Canceled flights, arbitrary alternatives? Faulty cancellation compensation terms

[Anchor]

It has been found that even when flights are canceled due to reasons on the part of airlines, it is difficult for passengers to receive compensation for additional damages. Out of 22 domestic and foreign airlines, 21 either lacked separate compensation regulations or left the decision to compensate entirely to the discretion of the airlines.

Reporter Lee Seong-hoon has the details.

[Reporter]

In reality, even if a flight is canceled due to airline circumstances, it is difficult to be compensated for additional costs incurred by passengers.

In fact, a Korea Consumer Agency survey of passenger transport terms from 22 domestic and foreign airlines showed that 21 of them either had no separate compensation regulations beyond ticket refunds or left compensation up to the airline's discretion, even when cancellations occurred due to airline fault.

While passengers must pay penalty fees if they cancel their tickets for personal reasons, additional costs such as lodging or rental car fees caused by airline-fault cancellations are difficult to recover.

Another problem is that airlines have defined exemptions far too broadly.

Twelve airlines specified unforeseeable circumstances, labor shortages, and technical problems as force majeure events.

Critics point out that this includes risks that airlines should manage, such as securing personnel and conducting technical inspections, under exemption clauses.

There were also two foreign carriers that either failed to specify compensation liability or left compensation methods to their own discretion when denying boarding to passengers due to overbooking.

On the other hand, the European Union provides fixed compensations ranging from 250 to 600 euros for cancellations meeting certain requirements, while Canada provides up to 1,000 Canadian dollars.

Grievance applications related to air passenger transport services reached 3,201 cases last year, marking a 26% increase from the previous year and ranking first among consumer dispute items.

The Korea Consumer Agency plans to recommend improvements to disadvantageous airline terms and discuss institutional enhancements with relevant government ministries.

(Video by Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.