Singapore Airlines (SIA) has made headlines once again. This time it upset consumers by automatically including travel insurance as part of the purchase, unless travellers carefully opt out. According to The Straits Times (ST), this new online booking feature was introduced in 2017 in Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The brand also saw a credit card debacle recently which caused a fair amount of uproar, and eventually caused SIA to scrap the idea of imposing a credit card service fees for selected classes of fare types – namely its Economy Lite fares -a day after being implemented.
However, the negative headlines did not stop SIA from making digital a focal point for 2018. In a New Year message to staff members, chief executive Goh Choon Phong said the airline will push forward with “digital transformation” that will not only be “significantly enhanced”, but foster a digital mindset and digital-first culture amongst its employees.
related: SIA’s credit card fee debacle: A sign of a brand with ‘inside-out thinking’?
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Dear Singapore Airlines Public Affairs Team…
Here's how to avoid unnecessarily antagonizing your customers
It’s been a tough couple of months for you guys. First, you had to deal with the outcry over plans to charge certain customers for seat selection. Then, you had to deal with the fallout from the much-reviled decision to levy credit card fees for certain ticket classes (and the subsequent backtrack). And now, you’re having to respond to disgruntled malcontents in that August Assembly of public discourse, the Straits Times forum.
What about? As reported in the Straits Times:
Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers are upset with a new booking feature that automatically includes travel insurance unless travellers opt out. Once payment is made, asking for a refund is tedious, said those who realised they were charged only after their bookings were confirmed.I understand that with a stock price that’s back to where it was five years ago, cut throat competition from the ME3 and continued pressure from budget carriers, management is putting pressure on every facet of the operation to make money.
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Singapore Airlines annoys customers once again, this time with new automatic travel insurance inclusion
It seems like Singapore Airlines (SIA) isn’t getting off to a good start this year. Shortly after making headlines for receiving backlash and subsequently ditching its plan to impose credit card surcharges for flights departing from Singapore, the harried national carrier got on customers’ nerves once again by rolling out its new online booking feature that automatically includes travel insurance.
Yep, instead of opting in for the travel insurance, you’ll have to click on a button to opt out, which apparently some patrons missed during their booking and only realized it after the confirmation. But once payment has been made, it’s just extra hassle to request for a refund.
According to The Straits Times, this feature was actually introduced last year in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong. But unhappy SIA customers have been writing in to the publication recently about how they were caught unaware and had to go through the tedious process of getting a refund.
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SIA customers upset over auto-inclusion of travel insurance
Some Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers are upset with a new online booking feature that automatically includes travel insurance unless travellers opt out.
Once payment is made, asking for a refund is tedious, said those who realised they were charged for insurance only after their flight bookings were confirmed.
The feature was introduced last year in Singapore, Thailand & Hong Kong.
related: SIA customers can opt out of insurance option in bookings
read more
Singapore Airlines annoys customers once again, this time with new automatic travel insurance inclusion
It seems like Singapore Airlines (SIA) isn’t getting off to a good start this year. Shortly after making headlines for receiving backlash and subsequently ditching its plan to impose credit card surcharges for flights departing from Singapore, the harried national carrier got on customers’ nerves once again by rolling out its new online booking feature that automatically includes travel insurance.
Yep, instead of opting in for the travel insurance, you’ll have to click on a button to opt out, which apparently some patrons missed during their booking and only realized it after the confirmation. But once payment has been made, it’s just extra hassle to request for a refund.
According to The Straits Times, this feature was actually introduced last year in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong. But unhappy SIA customers have been writing in to the publication recently about how they were caught unaware and had to go through the tedious process of getting a refund.
read more
SIA irritates customers again, this time by making them buy travel insurance
In his New Year’s message to staff, Singapore Airlines (SIA) chief executive Goh Choon Phong rallied his troops and asked them to reclaim the number one spot as the world’s best airline.
This is because SIA has not been number one for a while. SIA was awarded the second best airline worldwide at the 2017 World Airline Awards organised by Skytrax, but SIA last won the award a decade ago in 2008.
There is also a best airport award under Skytrax and no surprises for guessing who the winner is.
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SIA insurance auto-inclusion totally shows how much they care about you
If you have recently booked a ticket for an SIA flight, you might have noticed that your final bill is a tad higher than what you might expect. Why? You see. SIA truly believes that customers should safeguard their travel plans. That’s why, being the kind helpful airline that they are, SIA has decided to automatically include travel insurance for you.
How sweet of them, right?
Oh. You don’t appreciate SIA’s very kind gesture. What’s wrong with you?! Ok. Fine. You really don’t want the insurance that SIA so kindly automatically included for you? Sure, you can remove it. After all, it’s clearly displayed in the booking summary page. How clearly?
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Singapore Airlines
Travel insurance allows you to prepare for the unexpected. From minor travel inconveniences to unfortunate accidents, travel insurance will provide you with the protection you need. Travel Insurance by Travel Guard® is now available on singaporeair.com through our partnership with AIG. Browse through the useful information below to learn more.
ADD TRAVEL INSURANCE
Online Brochure
Learn more about the comprehensive travel insurance benefits of Travel Insurance by Travel Guard® and how you can arrange for coverage on singaporeair.com.
Customer Service & Claims
Whether you need emergency assistance or have a question about Travel Insurance by Travel Guard®, AIG’s Customer Service Representatives are available 24-hours a day to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the benefits and coverage of Travel Insurance by Travel Guard®, making changes to your policy and claims procedures.
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SIA, in 2nd U-turn, removes auto opt-in travel insurance amid public outcry
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has back-tracked on a decision to automatically charge passengers for travel insurance, the 2nd time in a month the national carrier has had to make a U-turn in the face of a public backlash.
"We have taken customer feedback into account, however, & have amended the booking flow on our website to offer travel insurance as an 'opt-in', rather than 'opt out', feature," an SIA spokesman said in response to queries on Thursday (Feb 1).
The "auto opt-in" feature, said to have been introduced last year in Singapore, Thailand & Hong Kong, sparked public anger after some passengers wrote complaint letters to The Straits Times. Some of the passengers said they only realised they had been charged for travel insurance after their bookings were confirmed, while others said the process of asking for refunds if they did not want the insurance was tedious.
SIA makes U-turn on credit card fee for flights leaving S’pore after backlash
In a U-turn, national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) has ditched its plans to levy a credit-card service fee on outgoing flights from Singapore, just a day after the news sparked a public backlash.
In a sales circular seen by TODAY on Thursday (Jan 4), SIA said it will not go ahead with plans to put the fee in place after “a further review”.
Earlier this week, the airline said on its website that from Jan 20, customers who book tickets under its new Economy Lite category will be levied a credit-card service fee of 1.3% of the total amount, capped at S$50.
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In 1980, Lee Kuan Yew told SIA pilots’ union he was prepared to ground airline & start over
Back in 1980, Singapore Airlines (SIA) hit a pretty rough patch and its reputation took a bad hit.
Profits were down for the airline, it had a dispute with its pilots’ union, and it was accused of shoddy treatment of its passengers affected by a strike by Australian refuellers.
Nothing seemed to be going right for SIA.
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related:
SIA, in 2nd U-turn, removes auto opt-in travel insurance
‘Topping up’ mindset: Does S'pore Airlines suffer from it?
S’pore Airlines charging 1.3% credit card fees wef 20 Jan 2018
Changi Airport May Increase Fees To Build Terminal 5
Changi Airport to increase fees for departing passengers
related:
SIA and the Peanut Allergy
SIA, in 2nd U-turn, removes auto opt-in travel insurance
‘Topping up’ mindset: Does S'pore Airlines suffer from it?
S’pore Airlines charging 1.3% credit card fees wef 20 Jan 2018
Changi Airport May Increase Fees To Build Terminal 5
Changi Airport to increase fees for departing passengers
