Customer Discontent Following Last-Minute Changes to Return Flight
A Singaporean man’s return flight from Tokyo with Singapore Airlines (SIA) was altered six months after booking, with his family’s seats downgraded from premium economy to economy class. The passenger, Leonard, was offered compensation in the form of KrisFlyer miles but voiced dissatisfaction with the airline’s handling of the situation.
Leonard had initially booked the flights on January 10, 2022, for a December 2022 family holiday. His travel party included his wife, elderly parents, children, and a domestic helper. However, six months later, Leonard received a notification from SIA informing him that his return flight on December 27 had been rescheduled from 4:40 PM to an earlier 8:50 AM departure. Additionally, the seats for both his Tokyo and Singapore flights were downgraded, with the reason cited as “operational requirements.”
Frustrated by these changes, Leonard attempted to resolve the issue by contacting SIA. He was told he would have to pay a significant fee—estimated between S$4,000 and S$5,000—if he wanted to switch to the only other available flight at 10:55 PM. After a lengthy exchange with customer service, SIA agreed to waive the fees for the change.
Despite this, Leonard expressed his dissatisfaction with the compensation offered—5,000 KrisFlyer miles per passenger. Given that a one-way flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur costs around 8,500 KrisFlyer miles, Leonard deemed the offer insufficient. SIA later increased the offer to 5,000 miles per passenger, but Leonard still found this inadequate.
In response to the incident, SIA apologised for the inconvenience caused, stating that operational disruptions occasionally occur, and that customers affected by flight cancellations or changes are entitled to a fare difference refund if their cabin class is altered. Leonard, however, was left feeling that the compensation did not adequately address the inconvenience and additional costs incurred by his family.
