Consumer petitions for relief over airlines in the first half of this year rose 38% from the same period a year earlier.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) on the 14th, a total of 1,597 petitions for relief related to domestic and international air passenger transport services were filed from January to June this year. The first-half figure increased by 439 cases (37.9%) from the same period last year (1,158).
By nationality of airline in the first half, domestic carriers accounted for 687 cases (43%), and foreign carriers for 462 cases (28.9%). The remaining 448 cases (28.1%) were complaints about damages incurred through travel agencies and the like.
By type of damage, "excessive penalty fees and refund refusals or delays when canceling ticket purchases" made up half with 822 cases (51.5%). "Failure to transport (cancellation) or delays" were 315 cases (19.7%), "loss, damage, or delay of checked baggage" 69 cases (4.3%), and "failure to board due to insufficient information" 25 cases (1.6%). "Other" types of damage, including missing mileage credits and ticket overbooking, totaled 366 cases (22.9%).
By airline, among domestic carriers, Air Premia had the most petitions for relief with 103 cases. Of these, "failure to transport or delays" accounted for most at 87 cases. Air Premia suffered disruptions to flight operations early this year as the supply of repair engines was delayed. Its maintenance delay rate in the first quarter of this year was nearly four times higher than the same period last year.
Petitions for relief involving T'way Air totaled 101, ranking second. Among them, 66 cases were related to issues arising from canceling ticket purchases, accounting for more than half.
Next were JIN AIR with 99 cases, Korean Air with 84, Asiana Airlines with 83, and Jeju Air with 78.
Among foreign airlines, Vietnam's low-cost carrier (LCC; LowCost Carrier) VietJet Air ranked first with 103 cases. Of these, 78 were petitions related to damages incurred during the ticket purchase cancellation process. They were followed by Peach Aviation (33 cases), AirAsia (31), and Philippine Airlines (23).
For foreign airlines, the number of petitions for relief was twice that of domestic carriers because systems for handling complaints for domestic consumers are not properly established.
Petitions for relief over air services are first received by each airline and forwarded to the consumer agency if processing within a set period is difficult or if the applicant objects to the outcome. Delays due to force majeure, such as weather conditions, airport circumstances, or unforeseen maintenance for safe operations, are not eligible for relief.