Need to clarify responsibility of VietJet Air for passengers missing flights

(Baonghean) -Early afternoon of May 9, after the unsuccessful flight, from Vinh airport, Mr. Le Xuan Thu (residing in block 8, Truong Thi ward, Vinh city) went to the Nghe An Newspaper office to express his anger at the attitude of VietJet Air staff towards passengers.

Mr. Le Xuan Thu said: “I am a 3/4 disabled veteran, currently suffering from a mild stroke, so my family decided to transfer me to Saigon for treatment. On the morning of May 9, my sister bought me a VietJet Air ticket, ticket number 9061642, flight VJ 8681, flying from Vinh to Saigon, departing at 13:05 and expected to arrive in Saigon at 14:50. According to regulations, I arrived at the airport 1 hour in advance to complete the procedures.”



Mr. Le Xuan Thu and his documents were rejected by Vietjet Air staff.

Because he knew the aviation regulations, passengers must present their identification papers when flying, so Mr. Thu brought his party membership card and war invalid card. As for his identity card, "I lost it, so on the morning of May 9, I went to get a new one and brought the receipt from Vinh City Police for reissuing the identity card." He thought that would allow him to enter the airport. However, even though he had presented all the documents, when he got to the ticket gate, the security guard asked him to meet a staff member of VietJet Air, and when he got to the staff member of this airline, he was asked to meet the security guard.

Both of them "pushed" him to not let him in because his "identity papers were invalid". Seeing that he could not convince them after showing all three types of papers, Mr. Thu also brought his medical records and explained his situation of needing to go to Saigon for treatment but was still not accepted. In the end, he had to cancel his flight, losing the ticket he bought for 1,427,000 VND. Both angry and disappointed, Mr. Thu decided to report to Nghe An Newspaper. He also presented the three types of papers that he was refused at the airport, which were party membership card number 16034571, issued by Nghe An Party Committee on September 2, 2004; War invalid certificate number 338747, issued on November 5, 1995 by the Department of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs; Receipt from Vinh City Police regarding "re-issuance of identity card for Mr. Le Xuan Thu", archive number 121703.

Before considering the issue as reported by Mr. Thu, we went to Vinh City Police and were confirmed by an officer at the ID card team: "On the morning of May 9, Mr. Thu went to the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward to request a reissue of his ID card". Searching on the official website of VietJet Air at Vietjet Air.com, we were also given instructions: When flying domestic flights, passengers only need to present one of the following types of photo identification such as an ID card, journalist card, party membership card, car or motorbike driving license....

When asking Mr. Le Tien Dung - Director of Vinh Aviation Company Limited, a unit cooperating with VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company to act as a ticket agent in Vinh, he admitted: Passengers with a party membership card are considered valid identification documents. He also connected with Hien Anh, an employee of VietJet Air at Vinh Airport, and she told him: Mr. Thu did not bring his party membership card but brought his war invalid card, which is not in accordance with the regulations of the industry... Mr. Le Anh Duc (Mr. Thu's son, who went directly to the check-in procedure with his father) himself affirmed: "We even brought out our father's medical records, so why wouldn't my father show his party membership card? Maybe the airline's employees didn't even look at our documents!"

The truth is in dire need of clarification from VietJet Air and the authorities.

Song Hoang