Korean Air, ahead of its merger with Asiana Airlines, has submitted a plan for integrating the two companies' mileage programs to the Fair Trade Commission. The Commission described this as "the starting point for a review aimed at protecting consumer rights," but also stated that it found certain aspects lacking and has requested revisions.
On June 12, the Fair Trade Commission issued a statement saying, "Korean Air has today submitted a 'mileage integration plan.' This is significant as it marks the official beginning of a review process to protect the rights of airline consumers." However, the Commission pointed out that the submitted plan falls somewhat short of the requirements needed to initiate the review.
The Commission stated, "The submitted integration plan is lacking compared to the mileage redemption options previously offered by Asiana Airlines, and it also fails to provide detailed explanations regarding the integration ratio. We determined that it is not sufficient to begin the review process, and have therefore requested immediate revisions and supplements from Korean Air."
The Commission further emphasized, "Given the high level of public interest in this matter, the integration plan must protect the trust of Asiana consumers and ensure that they do not experience any disadvantages. The rights of consumers from both companies must be guaranteed in a balanced manner. Based on these standards, the Commission will conduct a thorough review and ultimately approve a plan that can satisfy all consumers."
Additionally, the Commission explained, "This submission can be likened to the initial filing of a case. Moving forward, we plan to prepare a review report to be presented to the Commission after the examiner has conducted a review and gathered opinions from various stakeholders and experts."
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