Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Evanzinho]

Ok, so I was all ready to go to Seoul today, went to the airport to find out I didn't really have a ticket. It's hard to explain, but I had some sort of standby seat, or something like that. The flight was extremely overbooked, so they asked if I would take a Business class flight leaving for Seoul tomorrow. They said they'd put me up in a hotel, pay for my meals, and give me a $200 travel voucher. Of course I said yes. So here I am at the hotel typing this post. Has this happend to anyone else?

My main concern is I'm hoping my recruiter doesn't get paid until she physically delivers me to the school, so at least she has some incentive to come and pick me up at Incheon. Also, I think they wanted me to arrive on Saturday so I could meet the director and visit the school; now since I arrive on Sunday night, I'm not sure what will happen.

The things I do for a free Business class ticket!!

[The DON]

It's not the school or recruiter that booked you on the overbooked flight but the airlines.

This is a common practice especially during peak season. About 6 or 7 years ago, I was working for a summer camp in Vancouver and we had something like 400 kids from Korea attending. When it was time to escort some of them to the Vancouver International Airport, we found out that about 40 were on standby as the flight was overbooked and the kids were given a hotel room at a nearby 4-star or 5-star hotel for 2-3 days as well as $600 each. The very next day, we took another group of about 100 kids and same thing. They originally offered $400 and the manager with me haggled for a bit and complained and they bumped it up to $600. I was wishing I had a seat on that flight so I could get some cash.

Also, I have heard this same story from a few teachers that came to Korea. This is common practice as the manager of the summer camp told me this happens every year.

You have to understand that the airlines sell cheap tickets ($1500 round-trip so $750 each way) in advance. Then, in the week or so leading up to the flight, they keep selling tickets at about $2000 or $3000 for 1-way. The airline is making an extra $1000-$2000 if they seat the last minute dude instead of the cheap flight guy. Even after the $600 and hotel room, they are making a few hundred dollars to over a grand extra so they keep selling the tickets. They just bump you until then next flight with open seats.

The cheap ticket buyers are usually more than happy to get some cash and a free hotel room, the expensive ticket buyer is happy because he needs to be in Seoul for his business meeting or whatever and couldn't care how much the ticket costs. The airline is laughing as they make extra cash.

So $200 is good but if you had complained more, I think you might have gotten more cash.

[matthews_world]

::

[kiwiliz]

DAm..what a lousy way to start...lolol...lucky person you!

may the rest of your trip go so well.

[cruisemonkey]

[mountainous]

ditto on what The Don said...

[eurasian76]

damn lucky I say! Flying cattle class (economy) on long haul is tiring so to get business make things sweet....on top of that nice bit of compensation.

[Justin Kimberlake]

If you would have refused to take a $200 travel voucher, they would have bumped it up to a round-trip anywhere in the world ticket...plus the First Class. They start low and if yuou keep saying "No" they keep bumping up the offer.

[Evanzinho]

[chickyabroad]

The only problem with bailing in Japan is that your luggage would still go on to Seoul (if it isn't lost).