Air carriers flooded with consumer complaints in China

Unlimited flight tickets aimed at sparking demand create chaos instead

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A China Southern Airlines flight takes off from an airport in Guangzhou. Passengers are flying in large numbers again in China as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

YUSUKE HINATA, Nikkei staff writer

GUANGZHOU -- Consumer complaints filed with domestic air carriers in China have risen unusually sharply recently, with 7,000 coming in March alone, a more than tenfold increase from two years earlier, according to aviation industry regulators.

The unprecedented jump in complaints from flyers is traceable to unlimited flight tickets sold by airlines to stimulate demand for air travel, which shriveled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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