On July 22, Vietnam Airlines Corporation's flight VN553 from Chengdu to Hanoi was delayed for 24 hours due to mechanical problems. Passengers were paid 1,000 yuan each for compensation.

Vietnam Airlines paid almost 100 passengers with a sum of near 100,000 yuan for delay compensation, which is the airline's biggest passenger compensation in China.

Passengers: Travel Schedules Have to Be Cut Short

It is learned that about 100 passengers were onboard, most of whom were tourists of several travel agencies, along with some individual travelers. Many of them planned to visit Vietnam for 6 days and were intended to leave Chengdu at 4:00 p.m. on July 22 and come back on July 29. However, they were informed that the flight had been delayed.

Vietnam Airlines launches flights between Chengdu and Hanoi on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; so if passengers were not intended to come back Chengdu on July 27, they had to wait till July 29. After negotiations, passengers decided to cut short their original 6-day Vietnam travel schedule and still come back on July 27; However, they insisted the airline to compensate for delay before the aircraft took off.

Vietnam Airlines: Replacement Aircraft Procured from Hanoi; 1,000 Yuan Paid to Each Passenger

At around 12:00 p.m. on July 23, Vietnam Airlines announced that they had procured a replacement Airbus A320 aircraft from Hanoi, which would leave Chengdu at 4:00 p.m.

According to inside sources, the scheduled operation aircraft A320's tank was detected oil leak, "We have tried our best to restore it, but mechanical problems did exist. For the consideration of security, we resorted to emergency grounding and arranged for passengers' food and accommodation for that night", said the director of Vietnam Airlines Representative Office in Chengdu.

1,000 Yuan Compensation for One-Day Delay Is Reasonable or Not?

A 1,000 yuan delay compensation for each passenger is reasonable or not? According to an official document released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 2004, flight delays caused by the airline itself can be classified into two kinds: one is the 4-8 hour delay; the other is the over 8-hour delay. For both cases, airlines are required to compensate passengers via cash, discounting tickets and returning mileage.

As a rule, when delays occur, in case of further delays, financial compensations can be done by the means of registering and e-mailing, but are not necessarily performed at the airport. To ensure normal operation of flights, airports should inhibit passengers' irrational behaviors like off-boarding or occupying the plane. According to CAAC, airlines respectively are entitled to set up concrete compensation standards and solutions.