Last month I noted that Korean airlines were being forced to give their frequent flyers at least a year’s notice when making changes to their programs which are detrimental to consumers.

It seems that Korea’s Fair Trade Commission will actually be looking for two years’ notice on program changes.

Somehow that seems a bit extreme, though I’ve long been an advocate for advance notice on program changes. Waiting until the end of December to announce the terms of a program beginning in January — as is industry standard practice in North America — has always seemed unfair. Travelers spend all year earning benefits for the following year. Their purchasing in one year is predicated on an expectation of benefits for the following year. Once the spending is done, the benefits change. This is common practice. A year’s notice seems right. Two years, enforced by the government, seems like an overreaction. But it would be nice if this Korean controversy would spark a discussion here.