South Korea raises MERS alert level to 'severe'    Korean Air also offers full refunds without fees

▲MERS. (Photo / Techin-Asia / AP)

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Taipei

Today (June 9), South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan announced that the MERS alert level has been raised from "caution" to "severe," reflecting the actual situation of the outbreak. TodayKorean Airalso announced that travelers heading to South Korea can apply for full refunds before June 12 without any additional fees.

Amid this outbreak, Taiwan-based China Airlines, EVA Air, Mandarin Airlines, and TransAsia Airways have all announced that passengers who purchased tickets before June 5 can receive full refunds before June 12 without any fees. Soon after, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air also followed suit.

Among all traditional airlines flying from Taiwan to South Korea, Thai Airways is currently the only one still following the original ticket usage rules for refunds. Thai Airways also stated that it will carefully assess the situation before making further announcements.

Read more:MERS Outbreak + Loosened Cancellation Policies: Industry Estimates All South Korea-Bound Travelers Will Get Refunds

EVA Air stated that since passengers who booked before June 12 can already decide whether to go to South Korea, and given the relaxed policy allowing fee-free cancellations, they will not extend the refund period due to the severity of the outbreak.

As low-cost carriers operate differently and have distinct ticketing policies compared to traditional airlines, airlines such as T’way Air and Air Busan are maintaining their current refund regulations and will not make adjustments for now.

Refund and Rescheduling Procedures for South Korea Flights
China Airlines: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.
EVA Air: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.
Mandarin Airlines: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.
TransAsia Airways: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.
Asiana Airlines: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.
Korean Air: Passengers who booked before June 5 can apply for full refunds before June 12 without fees.(Updated on June 9)
Thai Airways: Follows the original ticket usage rules.
Air Busan: For flights departing between June 10 and July 31 and already issued tickets, full refunds or changes can be applied for before 5 PM on June 15 without fees.(Updated on June 10)
T’way Air: Tickets can be retained for one year; change or refund fees of NT$1,500 per one-way trip apply.
Eastar Jet: Follows the original ticket usage rules; refunds are accepted up to 24 hours before departure.
Jeju Air: Follows the original ticket usage rules; refunds are accepted up to 24 hours before departure.

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