The problem of getting refunds and the high cost of canceling tickets are significant issues for many travelers.
Recently, a man surnamed Gong from Shanghai encountered a frustrating situation. He purchased a ticket on the China Eastern Airlines booking app for a flight from Shanghai to Australia on January 10. It cost 6,338 yuan (US$888.9), including taxes.
Gong’s flight from Shanghai to Sydney, priced at 6,338 yuan.
However, just a minute after payment, he realized he had selected the wrong date.
He immediately canceled the booking on the app. To his surprise, within a few minutes, he received a refund of just 269 yuan (US$37.7), with a staggering “service fee” of 5,340 yuan, or more than 84 percent of the total ticket price.
Many people who faced a similar service fee when canceling flights also voiced their frustration online.
The app shows that Gong could only get a refund of 269 yuan, with a service fee of 5,340 yuan.
Gong promptly contacted China Eastern Airlines, who explained that if the ticket was marked as “non-refundable,” only taxes other than the fuel surcharge could be refunded. He expressed his concern, noting the unreasonableness of the “non-refundable” policy and the lack of clear notification about it at the time of payment.
Eventually, the airlines reached a preliminary agreement with him: he would purchase another ticket, and the airline promised to compensate for the price difference and “change fee.”
Major domestic airlines have new cancellation and rebooking policies
Recently, major airlines such as China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have introduced new rules for ticket refunds and rebooking, generally lowering the change fees and expanding the range of free rebookings and cancellations.
China Southern Airlines has adjusted its rules to allow free cancellations if the ticket price drops. Customers can purchase a new, cheaper ticket and cancel the higher-priced one within 24 hours of the original purchase, though some special fare tickets may not be eligible. Customers are advised to confirm with the airline before canceling.
China Eastern Airlines also made changes to its policy. Free changes or cancellations due to ticket price fluctuations apply only if the price of the ticket purchased through the original channel has dropped. This rule is applicable only to domestic flights and does not cover group tickets or tickets redeemed through airline points. The flights for both tickets must be the same, with the same day and flight itinerary.
It’s important to note that under certain conditions, tickets mistakenly purchased through China Eastern Airlines’ own sales channels may also be eligible for free cancellation.
In addition, China Southern Airlines has included scenarios such as changes in aircraft type, flight stopover delays, airport changes, and force majeure in its free change and cancellation policy.
China Eastern Airlines has included the first two scenarios and changes in flight that alter the itinerary in its policy, with additional considerations for airport changes, natural disasters, and public safety reasons, subject to temporary announcements.
Both airlines have adjusted their fee standards for ticket changes and cancellations, reducing the proportion of fees for ticket changes and cancellations. China Eastern Airlines’ new rule includes a provision for free changes or cancellations more than 30 days before a flight’s departure, while China Southern Airlines allows most fare classes to change voluntarily without a fee if done at least seven days in advance.
The introduction of these new rules offers more options for travelers and students who struggle to secure high-speed train tickets during peak travel seasons.
The ticket policies allow more flexibilities for travel plans
The new airline regulations indicate that the adjustment of ticket change and cancellation rules has led to a reduction in the fees for these services. However, the fee reduction varies depending on the cabin class.
For example, in the economy class, although the actual refund amount is subject to the information displayed on the booking page, the new rules mean that on average, passengers could save about 100 yuan on cancellations.
According to data from domestic travel service provider Qunar.com, while passengers typically prefer to buy tickets just before their journey, about 30 percent of users purchase long-term tickets (more than 14 days in advance) before holidays.
With the implementation of the new rules, full-fare economy tickets can be canceled for free if done at least seven days in advance, covering the period when train tickets start to be sold (14 days in advance).
This means that for popular routes, passengers can purchase full-fare economy tickets well in advance to secure their travel plans, and then decide whether to keep the ticket based on the availability of other tickets and changes in airfare prices.
Liu Ting, a senior manager of public affairs at a domestic travel platform, explained that for popular routes, customers can purchase full-fare economy tickets in advance, ensuring travel plans.
“They can then decide whether to keep the flight based on ticket availability and price changes. For routes back home, discounted fares might be released after the train tickets go on sale, allowing travelers to monitor flight prices and decide on their ways of travel,” Liu said.