HK sees over 1,000 complaints against airlines on air ticket bookings in first 8 months of year

The Consumer Council received 1,057 complaints related to air tickets and aviation services in the first 8 months of this year, 225 fewer than the same period last year.

The city’s consumer watchdog said on Monday it has received various types of complaints regarding airline services. Issues reported include uninformed reassignment of paid, pre-selected seats due to aircraft model changes, failure to provide paid priority services, and last-minute requests for passengers to check their carry-on baggage at boarding.

These issues not only disrupted consumers’ plans, but also negatively impacted their flying experience, it said, adding that the industry should enhance communication with consumers when service adjustments occur, as well as promptly inform passengers and provide comprehensive and accurate updates.

The watchdog said one of the complaints saw the complainant purchased two round-trip air tickets from Hong Kong to Thailand from an airline, paying extra for priority services including priority boarding, priority baggage drop-off, and priority baggage delivery to the carousel by the ground staff.

“On the outbound flight, the ground staff first arranged for those who had purchased the priority service for boarding. However, the complainant noticed that the other passengers were boarding at the same time. On the return flight, although his baggage was supposed to arrive faster, a piece of his baggage took 20 minutes to reach the carousel, and its priority tag had gone missing.

“Deeply dissatisfied with the situation, the complainant sought the Council’s
intervention and demanded the airline refund the charges for the priority service,” it said.

The airline responded to the Council that usually during boarding, the ground staff would create a separate line for passengers who had purchased the priority service. As for the delayed priority baggage, the issue could have arisen as the baggage transportation was managed by a separate contractor, according to the airline.

The airline eventually agreed to refund the full amount of the priority service fee.

Meanwhile, the council said another complaint saw the complainant’s purchased seats reassigned due to an unexpected aircraft model change.

“The complainant booked 4 round-trip air tickets from Hong Kong to Tokyo with [an] airline for a family trip. He paid an additional fee of HK$1,040 to select seats in advance, specifically reserving 2 window seats for the return journey. However, upon checking in for the return flight, he was informed that the pre-selected seats were no longer available. He then requested his family of four to be seated in the same row with a window seat. The ground staff assured them that although their original seats could not be arranged, the new seats would still be by the window.

“It was upon boarding that they found out the window next to their seats had been sealed and covered with a magazine rack. Disappointed with the airline’s reassignment of their paid, pre-selected seats without notice, then failing to proactively let them choose the seats again or offer a refund, the complainant turned to the Council for assistance.” The Council said.

After the council’s mediation, the airline explained that the seat reassignment was due to a change in the aircraft model, noting that passengers typically will not be informed unless the changes affect the departure date or time.

However, they also acknowledged that their booking department had failed to properly reassign the complainant’s subsequent requested seats following the aircraft model change. To resolve the complaint, the airline agreed to refund HK$560 for the return flight’s seat selection fee and the case was settled, the council said.

The council reminded members of the public that given the many ticket options with varying prices, consumers should plan ahead before booking, including considering the carry-on and checked baggage allowance needed, and whether advance seat selection, priority boarding, inflight meals, or other add-on services are required.

Consumers should also keep all flight booking records and itineraries for use as evidence when seeking redress in case of disputes.