Hong Kong, Pneumonia Risk Amid Protests... Some Airlines Offering Ticket Discounts

Jeju Air is running a discount event for airline tickets. Although the Hong Kong route is included, there is no explanation about the local situation. / Screenshot from the website

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] "There are many protests on weekends, and you never know what might happen at night. I do not recommend traveling to Hong Kong." Chen Wing-yan (pseudonym, 28), who resides in Hong Kong, explains that although the protests in Hong Kong have somewhat subsided recently, there are still factors that threaten the safety of travelers. He said, "Compared to when the protests were at their peak, the intensity has somewhat cooled down, but you always need to be cautious when traveling to Hong Kong."

The protests in Hong Kong have prolonged, and public safety remains unstable. In this situation, some domestic airlines are holding or planning to hold special discount events for Hong Kong air tickets. Due to the cheap airfares, the demand from travelers is naturally expected to increase. However, concerns about the safety of travelers heading to Hong Kong are also being raised.

Jeju Air, a domestic low-cost carrier (LCC), has been running a discount special event for 49 routes, including Hong Kong, since the 9th. Discounts of up to 98% off the regular fare are available. A Jeju Air official said, "We offer discount specials to provide customers with more choices." Another LCC, Air Seoul, will also start ticket discounts for nine routes including Hong Kong from the 14th.

However, there was no information explaining the local situation. In fact, Jeju Air’s event homepage did not contain any statements explaining the local circumstances to travelers heading to Hong Kong.

The boarding periods for tickets purchased through the events held by Jeju Air and Air Seoul start from March 1 and February 1, respectively, allowing some time before travel, and currently, Hong Kong is not a restricted travel area. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the travel alert for Hong Kong from Level 1 (Caution) to Level 2 (Reconsider Travel) in November last year, travel is still possible except for areas under Level 4 Black Alert (Travel Ban). However, since the local situation can change unpredictably, there are calls for airlines to ensure travelers are well informed about related matters.

Protests in Hong Kong have continued since June last year. As a result, the Hong Kong Tourism Board canceled the annual nighttime parade held during the Lunar New Year (Chunje, the Chinese New Year) for the first time in 24 years. Earlier, this year’s New Year countdown fireworks festival was also not held for the first time in 10 years due to police opposition.

Besides the security situation, there is also growing fear of pneumonia in Hong Kong. The number of patients showing symptoms similar to pneumonia, which first appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, central China, increased to 54 on the 11th. All had visited Wuhan and showed suspected symptoms such as fever, respiratory infection, and pneumonia.

The pneumonia outbreak originating in Wuhan was preliminarily identified as caused by a coronavirus, a pathogen that causes respiratory and intestinal diseases. Besides humans, mammals such as dogs and cats, as well as various bird species, can also be infected. So far, six types of coronaviruses have been identified; four cause mild symptoms similar to the common cold, but the other two can cause severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS.

Professor Lee Hoon of Hanyang University’s Department of Tourism said, "Consumers tend to have an optimistic bias that nothing bad will happen to them," adding, "When airlines hold ticket events, they should actively inform travelers about local information."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.