Korean Air disappoints me

Korean Air disappoints me

I went to Korea on Dec. 1, 2002 by Korean Air and planned to
go home on Dec. 12. Although I had made a reservation in October
for my fight back to Jakarta on Dec. 12 through KIA Travel, the
agency put me on a waiting list and I was notified of OK status
for travel on Dec. 17.

On Dec. 10, I got important news from Jakarta asking me to
return to Jakarta on Dec. 12. I called Korean Air, asking about
the possibility of OK status for the Dec. 12 flight. However,
they informed me that the plane was fully booked and I was told
to go to the Korean Air standby passenger counter at the airport.
I asked about the meaning of the term "waiting list" on my ticket
and why I should go and stand in line again. They said that it
was not valid.

On the morning of Dec. 12, around 9 a.m., I went to see them
and was told that I was number 10 on the waiting list. I was told
to return at 12:10 p.m. At 10:30 a.m. I was already at their
counter. To my surprise, on that day 39 were people were on the
waiting list. When the clock struck 12:20 p.m. they called out
the names of some passengers on the list and an employee told me
I did not have a seat. I asked them to try again for me. At 12:30
p.m. five passengers canceled their flight, but they refused to
give a seat to me, arguing that I had too much luggage. A long
argument followed and I insisted on getting a seat. Finally they
gave in. I hurried with my heavy luggage to the immigration desk
and the plane.

On board, I met two Indonesian migrant workers who told me
they had been detained by the Korean immigration office on Dec.
5. It was bizarre for me to discover that they had still got
seats. I had made my reservation long before their detention, but
had been put an a waiting list.

I have written a letter to KIA travel and Korean Air, but have
received no response so far.

CARLA JUNE NATAN, Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers, Jakarta