Official urges air travelers to manage time

• By Yu Ming-chin and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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People departing on trips should manage their time wisely, consumer protection officials said, citing an incident in which a family of four missed check-in for a flight by one minute.

The family from Yilan County planned to fly to Fukuoka, Japan, on an AirAsia flight at noon on July 9, but were unable to check in, prompting a consumer dispute.

No agreement was reached after the airline said that it had followed standard operating procedures.

People stand in line at departure hall at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The man said that the family had to check in at the airport after a glitch on a third-party ticket purchasing platform prevented him from completing online check-in for his children.

Upon arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, he said he informed ground staff of their destination and was directed to line up, only to realize that they were standing in line for an Okinawa-bound flight instead of Fukuoka.

When he raised the issue with staff, they told him that the Fukuoka check-in counter had closed and refused to check them in, advising him to arrange alternative transportation, he said.

Calling the refusal a severe violation of his family’s travel rights, the man filed for consumer dispute mediation, demanding a full refund, compensation for consequential financial losses and punitive damages.

AirAsia in a written response said that the Fukuoka flight was scheduled to depart at 12pm, with check-in counters closing at 11am.

According to surveillance footage, the man arrived at counter No. 3 at 11:01am and raised the online check-in issue at 11:02am without specifying his destination, the company said.

Ground staff mistakenly assumed that the family was traveling to Okinawa and guided them to wait in that line, it said.

The man did not mention going to Fukuoka until 11:09am, by which time the counter was closed, it added.

The company expressed regret over the inconvenience and the additional ticket costs incurred, saying that it could not fulfill requests for financial compensation based on its investigation.

The man said he would proceed with a lawsuit to seek maximum punitive damages under the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法).

Citing “quite a few” complaints recently regarding missed flights due to timing issues, Yilan County Consumer Protection Officer Wang Ya-lin (王雅琳) last week urged travelers to manage their time wisely.

Given frequent congestion in Yilan on weekends and holidays, travelers should factor in potential delays and head to the airport early to avoid ruining their trips, Wang said.