Vanilla Air ticketing dispute: Civil Aviation Administration warns licenses could be revoked if not properly handled

▲ On the day of the Dec. 4 sale, Vanilla Air’s website crashed again, with many customers double-charged. (Photo / Reporter Chen Rui-zhong)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

On Dec. 4, low-cost carriers began selling Taipei–Tokyo tickets with a special one-way untaxed price of NT$388 to attract customers, but Vanilla Air seemingly failed to learn from the major system crash on Nov. 1. When sales began at 2 p.m. that day, the website crashed again, and many customers were double-charged.The Civil Aviation Administration stated that Vanilla Air’s general agent, Wanjun Travel Agency, must address customer complaints, while Wanjun emphasized that airlines will not request payment from banks unless transactions are successful.

A one-way untaxed price of NT$388—such an attractive offer drew huge crowds to Vanilla Air’s official website, causing the system to crash. Many could only access the homepage, and even those luckier ones who managed to select tickets got stuck at the payment stage. Constant page refreshes led to repeated credit card charges, with some even being billed 20 times. Faced with numerous disgruntled customers over double charges, Vanilla Air’s official Facebook page did not respond immediately, only replying on Facebook the next day and posting an announcement on its official website.

Regarding the issue of repeated credit card charges,Vanilla Air replied on Facebook that as long as customers did not receive a booking reference number (PNR number), it meant the purchase was not successful and no fees would be charged to their credit cards.If you have confirmed with your credit card company that the transaction has been charged, please check whether @vanilla-air.com is listed in your spam folder. For any issues, please fill out the contact form on Vanilla Air’s official website.


▲ Originally planning a major promotion, the system crash left a poor impression on Taiwanese consumers. (Photo / From Vanilla Air’s official fan page)

Many customers were dissatisfied with the official response, citing not only the attitude but also the fact that they had received confirmation of charges from their credit card companies but no booking confirmation emails—so was the purchase considered successful? Additionally, the official website’s contact form malfunctioned, further tarnishing Vanilla Air’s image.

The Civil Aviation Administration stated that since Vanilla Air has no branch in Taiwan, its general agent, Wanjun Travel Agency, must handle not only ticketing but also related customer complaints. Regarding the system crash and repeated charges, the administration has ordered Wanjun to resolve the issue. Customers can call Wanjun, and if the problem remains unsolved, the administration will accept complaints.The Civil Aviation Administration emphasized that if ticket-related issues are not properly handled, the agency can suspend part or all of the airline’s operations under the Civil Aviation Act, and in severe cases, revoke the airline’s route license.

As for repeated credit card charges,Vanilla Air’s Taiwan general agent, Wanjun Travel Agency, stated that as long as customers did not receive a purchase confirmation email—meaning the transaction was not successful—Vanilla Air would not request payment from the bank, though the charge may still temporarily affect the credit limit.If customers are concerned, they can fill out the contact form (in English) on the official website to confirm whether their booking was successful. If customers did not receive a confirmation email but were billed by the bank, Wanjun said Vanilla Air would refund the full amount.

Banking industry representatives also noted that for abnormal charges, customers can directly call customer service for solutions. Additionally, for disputed transactions, as long as customers report the issue to their bank before the payment deadline and provide proof that they did not make the purchase or transaction, most banks will flag the charge as disputed, allowing customers to defer payment while the bank investigates both the customer and the merchant.

Vanilla Air’s general agent, Wanjun Travel Agency, phone: 02-2531-1168

Vanilla Air’s official Chinese Facebook reply:

Dear passengers, if you have not received a Vanilla Air booking reference number (PNR number), it means your purchase has not been completed, and your credit card will not be charged. If you have confirmed with your credit card company that the transaction has been charged, please check whether @vanilla-air.com is listed in your spam folder. For any issues, please fill out the contact form on Vanilla Air’s official website.

Full text of Vanilla Air’s official website announcement:

A successful reservation means that after your payment is completed, your booking code will be displayed. Only when you obtain a booking code is the reservation considered successful.
Even if the webpage displays a settlement verification code, it does not mean the reservation is successful. Please note that after a successful reservation, your credit card payment details will show the amount charged by our company. Please confirm this when the time comes.

If you have further questions, please fill in the required information in the inquiry form on our website. Thank you for your cooperation.