TTAA calls for tighter rules on charter flights

The move followed the stranding of 456 Thai passengers at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport this week by troubled PC Air, a Korean low-cost carrier that operates charter flights between the South Korean capital and Bangkok. The TTAA, comprising over 600 travel agents nationwide, has called on the DCA to set tougher regulations for airlines, including requiring a bank guarantee of Bt10 million, which would be used to take care of passengers when unexpected situations arise.
The association also urged the department to provide more general information about airlines via media channels so that passengers and tour operators can make informed decisions when opting to purchase a service. The TTAA said it found it difficult to get basic information on the airlines it deals with, such as the names of owners and management teams, details on carriers’ history and financial performance, and the number of aircraft they operate.
Charoen Wangananont, the TTAA’s chief adviser, said PC Air was a case in point; the association knew nothing about this airline before the problem occurred. Tour operators are caught between airlines and travellers, meaning any solutions they devise to help their clients may not be workable, Charoen said.
Generally, charter flight passengers cannot ask for their money back once they have paid for a seat. PC Air has insisted that it will keep flying as usual. Passengers will have to make a decision on their own as to whether or not they will fly with the airline, and must accept the risks, the adviser said.
Charoen said the existing regulations contain loopholes, and that both travellers and tour operators have lost confidence in charter flight operators. The PC Air incident would also have an indirect impact on other airlines, he said, with tour operators reporting losses of Bt3 million a day since Tuesday, when the incident occurred..
South Korea has become a major destination for Thai tourists, partly due to the rise in popularity of Korean entertainment acts in the Kingdom. Low cost airlines have seen this as a business opportunity and lowered prices. In general, a tour package for four days to South Korea costs Bt23,800. But some tour operators are charging as little as Bt13,900. At present, there are six Korean airlines flying to Thailand. Four of them are low-cost carriers.
PC Air charges Bt17,000-Bt18,000 per package. The airline has also started selling packages two months in advance, even though its aviation rights end this month.
Kanlayanee Assanee, an executive at Biz Service Group, said her tour company is scheduled to take a group of 40 Thai tourists to Seoul on PC Air on November 27-30, and had paid Bt800,000 to the airline. The airline has insisted it will continue to fly as usual. Kanlayanee said she now had little confidence in the airline.