$520 to cancel a $1,972 booking? Travelers warned of extra airline ticket fees

A passenger who canceled seven round-trip tickets from Incheon to Da Nang after purchasing them through a travel agency was charged a cancellation fee of 770,000 won ($520), or about 26 percent of the total ticket price.

A consumer, identified only as A, purchased seven round-trip tickets between Incheon and Da Nang through a travel agency for 2.918 million won ($1,972) in October last year and canceled them five days later. The travel agency charged a 770,000 won ($520) cancellation fee because, in addition to the airline's cancellation fee of 80,000 won ($54) per passenger, it added its own 30,000 won ($20) cancellation fee per passenger.

The Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer alert on air travel services Wednesday, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. As the number of overseas travelers continues to rise, complaints related to air travel services are also increasing. In particular, disputes over ticket cancellations through global online travel agencies have been occurring one after another.

Consumer complaints related to air travel services have risen sharply in recent years. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, applications for consumer dispute resolution related to air travel increased from 1,705 in 2023 to 2,532 in 2024 and 3,201 last year. The number rose by an average of 37 percent annually, far exceeding the 14.1 percent average annual increase in the number of overseas travelers during the same period.

Among the 7,433 applications filed during the period, contract cancellations accounted for the largest share at 58.4 percent (4,341 cases), followed by breaches of contract, including flight cancellations and delays, at 27.2 percent (2,020 cases), and unfair practices at 5.3 percent (394 cases).

Cancellation and change fees are among the most common problems. When tickets are purchased through travel agencies, online travel agencies or internet portals, fees different from an airline's official policies may apply. For example, when a ticket is canceled, a travel agency may charge a refund processing fee on top of the airline's cancellation penalty. The same can happen when passengers change their flight dates.

Consumers should therefore compare not only ticket prices but also cancellation and change fees before purchasing, particularly if their travel plans could change.

Passengers should also carefully check the spelling of their names in English and their passport information. Some airlines or travel agencies may not allow such information to be changed or may charge additional fees for changes.

Travel insurance is also recommended in case flights are canceled or delayed because of bad weather or airport congestion. In December last year, a flight from Incheon to Da Nang was delayed for four hours while passengers remained on board due to an aircraft defect. The airline refused to provide compensation, saying the delay resulted from an inspection conducted to ensure safe operation.

The two agencies urged consumers traveling by air during the Chuseok holiday to familiarize themselves with common cases of damage cases and precautions to avoid being adversely affected.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.