What you need to know about late check-in in China domestic airports

What you need to know about check-in in most China domestic airports when you are late.

If you are late for your flight, most airlines will help you do check-in as quickly as possible. However, this is not the case for China airlines, in particular the notorious China Southern Airlines (they can trick you because you are in the land that they play the “China Characteristic” services under their sovereignty).

Supposed you are late for just a couple of minutes, says, 40 minutes before your flight departure (45 minutes is their norm). You go to the check-in counter asking for check-in even though you don’t have baggage with you and you would not cause any delay to the flight.  The check-in staff will not issue any boarding pass to you. They will write down your details on a piece of paper and tell you take the paper to a particular counter for assistance. This is the trick -  they pose an expectation to the passenger that someone would help her/him get on board so the passenger would not stay in the check-in counter demanding boarding pass issued. When the passenger gets to that counter, she/he needs to queue up for services. This would use up quite a bit of their time. When it gets to their turn, she/he would not be served for the boarding, but would be offered their expensive “airport price” ticket for the next available flight.  In such a way, they eliminate your chance to get on board because they further delay your boarding time and also invalidate your original ticket. 

Good luck to those travel on China airlines.

客服

早前於3月24日，開業了34年的香港關鍵旅遊，突然全線結業，盡管其管理層透露種種不利原因令到該公司難以繼續經營，筆者覺得其經營方式才是其致命因由。

筆者對它的結業無半點惋惜，反覺得它是咎由自取。自2007年起，筆者國內遊都是參加關鍵，亦在旅遊途中認識了不少朋友。和筆者一樣，這些朋友都是環境不錯的退休人士。曾經有一次，單是我們這些朋友組成的團便有二十多人。我在2011年也參報它的長短線團近五次之多，其中長線團包括東北，九寨溝和雲南。當朋友陸續不用關鍵的時候，筆者依然樂於參與。其中一個重要原因是他們接受單人報團而不額外收費。

好像是從2010年起，關鍵強制所有參加它旅遊團的團員必定要買它的旅遊保險，和強制團員參與自費項目，假若團員不參加它的自費項目，領隊和導遊便會在旅程途中施以顏色。

其實一直以來，關鍵都是以低團費作招徠，這點無可厚非。但以關鍵的品牌和廣大客戶羣及客戶的忠誠度，它不用走這路線。為了以低團費吸引客人，旅程接待單位質素相對下降，使不少希望有質素的客戶摒棄。關鍵為增加收入，強制團員購買它的旅遊保險。那就是説即使個別團員已買了其它的旅行 保險也還是必需再與關鍵購買。購買保險原不過是為一個“萬一”，誰也不想在高高興興的旅遊期間發生意外。假若意外不幸發生，兩份保險也只能有一份的賠償。那為何已有還要為你關鍵再買一個？這明明是赤裸裸的掠奪，要客戶單純的付出。我多次和他們表示過希望他們考慮增加團費，如能保證質量，忠誠的客戶會願意接受，勝過左道旁門。當然這些建議不被接納。關鍵這種左道像有傳染性的，香港大小旅行社紛紛仿效，影響香港旅行社的口碑和商譽致巨。

我常出外旅遊，說到航空公司服務低劣，首推國內航空公司，特別是南航。比方客人因事晚點，它們不單不幫忙客人盡快辦登機手續，它們還故意拖延，做出各種偽善和假服務，視客人為被它們屠宰的傻佬。舉一個簡單的例子，當乘客遲了數分鐘辦登機手續, 即使那乘客沒攜行李，絕對不會延誤航班。他們首先就振振有詞的説客人誤點，不替客人辦登機證。然後用字條寫下乘客的資料，叫乘客拿字條往某一個櫃檯找幫忙。就這樣，辦登機部門便完成了不替乘客辦理登機的暗指令。當客人往到那個櫃檯找幫忙時，希望能登上原本班機。但往往需要輪候一段時間，當輪候到時，那櫃檯職員不會替客人辦登機，而是向客人銷售昂貴的其它班次機場票。客人到此才知給航空公司耍弄，已經再沒有時間和登機部門理論。就這樣，航空公司廢了客人的票，要客人從新購買昂貴的機場票。即使客人不願意購買，航空公司也不會虧一分一毛。相反，國內航空公司晚點或誤點，它們會為它們的問題向客人賠償嗎？應該從未聽過吧。上例只是它們眾多“服務”的冰山一角，其它不勝枚舉。所以，非不得爾時，我是絕對不會乘國內航空公司，特別是南航。

有朝一日，假如南航結業，我不會為它惋惜，更會拍手稱興。