From EMAIL: CEBU PACIFIC COMPLAINT

[ghosthunter]

I got this via my email...

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: Mary Jackyln Obispo Abanes <Abanes.Obispo* damacgroup. com>

Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 3:00:40 PM

7 Subject: CEBU PACIFIC COMPLAINT

Subject: Fw: CEBU PACIFIC COMPLAINT

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Marlon Bano <marlon_bano* yahoo.com>wrote:

A TRUE STORY THAT YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO HAPPEN TO YOU:


"My name is Elma Revillame. I had a confirmed flight with Cebu Pacific, flight 5J476, Bacolod-Manila, Sunday, Jan 17, 2010, departing time 1045H. My friend drove me down the airport and actually saw airport clock at 945AM. We were both confident to be on time. (By practice, you have to be in the airport an hour before the flight, right?)

As I was falling in line at the check-in counter (there were at least five people ahead of me), the counter suddenly closed. A security guard then approached all of us in line, got our tickets and wrote the time. Mine was indicated 1005AM. I didn’t contest because, unaware of their intent, I also noticed at THAT time, it was already 1005 AM. I later realized they were going to use indicated time as “TIME OF ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT”, and NOT as time they closed the counter. THE FLIGHT WAS FULL.

All of us in line waiting were then escorted to the station manager of Cebu Pacific, Bacolod -Silay Airport, MS MENBAH MALTE. She then announced all our “confirmed seats” were forfeited for being late, NO REFUND, NO REBOOKING. She said this to 15 people who ‘weren’t late’ but unfortunately, were excess to the full capacity of the plane. I managed to get some names of the passengers who fall victim of this flight, here are their names and corresponding time written by the guard:

1. Conrado M. Duran Jr. , 1003AM

2. Rolando P. Duray, 1004 AM

3. Elma Revillame, 1005 AM

4. Mario Constantino Jr, 1005AM

5. Welyan Quia-ong, 1009AM



Naturally, we all argued. All of us were totally surprised of the announcement, especially there is NO REFUND AND NO REBOOKING. To note, most of the passengers I was with then were newly-graduated students who were on their way to Manila to take the board exam on Monday, January 17, 2010 . Surely, money is an issue for them, and no outright cash to purchase another ticket. (If I haven’t withdrawn some money earlier, I wouldn’t have cash to buy another ticket with Zest Aire!)

To add insult to injury, the flight was DELAYED TO 12NN, 1 hour and 15mins DELAY!!! We continued arguing because obviously they had ample time to accommodate us for the delayed flight, SHOULD the issue be indeed the fact that we were late. But noooohhh, the issue here is THE FLIGHT WAS OVERBOOKED!! !

We argued and reasoned to the station manager for over an hour (to note the plane hasn’t departed at that time yet) regarding the overbooking, but what MS MENBAH MALTE could only say is that the Aviation Board allows them to overbook by 10% of the plane’s capacity. The big confusion is, should the 110% arrives on time (like what happened to 15 of us), what are they going to do? Ms Malte simply said, we’re going to rebook the rest of the passengers to the next flight! And so, why weren’t we accommodated then??? Because the guard wrote 3-9mins late in our tickets MISCHIEVOUSLY! !! (they emphasized counter closes 45mins before flight) BUT THE FLIGHT WAS DELAYED TO 12NN!!!!!

The truest issue here is THE FLIGHT WAS OVERBOOKED, and sadly we were last in line. It should be okay if we get a refund, or get rebooked to the next flight SINCE WE PAID FOR IT!!!! But alas! No! Cebu Pacific is going to get all our money, without giving us the service that we seek.

Last straw is, I just learned that for a regular or promo ticket, you CANNOT REFUND OR REBOOK YOUR TICKET IF YOU DIDN’T CONFIRM FLIGHT TWO DAYS PRIOR… Ergo, If you’re 1min late (from the 45min cutoff), say bye-bye to your money…. I run the figure in my head, CEBU PACIFIC HAS SWINDLED OVER P35,000 for that flight alone!!!!! No wonder they became number one!!! They swindle all unknowing passengers!! !!

My message (and well I speak for the many of us being swindled): Are we just going allow Cebu Pacific to continue reaping off money to unknowing victims, like us??? Should we really allow them to overbook 10% and just say to those last in line, “Sorry, you’re forfeited, NO REFUND NO REBOOKING –Ergo, thank you, you have just been
swindled”.

Would DTI or whoever allow this to continue, the abuse of so many victims?

I talked to some security and airport personnel, they reportedly said, “Ma’am madalas nangyayari yan dito, gina-into lang kamo ng Cebu Pacific” (That happens all the time, Cebu Pacific keeps deceiving their passengers). Whoah! That’s truly alarming!

I sincerely hope this gets to you, your loved ones and your friends. I truly hope nobody gets fooled again by this company! This is really really really alarming! Over P40K A FLIGHT???? That’s huge swindling!!! ! And should we count all their flights nationwide, and well, globally, OMG!!! You do the math!!!!

I also hope our fellowmen gets to hear our story. Ok lang sana kung ako lang eh, pero napakarami namen, and this became normal to all personnel at Cebu Pacific! Ang tigas na nga ni Menbah Malte eh....

Sanay na sanay na... You can't even feel a dash of remorse from them, pocketing average P2500 from each of us! Over FORTY THOUSAND PESOS PER FLIGHT?!?!?! Grabeh!

Sincerely (from the friend who was driving Elma to the airport),


Ivy Rozina Castro y Mondoñedo

[Tailhook]

i doubt the accuracy of the account as stated by the email sender - having read countless propaganda/hoaxes made by competing businesses. i find it hard to believe that Cebu Pacific would be so brazen in violating the rights of the commuting public. but if its true.... hell hath no fury like a consumer scorned!!!! this would be a very easy case, again, if it is true.

[hein]

i find it hard to believe that Cebu Pacific would be so brazen in violating the rights of the commuting public.

Then you don't know Cebu Pacific at all. They cancel and postpone flights at will with no regard to passengers. Overbooking is a normal practice to counter the occurrence of No-shows. But at a risk to the customers.

[oliver1013]

Marami na kong naririnig na ganyan sa Cebupac, from a friend who works mismo sa airport. Ang siste daw kasi diyan, talagang pang masa ang Cebupac, talagang tinitipid daw lahat ng aspeto, kaya ang sabi niya ( my friend) kung gusto mo ng magandang serbisyo dun ka sa mas mahal. pero kung gusto mo makamura medyo yan nga ang risk, badass service

[hpon]

i doubt the accuracy of the account as stated by the email sender - having read countless propaganda/hoaxes made by competing businesses. i find it hard to believe that Cebu Pacific would be so brazen in violating the rights of the commuting public. but if its true.... hell hath no fury like a consumer scorned!!!! this would be a very easy case, again, if it is true.

I and my cousin also a victim of cebu pacific..also from bacolod to manila..9 kami na na closed by counter..we tried to argue with the personnel on the ticketing area pero sabi nya sorry daw kasi la daw xa alam dun iba daw ang incharge..tinanong namin kung sino ang incharge sabi ya di pa daw dumarating..ang kumausap sa amin parang head ata nang sekyu dun..ang angas makipag usap..kami pa sinisi..e 45 minutes b4 the flight e nakapila na kmi...

[james00112233]

buti na lang tinuloy nung misis na may anak na autism ang pagdemanda sa cebupacific. hindi porke malaking company sila eh pwede ng gawin ang gusto nilang gawin sa atin.

[renzo_d10]

Oo walang kwenta talaga ang Cebu Pacific. Laging delayed ang flight ! Parang wala pang instance na hindi sila nadedelay.

Meron pa nga yan eh ... nawala ang A/C ng cebu pacific dati.

Tsaka, hindi libre ang pagkain nila duon. :bwahaha:

[coiter]

alam ko may iba pang nagfile ng case sa court similar to this. overooking nga ang practice ng cebu pac. ang kalokohan dun, lumalabas rebooking ang gagawin mo sa babayad ka pa ng additional. madalas rin delayed kasi overused ang mga planes nila.

anyway, zest air naman nagcocompress ng passengers so may times na icacancel yung flight. ang difference lang is at least they have the courtesy to transfer you to another of their flights or even to other airlines for free.

[chrismarte]

IMO, coz of the bad relationship with other airline kaya hindi sila makapag pa transfer sa ibang airlines. Sila lang ba nagamit ng Terminal III?Bakit kaya parang pinaboran sila na gumamit ng bagong airport?

Imagine this kahit imposible, SY of SM and Gokongwei will merge as partner sa airline business?

[Isuzoom]

Bupak Sucks!...dapat 2 hours ka nasa airport for domestic and 3 hours for international travel.

[jonski]

2x na din kami na biktima ng Cebu Pacific sa service nila. Masyado nila tinitipid mga customer nila

[Tailhook]

personally ive had several flights with cebupac and I didnt encounter any problems other than a 30 minute delay in one flight. maybe im just lucky though.
i believe the policy is that if you cannot be accomodated in a flight (because of overbooking and/or you came in late) is that you can have a refund but less some fee or penalty. im not sure though.
if its overbooking and cebupac forfeits your fare, then thats fraud. again, thats why its an easy case and that why I thought that it would be too good (if you're the lawyer) and bad if you're the commuter) to be true.
can anybody actually confirm that they forfeit fares because of overbooking?

[wowiesy]

may experience din ako.. last week i was in cebu via cebu pacific... return flight on feb4.. due to personal skeds, i had to change my flight 1 flight earlier coming back from cebu to manila.. so i did it on time and online.. so i got charged rebooking... okay lang since hindi naman nila fault yun...

by feb3, i got an email from them, and a call from their call center that the flight was going to be delayed by an hour... so i asked if i can just rebook to an earlier flight.. they told me na hindi puwede since 1 hour delayed lang ang flight... in effect.. i will be arriving at the same time as my original booking... which is already late na for my appoiintment...

nung dumating ako sa airport to check in... may mga signs posted sa line na delayed by another hour ang flight... so.. walang magawa... intay na lang... nasa boarding area na ako, about to get a back massage, when bigla ko narinig boarding call for my flight, which was 1.5 hours early!!!! gulat ako...

nung pagdating ko sa boarding gate.. tinanong ko.. akala ko delayed... by 2 hours... ang sagot sa akin.. nahabol daw yung plane kaya on time na lang... kung sakali pala na i made different arrangements (dahil sa email and call sa akin that the flight would be delayed by 1 hour)... masasarhan ako ng check in counter...

and in the end kapag mag rebook na dahil sa changes nila, hindi pupuwede i rebook or i get charged rebooking fee?

ewan ko.. next time first option ko na would be the other airline..

[james00112233]

buti na lang at sa other airlines kami sumasakay.

[cutedoc]

i had good and bad experience with cebupac, onboard to manila from kalibo, our flight was delayed for 2 hours, though they gave us jollibee meals, but the hassle was there.

good:

we are almost late for boarding and i called my patient to assist me in checking in luckily she made it all for us that we are able to take the flight just in time, before it closes, that was going to and coming from davao.

another roundtrip flight to legaspi, we left the airport 10 minutes ahead because all passenger has boarded. the flight was on time=)

sometimes the delays are not because of the plane but because of the weather condition, a plane before was delayed, and ultimately the plane is delayed due to late passengers, passengers who opt to be VIP and late bookers, because the plane wants to be full before it take off...

[Monseratto]

For those planning to still use Cebupac during the holy week break, the 30 minute rule is still enforced. Only change is you pay a fee to rebook w/ them.

CAB asks Cebu Pacific to suspend new rules

THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD (CAB) has ordered budget carrier Cebu Pacific to suspend the implementation of its new “business rules” while the agency is hearing the complaints filed by irate travelers.

The said rules involved stricter procedures on late arrivals and changes on flight plans by passengers.

“There’s a very big disparity on the volume of complaints against Cebu Pacific, on one hand, and other carriers, on the other hand,” CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said in a recent interview.

Arcilla said that since the new rules of the Gokongwei-led airline took effect in December, the regulator had been receiving calls and letters from mostly angry passengers complaining that they were either not allowed to get on their flights or were bumped off due to overbooking.

The most common complaint was about the policy of Cebu Pacific not to accept passengers who arrive 30 minutes before a flight leaves and to forfeit the tickets of passengers who miss their flights.

According to Arcilla, while other airlines allow passengers who miss their flights to rebook their tickets for a fee, Cebu Pacific’s new rules require late passengers to buy new tickets.

Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing Candice Iyog said the airline would allow passengers who miss their flights to rebook their tickets for a fee while the CAB hears their case.

But if the CAB does decide to order Cebu Pacific to permanently scrap its new business rules, she says, the same should also be applied to other low-cost carriers operating in the Philippines, particularly Tiger Airways and Air Asia.

“Right now, the rules we are required to follow are specific to Cebu Pacific. But we just want to make sure that what rules are required of us are required from other airlines as well,” she said.

“These rules are a global practice for low-cost carriers. Maybe the CAB can consider that too,” Iyog added.

The CAB said Cebu Pacific’s new rules were understandable, given the airline’s business model of operating on low-profit margins.

In response to a passenger’s complaint, Cebu Pacific earlier said the said rules were also being implemented by other budget carriers like Ireland’s Ryan Air, Singapore’s Tiger Airways and Malaysia’s Air Asia.

Arcilla said the CAB would conduct a series of hearings to give both complainants and Cebu Pacific the chance to air their sides.

[RandMcnally]

These are common problems for lcc everywhere in the world. Ang liit kasi ng margin nila. Lagi yang overbook if possible. Aasa sila na may hindi dadating pero kapag lahat dumating, accept nila yung risk na magmove ng ibang pasahero. Ilang beses na rin ako narequest mag voluntary bump off para sa free flight pero di ko naman kinakagat. Pero there was one incident that i cannot forget. May flight kami out from Manila to kalibo or caticlan before. Na late yung tatlo namin kasama so habang nasa counter kami sabi ko paintay lang nung tatlo namin na wala pa sa airport. Though malayo pa naman yung 45 min before flight pero nasa dulo na kami ng queue. May dalawang traveler din na magcheck in after us. Nasurprise ako nung sinabi na full na yung plane. Syempre kami nagworry kasi di pa kami nakacheck in kasi waiting pa kami sa kasama namin. Gulat ko lang is after umalis nung dalawa, sinabi samin nung check in desk counter na hinintay lang nya umalis yung dalawa para sabihin na may space pa for us. Nakapagcheck in kaming 5 which is good for us pero mapapaisip ka rin about their business practice. Nung time nayon, kami yung swerte pero dadating din yung time na kami naman yung mamalasin. Deceptive talaga yun for those two passengers kasi hindi pa naman kami checked in talaga. They could have accomodated yung two passenger pero i was just thinking na it will be cheaper to bump off two passengers than five. But still, may panloloko talagang nangyari.

Though, compared sa ibang airlines worldwide, ok pa naman. Ganon talaga kung mura yung flights eh, meron talaga masasacrifice. Sa ibang airlines naman, pati cabin baggage may singgil tapos sukat na sukat talaga cabin baggage. Di tama ginagawa ng cebpac pero awa ng diyos wala pa naman ako bad experience. Yung bad experience ko lang is nasa side na pabor sa amin pero witness lang kami. Ang diskarte na lang ay mag online check in para di ka na mabump off at if hindi kaya, dumating ng maaga. Kailangan rin minsan madiskarte lang

[boybi]

These are common problems for lcc everywhere in the world. Ang liit kasi ng margin nila. Lagi yang overbook if possible. Aasa sila na may hindi dadating pero kapag lahat dumating, accept nila yung risk na magmove ng ibang pasahero. Ilang beses na rin ako narequest mag voluntary bump off para sa free flight pero di ko naman kinakagat. Pero there was one incident that i cannot forget. May flight kami out from Manila to kalibo or caticlan before. Na late yung tatlo namin kasama so habang nasa counter kami sabi ko paintay lang nung tatlo namin na wala pa sa airport. Though malayo pa naman yung 45 min before flight pero nasa dulo na kami ng queue. May dalawang traveler din na magcheck in after us. Nasurprise ako nung sinabi na full na yung plane. Syempre kami nagworry kasi di pa kami nakacheck in kasi waiting pa kami sa kasama namin. Gulat ko lang is after umalis nung dalawa, sinabi samin nung check in desk counter na hinintay lang nya umalis yung dalawa para sabihin na may space pa for us. Nakapagcheck in kaming 5 which is good for us pero mapapaisip ka rin about their business practice. Nung time nayon, kami yung swerte pero dadating din yung time na kami naman yung mamalasin. Deceptive talaga yun for those two passengers kasi hindi pa naman kami checked in talaga. They could have accomodated yung two passenger pero i was just thinking na it will be cheaper to bump off two passengers than five. But still, may panloloko talagang nangyari.

Though, compared sa ibang airlines worldwide, ok pa naman. Ganon talaga kung mura yung flights eh, meron talaga masasacrifice. Sa ibang airlines naman, pati cabin baggage may singgil tapos sukat na sukat talaga cabin baggage. Di tama ginagawa ng cebpac pero awa ng diyos wala pa naman ako bad experience. Yung bad experience ko lang is nasa side na pabor sa amin pero witness lang kami. Ang diskarte na lang ay mag online check in para di ka na mabump off at if hindi kaya, dumating ng maaga. Kailangan rin minsan madiskarte lang

Curious lang, how did the check in staff knew you were 5 in your group?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

These are common problems for lcc everywhere in the world. Ang liit kasi ng margin nila. Lagi yang overbook if possible. Aasa sila na may hindi dadating pero kapag lahat dumating, accept nila yung risk na magmove ng ibang pasahero. Ilang beses na rin ako narequest mag voluntary bump off para sa free flight pero di ko naman kinakagat. Pero there was one incident that i cannot forget. May flight kami out from Manila to kalibo or caticlan before. Na late yung tatlo namin kasama so habang nasa counter kami sabi ko paintay lang nung tatlo namin na wala pa sa airport. Though malayo pa naman yung 45 min before flight pero nasa dulo na kami ng queue. May dalawang traveler din na magcheck in after us. Nasurprise ako nung sinabi na full na yung plane. Syempre kami nagworry kasi di pa kami nakacheck in kasi waiting pa kami sa kasama namin. Gulat ko lang is after umalis nung dalawa, sinabi samin nung check in desk counter na hinintay lang nya umalis yung dalawa para sabihin na may space pa for us. Nakapagcheck in kaming 5 which is good for us pero mapapaisip ka rin about their business practice. Nung time nayon, kami yung swerte pero dadating din yung time na kami naman yung mamalasin. Deceptive talaga yun for those two passengers kasi hindi pa naman kami checked in talaga. They could have accomodated yung two passenger pero i was just thinking na it will be cheaper to bump off two passengers than five. But still, may panloloko talagang nangyari.

Though, compared sa ibang airlines worldwide, ok pa naman. Ganon talaga kung mura yung flights eh, meron talaga masasacrifice. Sa ibang airlines naman, pati cabin baggage may singgil tapos sukat na sukat talaga cabin baggage. Di tama ginagawa ng cebpac pero awa ng diyos wala pa naman ako bad experience. Yung bad experience ko lang is nasa side na pabor sa amin pero witness lang kami. Ang diskarte na lang ay mag online check in para di ka na mabump off at if hindi kaya, dumating ng maaga. Kailangan rin minsan madiskarte lang

Curious lang, how did the check in staff knew you were 5 in your group?

[Gumusut_Amige]

Curious lang, how did the check in staff knew you were 5 in your group?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



Curious lang, how did the check in staff knew you were 5 in your group?

^^^under group/block booking system siguro, kasi ganyan din kami noon for more than a year. They should know how many pax still for check-in and the staff assume that the group in line are the last passengers?

[boybi]

These are common problems for lcc everywhere in the world. Ang liit kasi ng margin nila. Lagi yang overbook if possible. Aasa sila na may hindi dadating pero kapag lahat dumating, accept nila yung risk na magmove ng ibang pasahero. Ilang beses na rin ako narequest mag voluntary bump off para sa free flight pero di ko naman kinakagat. Pero there was one incident that i cannot forget. May flight kami out from Manila to kalibo or caticlan before. Na late yung tatlo namin kasama so habang nasa counter kami sabi ko paintay lang nung tatlo namin na wala pa sa airport. Though malayo pa naman yung 45 min before flight pero nasa dulo na kami ng queue. May dalawang traveler din na magcheck in after us. Nasurprise ako nung sinabi na full na yung plane. Syempre kami nagworry kasi di pa kami nakacheck in kasi waiting pa kami sa kasama namin. Gulat ko lang is after umalis nung dalawa, sinabi samin nung check in desk counter na hinintay lang nya umalis yung dalawa para sabihin na may space pa for us. Nakapagcheck in kaming 5 which is good for us pero mapapaisip ka rin about their business practice. Nung time nayon, kami yung swerte pero dadating din yung time na kami naman yung mamalasin. Deceptive talaga yun for those two passengers kasi hindi pa naman kami checked in talaga. They could have accomodated yung two passenger pero i was just thinking na it will be cheaper to bump off two passengers than five. But still, may panloloko talagang nangyari.

Though, compared sa ibang airlines worldwide, ok pa naman. Ganon talaga kung mura yung flights eh, meron talaga masasacrifice. Sa ibang airlines naman, pati cabin baggage may singgil tapos sukat na sukat talaga cabin baggage. Di tama ginagawa ng cebpac pero awa ng diyos wala pa naman ako bad experience. Yung bad experience ko lang is nasa side na pabor sa amin pero witness lang kami. Ang diskarte na lang ay mag online check in para di ka na mabump off at if hindi kaya, dumating ng maaga. Kailangan rin minsan madiskarte lang

^^^under group/block booking system siguro, kasi ganyan din kami noon for more than a year. They should know how many pax still for check-in and the staff assume that the group in line are the last passengers?

Sorry, I misunderstood the post. Upon reading it again, nauna pala sila dun sa 2 na umalis, and hindi sila makapag check in dahil hindi pa sila complete.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

These are common problems for lcc everywhere in the world. Ang liit kasi ng margin nila. Lagi yang overbook if possible. Aasa sila na may hindi dadating pero kapag lahat dumating, accept nila yung risk na magmove ng ibang pasahero. Ilang beses na rin ako narequest mag voluntary bump off para sa free flight pero di ko naman kinakagat. Pero there was one incident that i cannot forget. May flight kami out from Manila to kalibo or caticlan before. Na late yung tatlo namin kasama so habang nasa counter kami sabi ko paintay lang nung tatlo namin na wala pa sa airport. Though malayo pa naman yung 45 min before flight pero nasa dulo na kami ng queue. May dalawang traveler din na magcheck in after us. Nasurprise ako nung sinabi na full na yung plane. Syempre kami nagworry kasi di pa kami nakacheck in kasi waiting pa kami sa kasama namin. Gulat ko lang is after umalis nung dalawa, sinabi samin nung check in desk counter na hinintay lang nya umalis yung dalawa para sabihin na may space pa for us. Nakapagcheck in kaming 5 which is good for us pero mapapaisip ka rin about their business practice. Nung time nayon, kami yung swerte pero dadating din yung time na kami naman yung mamalasin. Deceptive talaga yun for those two passengers kasi hindi pa naman kami checked in talaga. They could have accomodated yung two passenger pero i was just thinking na it will be cheaper to bump off two passengers than five. But still, may panloloko talagang nangyari.

Though, compared sa ibang airlines worldwide, ok pa naman. Ganon talaga kung mura yung flights eh, meron talaga masasacrifice. Sa ibang airlines naman, pati cabin baggage may singgil tapos sukat na sukat talaga cabin baggage. Di tama ginagawa ng cebpac pero awa ng diyos wala pa naman ako bad experience. Yung bad experience ko lang is nasa side na pabor sa amin pero witness lang kami. Ang diskarte na lang ay mag online check in para di ka na mabump off at if hindi kaya, dumating ng maaga. Kailangan rin minsan madiskarte lang

^^^under group/block booking system siguro, kasi ganyan din kami noon for more than a year. They should know how many pax still for check-in and the staff assume that the group in line are the last passengers?

Sorry, I misunderstood the post. Upon reading it again, nauna pala sila dun sa 2 na umalis, and hindi sila makapag check in dahil hindi pa sila complete.