Inquiries Continue Through Secondhand Trading App
Airline "Transfer to Others Not Allowed Due to Security Regulations"
As all flights at Jeju Airport were canceled due to strong winds and heavy snowfall, an unexpected marketplace for airline tickets opened on an online secondhand trading platform.
However, users are advised to be cautious because, in principle, airline tickets cannot be transferred, and even if someone brings a transferred ticket to the airport, they cannot receive a boarding pass or board the plane, making the transaction itself meaningless.
On the 25th, dozens of posts appeared on a secondhand trading platform operated via a smartphone app, either seeking or selling airplane tickets.
Posts about airline ticket transactions began appearing on the 23rd, when the cancellation of all flights at Jeju Airport due to heavy snowfall was announced.
These posts include both sales and purchase intentions, such as "Buying 2 tickets for Jeju→Mainland on the 25th" and "Looking for a plane ticket departing Jeju on the 25th." The prices for tickets sold through secondhand trading were offered at amounts higher than the actual purchase price.
Posts expressing the intention to buy tickets often mention difficult circumstances, such as needing to return to daily routines like going to work but being unable to secure tickets due to flight cancellations. In particular, some posts claim that ticket transactions have already been completed, raising suspicions about how the transfers were made and whether there have been actual boarding cases.
On the 25th, dozens of posts appeared on a used goods trading platform operated through a smartphone app, with content about buying or selling airplane tickets. [Image source=Used goods trading app capture]
An airline official stated, "We verify the real name and personal information on reserved tickets against identification documents one by one before issuing boarding passes," adding, "Even if someone brings a ticket with another person's personal information, it will not be issued, and it causes problems during security checks before boarding."
The official continued, "When purchasing tickets, personal information such as name and date of birth must be entered, and due to security regulations, tickets cannot be transferred," and "Even if both the ticket purchaser and the transferee visit the airline counter, it is difficult to process." Furthermore, they emphasized, "If you want to use the flight, you must purchase the ticket yourself."
Additionally, some posts on this secondhand trading platform request money, claiming they will stand in line at the airline ticketing desk to purchase replacement tickets on behalf of others, prompting calls for thorough management by airport authorities.
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