Everytime I go to Davao, I always go there via Cebu Pacific. I have no problem with them on the first 3 flights that I had, that’s why I’m surprised of the hassles I experienced on my last trip.
First. Our flight was delayed. Before, they boast of being on time, even on TV commercials. Now, I don’t see that TV commercial anymore, and now I know why. Our flight to Davao was 1-hour delayed.
Second. Before, they gave free snacks during the flight. The first time I went to Davao, they have some free snacks and drinks. Then, the next time I went there, no more free snacks, just a free bottle of C2. And now? No snacks. No drinks. Instead, they will sell overpriced snacks and sandwiches to you. Cebu Pacific, thank you very much!
Third. This is the worst. Last January 1, on our scheduled flight back to Manila, our flight was cancelled! Yup, it was cancelled. They said it was due to aircraft problem. No details given. So, they scheduled us on the next flight available 3 hours after the cancelled flight. Good thing there are still vacant seats there. And me and my girlfriend were seated far away from each other on that next flight. What can we do, we were just paningit. Imagine, we were there at the airport by 12:30PM for a 2:30PM flight and we boarded the aircraft at 6:10PM. And as a paconsuelo de matalino, all passengers on the cancelled flight were given free non-transferrable domestic one-way flight vouchers. Cebu Pacific, thank you very much!
That is not the last time that I’m travelling to Davao. There’ll be more in the near future. And with the experience that I encountered last time, I think, Cebu Pacific will be on my avoid-this-airline list.
How about you? What’s your experience with Cebu Pacific? Come and share it!
Technorati Tags: Cebu Pacific
I’ve avoided flying with Cebu Pacific due to a trip with them before. Their landing sequence was so shaky that I had a massive headache the whole after the flight. and yes, instead of snacks, they just give you C2 for now. That’s their excuse for having low fares. 😀
@Allen… no more C2 now. you’ll have to buy for your snacks now. sabi ko nga sa gf ko, mamaya, may lalabas nang magbebenta ng hopia,mani, popcorn. 🙂 coz that’s what they are doing now.
arrgghhh cebu pac #$%#$%^.. hehehe wala lang ^_^ ang ganda sa cebu pac! hehe
aba nag honeymoon ka pala ha 😀 joke last day na ng P1 trip ng cebu pacific today baka gusto nyo sumakay LoL!
Ouch, that sucks Marghil! I plan to fly to Cebu under Cebu Pacific in two weeks. I hope I’ll have a better experience. I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
So far, I don’t encounter a serious problem with Cebu Pacific, specifically.
It’s just that I’m wondering why they stopped giving snacks. Anyways, cancelled or delayed flights are inevitable. Sometimes, we have to understand also that airlines encountered troubles or problems and we have to bear with that.
hey mark,
don’t know if you remember me, but we were classmates back in college bai (i used to hang out at that apartment of yours near aurora blvd). come to think of it, that’s actually where i learned to use that skype-like program to call long distance!
maybe you can try PAL. people think they have more expensive fares than cebu pac, but if you book online, they actually have comparable rates to cebu pac “go fares”. oh, and while you’re at it, join mabuhay miles na rin. it’s for free. hehe.
no need for a disclosure policy here. i’m just a mabuhay miles member and a PAL flyer ever since college. last christmas when i went home to cdo and looking for the best possible deal since i booked late, cebu pac was actually more expensive than PAL by about P1000.
Apologies Mark,
Made a stupid mistake. Thought you were somebody i knew from college. I was actually talking about marc macalua of macalua.com. see?! this just proves your spelling mistake theory.
also did not get to check your pics. i would have stopped myself from making the booboo if i checked.
anyway, just take the unsolicited advise as that.
take care.
@eric santillan… hehe. when i first read your comment, i already knew you thought I was Marc Hil. Hirap talaga kapag may kapangalang sikat. Hehehe. thanks for your comment! i’m thinking of booking my next flight to PAL na rin. Dami ko na ring Mabuhay Miles points from my Hong Kong trips and HSBC card.
Pisti bai! naa ra ko diri hehe musta naman?
IT’ TIME SOMEONE ACTS (A Wake-up call to Mr. Lance Gokongwei)
Back to a time when flying was synonymous to having money, it was indeed a very welcome idea when Cebu Pacific re-engineered their marketing campaign. “It’s time everyone flies.†After the Philippine government suspended its operation in 1998, the airline re-certified their aircrafts and democratized air transportation with low-cost fares and promos, which hiked up its ridership and number of flights and destinations. Now claiming to be “the country’s leading domestic airline,†I am led to wonder whether leadership is measured in terms of numbers or how its customers are served. If so, then it is a sad hypothesis because 100% of the times I or one of my friends traveled via Cebu Pacific, our experiences left much, much less to be desired. In fact, it comes to a point when I groan “Oh no!†when the travel agent says, “PAL’s fully booked on that date, but we have plenty of open flights on Cebu Pacific.†Let me share with you my experiences, and you be the judge of it:
In 2004, I was flying to Boracay and decided to try Cebu Pacific. At the ticketing office along Airport Road, I booked my ticket, and as I was paying through Mastercard, I was asked if I had another credit card. I asked why. “Because the system is declining your card,†was the agent’s curt reply with a raised eyebrow. I said, “How come? My credit’s clear.†She said, “The system can only take 2 swipes per transaction, and then the transaction will be blocked by the system.†I asked what they would need a second transaction for. She pushed her phone over the counter to me. “Call Citibank. The transaction’s void†Although I was thinking that it should have been her job, I dialed Citibank. After quite some time on the hotline, I finally reached an agent and found out that it was the ticketing agent who made a mistake and made 2 swipes instead of one. After Citibank got the report, I went back to the agent. She said “take a number.†I said, “Miss, I had a number. You asked me to call Citibank.†She said, “Come back after 24 hours so we can make your transaction.†I was really beginning to run out of patience by that time. I said, “Look, I know you made a mistake, but since I don’t have all the time to be coming back and forth here, here’s another card. I don’t have enough credit on that one, so I’ll pay the rest in cash.†She said, “No, we can’t allow that.†I said, “Why? PAL and every other establishment I know make split transactions.†Without apologies, she said, “We just don’t. If you want your ticket, come back after 24 hours.†I left. I went to Philippine Airlines, and bought my ticket there ON SPLIT TRANSACTION—no questions asked.
Last December, I was desperate enough to come home that I bought 2 tickets (for me and my sister) via Cebu Pacific, as all PAL flights to Roxas City were booked. At the check-in counter, my sister said, “Can we have a FRAGILE sticker on this box?†The girl behind the counter replied, “Why? What’s in that box?†My sister said, foodstuff – ham, goodies in jars, etc. “What kind of ham? Purefoods?†Duh? Why should the brand matter? My sister thought, is there a ban on Purefoods in airports that we don’t know of? She said, “No. Take a look.†The girl said, “You can’t check that in. You need a styro (I think she means the one where vendors place ice candies and popsicles).†Since we didn’t have it, and there was nowhere in the airport to buy it from, we asked if we could wrap it in more newspaper since it was already wrapped thick. The girl said, “I can refuse to check that in, do you know?†That’s the time I cut in: “Miss, since you can’t give us any clear directions as to where we can get a styro container, can you at least give us options as to how to get this checked in?†The funny thing is that she sulked and shrugged her shoulders without saying a word. It was good that a utility crew from the airport offered, “Ma’am if you have an extra shirt or towel, we can wrap it in.†So we did, thanks to that guy. (I sometimes think if the girl needed to take home ham that much 😛 ) I should have given the ham to the guy who actually helped instead of taking it home.
On that same flight, we went to the boarding area and wondered why our flight was not flashed on the screen, while those that came later were on it. My sister asked Customer Service, and they said that there was just an error in encoding the flights into the computer. Okay. After almost 2 hours, and one more time of asking them—and getting various answers, there was no news as to what happened to our flight. We were thinking: Was there just an error in encoding? Or is our flight being cancelled? I went to the counter and asked, “What happened to our flight?†The guy behind their Customer Service counter said, “Ma’am, dumating na po ‘yong plane n’yo. [Ma’am, your plane has arrived.]†AYUN! So the honest response from the start should have been, “Your plane experienced a delay, but we are taking care of it.â€
Just this week, my other sister had a business trip to Manila. Unfortunately, her company booked her on Cebu Pacific. For her flight back, she got to the airport early because the airline requires passengers to check in at least 2 hours before the flight. She had been waiting for 1 hour and 45 minutes on the check-in counter for her destination. When she asked why there was still no one behind the counter when check-in time was almost over, the airport guard told her that the flight has been checking in for an hour already, only at a different counter. There were no signs or announcements over the PA system that there had been a transfer of check-in counters. Plus, no one bothered to take down the sign that says ILOILO over the vacant counter. The line for that vacant counter was already long. It takes so much not to think that they do it on purpose so that there will be many who will need to rebook because of “late check-in†hence the rebooking and no-show fees.
These are actual experiences, and my sole purpose is to have someone take a look at the kind of customer service the airline gives. If Cebu Pacific claims non-discrimination and democratization with their tagline, “It’s time everyone flies,†why then does their customer service imply otherwise? If cheap fares get cheap service, then it is an insult to passengers. It implies that Cebu Pacific belittles its clientele by subjecting them to poor customer service via impolite remarks and misleading information. Besides, poor customer service is disservice. To Cebu Pacific management, please try to find out what it is that de-motivates your people from doing their work right. Train them right. Address their needs. Being the so-called “leading domestic airline†in the Philippines takes more than just the count of passengers you fly. It’s what these people experience while flying with you that matters. Now I understand why the Philippine Airlines campaign is “It’s about experience.†Enough said.
@rachel – ooooooohhh.. 😀 *nosebleed* hehehe.. 😀
ops. mali pa spelling ko sa rachelle.. hehehe 😀 “It’s about experience” talaga 😀 ako.. wala naman akong comment sa cebu pac 😀 kasi kahit mag comment.. walang nangyayari eh heehee 😀
Last March 2, 2008 My first time flying with Cebu Pacific was an hour delayed.. and unfortunately my return trip on March 5, 2008 on the same plane neither happened on schedule time.
I learned that the plane on our 2 flights was just 3 days old.. Does that affect the schedule too?
Well.. maybe they they are just reluctant to say these phrases:
“Better late than never”
and /or
“Better safe than sorry.”
(Quote:)
[Allen Says:
January 5th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I’ve avoided flying with Cebu Pacific due to a trip with them before. Their landing sequence was so shaky that I had a massive headache the whole after the flight.]
We had the same predicament.. haha…
In my case we landed on Caticlan Airport…
Been said that Caticlan Airport have a short runway for a plane like Cebu Pacific making the landing stop in a hurried-like feeling
When we landed on NAIA, everything was fine..
(Quote:)
[Marghil Says:
Second. Before, they gave free snacks during the flight. The first time I went to Davao, they have some free snacks and drinks. Then, the next time I went there, no more free snacks, just a free bottle of C2. And now? No snacks. No drinks. Instead, they will sell overpriced snacks and sandwiches to you. Cebu Pacific, thank you very much!]
It is only now and with the help of your blog that I learned about the freebies they used to offer their clients.. Whew.. Most of the snacks and chips like Nova and the likes eh..100% ang price increase. Ang lupet.. Money, money, money…
Though the only consolation I got from the flight was a small red bag for hand carry things (courtesy of Sun Cellular–>nanalo kasi ko sa trivia contest nila in the middle of our flight hehehe.. galeng!)
and an enourmoussssssssss orange eraser (as huge as my palm i guess) from Cebu Pacific Air..
:::sighs:::Too bad I am no longer using a pencil,
thanks Cebu Pacific Air.. anyways :::wink:::
Cebu Pacific – Cheap and Nasty !
I am initaing legal procedings against Cebu Pacific. They debited my credit card for the 4 tickets I purchased on 19 Feb and still have not received the electronic tickets.
3 emails to customer service – no response.
3 calls to cebu pacific hotline in manila resulted in empty promises.
5J’s GSA in Taiwan – faxed and called – not interested.
Gokongwei you are on notice !
Its interesting though that despite all these remarks, cebupac’s profits continue to rise.
CEBU PACIFIC CORPORATE THIEVES???
===================================
STRANDED IN JAKARTA FOR OVER 1 WEEK WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT CEBU PACIFIC AIRLINES FOR A RESCHEDULE TO FLY BACK TO MANILA !
I AM ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTED WITH CEBU PACIFIC AIRLINES & I WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN.
I HAVE BEEN IN JAKARTA FOR THREE MONTHS AND NEED TO FLY BACK TO MANILA ASAP.
I RANG THE TRAVEL AGENT AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO THEIR OFFICE SO I TRAVELLED TO THE APPOINTED TRAVEL AGENT [$$$$$TAXI]—PT.ANDALAN USAHA CEMERLANG–THE ONLY ONE DEALING WITH CEBUPACIFICAIR IN JAKARTA — ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT REBOOK MY FLIGHT BECAUSE CEBUPACIFICAIR HAD CHANGED THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND ALL TICKETS PURCHASED BEFORE 1st april 08 COULD NOT BE RESCHEDULED ONLINE.
WELL RING THEM AND CHANGE IT I SAID— THEY REFUSED!THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN THE SLIGHTEST DEGREE TO HELP ME [REMEMBER I AM A FOREIGNER HERE AND DO NOT SPEAK INDONESIAN].
YOU RING THEM YOURSELF- THEY SAID ITS YOUR PROBLEM OR BETTER STILL BUY ANOTHER TICKET AND GET A REFUND ON YOUR OLD TICKET WHEN YOU REACH MANILA!==why should I buy another ticket when i have a valid ticket here ??IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THEM TO SEE MY REASONING SO I LEFT THE AGENTS SHOP IN A STATE OF ABSOLUTE DISGUST.
[ITS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THEY ARE VERY HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY BUT DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING FOR IT !!]BEWARE OF THIS TRAVEL AGENT !!
ANOTHER [TAXI RIDE$$$$$$] TO MY ACCOMODATION AND I TRY TO CALL CEBUPACIFICAIR ON MY CELL FONE —AN IMPOSSIBLE FEAT TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY $$$$$
SO ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE MY TICKET ONLINE AND
==========================================================
IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE IT THRU A TRAVEL AGENT AND
=========================================================
SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT CEBUPACIFIC BY CELL FONE!
OK I HAD FRIENDS IN JAKARTA WHO HAVE A LANDLINE [TAXI$$$$$] —-ON THE PHONE FOR OVER 1 HOUR WAITING TO BE SERVED AND THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PHONE CALL REMEMBER[$$$$$$$$] ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT IT WILL COST $130 DOLLARS TO REBOOK MY FLIGHT –[A NEW TICKET COSTS $150!]
THE CALL CENTRE AGENT WAS POWERLESS TO TO HELP ME OR SEE REASON SO I GAVE UP IN DESPAIR REFUSING TO PAY $130 DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!
I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH THE WHOLE PROCESS NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CALLOUS TREATMENT AND INHUMAN DISREGARD CEBUPACIFICAIRLINES HAVE SHOWN TOWARDS ME AND MY SITUATION. AS WITH ALL CORPORATES THEY ARE DISTANCED FROM THE PEOPLE THAT GIVE THEM THEIR PROFITS ie THE CUSTOMER.IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE CONTACT OF ANY MEANING OR VALUE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS OPERATED.
THIS EXPERINCE HAS SO FAR COST ME ABOUT $300 — FOR TAXI FARES + NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL PHONE CALLS + ACCOMODATION COSTS DUE TO EXTENDED STAY + FOOD + MISSED APPOINTMENTS IN MANILA –NOT TO MENTION THAT I WILL STILL NEED TO BUY ANOTHER TICKET TO GET OUT OF HERE SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH ITS GOING TO BE A $500 DOLLAR EXPENSE DUE TO CEBUPACIFICS ABYSMAL SERVICE ! MORE IMPORTANTLY THE STRESS INVOLVED HAS BEEN ENORMOUS FOR ME
I WISH I HAD SOME MEANS TO BRING THIS TO THEIR ATTENTION BUT ITS SEEMS IMPOSSBLE TO CONTACT ANYONE THERE IN THEIR AIRCONDITIONED OFFICES
[NOT THAT THEY WOULD CARE ANYWAY] GOD HELP US ALL
BUT I SWEAR I WILL NEVER FLY WITH THIS AIRLINE AGAIN UNLESS I GET SOME SORT OF APOLOGY AND REIMBURSEMENT
SO IF ANYONE FROM CEBUPACIFIC WHO HAS ANY AUTHORITY READS THIS ACCOUNT OF MY EXPERIENCE YOU CAN ALL GO AND—–!!*#+====== YOURSELVES!!!!
HAVING HAD MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT MY RECENT BLOG REGARDING CEBUPACIFIC AIRLINES AND THEIR APPALLING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE == WELL THEY DONT HAVE ONE IN REALITY!
AND THE APALLING DISREGARD THEY EXHIBIT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS I PERSONALLY CONSIDER THEM TO BE CORPORATE THIEVES
AND THEY SHOULD BE EXPOSED AND TAKEN TO COURT AND SUED FOR THE HARDSHIP AND TROUBLE THEY CAUSE TO UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS
I lifted this from Marv’s blog, BUT I WAS THERE! I experienced this different kind of hell and I hope my friends will take it into consideration before getting a seat in a CEBU PACIFIC AIRCRAFT ever again!
I couldn’t believe how such an airline can have blatant disregard for their patrons. I’ll probably break this down so I can better stress out the things we went through just because we wanted to save a few pesos and ride with the wolf in sheeps clothing, CEBU PACIFIC AIR.
PRE BORACAY TRIP
1. The ordeal began weeks ago when we received an email from cebu pacific that they are canceling our flight back from caticlan. NO REASONS were disclosed. We were only advised to re-book the flight through a number they provided in the email. The tickets were booked months because most of the passengers were OFW’s that has to adhere to a very strict schedule. This accounts for stress reason number 1.
2. Upon re-booking the tickets, the agent kept on repeating his advice that after re-booking, this can no longer be changed. This is quite odd for me because they were the ones who cancelled our flight schedule for no apparent reason and yet they had the gal to demand that after re-booking, it can never be re-booked again.
FLIGHT DAY
May 10, 2008, 7am – 10am
1. Upon reaching the CEBU PACIFIC check-in counter, the system was down, and because the line was piling up, they had to check the passengers in manually, after an hour and half of in-decision from the ground manager. At boarding we were advised that since we weren’t assigned seat numbers, we can sit anywhere, which we did. After we’re all settled in, we were advised once more that all passengers checked-in manually will have to move to the front area of the plane. It’s quite clear that the CEBU PACIFIC ground staff aren’t equipped to handle situations like this and that their managers can’t even decide on what to do next.
RETURN FLIGHT
May 14, 2008, 2pm – 10pm
1. After going through hell and high water, literally, to reach our check-in time. We were met by a closed CEBU PACIFIC counter. We proceeded to inquire regarding our check-in time and received a vague answer from one of the ground staff…”all 900 flights are cancelled, he said. We will be accommodating all passengers from Kalibo airport for the time being.” No response as to our fate were disclosed until we were able to speak to another ground crew. The ground crew said that we will be checked-in awhile and that we should just wait for the announcement. This was around 3:00pm already. An hour has passed and nothing was being announced as to the fate of flight 904, so we again proceeded to the counter to inquire. This time, a tiny irate mob, passengers from earlier cancelled flights, has been squeezing the flight attendant for information, which of course were met with vague murmurs and blank stares.
2. Around 4:30pm, all other airlines has began moving their passengers to kalibo airport due to worsening weather conditions in Caticlan. CEBU PACIFIC ground staff just stood there offering no answers or solutions as to the fate of the passengers from all four flights that were cancelled that day. At this point, with a smug look in their faces, the ground crew incessantly kept on ignoring the hoards of people who just wanted to know what will happen to them.
3. 5:00pm, a manager came. She hid her name plate as with the other ground employees, probably to avoid being reported. Here’s a chronology of how the inquiries were addressed:
Passenger: What will happen now?
Cebpac manager: All flights will resume the following day.
Passenger: Will you re-book our tickets?
CPM: No.
Passengers: So does it mean that we’re considered chance passengers?
CPM: Yes.
Passengers: Some of us don’t have enough money to stay another day here, what are your plans to address that issue?
CPM: Nothing. CEBU PACIFIC will not pay for accommodations and transfers. We will only help you find lodging.
Passengers: Some of us have jobs the next day, what will you do about?
CPM: All flights are cancelled and will resume the next day depending on weather conditions.
Passengers: How come all the other airlines were able to move their passengers to Kalibo?
CPM: All flights in Kalibo are fully-booked already.
Side note: At this point, all the other airlines have finished transferring their passengers to Kalibo airport which shows that CEBU PACIFIC doesn’t want to do anything to address the problem. It probably is a business decision by the management because they probably don’t want to incur additional charges.
4.We on the other hand, tried to call the ticketing hotline to try get information and if we could still book our tickets elsewhere, despite earlier advice in the beginning of this writing. While waiting, we started asking the manger about flight 530 via kalibo because according to the ticketing agent, it has seats available, still. The manager just kept on saying that it’s not reliable to trust their call center because…” call center lang yan” as she said. She even spoke to the agent to tell her that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about and that all flights are cancelled even in Iloilo and in Cebu. After that the manager just kept on ignoring us… we eventually got our confirmation from the agent via Kalibo for the 830pm flight. We left the airport to get a van to get to Kalibo on our own expense and left the the other 20 or so passengers who put their fate on the hands of the ground manager. The same one who told us that their no more seats available in Kalibo. You do the math. She even warned us that if we take that flight, we will only make matters worst.
5. We got to Kalibo just in time to check-in. The ground manager in Caticlan was wrong. There are available seats in Kalibo. We got to talk to some of the other passengers sent their by the Caticlan ground crew. They said they were sent their knowing that they will be able to fly home, only to find that they’re not on the flight manifest and that they are considered chance passengers as well. Minutes later, a good number of the passengers from Caticlan arrived in Kalibo. They probably weren’t accommodated since they weren’t with us on the flight home.
POST SCRIPT
For me, seeing how poorly the whole thing was managed, I don’t think I can ever put my life in the hands of someone who operates a critical product like an aircraft. Seeing and experiencing first hand how passive and uncaring they were towards the issues of their passengers leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. CEBU PACIFIC AIR is nothing more but a wolf in sheeps clothing. They want your money to fulfill their topline and bottomline goals but left in critical situations or even simpler ones like giving genuine effort to get you home safely, they will fail your expectations like a brother betraying a brother.
When facing flight delays, just think that at least they are not flying with a broken engine or whatnot. At least they only fly the plane when it’s 100% fixed.
But then again, I think there’s this airline practice where they cancel the flight when not enough passengers are booked. 😀
This is the end of Cebu Pacific!
http://oliboycastro.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-cebu-pacific-story.html
The recently much publicized fiasco with Cebu Pacific’s operations at the NAIA 3 comes as no surprise to me, even though I did not hear a similar incident involving Philippine Airlines when it moved into the new terminal. Let me relate a lamentable experience I had with Cebu Pacific in Hong Kong on the night of January 3 this year so I may drive my point better. Please excuse the rather detailed narration.
I arrived at the entrance of the Hong Kong International Airport on or about 6:30 pm, and casually made my way to the check-in counters believing my Cebu Pacific flight to Manila is at 9:25 pm. But I would be horrified to learn on reexamining my e-ticket, just as the check-in counters for the 7:25 pm flight closed, that my flight is in fact at 7:25 pm. I had confused my arrival time in Manila for my departure time from Hong Kong!
It was probably not even a minute since the check-in counters closed when I approached Cebu Pacific counters to ask their personnel to let me check in on my original flight, but they adamantly refused. Deciding to take full responsibility for what happened, I finally agreed after much pleading to pay HK$1,150 to cover the no-show charge of HK$250 plus the rebooking charge of HK$250 plus the fare differential.
I flew Cebu Pacific to take advantage of its less costly fares, thereby minimizing my travel expenses for this personal trip as my budget is limited. Having to part therefore with HK$1,150 for being one minute late can be difficult. Yet while walking away from the check-in counter after being rebooked for the next flight, I still managed to call out to the Cebu Pacific personnel who arranged my rebooking to thank him, even though he had in fact raised his voice at me at one point while I was appealing to be allowed to check in for my original flight to avoid the surcharge. I remember telling my wife afterwards that we should be magnanimous in all things, good or bad, then resolving to put this experience behind me—until I arrived at my boarding gate.
The flight to which I was rebooked for being late one minute checking in for the previous flight, was delayed forty minutes! (I wonder if the flight I missed was delayed as well.) This was still an improvement though on the roughly hour-long delay in my Cebu Pacific flight going to Hong Kong two weeks previously, as if it was any consolation. (I remembered passengers moaning in unison when the delay was announced during this earlier occasion.) I then recalled other times in the past, when my Cebu Pacific flights, both domestic and international, were delayed despite the airline’s erstwhile positioning as being always on-time. On each of these times, all that Cebu Pacific can do by way of mollifying its disgruntled passengers was to say that it is sorry. But I think it should be taking more responsibility for the delays in its flights, just as it makes its passengers take more, even costly, responsibility for being late checking in.
What is more, I also remembered agreeing to defer for forty-five minutes my check-in for a flight to Manila in June last year on the request of Cebu Pacific check-in personnel also in Hong Kong, so they can rebook me to a later flight at no cost to me as they had thought my original flight had been overbooked, only to be told after that forty-five minutes had elapsed that rebooking me would not be necessary anymore. Yet last January 3, when it was Cebu Pacific’s turn to do me a favor, they cannot. I cannot help seeing the irony in this.
Once, I had been late ten minutes checking in for a domestic flight, this time with Philippine Airlines. The check-in counters had already closed but a check-in clerk had still managed to let me in on the flight. Although you might argue that it is because it had “only†been a domestic flight, I still tend to view it as Philippine Airlines being willing to go the extra mile for its passengers. In contrast, Cebu Pacific could not even go the extra minute.
And it would get worse. My Cebu Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Manila last April 1 would be delayed over 3 hours, the longest delay I’ve experienced yet. Now, there are these delays at the NAIA 3, which if I heard right took as long as 13(?) hours.
An airline would have great difficulties adjusting to a new terminal if this airline’s operations is inherently bad in the first place.
I wanted to tell people to avoid cebu pacific for a few reasons. First, now Terminal 3 is operational but there are teething problems and you can expect to have your flight delayed by several hours at least. Second, they are impossible to contact, should you need to. My husband and I have rung 14 different phone numbers associated with Cebu Pacific and most rang out, were engaged or we were told to ring a different number – wrong department.
The worst thing for us is that they have lost all our luggage. Last Tuesday, Aug 5 2008, we were flying from Cebu to Manila. We checked in our luggage and received the boarding passes. It was only after we sat down and my husband checked the boarding passes that we noticed the departure time was 3 hours later than the flight we had booked. He went back to check in and was told that yes, they had emailed us a few days before to inform us of the change of time. (Not much good when your computer is in Australia) We told them that we had a flight to Australia from Manila that evening and were worried about missing it due to the delay. They actually moved us forward to another flight, which was also delayed and ended up leaving at the same time the origninal flight had been scheduled for. Unfortunately, the luggage went on the original flight, which was even more delayed – must have been delayed by more than 8 hours. So we had to catch our flight to Australia without the luggage. We filled out missing luggage forms on the spot, but since arriving back in Australia, we have not heard from them, and cannot contact them ourselves, since all the phone numbers appear to go unanswered. What do you think our chances are of recovering this luggage?
Just to vent steam, I’m adding an update to our ugly saga. Our friends in Manila have managed to get a look inside the Cebu Pacific unclaimed luggage room and found our luggage with all the identifying tags ripped off. They were told to go to the service desk at another terminal to request a transfer of the luggage to a Qantas flight. Our friends had trouble getting to the airport that week so they enlisted the help of an experienced travel agent, a local filipino man, to try to communicate our problems to Cebu Pacific and attempt to transfer the luggage home. Although he had a lot of documentation showing him to be an authorized representative of ours, Cebu Pacific would not even tell him if they had the luggage. In his words, they were totally uncooperative and he left angrily. So we’re back to square one.
AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE!
Had nighmares trying to get a refund, they’re piranhas, once they get your money they leave you to rot! sent the below complaint to their incompetent management and actually go t areply that they’d provide feedback “immediately”, but its been 3 days and nada, back to square 1.
Skipping the BS, I would like to go straight to the point: I am seething with indignation about Cebu Pacific’s refund procedure. I refunded my ticket with reference code EMXC14 (Manila-Jakarta-Manila) amounting to 8,304.00 back at the start of 2008, and was told that it would be processed in 2-3 months, and that it will automatically be credited back to my credit card. Its AUGUST and after numerous follow-ups, I am fed up with the dodgy answer “it’s being processedâ€.
I have incurred interest way beyond value I was supposed to have “saved†by deciding to fly with Cebu Pacific. The customer service rep (a certain Louvelle) made me wait for more than 30 minutes on the line because my record cannot be located, and being given yet another “its being processedâ€, she gives me the number of your finance department (8522328, go on try it), which seems to DROP ME AUTOMATICALLY after ringing for some time. And FYI, only within my circle, I know two other people who are growing mold with waiting for their refund, being given the same spiel over and over again whenever inquiries are made, so I’m sure there are thousands nationwide who are as equally frustrated as I am. This is a bad case of resting on their laurels, and the way Cebu Pacific handles their customers have gotten from plain bad to downright crap. I am through with following published procedure that is a pure waste of time which yields absolutely no result other than making my blood pressure shoot up.
I am terribly, terribly disappointed about how the management handles and treats inquiries and complaints. I started out as a loyal customer but after so much hassle I have decided never to voluntarily fly with the airline unless it is company mandated. I would much rather swim. I hope this complaint is duly noted and my fare refunded otherwise I swear to God I will make it my life’s mission to embark on a PR campaign to bring this to light.
BTW, you wanna know what a growing number of customers think about Cebu Pacific? http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/cebu-pacific-youre-so-daing#comment-126844
Doesn’t the Philippines have a better business bureau to handle these? BETTER YET, TALK IS CHEAP. If Cebu Pacific hires idiots, then take our business elsewhere. When they have no more passengers they will close.
kurgjAA
u know now a days wala nang free! if youre traveling within europ u need to buy your own snacks even if its a 4-6hours flight! So stop gnagging about the snacks! We must be thankful that cebu pacific has the best flying price within asia.. ok???
whew! andami mga reactions and stories.. tsk3… i only experience delayed flights though… pero kainis pa rin coz u were there for 2 hours before the flight and then madedelayed pa… ggrrr…
“Imagine, we were there at the airport by 12:30PM for a 2:30PM flight and we boarded the aircraft at 6:10PM.” – malala pala nangyari sayo kesa sa akin.. hehehe
Hi Enrico! any news/update on your case?
i dont think you understand industry works. they removed the free meals to give the option of what you want to eat, in exchange for lower fares. if you cant afford them, then dont buy. and incase you were delayed, you cant just blame it on the airline. fyi, every time gloria arroyo arrives in manila, the runway has to vacant for hours just to give way to her, and all other airlines, not only cebu pac, gets delayed. there are also other factors such as the weather and “pasaway” na passengers who cause delays. bird strikes. for whatever reason it may be, im sure the company has a good explanation. it may even be for your own safety. stop being so close-minded. and for refunds for your cheap tickets, don’t you read the terms and policies before you buy?! its your own fault and loss if you don’t. the lower the fare, the lesser refunds you’ll get. it goes with any other airlines. for you bags, you cant blame the airlines, if someone else picks up your bag. blame that person, or yourself. you shouldve personalized it more so it wont be mistaken for someone elses. “When they have no more passengers they will close.”—> as for this one, unfortunately for you my dear, they won’t they are actually growing bigger. because a lot more appreciates them than not. you guys whine and whine, seeing only the cebu pacs problems, but you compare them on a completely wrong way. they are low cost carriers, meaning they dont give full-service like what you expect them to do (really stupid to comment on the free food, on other airlines you food is not free, you paid for it when you paid for your ticket, triple its original price duhh). if you are all so whiny and rich, then go for the more expensive ones.
@msorangesunset: And I don’t think you have any clue what quality customer service is. Kaya hindi umaasenso ang Pilipinas dahil sa mga taong kagaya mo. It’s not about whining our “rich” asses off for being ripped off by a budget airline. And being a budget carrier doesn’t give ceb pacific the right to treat their customers in this manner. We are not just paying for the seats but for the services as well. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s ass about the free food and all… We understand that perfectly. But to lose our luggage and give us a “I’m sorry but there’s nothing we could do” reply instead of a compensation? Come on!
My luggage was personalized and they still managed to lose it. Just how many freakin Andy’s do they think are flying in the same airlines anyway? Okay, stupid question. But you get the point.
You can’t blame the passengers for losing their luggage. The airline company and its personnel should be aware and take responsibility for their capriciousness. We checked in our luggage and they should give us an assurance that our baggage are in good hands.
Try losing your luggage and see how that feels. Philippine Airlines were able to compensate that poor girl who ended up with slashed LV suitcases. P50,000.00. How’s that compared to P100/Kilo?
so far I only used Cebu Pacific twice, my Hong Kong and Thailand trip and it’s okay.