Consumer should be more cautious

when using air passenger/ transportation service

Busan Regional Office of the Korea Consumer Agency (President: Young-seen Kim, www.kca.go.kr) conducted an analysis on 705 consumer redress cases related to air passenger/ transportation service reported to the Korea Consumer Agency from Jan., 2009 to May, 2012 and found the following:

1)    Schedule cancellation or delay were the most frequently blamed with 48.9%;

2)    Follow-up measures for consumer complaints such as compensation and refund stood at 57.7%;

3)    Consumer redress cases for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do area took up 26.0% (183 cases) out of 705 cases nationwide. 

As more and more Koreans travel abroad recently, backpack tour, which provides more flexibility and lots of rest is more preferred among consumers compared to package tour, is on its growth. However, when tourists using backpack tour face extra charge due to travel agency or airliner’s failing to inform of fuel surcharge or lost or damaged luggage, it is quite rare for the consumers to get a refund or compensation. In this regard, consumer should use extra caution.