Cebu Pacific apologizes, vows to solve challenges

By Ed Paolo Salting

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific on Wednesday apologized for flight delays and cancellations that have had passengers fuming and prompted a Senate investigation, blaming the situation on supply chain problems, bad weather and operational issues.

"We express our sincerest apologies to our passengers for the disruptions and assure you that we are committed to resolving these challenges," the airline said in a statement.

It noted that among others, several of its Airbus aircraft have had to be grounded due to an engine issue that was also affecting other carriers worldwide.

Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines powering Airbus A321/A320 NEO aircraft are being removed from service, with engine restorations taking 220 days instead of the standard 90.

"More than 120 aircraft worldwide are currently grounded due to this issue," the carrier claimed.

"Cebu Pacific has already encountered 12 unscheduled engine removals this year and had to ground 3 Airbus A321/A320 NEOs indefinitely since the middle of March," it added.

"Apart from the PW engine issues, we have also encountered delays from Airbus, our aircraft manufacturer. As a result, we have experienced delays ranging from 2 to 5 months for our scheduled deliveries in 2023."

Other incidents such as airplane damage from ground debris, severe weather, bird strikes and even from a burst tire, and a towing incident have compounded the operational situation, Cebu Pacific said.

"Moreover, Red Lightning Alerts have become more prevalent and are longer in duration this year," it added.

Cebu Pacific launches special 25th anniversary credit card

Cebu Pacific surprises everyJuan on its 25th anniversary with the launch of the new Cebu Pacific Gold and Platinum Credit Cards, in partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank of the Philippines, and Visa.

Using this card will enable everyJuan to earn Go Rewards points to fly faster as cardholders will get one point for every PHP 100 spent with Cebu Pacific. If used anywhere else, one point will be earned for every PHP 200 spent. As a valued cardholder you are eligible to be a Black Card member of Go Rewards. When flying as a Black card member, you can get the preferential earn rate of 1 Go Rewards point for every PHP20 spent (for the base fare and some ancillaries) when flying with Cebu Pacific.

Cardholders will also get early alerts for CEB promo fares, and other Go Rewards, UnionBank and Visa exclusive offers.

Platinum cardholders will also gain exclusive access to Pacific Club Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 on top of a worry-free travel insurance of up to P10 million.

“We are very happy to announce this partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank, and Visa. Through this, everyJuan will now have easy access to endless value-for-money deals and rewards – whether for booking those much-awaited trips, or just buying day-to-day needs,” said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience at Cebu Pacific.

To make it even more special, those who sign up for a card starting today, September 27, 2021 until December 31, 2021, will receive Go Rewards bonus points which can be used to book a CEB flight online conveniently. A Gold cardholder will receive 5,000 points, while a Platinum cardholder will get 10,000 points.

All these points can be redeemed not just for your dream flight, but even to purchase those essentials you’ll want to take with you. These credit cards are also accepted worldwide through the accredited merchants of Visa.

 

CEB continues to offer the lowest fares on flights across its widest domestic network. To date, it operates regular flights to 32 domestic destinations which include Boracay, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Siargao.

CEB has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members, and contactless flight procedures. Its jet fleet are equipped with hospital grade HEPA air filters, keeping viruses at bay.

BB

Cebu Pacific won’t accept foreigners from countries covered by PH travel ban

by Ariel Fernandez, Manila Bulletin

The government has extended the ongoing travel ban until Jan. 31 following the detection of the new COVID-19 variant in the country.

As a result, budget carrier Cebu Pacific spokesperson Candice Iyog said they will not accept foreign nationals who originated from, transited via, or visited any of the 34 countries covered by the extended travel restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Only Filipinos will be accepted on flights from Dubai, Hong Kong, Nagoya (Japan), Singapore, and Seoul (South Korea) during this period, Iyog said.

The list of affected countries and complete details may be viewed at http://bit.ly/IATFResoNo94_011521

Passengers affected by the temporary ban may avail of any of the following options:

– Free rebooking within 90 days – waived rebooking fee and fare difference

– Full travel fund, valid for two years

– Full refund

In compliance with IATF regulations, Filipinos who wish to proceed with their travel plans will be subjected to mandatory 14-day quarantine in an accredited facility upon arrival in Manila.

Cebu Pacific said they will continue to operate its domestic and international flights as scheduled. Before going to the airport, Cebu Pacific advised passengers to check the real-time status of their flights in their website.

“We continue to work closely with the authorities and will provide updates through our website and official social media accounts as necessary,” Cebu Pacific said.

Cebu Pacific: One flight at a time

Gradual flight restart to 20 destinations 

 

Our teams are working in an agile manner to gradually rebuild our flight network. From June 8 to 30, we plan to mount flights to 20 domestic destinations. International flights remain suspended until June 30. This is a developing situation, and we continue to work with the Inter-Agency Task Force, local government units and other government authorities. 

Flight Schedule – June 8 to 30, 2020

​​​​​Flight Schedule – June 8 to 30, 2020

As of June 6, 2020; 8:00pm​

As part of the gradual rebuilding of our domestic route network, Cebu Pacific and Cebgo plan to mount the following domestic flights to 20 destinations, from June 8 to 30, 2020: 

Route/s

Period covered

Manila-Dipolog-Manila

June 8-30

Manila-Pagadian-Manila

June 8-30

Manila-Zamboanga-Manila

June 8-30

Manila-Masbate-Manila

June 9-30

Manila-Tablas-Manila

June 10-30

Manila-Davao-Manila

June 10-30

Cebu-Clark-Cebu

June 10-30

Manila-Bacolod-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Cotabato-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Dumaguete-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Iloilo-Manila

June 16-30

Manila- Boracay (Caticlan)-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Roxas-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Tacloban-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Bohol-Manila

June 16-30

Manila-Coron (Busuanga)-Manila

June 16-30

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

June 16-30

        

   These routes are on top of flights that have already restarted this week:

 

Route

Manila-Naga-Manila

Manila-Cebu-Manila

Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila

 

Flight details as well as bookings are through the website, www.cebupacificair.com.  For added flexibility, new bookings include CEB Flexi for free. This allows passengers to rebook their flights up to two times, giving peace of mind and ease to move travel dates.  Meanwhile, for passengers with existing bookings, they may rebook to any of the above-mentioned flights through the “Manage Booking” page on the website, http://bit.ly/CEBmanageflight. 

 

This is a developing situation and we will have an agile approach to rebuilding our network schedule. It may be necessary for us to add or cancel flights at last minute given the fluidity of restrictions and directives from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the Local Government Units (LGU) and other concerned government agencies.   

 

We will provide updates through our website and official social media accounts and endeavor to inform our passengers in a timely manner.  

 

We strongly urge passengers to check guidelines of the IATF, or with the LGU of origin and destination. Passengers may be asked to present proof of purpose of travel and other requirements upon entering the airport or at arrival at the destination.  

 

CEB has implemented new flexibility policies to give passengers peace of mind in the event their flights are cancelled. They have the following options:  

 

1.       Free rebooking      

Rebook to any other travel date within three (3) months. Change (rebooking) fees and fare difference are waived.      

 

   2.       Full Travel Fund      

Place the full cost of the ticket in a Travel Fund valid for one (1) year. Use the Travel Fund within one (1) year—either book a flight up to one (1) year ahead, or pay for add-ons (e.g. baggage allowance, seat selection, etc.)      

 

If the Travel Fund is not used within one (1) year, passengers can apply for a full refund.     

 

   3.       Full refund     

Processing of refunds will start after the Community Quarantine is lifted and regular work schedules resume. However, due to the unprecedented volume of requests for refunds, the process will take as long as three (3) to four (4) billing cycles.     

 

All Cebu Pacific passengers can manage their bookings online (http://bit.ly/CEBmanageflight) 

 

For more information, frequently asked questions may be found here:  http://bit.ly/CEBRestartFAQs 

Flexible flights so you can easily manage bookings online ...

 

New bookings now come with FREE CEB Flexi. With this free add-on, you can rebook flights up to two times, giving peace of mind and flexibility to move travel dates. Meanwhile, guests with existing bookings may rebook or use their travel funds to easily book flights through our website. 

Travel with peace of mind with our increased safety measures. 

 

The safety of our guests and teams remains our top priority. We've rolled out Contactless Flight guidelines, and additional safety measures such as daily extensive cleaning of aircraft and rapid antibody testing for frontliners and crew. These are based on global best practices, and adhere to the highest safety standards. 

We wish you and your family well. Let’s all work together, so #EveryJuanWillFlyAgain. 

On behalf of the entire Cebu Pacific family, 

Candice Iyog 

Vice President 

Marketing and Customer Experience 

Flight times getting longer?

My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times

EVER wondered why flight times seem to be getting longer? Yes, I do. Checking my last ticket Davao-Manila-Davao and remembering some  real flight times from the past, I wonder why.  I learned from BBC-author Kathryn B. Creedy, that it’s called "padding", a phenomenon that helps airlines arrive on time – but at a cost.

My previous flight back to Davao from Manila one hour twenty minutes. My ticket showed a "flight-time" of exactly 2 hours. I guess, it’s a secret the airlines don’t want you to know about, especially given the spillover effects for the environment.

Padding is the extra time airlines allow themselves to fly from A to B. Because these flights were consistently late, airlines have now baked delays experienced for decades into their schedules instead of improving operations. It might seem innocuous enough to the passenger – after all, what it can mean is that even though you take off late, you’re pleasantly surprised to arrive on time at your destination. Remember the final arrival announcement by the smiling stewardess last time?

Kathryn Creedy is right in saying that however, this global trend poses multiple problems: not only does your journey take longer but creating the illusion of punctuality means there’s no pressure on airlines to become more efficient, meaning congestion and carbon emissions will keep rising.

“On average, over 30% of all flights arrive more than 15 minutes late every day despite padding,” says Captain Michael Baiada, president of aviation consultancy ATH Group citing the US Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report. The figure used to be 40% but padding – not operational improvements – boosted on-time arrival rates. “By padding, airlines are gaming the system to fool you.”

So, how late is late? The ultimate goal is ‘A0’, or arrival at the gate exactly on time. If a flight is early or late, it can disrupt several other things – like gate availability and airport capacity.

To be fair, global airlines have invested billions of dollars in technologies to enable more efficient flight paths, according to industry body Airlines for America. But this has not moved the needle on delays, which are stubbornly stuck at 30%.

A lot of different things can cause a delay but Baiada believes 80% of the factors involved – like schedule, airport arrival flow queueing, aircraft availability, gate availability, maintenance and crew legality – are within the airlines’ control. But to date they have left it to air traffic control to remedy once planes are in the air.

Another option could be to reduce the number of flights – but airline flight schedules are designed to meet buyer demand. So, if there were fewer flights, fares would increase.

Well, should we give up and telling ourselves: better late than never? So what does all this mean for passengers? With airlines gaming the system, as it stands, flight times will likely increase as more and more planes take to the skies.

Fact is also that many airlines will try to make it tricky for passengers to get an eligible claim accepted. The tactic of extending flight times is yet another way to decrease a passenger’s chance of filing a claim and getting financially compensated for the hassle they have gone through.

Better late then never? I guess so.

Take off Sale ....

Hello Klaus! Manila to Maldives(via Singapore) PHP 7,472 all-in Manila to Athens (via Singapore) PHP 12,022 all-in Manila to Berlin(via Singapore) PHP 12,722 all-in

Savings, convenience, and more!

Up, Up and Away

Re-published column of mine in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR dated March 14,2014 with friendly permission of my publisher Marietta F. Siongco.

I think, I was at the age of 11 or so, when my first trip by plane took me to Holland. Later, I joined several journeys with German Foreign Aid, International YMCA and other institutions. For the first time, in 1976, I stepped on Philippine soil - just for two days only before heading to Japan. Of course (!), I flew with Philippine Airlines.

Since experiencing several negativism with other airlines during the 1980s, I kept on flying with flag carrier PAL - though really many times PLANE was ALWAYS LATE. A trip back from Davao to Manila could become a nightmare. Several times I missed by international connecting flight.

But I enjoyed the "Mabuhay Miles" as frequent flyer, especially when I observed that PAL has lowered the redemption values on selected PAL international and domestic flights. I also enjoyed treats while taking my pleasure in the comfort and luxury at selected hotels in Hong Kong or Singapore,

Today, while writing this piece, the MIRROR headlines, that PAL Express, sister company of this country's flag carrier, begins suspending most of its inter-islands domestic flights across Visayas and Mindanao. As MIRROR readers could learn via Judy Quiros' article: the Davao-Manila-Davao flights will be the only one that would remain. PAL for its part said the move is also seen to improve PAL's performance, because it is expected to save about $300 million in operating costs annually. Let's wait and see, how the improvement of PAL's performance looks like.

Sometine 2010, reports said already, that PAL mentioned weak passengerdemand mainly pulled down revenues to $1.36 billion. During that time, the airline assured stockholders and the public that it continued to look for ways of improving its financial condition and results of operations. It seems, that Philippine Airlg to ines is still on a long way from sustainable profitability.

By the way: the country's leading low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its third brandnew Airbus 330 aircraft being on service for Cebu and Davao guests especially during the now summer season. It's amazing to learn, that Cebu Pacific strengthens its domestic network with additional daily frequences from Manila to Bacolod, Zamboanga and other dometic destinations. Here is the thing: Airbus' fuel-saving technology allows to keep fares low. Just to mention one reason ... .

One more thing: I love to fly with Cebu Pacific, because mostly all flights are on time or even before arriving schedule.