Spring Airlines reaffirms angry passenger blacklist
Spring Airlines’ chairman of the board said over the weekend the company would strengthen its passenger blacklist, and refuse service to passengers who lead complaints.
"I had thought to put the blacklist aside, but currently, it seems that we cannot, especially during the Spring Festival transfer period," Wang Zhenghua said in an interview with www.163.com Sunday.
"For those passengers who are not satisfied with our service or lead complaints, we will list them in the computer and explain that we are not able to service them due to our low ability," Wang said.
The airline launched the blacklist as early as 2007.
Three years later, Wang reaffirmed it during the ongoing Spring Festival transfer period, which lasts from January 29 to March 10, as media reported that the airline has seen quite a lot of complaints during the period.
The complaints are normally due to uncontrollable factors such as weather, especially as bad weather has been common in recent days, said Zhang Wu’an, a Spring Airlines spokesman.
"The passengers have read the notice before booking tickets, but when the flights are delayed, some will require compensation. If not, they will take some extreme measures, such as refusing to get off the airplane, which gives us a headache," Zhang told the Global Times Monday.
Launched in 1999 as China’s first low cost carrier, Spring Airlines does not provide meals and free water to passengers, and no compensation is given on delayed flights except for when the carrier itself is at fault.
Zhang did not say how many passengers are on the list, but said the company will "take a cautious attitude towards it and the number is quite small."
However, Zhang Qihuai, a lawyer with Beijing-based Lanpeng Law Firm who has handled aviation cases, Monday told the Global Times that it is "wrong" for Wang to reaffirm the blacklist, which he said "has offended passengers’ rights."
Ma Dongxiao, a partner with the Grandall Legal Group’s Beijing Office, said the move did not violate the law, but "the company should not forbid passengers to take other flights due to prior misbehavior."
Wu Jing, a teacher with the Shanghai-based Zhongshan School, said the measure is normal for Spring Airlines.
"If you want to choose the cheap ticket, you should accept their service. If not, you can choose other carriers," she said.
China’s regulator suggests airliners that suffer delayed flights should not only think about their own development, but also the benefit of consumers, the National Business Daily reported Saturday.