Airline sued over canceled flight tickets
By Xu Fang |
June 30, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO customers sued Shanghai Eastern Airlines, a ticket agency and Ctrip.com for a refund of tickets valued at 7,340 yuan (US$1,080) at a court hearing yesterday.
They said the airline's clause that said it would only return 20 percent of the face value if the tickets were returned was unfair.
Pudong New Area People's Court heard the case yesterday without deciding a verdict.
The airline had applied for a closed hearing for reasons of commercial confidentiality but the court turned down the request.
On May 9, Hong Liang, a local lawyer, and a friend, Li Zhefeng, booked two return tickets from Shanghai to Lhasa.
They used ticket agency Shanghai Huacheng Southwest Travel Agency, which is related to Ctrip.com and is the third defendant in the case.
Because of an accident, the two called the same day they had booked the tickets to cancel the flights.
But they were told that 80 percent of the value would be deducted since the tickets were discounted ones on a special flight.
Hong told the court that the 80 percent cancellation charge was unreasonable. According to a regulation issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the maximum cancellation charge in the transport industry should be 20 percent of the ticket value.
Hong said the airline had "neglected interests of consumers by shifting the risks and responsibilities to consumers after selling the tickets."
He said the airline wouldn't incur a loss because they returned the tickets in time.
The defendants said the salesman had made clear the cancellation charge details on the phone and the charge was printed on the electronic tickets.
Since the two had signed to accept the tickets, this meant they accepted the clause.
Hong argued that the clause hadn't been indicated strongly enough and it was unreasonable to expect them, as ordinary customers, to pay too much attention to the small print.
They said the airline's clause that said it would only return 20 percent of the face value if the tickets were returned was unfair.
Pudong New Area People's Court heard the case yesterday without deciding a verdict.
The airline had applied for a closed hearing for reasons of commercial confidentiality but the court turned down the request.
On May 9, Hong Liang, a local lawyer, and a friend, Li Zhefeng, booked two return tickets from Shanghai to Lhasa.
They used ticket agency Shanghai Huacheng Southwest Travel Agency, which is related to Ctrip.com and is the third defendant in the case.
Because of an accident, the two called the same day they had booked the tickets to cancel the flights.
But they were told that 80 percent of the value would be deducted since the tickets were discounted ones on a special flight.
Hong told the court that the 80 percent cancellation charge was unreasonable. According to a regulation issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the maximum cancellation charge in the transport industry should be 20 percent of the ticket value.
Hong said the airline had "neglected interests of consumers by shifting the risks and responsibilities to consumers after selling the tickets."
He said the airline wouldn't incur a loss because they returned the tickets in time.
The defendants said the salesman had made clear the cancellation charge details on the phone and the charge was printed on the electronic tickets.
Since the two had signed to accept the tickets, this meant they accepted the clause.
Hong argued that the clause hadn't been indicated strongly enough and it was unreasonable to expect them, as ordinary customers, to pay too much attention to the small print.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
