The introduction of a re-booking fee when a passenger who completes check-in, but fails to board their flight, is more equitable than the previous policy where the ticket was simply cancelled. Air Niugini Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Gary Seddon, said aside from the cost to the airline for a passenger’s failure to board, of significant concern is the flight delay that causes disruptions to other travelers. “The re-booking fee is only a fraction of the actual cost to the airline, but when a passenger fails to board, they cause departure delays and connecting flights can be missed.” “When a passenger does not board, customer service staff first try to find them, then the next step is to locate their baggage in the aircraft cargo hold and have this removed.” “At busy international airports, the delay can result in a further wait time as the aircraft has to be given a new departure time slot.” “This all means that when a passenger fails to board after checking in, they can cause a delay anywhere between ten minutes to half an hour.” “We know that problems can arise that prevent a person boarding, such as medical or family issues, and our customer service staff are there to help. But if someone checks in and just changes their mind now, they will have to make a contribution to enabling the booking changes,” he said. Mr. Seddon said the re-booking fee is standard for many airlines around the world. “With the new policy, the missing passenger keeps their ticket and only pays the fee if they want to book on a later flight.” “The re-booking fee of K520 for international flights and K330 for domestic flights is reasonable compared to other airlines that charge up to 300 USD.” “But ultimately, we just ask that passengers plan well, and if circumstances change that they advise our staff so that arrangements can be made.”