Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

I want to fly from Incheon to San Francisco, visit my dad there for 4-5 days, then fly into NY. So when I book my ticket it will show a 4-5 day layover.

Will SMOE accept this ticket? Or will they just pay from Incheon to San Fran?

[Straphanger]

What did they say when you asked them?

[egrog1717]

[ernie]

argh... i've been trying to do the same thing. korean air will let you do an extended layover for an additional 90 000, so after booking my flight, i called SMOE to notify them that i would pay the additional fee. at first i met total opposition:

SMOE: "that's not our policy. we can't do that. lots of foreigners take advantage of this."

ME: "the whole point of me calling is to NOT take advantage of you. i'm offering to pay the extra fee, and i'm running this by you in advance so that nothing gets screwed up in the process."

SMOE: "but we don't accept money from teachers. that's not our policy."

ME: "ok fine, i'll pay the extra money to the airline. no problem."

SMOE: "but we can't do that. it's not our policy. you're just trying to take advantage of us by taking a free vacation."

ME: "in a sense, i guess i am 'taking advantage' of the flight. i'm using the flight in the most economical way possible. the flight stops over in a destination that i'd like to visit, so i want to stay there a while longer. but you're implying that that's a dishonest thing to do. would you say it's dishonest if on my trip to pick up food at emart, i stop at the gas station on the way back? ok then, i'll do it the hard way using the stupid reimbursement option. but you do realize that this will end up costing you MORE money, since there will be no discount, right?"

SMOE: "oh you can't do that. it's OUR choice, not yours. you need to be more flexible and work with us on this one."

ME: "actually it says right on the ticket form that article 10.3 of the contract gives me the option to purchase my own ticket and be reimbursed by you. but i'd rather not do this because it is inconvenient and more expensive. and i'm TRYING to work with you on this, which is why i called you. i'm not being inflexible at all, YOU are."

SMOE: "well, you have to use the most economical flight. and there are direct flights to your destination."

ME: "but direct flights cost MORE than flights with layovers."

SMOE: "i don't think so."

ME: "think about it. nobody WANTS a layover. everyone would choose the direct flight, so of course the price will be more. i haven't been able to price the flight because the web site is messed up, but i'm pretty sure i'm right on this."

SMOE: "ok i'll have to research this myself."

i still haven't heard back from them, but i will call (again) today. at least they realize now that 1) i'm not trying to screw them over, and 2) the layover thing is actually more economical for them (they don't give a rat's ass about what i want of course), which is really the bottom line.

a few questions for the culture experts: do koreans realize how insulting it is to be accused of trying to cheat the system? isn't being accused of something the ultimate 'loss of face'? why is being upfront viewed as dishonest? isn't it MORE dishonest to do it in a sneaky way? and isn't it pathetic that the almighty policy gets swept away as soon as it's possible to save a couple of bucks?

[Goku]

Ernie

It sounds like a reasonable misunderstanding



Layovers are usually more expensive. Also, layovers can and HAVE been used to take advantage for vactions.

For example, I've heard of teachers claiming to go home but have a stop at lets say, California when they live in Utah.

That layover time is used to take a vaction to California. Layover times can extend pretty long, to like a week.

Also, the thing about the policy about you could just pay them simply fits your situation. Think about smoe. If they let you pass for this, then they have to rework their entire policy about layovers. That'll create more headache and more trouble than just simply saying "Short layover".

The extra administrative work to check, recieve, and verify money from other foreign teachers doing layovers would be more than they care to do...

[harlowethrombey]

+1 to the last post.

The times they want me to take my flight are some of the most expensive. Although through the krappy Korean air website I did find a flight that had a weird, inexplicable layover in South America for 3 days. It was several hundred USD cheaper than a direct flight. I'd certainly like to visit South America but I'm positive if I tried to book it I'd get the exact same response as the previous poster.

And, as a bonus, there are no direct flights to anywhere even an hour close to my hometown with Korean Air. So I guess I'll have to purchase my own ticket, try and live with 20,000 KRW for a month and then pull out fingernails to get SMOE to reimburse me.

('You need to send us a copy of your flight and ticket.'
'I already gave it to you. '
'No, we dont have it. '
'I put it in John Pak's hands myself. In person. '
'. . . we need you to send it again. '
' )

luckily I've dealt with enough beaurocracy to know to keep multiple copies of everything I need to submit because they will always, always lose whatever you give them. And they will always, always schedule things to all come to a head at once (contract re-signings, new contracts, flight reimbursements, orientations, etc.).

[ernie]

i don't see how using an extended layover is 'taking advantage' of anybody when i'm offering to pay the difference. is it 'taking advantage' of them if i bring a few amenities from home for my friends here? why does SMOE care so much about my itinerary if the price is the same?

i guess my point is that it's more economic (and easier) for both of us to use the discounted ticket option instead of having me book the ticket at the full price and being reimbursed later. but whatever. i don't want anybody's head to explode over this. maybe i can book the ticket with the regular layover and then call the airline and make the change myself.

[Straphanger]

[Kikomom]

Just get off the plane in San Francisco, go to the desk and tell them you're not feeling well you think you may have swine flu and will have to call them later about your connecting flight to NY.

[MollyBloom]