[SM1]

KOREAN AIRLINES EXTORTS $2000.00 TO $5000.00 FARE INCREASE FROM BROTHER OF DYING SISTER

Korean Airlines refuses to give my husband a seat on a flight to see his dying sister on which he is a ticket holder even though a physical seat is available because it is "high season" and Korean Airlines can sell the same seat back to my husband or others for an additional $2000.00 to $5000.00.

In Los Angeles I bought Economy Class roundtrip tickets for my husband and me from Korean Airlines from Los Angeles to Kunming, China. After we travelled to Kunming my husband's sister in the U.S. was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer. Of course he trusted and counted on Korean Airlines to fly him back to the States, using the already-paid-for return ticket. What a mistake! Instead of putting him on the first available flight, Korean Airlines has attempted to take advantage of his vulnerable situation by extorting an additional $2000.00 to $5000.00 (depending on which figure Korean Airlines *presented you want to believe) from him for the very same seat for which he was ticketed because they can profit more by re-classifying the same physical seat in the same section as a "high revenue" seat. *At every level from worker to manager, from local Kunming office to *Call Center, Korean Airlines *insists the extortion described is only "company policy." Everyone I have spoken to is shocked at their callousness *and unethical behavior. *After many hours of frustrating effort trying to reason with Korean Airlines in person and by phone I have concluded instead of "Excellence in Flight," Korean Airlines' slogan should be "Theft in Flight."

Until this miserable experience, I had always thought an airline would do everything possible to give a paid, ticketed passenger a seat in such a dire situation, certainly not attempt to exploit the situation to their advantage and the disadvantage of their passengers. *Perhaps other International Airlines have more of a conscience than Korean Airlines. *My husband needs to comfort his dying sister right away, a situation *I hope you never have to face. *If you do, and need to cross the ocean to reach her, make sure you have a ticket from an airline which has not substituted a wallet for its heart.

I will keep you posted.

[bilingual]

Originally Posted by SM1

KOREAN AIRLINES EXTORTS $2000.00 TO $5000.00 FARE INCREASE FROM BROTHER OF DYING SISTER

Korean Airlines refuses to give my husband a seat on a flight to see his dying sister on which he is a ticket holder even though a physical seat is available because it is "high season" and Korean Airlines can sell the same seat back to my husband or others for an additional $2000.00 to $5000.00.

In Los Angeles I bought Economy Class roundtrip tickets for my husband and me from Korean Airlines from Los Angeles to Kunming, China. After we travelled to Kunming my husband's sister in the U.S. was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer. Of course he trusted and counted on Korean Airlines to fly him back to the States, using the already-paid-for return ticket. What a mistake! Instead of putting him on the first available flight, Korean Airlines has attempted to take advantage of his vulnerable situation by extorting an additional $2000.00 to $5000.00 (depending on which figure Korean Airlines *presented you want to believe) from him for the very same seat for which he was ticketed because they can profit more by re-classifying the same physical seat in the same section as a "high revenue" seat. *At every level from worker to manager, from local Kunming office to *Call Center, Korean Airlines *insists the extortion described is only "company policy." Everyone I have spoken to is shocked at their callousness *and unethical behavior. *After many hours of frustrating effort trying to reason with Korean Airlines in person and by phone I have concluded instead of "Excellence in Flight," Korean Airlines' slogan should be "Theft in Flight."

Until this miserable experience, I had always thought an airline would do everything possible to give a paid, ticketed passenger a seat in such a dire situation, certainly not attempt to exploit the situation to their advantage and the disadvantage of their passengers. *Perhaps other International Airlines have more of a conscience than Korean Airlines. *My husband needs to comfort his dying sister right away, a situation *I hope you never have to face. *If you do, and need to cross the ocean to reach her, make sure you have a ticket from an airline which has not substituted a wallet for its heart.

I will keep you posted.

Your brother vote with his wallet, he should have bought an insurance or a flexible ticket, instead of buying a non-flex ticket

[Ombudsman]

I made some test bookings and found one-way fares on China Eastern and Air China for about $2100 USD. Korean Air was about $1950. How long have you been in China? I know that some low-priced excursion fares often have a minimum stay requirement of as liitle as 7 and sometimes more than 30 days. This is to allow those traveling to see family, etc, a lower fare option as the airline can charge higher fares to business travelers who are flying to and from the states more frequently and with shorter stays at their destination. In an ironic twist of fate it's those same higer fares that "subsidize" the lower excursion fares and it is because your huusband is cutting his stay in China short that they are repricing the return portion at the higher fare. It is ashame they are not taking his individual situation into consideration however that is pretty much a given today with respect to air travel and non-refundable tickets.

Have you checked with a local travel agent in Kunming to see if there are any lower fares they can find to get your husband back to the states? Another suggestion would be to find a cheap fare from KMG to an international gateway city to get a less expensive ticket from the gateway city back to the US. For example, Philippine Air has a one-way ticket from HKG to LAX for about $1200 USD and MNL to LAX for $1150 on Delta.

[SM1]

The situation you describe--early departure--does not apply to my husband's situation. He is not leaving early.

As for the first reply, I see by the broken English that it probably has been posted by a non-native speaker, possibly a Korean Airline employee.

[jimworcs]

I am confused by this situation. If your husband is flying back on his original itinerary and is not flying back early, what are Korean Air trying to charge for? If he is flying back on the same flight, on the same day that he originally booked, what is the problem?

I had undertood that you were requesting that Korean Air allow him to fly back earlier on compassionate grounds. If this is not the case, I am mystified as to the problem.

[bilingual]

Originally Posted by SM1

The situation you describe--early departure--does not apply to my husband's situation. He is not leaving early.

As for the first reply, I see by the broken English that it probably has been posted by a non-native speaker, possibly a Korean Airline employee.

No, actually i am from Denmark, but your point is that you are angry that Korean Air will not change a restricted ticket without a fee, correct?

[SM1]

To clarify the facts:

1.) We bought the round trip ticket in Los Angeles on 10-04-11;
2.) By its terms, the return trip must take place within one year of issuance;
3.) The ticket also required 72 hours notice to Korean Air of the return trip;
4.) The ticket permitted 1 change of date with no additional charge.
5.) Near the time of issuance our travel agent both selceted and then cancelled a return trip date of 08-21-12 leaving the ticket "open."
6.) Under these facts,and adequate grounds for exercise of "compassion" by Korean Air, they took the actions previously described.
7.) Three weeks ago our son returned to Los Angeles from Kunming with no difficulty using the same type of ticket.

What is your opinion? We would appreciate a prompt reply.

As for the other poster, the red warning flag over your name speaks for itself.

[jimworcs]

One of the greatt problems in situations like this is that it requires the "discretion" of staff who often don't have either the will or ability to deliver it. I would try to find a senior name in Korean Air and see ifyou can email them personally and try to get them to respond. They are clearly not legally obligated as you have used up your free change.... but I wish you good luck.

[SM1]

Thank you for your advice.

As it turned out the manager of the Korean Air office in Kunming apparently (we don't know the inner workings) prevailed on the KA central office to put my husband on a flight leaving in two days for a total additional charge of $451.00. The additional charge includes a $100.00 "administrative charge for changing the status od the ticket from Q class to M class, " and a $351.00 penalty. Greatly relieved because of the urgency, we accepted the offer. The other options would have been to book a flight on another airline as you suggested and lose the $ value of the KA ticket, or accede to KA's offer to upgrade my ticket for between $2000.00 to $5000.00. Both of these options were more costly than the $451.00 option.

Perhaps we should be grateful for the result, but it was achieved only after hours of hammering on the local office; after KA first falsely insisted the only
option was to pay an additional $2000.00 to $5000.00; after the KA local office failed to read copies of the complaint on this forum which we emailed to them; after insisting they had put my husband on a waiting list which was the best they could do, this after the message center texted us with the new
reservation; after agreeing that there was no practical change between Q class and M class service, just a change in label; in short after quite an unnecessary
ordeal whose tormented flavor is impossible to capture in print. So yes my husband is happy and relieved to see his dying sister, but no, he would not
characterize KA as benevolent. Far from it.

I could take issue with your opinion that KA acted within their rights, but that
now seems pointless.

Again, thank you for your comments.