KUALA LUMPUR: Airline companies have agreed to refund passengers for the flights to Japan that they had missed following the strong earthquake and tsunami there last week, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. Tour package operators have decided to charge an administrative cost of a maximum RM200 per passenger and return the balance, she added. Both the airlines and travel operators, she said, arrived at the decision during a meeting with the ministry three days after the disaster struck Japan.
Among those who attended the meeting were representatives from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA). “Airline companies have agreed to give a full refund without any penalty or customers may convert the charges into credit for their next flight,” she told reporters after attending the FIA Conference Week 2011 at Mandarin Oriental yesterday. Dr Ng added that the refund was applicable for flights from March 11, the day the massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, until next month but the time period varied according to different airline companies.
On March 16, The Star reported that the ministry will meet with the respective operators after receiving several complaints from the public about losing their deposits after purchasing tour packages to Japan. “We will meet again early next month to discuss the situation in Japan and see if there is a need to extend the time period,” she added.
On allegations by Integrated Strategic Communications (ISC) that Tourism Malaysia’s tender process was ambiguous based on complaints by several individuals, Dr Ng challenged the body to reveal the names of the individuals. If ISC provided the names, she said, the ministry would be able to investigate and take the necessary action.
-thestar.
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