Fair Trade Commission Issues Online Airline Ticket Purchase Damage Advisory
On the 28th, marking the start of the peak summer vacation season, overseas travelers visiting Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are moving towards the departure hall. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
View original imageOn the 2nd, the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer damage advisory for consumers purchasing airline tickets online in preparation for summer vacations and Chuseok.
Airline tickets can be purchased directly through travel agencies or airline websites. From January 2022 to June of this year, a total of 1,960 consumer damage relief applications related to airline tickets were received by the Consumer Agency, of which 67.7% (1,327 cases) involved damages occurring from purchases made through travel agencies, accounting for more than half.
When purchasing airline tickets through travel agencies, there is a price advantage compared to buying directly from airlines, but the contract terms for cancellations are disadvantageous.
For example, if an airline ticket purchased through a travel agency is canceled, both the airline cancellation fee and the travel agency cancellation fee are charged. The airline cancellation fee is calculated differentially based on the number of days remaining until departure under certain conditions, while the travel agency cancellation fee is charged as a fixed amount regardless of the cancellation timing. Failure to recognize these refund policies in advance can lead to unexpected losses.
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Additionally, most travel agencies issue tickets in real time outside business hours such as weekends and holidays but cannot process immediate cancellations. Airlines refund without cancellation fees if canceled within 24 hours of booking, but travel agencies cannot cancel ticket issuance outside business hours (after 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, weekends, and holidays), which may result in airline cancellation fees being charged.
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