Domestic airlines in China have been rolling out ticket discount packages and plugging "Fly as you wish" deals to pierce the COVID-19 clouds since last year, in the hopes of rebooting the air travel industry. 

These packages that come with a price tag of some 3,000 yuan ($458.48) allow passengers to book a domestic flight for free, without restrictions on the time slot and number of trips taken within a given period of time. At least eight of China's dozens of airlines have introduced similar deals since last June.

Nevertheless, at the same time, consumer activities are besieged by growing problems related to the complexity, opacity, and uncertainty surrounding the actual use of ticket discount packages. The many restrictions on use, difficulties in redeeming flights, and even unexpected flight cancellations, prove to be another obstacle.

In response to the issues, local governments and airlines must make additional efforts to develop a suitable protection mechanism to enhance the management of companies and open up the channels of consumer rights protection, thus improving overall customer experience.

This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in People's Daily on April 7    

(Print Edition Title: Fly As You Wish)