China Airlines

I paid $750 for a ticket from Kathmandu to Ulaanbaatar Mongolia. At KTM, I was informed at the ticket counter before my flight that China changed Visa rules 2 days prior as I was booked a ticket that went through Chengdu and Beijing. There was also a "stopover" in Lhasa (just an hour on the Tarmac no change of flight), which has severe regulations. So, I'm not sure how I was even booked a ticket going through Lhasa to begin with. I was not notified of the Chinese Visa change, which restricted transits from two Chinese cities to one. After much hassle, I was turned over to Thai Airways for a rerouted flight to Bangkok, with a connecting flight to Beijing and then catch my original flight plan to UB with Air China.

At Bangkok transit desk, I was notified that again, I would not be allowed to board because I did not have a Mongolian Visa. I am a US citizen with US passport. I did my homework. Very clearly it states on Mongolian and US embassy sites that US passport holders are exempt from having a Visa. I was turned away. I was not allowed to board because the airline insisted that I needed a Visa, even though no such Visa exists for USA citizen. I was then forced to spend the night in the airport.

Then in the morning, I was told by Air China desk personnel that I would have to exit immigration in Thailand to go to the Air China office in Bangkok. Subsequently, I was forced to spend almost 3 days in Thailand, a country I was stranded in, until someone at Air China said oops, and re issued my ticket. Air China finally called the Mongolian embassy at my insistence, because they did not believe my claims when I contacted the Mongolian embassy myself. I incurred unplanned travel expenses. I was laughed at by Air China counter person while in distress. And I was told I could not even receive hotel accommodation by the airline, even though it was an airline problem. It is not my job to inform Air China personnel of treaties and foreign policy that have existed for 10 years. Simply looking up the information in the travel information manual (TIM) would have solved this problem and I would have been able to board my flight in time. However, Air China decided to make up their own set of Visa rules.

My brother John took flight on China Airlines out of San Francisco on July 27, 2011 and had severe diarrhea and vomiting and died on August 2, 2011. Was so sick in hotel and died.

I booked an airfare on Air China through Priceline.com. I was unable to make the trip and notified Priceline who refunded my $100 fee. On the other hand, it has been 45 days and counting for Air China to refund my $1,282.00 and $280.00.

The credit card I used to charge the original ticket was stolen, so I cancelled the card. Air China is insisting on "crediting" this card, which is cancelled. Air China still attempted to credit the card and it was rejected, and now, they want a form that nobody seems to know exists. This is frustrating and unacceptable!

In the meantime, I am working with my bank to resolve it, but Air China doesn't seem to have any urgency to resolve this issue.

Further to my comments (March 25) on an appalling experience with CI, on June 17, I met representatives of CI and Flight Centre (the holding company for US based Liberty Travel). We were to argue our case in front of a small claims court called the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. We were allotted one hour each. The CTTT is a forum is presided by a "Tribunal Member" whose decisions have the force of law.

I was asked by the Tribunal Member if I prepared my case and I replied "of course". The Tribunal Member explained that only a week earlier the law changed and that compensation for inconvenience, loss of enjoyment and similar cases of "non economic losses" are not recoverable from the airline or the agent. ** (the consumer) was the tone of his voice.

Given the law changed, and I had no idea of that change, I asked for an adjournment and was granted one until September. I had to argue for that until it was granted. The fact that I was sold an "airport hotel" which proved to be 30 minutes away from the airport in the middle of a golf course, didn't matter under the new law (or so I was made to believe). The fact that I was interrogated for 30 minutes by US CBP officers at JFK, like I was an al Qa'eda suspect, because CI's flight attendants gave me invalid landing cards, didn't matter either.

Only if I suffered direct physical or psychological harm can I hope to see a shred of compensation. And I was told to be "careful" in my submission of documents stating that I suffered harm, I had to be very explicit, when submitting papers to the Tribunal by July 31 2010. Papers which I will rely on in my case in September. Such documents must show that any physical or psychological harm that I endured was directly attributable to the omission or commission of acts by CI staff. Needless to say that my experience with CI took place when I was returning from major surgery in the US and was very ill but it's not so easy to prove a direct link between CI's actions and my condition.

Furthermore, whilst I did obtain medical confirmation of my claim (from a host of doctors and physicians) the Tribunal Member who gave me the adjournment was (in my view) very biased against me stating repeatedly that "he will note on the docket that he recommends that if I lose the September hearing that I be made liable for the respondents legal fees." I took this as a threat and that he considered my application as vexatious. He seemed not to care that I was mislead by Flight Centre when I booked the hotel and by CI when I followed their staff's instructions. He made it abundantly clear that before submitting documentation by July 30 for a September hearing that (a) I seek legal advice and (b) be made aware that even if I have all my arguments supported by experts that I may still lose the case.

In July, I sought legal advice and was told the very same thing as the Tribunal Member said in (b) above. That is, that even if I have all my ducks in one line, documented and proven, that the respondents (CI and Flight Centre) could blow holes in my arguments OR (worse still) that the Tribunal Member may rule against me and not only award me zero compensation but may saddle me with the legal bills of the well to do respondents. Looks like a fine way to muzzle any consumer dissatisfaction.

I am now considering what venue (TV? Print media?) to use to bring CI's abysmal behavior to the attention of unsuspecting travelers, both in the United States and Australia, as it seems to me to be folly to pursue CI and Flight Centre in the CTTT. After all, the odds are so clearly stacked against the consumer.

I flew CI flight 11 from ANC to TPE with family including one 5 yr old. We had 3 adjacent confirmed seats. The flight originated from JFK. When we checked in at ANC, we were put in 3 separated seats because the middle one of our seats had been given to someone boarding at JFK. One of us was given a seat 30 rows further back. I objected and was told that CI staff at JFK can ignore confirmed seats for passengers boarding after JFK, and that the plane was full. In other words a confirmed seat didn't really mean that.

The seats we were given would have necessitated our 5 yr old sitting separately. I was told that it could probably be sorted out on board. But on boarding the aircraft, the aircrew wouldn't even take care of it. I was told that I had to ask the other passenger to switch. I got their attention by saying that we were going to go to our original confirmed seats and they could decide what to do about that at takeoff time. It happened that the JFK originating passenger was willing to switch when he saw the situation, but I think it was really bad procedure for CI to have put us through that. Either confirmed seats should mean that or there shouldn't be a pretense that there are confirmed seats. And certainly a young child should never be re-seated to a separated seat.

Further to my complaint of early March, under the auspices of the state's consumer authority, the Dept of Fair Trading (somewhat similar to the U.S. Better Business Bureau). I met with representatives of China Airlines and the travel agency (Australia's biggest agency, Flight Centre, the parent of U.S. Liberty Travel) from whom I bought the ticket (after all my contract was with them) in order to resolve our differences.

Both the airline and the legal representative for the travel agency agent heard my complaint but admitted no liability nor did they offer compensation. Even when I proved to Flight Centre agent that I was charged for a hotel (for an involuntary stopover in TPE) when their very own web site shows that such hotel stays are free. All the agent's legal representative could do was say 'that clearly what you saw was old information and I will see the web site is updated'. I look forward to the case proceeding to a tribunal (small claims trial) in mid April.

I traveled from Sydney to New York City with China Airlines in October 2009 and returned three months later. On my return I wrote to China Airlines outlining the great difficulties I experienced whilst traveling with them: (a) I was given information by the Sydney staff that proved misleading (and contrary to China Airlines US and Taiwan offices information) resulting in my being held hostage in Taipei airport in Taiwan. (b) Arriving 2 hrs prior to take off at the check desk at Anchorage Airport in Alaska (bound for New York), only to find no airline staff to check me in.

Someone finally turned up very close to take off time. Given I was the only person in line waiting to check in, the airline it seems wanted to save money by not utilizing staff for one passenger until they had to. That is minutes before the flight was to take off. While I waited at the unmanned check in desk, a TSA agent suggested I walk to the airlines office in another part of the building, but as I was ill and had much luggage I could not make the long walk without a trolley. And there were no trolleys around in any case.

(c) On board the aircraft, I was given the wrong landing card to complete by a stewardess staff resulting in me being interrogated by US Customs in New York who attributed their lengthy questioning of me to "some idiot on the aircraft giving you forms we have never seen before". I was asked about all my travels as though I was a terrorist.

All of these matters stressed me in a major way when you consider I was traveling to and from major surgery in the United States. I didn't need the added stress of China Airlines incompetent, cunning or malicious staff.

As mentioned, I wrote in late December to the airline and after chasing up the matter several times, finally the airline replied in late January 2010, absolving them of any liability. I will not stand for this and am interested in taking the cunning airline to court.

was dumped by for non respect of lugages alowance. isued araoud the world ticket by united air line. sydney 2 pieces 23kg each was asked to paye yam chinese money cash. did not want to take credit card. no bank at air port. have to walk 2km to get the cash money to paye. my luggages was put out. the flight took off. let us me and wife stranded into difficut situation in lhassa air port. staff did not help. we have to buy 1 class tickets. forced too and escaper to changdu air port to fly out from china. got help from thailland air way. economic lost 5000y 2 tickets

I am due to fly on a China Airlines flight from Sydney to Taipei and onto Amsterdam (via Bangkok) in December. Given the fact that the flight stops in Bangkok, where passengers get on and off, I contacted China Airlines today to enquire could I disregard the flight from Sydney to Taipei and join the flight from Taipei to Ansterdam, in Bangkok. I was told that it wasn't possible to do this and would cost me 220Euro to make this change. I think this shows a serious lack of customer service and I cannot justify why they would need to charge me 220Euro, even though it gives them the chance to re-sell the seats from Sydney as far as Taipei, and also sell two seats from Taipei as far as Bangkok. I am enraged by this and I have never dealt with such a money driven airline before.

Having already flown with China Airlines on the outgoing leg of this trip, the air conditioning was useless and I was left sweating on the plane for eight hours. I will never fly with China Airlines again.

I am deeply disappointed at China Airlines. They let me wait at TPE airport for 8 hours since I had to transfer from Kaohsiung to TPE (I arrived at KH at 5am to check in all my luggages and arrived at TPE at 7:30am for my 4:15pm flight on 8/23/09) and kept telling me that I was not able to upgrade due to the limited seats at business class and asked me to check 2~3 hours before the flight departure to confirm. I then asked every hour even until 5 mins before I boarded, the crew still told me that there was no business class seat available. So I got on the plane, put down my carry on luggage, opened my blanket, and sat down. Around 15 mins before door closing, someone came to my seat and told me that he has exactly the same seat. We told the flight attendant and she went to check the screen and told me it's double seating and she will move me to another seat. And guess where she moved me to? Now she moved me to the business class where China airline had the last seat available.

This is very unprofessional and unethical. China airline was trying to sell the last business class and every single ticket before they are willing to upgrade me. I not only waited 8 hours to find only the last min that I got upgraded but also found out the crew didnt even have my info for the business class. This proved to me that they actually oversold the economy seats first and they knew there was one last biz class seat but they were hoping to sell that last business class seat also. If this is the case, why did China Airline removed my mileages for this upgrade cuz I dont consider this is upgrade?

This is actually an over-booking situation and they just moved me to another seat! How would you call this upgrade cuz clearly the flight attendants didnt even have my information prior departure so why am I being taken away my mileages?Also, I called ur customer services everyday from 08172009 till 08222009 (even the day before my flight) to ask if I was allowed to leave TPE airport to go out as I had 8 hours of waiting time. Every single person I spoke at booking dept. told me that I could leave as long as I can come back within 2 hour before flight departure. And then in the end? I wasn't allowed to leave TPE airport and my 3 friends who I asked to pick me up were waiting outside to learn about this news. What kind of airline this is? What kind of services are you guys providing? I have been a dynasty member for at least 10 years and I cant believe this is how china airline treats their members!

I flew China Airlines. My departure was 7/15/2009. My return date on ticket was 7/29/2009. My passport would expire in 10/11/2009. The ticket desk in Los Angeles made me wait at check-in for 2 hours while they said they needed to call Manila to see if I could fly using my existing passport. My passport would still be good for over 2 months after my return. I was told that I didn't make the rules, but rather they were the ones to make the rules. I was held in a stressful situation not knowing if I was going to fly, when basic common sense failed on their part. I will not be flying China Airlines again. I was finally allowed to fly, but it could have been all avoided with common sense.

I flew on China Airlines Oct 3 2007 from SFO through Taipei and on to Bangkok, where I now live. I gave my Frequent Flyer card so it could be entered. No mileage was recorded, and because I was concerned with moving details (States to Thailand - where I am retired) for many months, I did not notice this. In Oct 2008 CA emailed me that since I had not flown for three years (how about CA error in Oct 2007?), they would suspend my Frequent Flyer card. I gathered all details and sent a letter to CA in Bangkok - never received any response. For the China Airlines error in October 2007, I had my card number suspended. Don't think I will be flying with them anytime soon. I guess they do not need customers. Good luck, CA!

Lost Frequent Flyer membership and perhaps lost all prior to 2007 mileage. I would like my card restored and the 2007 mileage credited to my account.

I tried complaining at China airlines office but no action yet.

Since 911, luggage checked in are not allowed to be locked. I didn't put anything valuable in my suitcase, but items were still stolen from it during transit from SFO to Taipei. Mundane items such as two new purses, vitamins purchased from Costco, chargers for iPod and digital camera, etc were all stolen from my luggage. My clothes were fingered through and rearranged by the theif.

I'm asking WHY is there NO SECURITY for passenger's property?? Do we live in a third world country? Since 911, shouldn't there be MORE security as opposed to less?? Are we just letting ANYBODY work for the airport these days? How do we expect our planes to be safe when our luggage can be easily manipulated by moraless, unethical airline/airport personell????

Where are the security cameras? Where are the security guards? Where is my compensation for my loss and emotional distress?

Lack of action on the airline's part.