Plane tickets bought online are eligible for full refund within seven days of being purchased regardless of clauses set by airlines, court records showed Sunday.
The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court said the country's Electronic Transactions Act requires carriers to provide refunds on airfare within a set period of time and that this rule takes precedence over terms set by airlines.
The ruling was made after a person, whose identity was withheld, bought two tickets for himself and his wife on March 23 and paid 1.56 million won ($1,372) to a Chinese airline the following day. He, however, asked for a refund on March 25 when he discovered his wife was six weeks pregnant.
The carrier, citing internal clauses, said a pregnancy did not constitute a valid reason for a refund and refused to pay the person, which resulted in a lawsuit being filed.
The presiding judge said that the law is very clear on the matter and that any terms of transaction that unfairly places the consumer at a disadvantage is invalid and therefore the airline must refund the plaintiff. (Yonhap)
