Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sargx]

So I am finishing my public school contract November 31st. No problems, great school, all the teachers are great and the financial administrator loves me (it's a plus).

In the typical Gepik contract it states:

Article 9:

6. If employee completes the term of employment without the intention to renew and leaves Korea within 10 days from the expiration date, Employer shall pay the airfare for Employee's one way return flight.

Now, a lesson in price differences.

ICN -> JFK: 1900$ (Incheon to New York) (Korean Air)
PEK -> JFK: 950$ (Beijing to New York) (Air China)
ICN -> PEK: 340$ (Incheon to Beijing) (Korean Air)

Its perfectly acceptable to take advantage of this scenario, correct?

Order the ticket to New York. Get reimbursed for the ticket. Cancel the flight. Go to China instead and leave from there. That's a 600$ profit. (-100 for Chinese Visa since I'll stay a few days).

[gangpae]

You're a sly one Sarge.

[ReeseDog]

In another post around here somewhere the OP was reminded to consider his karma when weighing ethical questions.

[climber159]

OP, do you work for SMOE? Two things:

1. I looked at doing a similar thing and was informed by SMOE that a flight reimbursement takes 2-3 months. I didn't want to wait around that long for my money...especially when Korean bureaucracy is involved.

2. SMOE will pay your exit flight anywhere as long as the ticket price is equal to or less than the ticket price to the place you came from.

GEPIK may be similar.

[Tobias]

Damn. Almost 2 thousand to fly to NYC? Are you shitting me?

If you profit from this, you'll make it tougher for the next person if the school realizes there was a cheaper way. And one thing I really hate in TESOL is paying today for the selfish behavior of my predecessors yesterday.

I signed a contract back in the days of cheap air fare, and mine doesn't get reimbursed. I'll go home on my own dime. It's time to look into walking to the Bering Strait and crossing over to Alaska via a rubber raft. This probably isn't viable, but taking a jet is quickly becoming too expensive a mode. We gotta find another way here and back if we, either teachers or schools, are to keep from being gouged. We'd better find a cheaper way, as schools will sooner or later be forced to cut back on salaries or eliminate the air fare bennies. But what else is there? Freighter? Hot air balloon? Solar powered glider?

Always make sure you get a ticket provided in the deal. I'm learning that lesson right now. Talk about an unnecessary expense.

[aalais]

[Tobias]

[quote="sargx"]So I am finishing my public school contract November 31st.
[/quote]

My contract ends on February 30th. I'll probably move out of my apartment the next day, February 31, and fly home for a while. I'll probably come back on June 31.

[oskinny1]

[jay-shi]

[oskinny1]

[Mr. Pink]

For those of you freaking out over the ticket prices, don't.

Even the OP seems to have looked at things the wrong way.

Korean Air is the most expensive airline to fly out of Korea on.

I looked at 2 flights that were exactly the same:

Incheon to Toronto non-stop. Korean Air was $1800 or around there. Air Canada was $800. It was pretty much double the price for the exact same flight.

If you are looking at flying to NYC, consider doing a layover in either Tokyo or somewhere on the West coast. I've gotten cheap tickets by doing a layover in San Francisco.

I remember when Korean Air used to be one of the cheapest airlines to take (like 10 years ago). In the past 5 years they have started to get expensive. I guess all the stupid Koreans who feel the more expensive something is, the better don't mind paying double to fly the same flight as other airlines.

[Tobias]

I figured low fares were still possible, despite the fact I keep hearing about $2000 and even $2500 being shelled out for round trips to the east coast of the USA and back. One who plans ahead can still get a cheap(er) fare, I imagine. And he may be able to get the cheapest fare if he doesn't mind waiting in an airport for a few hours.

[jvalmer]

The only way you pay over 2000 for a round-trip ticket if you get it off some non-Korean travel website. If you can, get if from a Korean website or a travel agent.

[Tobias]

Actually, I know a guy who did a NY rounder last month and paid 2500 for the fare. Well, his outfit actually paid for it and even used a Korean site. Problem was the buyer wanted the ticket one day in advance. That tends to happen when one doesn't plan.

[lowpo]