Nancy Binay expects fewer flight issues after CebuPac, PAL grilling
BINAY OPENS INQUIRY ON AIR TRAVEL MESS: Sen. Nancy Binay presides over the public hearing of the Committee on Tourism on numerous passenger complaints about the services offered by airline corporation Cebu Pacific and other air travel companies. In her opening statement during the inquiry Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Binay highlighted the important role of airline businesses in helping revive the country’s tourism industry, but persistent issues and mismanagement hiccups in air transportation continue to dampen efforts to further promote Philippine tourism. “Aside from the power outages in our airports, airline passengers continue to complain of overbooking, offloading and booking glitches against Cebu Pacific and other airlines,” Binay said. The senator also said airline companies and relevant government agencies should identify the core problems to come up with doable solutions and implement the same as soon as possible. “It can’t always be the passengers who consistently adjust. It looks like they are now numb to the plight and complaints of passengers. Our people deserve better,” Binay added in a mix of English and Filipino. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay is anticipating reduced flight cancellations and overbooking incidents by local airlines as they promised to improve services.
On Thursday, the lawmaker said she would check Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines (PAL)’s promise during Wednesday’s joint inquiry of the Senate committees on tourism and public services to ensure smooth booking and boarding in the next Senate session.
“Sa susunod na hearing, titignan natin kung nagkaroon ng improvement sa serbisyo na ibinibigay nila. Mukhang magbabawas na po sila ng mga flight, kumbaga kung ano lang ang kaya nilang ibigay sa ating mga kababayan ay ‘yun lang ang ibibenta nilang flight,” Binay, who heads the committee, said in an interview over DZMM TeleRadyo.
(In the next hearing, we will see if there has been an improvement in their service. It seems they will reduce flights, meaning they will only offer or sell flights they can fulfill.)
READ: Senators confront CebuPac with 3,000 flyer complaints
“Since magbabawas na sila ng ibebenta nilang upuan sa flights, hopefully, ay mabawasan na itong pag cancel o pag-overbook ng airlines natin,” Binay added.
(Since they will reduce the number of seats they will sell on flights, hopefully, it will reduce the cancellation or overbooking of our airlines.)
Various passenger complaints about overbooking, offloading, flight delays, and cancellations by the local airlines prompted the Senate probe.
During the hearing, both Cebu Pacific and PAL admitted that their operations have been affected by the global shortage of spare parts for some planes. Cebu Pacific said the issues are “further worsening the situation and causing additional delays in aircraft deliveries.”
READ: Cebu Pacific sorry for ‘disruptions’, vows to resolve ‘challenges’
Binay found that airlines exacerbate problems by overbooking, having poor customer service, and cancellations and reservation errors.
“Masyado silang nag-digitalize [to the point] na nawala na ang human touch, [samantalang] ang gusto lang naman ng ating mga kababayan ay tao mismo ang nagpapaliwanag sa mga pasahero kung bakit na-cancel ang flight o kung bakit hindi sila makakasakay,” she also said.
(They have digitized too much [to the point] that the human touch has disappeared, [while] all our fellow countrymen want is a human being to explain to the passengers why the flight was canceled or why they cannot board.)
