On January 1, 2024, Ms. Li purchased a ticket on the official ** of the airline (hereinafter referred to as China Southern Airlines) with a ticket price of 1,800 yuan. She had planned to depart on January 13, but because she read the wrong date, she accidentally bought a ticket for January 30. When she noticed the mistake, she immediately contacted customer service and asked for a refund. However, she was told that the ticket she purchased was a ** ticket, and a handling fee of 1,500 yuan would be deducted when the ticket was refunded, and only 300 yuan could be refunded. Ms. Li felt that this was too unreasonable, she still had a month before the departure date, and the refund would not affect the sales of the ticket, and she bought the wrong ticket because she saw the wrong date, not intentionally. She believes that the cancellation and change rules are too harsh, do not take into account the actual situation and needs of passengers, and are unfair and disrespectful to passengers.
Ms. Lee's case is not unique. Recently, a number of airlines have adjusted the ticket refund and change rules, claiming that in order to further improve the passenger experience and meet the needs of passengers, expand the scope of free ticket refunds and changes, and relax the rules for cancellation and change due to illness. However, according to the Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporter's investigation, the stubborn problem of difficulty in refunding and changing air tickets still exists. On the Black Cat complaint platform, the number of complaints in the past month is 912, many complaints involve the wrong ticket purchase being charged high refund fees, and some "company regulations" with the final interpretation right are still adding to the blockage of many people's Spring Festival.
Why is it difficult to change a ticket? Industry insiders and experts believe that there are mainly the following reasons:
First, the airline's cancellation rules are not transparent, unreasonable and unfair. Airlines often only consider their own economic interests when formulating cancellation and change rules, without considering the reasonable demands and rights of passengers. The cancellation and change rules of airlines are often not public, clear and uniform, which causes information asymmetry and misunderstanding to passengers. Airlines' cancellation and change rules are often unreasonable, unfair and inhumane, setting excessively high thresholds and excessive restrictions on passengers' cancellation and change requirements, charging excessive fees for passengers' cancellation and change behavior, failing to give reasonable judgment and tolerance to passengers' cancellation and change situations, and failing to accept and handle passengers' cancellation and change applications in a timely manner.
Second, the refund and change service of the airline is not standardized, inconvenient and dissatisfied. Airlines often fail to comply with relevant laws, regulations and industry norms, fail to fulfill relevant service commitments and responsibilities, and fail to protect the legitimate rights and interests of passengers when providing refund and change services. When providing cancellation and change services, airlines often fail to establish effective communication channels and methods, fail to provide convenient refund and change processes and procedures, and fail to provide high-quality refund and change experience and effects. Airlines often fail to respect passengers' wishes and needs, listen to passengers' demands and suggestions, and solve passengers' problems and difficulties when providing refund and change services.
Hotspot Engine Plan Third, the supervision of airlines' cancellation and change is not in place, not strict, and not effective. Airlines often fail to comply with relevant laws, regulations and industry norms, cooperate with relevant regulatory authorities and agencies, and fail to accept relevant supervision and inspection. When airlines accept the supervision of cancellation and change, they often do not operate with integrity, do not have self-discipline management, and do not improve their services. Airlines often fail to assume relevant responsibilities and obligations, correct relevant errors and deficiencies, and eliminate relevant hidden dangers and risks when accepting cancellation and change supervision.
How to solve the difficulty of ticket refund and change? Industry insiders and experts suggest that we should start from the following aspects:
First, airlines should improve the rules for cancellation and change, be transparent and open, reasonable and fair, and humane. Airlines shall, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and industry norms, formulate reasonable rules for cancellation and change, clarify the conditions, standards, procedures, fees, etc., publicly release, update them in a timely manner, and implement them in a unified manner. Airlines shall, in accordance with the reasonable demands and rights and interests of passengers, formulate fair cancellation and change rules, set reasonable cancellation and change rates, distinguish different cancellation and change situations, and provide reasonable cancellation and change treatment. Airlines should formulate humanized cancellation and change rules according to the actual situation and needs of passengers, consider the special circumstances of passengers, provide passengers with convenience for cancellation and change, and improve passengers' satisfaction with cancellation and change.
Second, airlines should standardize the refund and change service, which is convenient and efficient, and high-quality and satisfying. Airlines shall, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and industry norms, provide standardized cancellation and change services, fulfill relevant service commitments and responsibilities, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of passengers. According to the wishes and needs of passengers, airlines should provide convenient cancellation and change services, establish effective communication channels and methods, provide convenient refund and change procedures and procedures, and provide efficient cancellation and change experience and effects. Airlines should provide high-quality refund and change services according to passengers' demands and suggestions, respect passengers' choices and decisions, listen to passengers' feedback and evaluations, and solve passengers' problems and difficulties.