, and for this purpose the UK counts as EU, you would be covered by the regulation stating that they have to give you a refund, not a voucher. If you are travelling from elsewhere, I don’t know. Very likely one of our other members will know.

If the airline don’t cancel the flight but you can’t travel on it, then whether you are refunded or not will depend partly on if the situation could have been foreseen at the time when you booked.

It’s a minefield. My guess is that the airline will offer you a voucher and thus allow you to defer the trip to a date when you are able and willing to travel.

What ever happens, you won’t be covered by EU261 for compensation, as distinct from a refund, as it is ‘exceptional circumstances’ which the airline could not have been expected to foresee or prevent.

Good luck, it’s not an enviable situation.

[Davie]

Thanks Capetonianm for your reply,

It would help in constructing an answer to know where you are travelling from and with what airline. With the information you’ve supplied there are too many unknowns to give a helpful answer. Also any answer that is valid today might not be valid next week.

Yes, I would be travelling from the UK, EDI,CDG,HAN,DAD. Then DAD,SIN,AMS,EDI. Air France, Vietnamese Airlines x2 Silk Air then KLM x2

The flight, might be operating, but only allowed to carry medical personnel, repatriations, and similar.

If you are travelling from a country such as the UK where the official advice is not to make non-essential trips, your insurance, if you have any, would almost certainly not be valid. Some insurances will cover you if you are unable to get a visa for reasons beyond your control.

You should probably wait for the airline to cancel, in which case, if you are travelling from the EU, and for this purpose the UK counts as EU, you would be covered by the regulation stating that they have to give you a refund, not a voucher. If you are travelling from elsewhere, I don’t know. Very likely one of our other members will know.

If the airline don’t cancel the flight but you can’t travel on it, then whether you are refunded or not will depend partly on if the situation could have been foreseen at the time when you booked.

Was booked back in September 2019

It’s a minefield. My guess is that the airline will offer you a voucher and thus allow you to defer the trip to a date when you are able and willing to travel.

What ever happens, you won’t be covered by EU261 for compensation, as distinct from a refund, as it is ‘exceptional circumstances’ which the airline could not have been expected to foresee or prevent.

Refund would be sufficient.

Good luck, it’s not an enviable situation.

Thanks.

[SimonS1]

Could be an interesting one as I believe Vietnam Govt has announced eVisa and border access will restart 1st July.

That might create a dilemma – if UK advise is not to travel it may invalidate insurance, on the other hand AF may operate the flight.

[JohnH]

Hello,

I travel to Vietnam every 2 months for work, and am scheduled to be there next month as well. I am in regular contact with my work colleagues in Saigon for travel advice. My understanding at the moment (which could change) is that even if you are able to obtain an e-visa in July prior to travel, you would still be required to be put into mandatory government-run quarantine for 14 days. This is not something that any of us would want I’m sure. I suspect it will be some time before Vietnam allows Westerners into the country (without quarantine).

On a side note, Vietnam is such a beautiful and wonderful country to visit, most especially Phu Quoc and Hoi An and Dalat, but the summer is stifling, unbearably hot. If you could postpone your trip to Dec-Feb you would certainly enjoy it more.

[Stevescoots]

I work in Saigon and have a resident Visa. I have been stranded in UK since March unable to get back to my company there. Unless you are a Viet national or have diplomatic passport only way to get into Vietnam for the foreseeable future is with Vietnam government approval. For that your company or invitee has to apply to the local government agencies and demonstrate you are classified as a foreign expert and will then need to have a virus test before departure, another on arrival and then even if negative go into quarantine for 14 days at either a centre or pay to stay in a designated hotel. I am going through this process now. The E-visa scheme is just an announcement expanding the list of countries who can use the process when those countries are able to enter. The general advice we have been getting is that sometime in July people can come from countries that have had no Covid cases in 30 days, so pretty much only New Zealand. Unless you qualify as above you will not get into Vietnam, if you do then you will have to do 14 days quarantine as well
However, the airlines will not refund you if you cancel as things are and unless you are on the same booking all the way through highly unlikely you will only get a voucher. I am booked on QR to Saigon on the 1st but still waiting on my VN Govt approval. I will be waiting until 4 days before departure before making any changes

[PeterCoultas]

Typical british nonsense that corona means insurance problems – one might almost have thought the home secretary had something to do with it. Vietnam is vastly better placed currently than is the UK and handled the situation much better than we did.

[MartynSinclair]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53196009

I remember posting a previous update about the British pilot being treated in Vietnam. Couldn’t remember which thread. Here is the latest news wire / update, lets hope he is well enough to resume flying in Vietnam soon.

1 user thanked author for this post.

cwoodward

[simeoncox]

Having received both acute and ongoing medical intervention in Vietnam I only have praise for the model of care there. If – as a foreigner to both countries – I had a choice between SG and VN for medical care, I would choose VN every time. The standard of care is the same, but the system that provides it does not revolve around money or status.

[Stevescoots]

[postquote quote=1002324][/postquote]

I agree, i have had to have both one off and ongoing treatment in HCM. In both cases it has been excellent and the cost that was so low at a western Hospital) not worth claiming for. I receive treatment and monitoring for PC and had to extend my trip one time so I could not get back to UK for my pills. Turned up at 4pm on a Friday night, registered, saw the oncologist (French) and was back home with my pills by 6pm. Tuesday they contact me to say they had been in touch with my oncologist in UK and asked for me to approve sharing communication. Now I don’t have to worry about if in UK or VN to make appointments

[MartynSinclair]

He is on his way home.. some good news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53380309

[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=1002324][/postquote]

Couldnt agree with you more! I have had to use the Thai health system a lot recently and I am astounded how great they are compared to the Singaporean system which as you say is all about money and status, and I will always try and get back to Thailand as their whole system is far better!

[MartynSinclair]

This appeared on Sky News about a UK pilot being treated in USA. Like the UK pilot being treated in Vietnam, this person is now back home.

Congrats on recovery and hope many more recover

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-british-pilot-discharged-from-us-hospital-after-243-days-of-coronavirus-treatment-12192248

[Author]

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