Delayed flights, lost baggage, or worse, both, are awful circumstances that happen to a traveler—unfortunate situations that, well, seem to be happening often at our local airport.
There are plenty of valid reasons a flight can be delayed: severe weather conditions, aircraft maintenance, air space restrictions. Our carefully-planned itineraries are no match against forces beyond our control. Even baggage can get lost in the process, too. However, just because it's a thing that happens doesn't mean passengers have to endure without proper compensation.
Knowing your passenger rights is a must when it comes to dealing with flight disruptions. Let’s check in with two of the most prominent local air carriers, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, to see what's written.
Delayed flight compensation for Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines passengers
Both Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines offer the following options for terminal delays of at least three hours after the estimated time of departure. The following details are according to Cebu Pacific's Customer Service Plan and Philippine Airlines's Flight Disruption Help page, both of which can be found online.
- Free rebooking
- Travel fund/credit/vouchers
- Refund
- Food and refreshments
- Rebook to other carriers (subject to availability)
Travel credits can be used for future ticket purchases, which, upon issuance, is valid for six months for Cebu Pacific and two years for Philippine Airlines.
According to Section 12.2(a) of the Philippine Air Passenger Bill of Rights, it is also within the passenger’s rights to seek additional compensation that “is equivalent to at least the value of the sector delayed” if it takes more than six hours of waiting. In simpler terms, the "value of the sector delayed" would refer to the flight that experienced a significant delay and caused the passenger to miss a connecting flight from the same airline. You would be entitled to seek compensation, either in cash or voucher, for the cost of that leg.
However, Cebu Pacific said passengers who miss connecting flights on another airline will not be compensated, even if the cause of delay is attributable to them. Instead, they can only provide a certificate of flight disruption (COFD) for whatever purpose it may serve, should passengers request for documentation. Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines passengers can submit compensation requests to the MyPAL Request Hub—subject for approval, of course.
Delayed baggage compensation for Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines passengers
If your baggage does not arrive in the same flight as you, immediately file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the Baggage Assistance Counter of the arrival station. Airlines are required to provide P2,000 compensation for every 24 hours of delay, according to the Section 14.1 of the Philippine Air Passenger Bill of Rights.
A summarized version of the same document also states that passengers can get a refund on checked baggage fees if the baggage hasn’t been delivered within 24 hours from the arrival of the flight.
On top of that, Cebu Pacific said in their customer service plan page that it will provide a "first need compensation" if the passenger is not a resident at the destination. This means they will reimburse passengers for reasonable expenses incurred for food, clothing, and other essential items bought to replace the contents of the left baggage.
To follow up on baggage concerns, Cebu Pacific passengers can chat with a live agent via Charlie on its website, while PAL passengers can call the mobile number 0919-056-2255 or email baggageservicesINT@pal.com.ph for international flights and baggageservicesDOM@pal.com.ph for domestic flights.
* This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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