Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Robot_Teacher]

I'm reading on this site that Koreans can and do book out the flights without paying while other potential customers are just turned away. How do you book and confirm a flight without paying, thus, denying access to customers willing to pay right now if said seats were available for those willing to pay cash right now? Shouldn't seats be available until they're paid for? Shouldn't there be a time limit on making payment upon receiving a quote? Even a 1st come 1st serve policy to the buyers paying 1st?

I'm amiss on how and why airlines and travel agents would allow the market to function like this as it prevents free market dynamics from playing out. This makes no sense to me. I bet many people are being told seats are all sold out or quoted exorbitant prices for what few seats are unbooked and then airplanes fly only 1/2 to 3/4 full while wanna be travelers sit home. They're cutting their own throats letting seats be booked without payment and then many of those seats going empty.

I understand it might take me 1 to 3 hours to get to a bank to set up payment after receiving confirmation of a quote, but to hold that seat until the last minute without paying is silly. Travel agents wouldn't let me do that would they? They want to sell to the 1st buyers if they have business sense. Isn't their a time limit on how long you have to pay for a flight upon accepting a quote? Normally in the West, you'd make an online payment immediately upon accepting a quote or you can't lock that rate in and it's still for sale on the market until you do make payment and then the prices change in real time. This makes for a competitive market that allows everyone to fly who wants to fly for reasonable competitive rates. It also allows the travel agent and airline to fill as many seats as the market demands.

Might it be possible to actually fly anywhere you want from Incheon if approaching the airlines directly for standby and then paying them cash if travel agents turned you away? Hey, they got seats going empty due to Korea allowing them to be booked without payment and then many of these seats are never sold as someone who books 5 different flights for the same time is only going to take 1 of those.

[dean_burrito]

I'm not sure what site you are reading but I do know that Korean Air will hold a ticket for you but not for very long. I think they gave me 3 days to pay after I booked the ticket. It's kind of a nice service.
Some airlines practice an even worse policy though. Selling too many tickets anticipating that a percentage of seats will be canceled. It's much worse going to the airport and being told that "sorry, we over booked your flight." That has happened to me before.
Anyways research those red days and book early. Aren't any of us going to change the system here and getting angry won't help.
If your argument is true though I'd again suggest just showing up and trying to fly standby. My buddy did that on a trip to Hong Kong from here and got a ticket for 200k cheaper than the one I bought online.

[Ilsanman]

I also had that experience. I had 2-3 days to pay for it. Definitely not until last minute.

I think just the sheer number of people who book with no intention to pay is a lot, so if they offer to put you on a waiting list, accept. Check every day or 2 as well. It changes quickly.