[Exclusive] Was Jeju Air's 'ID Discount' Boarding Simplification False Advertising?

Unaware of Policy Implementation at Airport Counters
Registration Only Possible with Full-Fare Ticket Purchase
Criticism of Premature Marketing Amid Signs of Poor Management

Jeju Air passenger plane parked at Jeju Airport. Photo by Park Changwon

Jeju Air announced that in November last year, it simplified the boarding procedures for those eligible for "status discounts," including people with disabilities, national merit awardees, independence patriots, survivors and bereaved families of the April 3rd Incident, and Jeju residents. However, it has been confirmed through our investigation that in order to register for the status discount for the first time, one must purchase a full-fare ticket, which is often expensive.

Unlike regular passengers, those eligible for Jeju Air's status discounts could not automatically issue boarding passes via mobile or airport kiosks before departure. Instead, they had to wait in line at the check-in counter to verify their eligibility and receive their boarding passes, causing inconvenience.

To address this inconvenience, Jeju Air widely promoted that, similar to national flag carriers (FSC), if status discount recipients submit supporting documents during their first boarding, Jeju residents can use mobile and kiosk check-in for one year, and other eligible passengers for ten years.

This policy received praise, especially from people with disabilities and national merit awardees with mobility challenges, as it reduced the effort required to prove their eligibility and shortened the airport process for boarding.

However, contrary to the airline's announcement, controversy has arisen because the simplified registration process is only available when purchasing a full-fare ticket for the first registration. Registration is denied for discounted or special fare tickets.

In fact, when our reporters purchased a discounted ticket and requested Jeju resident registration at the check-in counter, the request was denied. When requesting registration for a person with disabilities, the staff responded, "There is no such policy. Where did you hear about this?" in a dismissive tone.

The simplified boarding registration, which was announced through numerous media outlets, was denied on site without any explanation or reason. Along with concerns over safety issues from last year's Jeju Air passenger plane accident, poor customer service is also being pointed out as evidence of overall mismanagement at the airline.

Regarding this, a Jeju Air representative stated, "Due to our operating system, status discounts can only be registered with a full-fare ticket for the first time," and added, "Discounted or special fare tickets only provide airport tax discounts, so they cannot be registered." This has led to criticism that the airline's premature promotion of the policy has backfired.

Jeju Air member Mr. A commented, "If the purpose of status registration is to simplify boarding procedures, it should be enough to verify documents at the counter. Requiring the purchase of an expensive full-fare ticket seems more like a sales tactic to sell full-fare tickets," adding, "It seems contrary to the original intention of providing convenience to people with disabilities and national merit awardees."

Jeju resident Mr. B questioned, "If the validity period for Jeju residents is one year, does that mean we have to buy a full-fare ticket every year to re-register?" He added, "Jeju Province invested in Jeju Air to improve air travel convenience for Jeju residents, but it feels like we are being increasingly marginalized."

Meanwhile, Jeju Air stated, "We are looking into ways to expand the registration eligibility in our system through the relevant department."