Nol Universe Co said on the 23rd it will implement a policy to fully refund even the ticketing fee for flight cancellations not attributable to the customer.
The policy applies to flight ticket cancellations that occurred on the 6th or later. If a flight is canceled due to a natural disaster, war, or airline operational circumstances, the full amount paid for the ticket, including the ticketing fee, will be automatically refunded without the customer requesting a refund separately.
Nol Universe Co said the system overhaul is an example of reflecting the "sincere care for customers" emphasized in Yanolja 3.0 in actual service. It also noted that the move is intended to respond preemptively as airline cancellations continue due to factors such as the recent surge in oil prices, increasing related customer damage.
Nol Universe Co charges a ticketing fee of 1,000 won per person for domestic routes and 10,000 won per person for international routes in the flight ticket reservation agency process. The fee is an expense necessary for building and operating the flight ticket reservation system.
There had been considerable customer complaints about the lack of refunds for ticketing fees even for involuntary cancellations due to airline circumstances. Last year, the number of canceled flight tickets reached about 1,700 in total, with roughly 700 international and about 1,000 domestic. This year, with the added impact of the Middle East war, there is a possibility the scale of cancellations will increase further.
Kim Jong-min, head of the Business Support Group at Nol Universe Co, said, "We deeply empathize with customers whose travel plans were disrupted due to the airline's fault and who then experienced a second inconvenience over ticketing fee refunds," adding, "This decision is the first step in practicing Customer First for customers, and we will continue to lead service innovations that proactively resolve inconveniences from the customer's perspective."