PLEASE ADDRESS MY SITUATION‏
From: Michelle Yango (michelle_yango@hotmail.com)
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:02:51 PM
To: customerservice@cebupacificair.com
MR. HENRY IVAN GAW,

LAST 17 SEPTEMBER 2009, A CERTAIN JAY SABIO (OR SAVIO) CALLED ME AT THE OFFICE, INFORMING ME THAT YOU INSTRUCTED HIM TO TALK TO ME TO TRY TO SHED LIGHT ON MY PROBLEM. I REITERATED TO HIM THAT I AM NOT AMENABLE TO A REFUND OF MY MONEY OR A RESCHEDULING TO ANOTHER DATE OF MY BUSUANGA-MANILA FLIGHT ON 2 DECEMBER 2009 (ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED AT 2:55 PM WHICH CEBU PACIFIC HAS MOVED TO 11:05 AM). MR. SABIO/SAVIO PROMISED TO RELAY MY DEMAND (either that the original flight be retained, or that cebu pacific purchase me and ana lisa soriano new tickets with other airlines which has an afternoon flight on the same day) TO HIS SUPERIOR (YOU, I SUPPOSE), AND GET BACK TO ME TO RIGHT AWAY. UNTIL NOW, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM. HE EVEN HAD THE AUDACITY TO SAY THAT YOUR OFFICE’S TELEPHONE NUMBER (2905271) IS VERY MUCH ACTIVE, AND THAT IT WAS EVEN THE NUMBER HE USED IN CALLING ME. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I HAVE BEEN CALLING THIS NUMBER EVERYDAY (DIALING AT LEAST 15 TIMES A DAY) SINCE 7 SEPTEMBER 2009 UNTIL BEFORE WRITING THIS LETTER. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY SINGLE LUCK GETTING THRU.

I AM TIRED OF WAITING FOR AN UPDATE. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AND ANA LISA HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR OUR DIVE ACCOMODATIONS AT BUSUANGA FOR THE WHOLE DAY OF 1 DECEMBER 2009. TO MAKE US FLY AT 11 AM ON 2 DECEMBER WOULD BE TO DEPRIVE US OF 2 PAID FOR DIVES IN THE AFTERNOON OF 1 DECEMBER.

WHY DO YOU CALL YOUR DEPARTMENT CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT ANYWAY? NO ONE CAN GET TO YOU EXCEPT THRU EMAILS. ALL YOUR NUMBERS ARE NOT IN OPERATION (2905271/2905272). BE DECENT ENOUGH TO ADDRESS MY CONCERN. YOU CANT EXPECT ME TO JUST WAIT AND LET THIS MATTER HANG OVER MY HEAD. I WORK EVERYDAY, AND THE LEAST I NEED IS ANYMORE CONCERNS REGARDING MY WELL-PLANNED VACATION. WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO WITH ME? JUST DISMISS ME AND EXPECT ME TO GET TIRED FOLLOWING UP? MALAKING KABASTUSAN NAMAN YAN DIBA?

I WAS RAISED TO BE RESPECTFUL, BUT YOUR CONTUMACIOUS REFUSAL TO ADDRESS MY CONCERN REALLY GETS TO ME. IN FACT, I HAD ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH YOUR ERRATIC SCHEDULE CHANGING LAST 11 SEPTEMBER 2009. MY ORIGINAL FLIGHT TO BORACAY WAS AT 7:20 AM. THAT TRIP WAS A GIFT TO MY MOTHER. I WAS ONLY INFORMED THAT THE SAID FLIGHT WAS MOVED TO 9:30 AM WHEN I WAS ALREADY AT THE CHECK-IN COUNTER. IMAGINE MAKING ME AND MY ELDERLY MOTHER WAIT FOR 3.5 HOURS FOR A DOMESTIC FLIGHT WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE!

FOR YOUR READY REFERENCE, HEREUNDER IS A COPY OF MY FIRST EMAIL.

XXX XXX XXX

UNACCEPTABLE BUSUANGA-MANILA FLIGHT SCHEDULE CHANGE‏
From: Michelle Yango (michelle_yango@hotmail.com)
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 2:19:02 PM
To: customerservice@cebupacificair.com

ATTENTION: MR. HENRY IVAN GAW

Mr. Gaw,

This is to bring to your attention my present dillemma regarding the sudden, unaaceptable, unwaranted, and unsolicited change of schedule which cebu pacific has effected on my Busuanga-Manila flight on 2 December 2009.

Yesterday morning, via text, i got a message that my flight at 2:55 pm from Busuanga to Manila on 2 December 2009 will be moved to an earlier time, 11:05 am of the same date. Before calling your reservations office (7020888), i checked your website for the grounds or reasons you may possible invoke to justify the change. This is what’s stated there:

9.2 Cancellations and Change of Schedule
At any time after a booking has been made we may change our schedules and/ or cancel, terminate, divert, postpone, reschedule or delay any flight where we reasonably consider this to be justified by circumstances beyond our control or for reasons of safety or security.
In the event of such flight cancellation, we shall at our option, either:

a) rebook you on the next available flight without additional charge; or

b) offer to refund your Ticket;

The foregoing constitutes your sole remedy against us for such circumstances.

Wanting to know the real reason why my schedule is being changed, i called your office (7020888) and was able to talk to a certain “reema.” she told me that the reason for the schedule change is because the aircraft which is scheduled for my intended flight is/will be undergoing maintenance. i called 2 more times and was given the same reason. (a certain dave received my call today – 7 september 2009) what they didn’t know was that i checked the flights on the weekends before and after december 2. surprisingly, on nov. 28, 29, 30, and dec. 4, the available flights were two. One in the morning (11:05 am, just like the new schedule being given to me), and another in the afternoon (at 2:55 pm, the time i had reserved). now, how is it possible that the aircraft which is claimed to be under maintenance on dec. 1, 2, and 3 will be flying on nov. 28, 29, 30, and dec. 4? Obviously, cebu pacific just mereged the afternoon flight with the morning flight probably because not too many people bought the afternoon flight.

Please know that taking the morning flight you are suggesting is unacceptable to me. i am a diver and i have already made specific dive arrangements until the afternoon of 1 december 2009. if i take the morning flight, i will have to be done diving before noon of 1 december 2009. i am a very hardworking individual with a very tight schedule who can only take occassional travels and vacations. EVERY MINUTE OF MY VACATION COUNTS. everything had already been arranged and i will not allow it to be ruined by your airline’s inept service. the sad thing is, before i got that flight, i was actually thinking of getting PAL roundtrip (im going to Busuanga via PAL), but i opted to fly with you on my return to manila because i didnt want to reach manila during the rush hour (PAL’s return schedule is 4:30 pm). what a mistake i committed.

Just so you know, before i emailed you, i was given several contact numbers. i was even given the numbers of your department (2905272 or 2905271, given by reema and dave and the lady who answered me at 8539872). but for 2 straight days now, i cant seem to get through. your numbers are not even ringing! i highly doubt if these are correct.

What really gets to me is the fact that we both know that this is a waste of both our time. I suppose your superiors, or your legal department for that matter, know perfectly well that your airlne cannot just refuse to do good on a valid contract it had entered into with its paying passengers. that is a breach! i may have taken advantage of a good deal when i bought the tickets on sale, but that does not mean that you can alter the terms of the tickets just because i paid very little. why offer it in the first place??? and mind you, while this is the first time for me, i know of several people whose flights have been delayed in the past for 5 hours, or whose boracay trips have been shortened for 6 hours because of your airline’s erratic schedule changing. i even have friends from the province who were not able to make it to a pre-wedding dinner here in manila. i don’t want to appear as a difficult customer. but it’s about time that you do something about this. have you read the hundreds of blogs and comments in the net about your airline’s inept service?

PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS EMAIL IS MY LAST RESORT BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT YOU, MR. GAW, ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN ADDRESS MY CONCERN. WE (MICHELLE YANGO & ANA LISA SORIANO WITH FLIGHT CONFIRMATION NO. T9F1XG) ARE ONLY AMENABLE TO BE GIVEN THE SAME SCHEDULE, OR BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER AIRLINE WHICH OFFERS AN AFTERNOON FLIGHT (LIKE PAL), OF COURSE, AT YOUR EXPENSE. WE ARE NOT AMENABLE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A DIFFERENT DATE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK. WE WILL LIKEWISE NOT AGREE ON A REFUND BECAUSE THE MONEY YOU WILL BE GIVING BACK WILL NOT BE ENOUGH FOR NEW TICKETS. I HOPE WE CAN COME TO MUTUAL TERMS TO AVOID ANY INCONVENIENCE OR HASSLE WHICH WE MAY BE RESTRAINED TO PURSUE TO PROTECT OUR INTERESTS AND RIGHTS. AS I HAVE NO MEANS TO CONTACT YOU OTHER THAN THIS EMAIL, I WILL HIGHLY BE EXPECTING A RESPONSE WITHIN THE SOONEST TIME POSSIBLE. HERE ARE MY CONTACT NUMBERS:

hi guys!

i’m just like all of you, someone not spared from the inefficient and unprofessional service of cebu pacific.

apart from the numerous delays i’ve had in more than half of the flights i took with cebu pacific, the last incident which really made me snap involves my palawan flight for december (which i booked and paid for as early as may). just this morning, i received a message via text informing me that my flight for december 2, 2009 at 2:55 p.m. from busuanga to manila will be moved to 11:05 a.m. of the same date. while a difference of 4 hours may be nothing to most people, it is really a big thing for me. i am a diver and i have already made dive arrangements for 1 december. if i will have to fly at 11 am on 2 december, i have to be done diving before lunch on 1 december. it’s a must that divers allow a certain number of hours to pass by before getting on a plane after diving.

So after getting that message, i went to their website and checked out their policy on flight sched changing. this is what’s stated:

9.2 Cancellations and Change of Schedule
At any time after a booking has been made we may change our schedules and/ or cancel, terminate, divert, postpone, reschedule or delay any flight where we reasonably consider this to be justified by circumstances beyond our control or for reasons of safety or security.

Wanting to know what the reason is behind the sudden change in schedule, i called up cebu pacific (7020888). a certain “reema” accepted the call. after telling her what my problem is, she said that keeping the original schedule, as per my request, is impossible because THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE SAID SCHEDULE IS ALLEGEDLY (OR WILL BE) UNDER MAINTENANCE.

HAD REEMA GIVEN ME A MORE PLAUSIBLE EXCUSE, I WOULD NOT HAVE BLOWN MY TOP OFF. WHAT SHE DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT I CHECKED THE AVAILABLE FLIGHTS FROM BUSUANGA TO MANILA ON THE WEEKENDS BEFORE AND AFTER MY SCHEDULE AND ON SAID DATES, THE AVAILABLE FLIGHTS WERE TWO. ONE IN THE MORNING (11:05 am, just like the schedule she was giving me), AND ANOTHER IN THE AFTERNOON (at 2:55 pm, the time i had reserved). AFTER ASKING HER HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHE CLAIMS WOULD BE UNDER MAINTENANCE ON 2 DECEMBER (A WEDNESDAY)WOULD BE FLYING ON NOV. 28, 29, 30, AND DEC. 4, SHE GAVE ME ANOTHER NUMBER (8539872) TO CALL. WHEN I CALLED THAT NUMBER, I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER NUMBER(2905271-72), WHICH, UNTIL NOW, IS “TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE.”

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE AN EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT MAN TO DECIPHER THAT THE REASON WHY THE AFTERNOON FLIGHT IS BEING CANCELLED IS BECAUSE NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE BOUGHT IT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE AFTERNOON FLIGHT WILL BE MERGED WITH THE MORNING FLIGHT SO THEY CAN SAVE ON FUEL, NEVER MIND THE HASSLE AND INCONVENIENCE IT WILL CAUSE ME.

MY POINT IS, WHY OFFER IT IN THE FIRST PLACE????? WHAT RIGHT HAVE YOU TO JUST NOT DO GOOD ON A PERFECLY VALID CONTRACT YOU ENTERED INTO WITH PAYING PASSENGERS? IS IT BECAUSE WE BOUGHT THE TICKETS ON SALE???? WE MAY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF A GOOD DEAL WHEN WE BOUGHT THOSE SALE TICKETS, PERO HINDI KAMI MGA PATAY-GUTOM NA PWEDE NYONG LOKO-LOKOHIN DAHIL SA MURA LANG ANG IBINAYAD NAMIN.

I HAVE YET TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESOLVE THIS DILEMMA. I WILL NOT AGREE TO FLYING THAT EARLY (11:05) AND LET CEBU PACIFIC RUIN MY VACATION. I WILL LIKEWISE NOT AGREE TO A REFUND BECAUSE THE MONEY THEY WILL GIVE ME BACK WILL NOT BE ENOUGH FOR A NEW TICKET WITH PAL. I WILL DEMAND THAT THEY PURCHASE ME A PAL TICKET WHICH HAS AN AFTERNOON FLIGHT. MABUTI NA LANG, I’M FLYING VIA PAL FROM MANILA TO BUSUANGA!

cc:

MR. GOKONGWEI (VIA EMAIL)

xxx xxx xxx

September 21st, 2009 michelle yango says:

before anything else, please read my comment dated 6 September 2009. it is necessary for you to understand where all this anger and irritation are coming from.

anyway, as luck would have it, i had another dose of cebu pacific’s rotten service. last september 11, i, together with my mother and friends, flew to boracay. our flight was supposed to be at 7:20 am. so i woke my elderly mother up at 4:00 to give her ample time to prepare. we reached the airport at 5:45. upon checking in, we were informed to wait for further announcements as there was news that our flight will be delayed. with my frail mother by my side, i tried to contain all my angst and opted to just shut my mouth up.

alas, around 7am, the news was official. our flight was moved to 9:30.

that boracay trip was my gift to my mom. it’s just so frustrating that everything started so wrong. imagine me having to wake an elderly at 4 am just to make her wait for 3.5 hours for a DOMESTIC FLIGHT??!!??

cebu pacific, what do people need to do and say to make you take action? HURTFUL WORDS DON’T EVEN GET TO YOU ANYMORE. the investments you made on your new planes are all WORTHLESS as your service is terrible. you hear me? TERRIBLE!?!? you might as well get out of the airline business because you are just a waste of airport space. you shame the whole country to foreign tourists. you are no different from public utility buses/jeepneys who will only speed off if their vehicles are already full. you RARELY fly on schedule. next time, you might as well provide us with your final schedule first so we can work around it.

just in case you’re wondering why i still fly via cebu pacific, i made the mistake of buying several sale tickets online months ago.

i don’t normally resort to ranting. when something dissatisfies me, i want it addressed. i am writing here because i have no other relief. i already emailed mr. gokongwei, even mr. henry gaw of the customer service department. no response until now. what even angers me more is that NONE of the FIVE telephone numbers of the customer service department given to me works. isn’t that odd?

September 23rd, 2009

Btw, I just did the same expirement you did above though for just 1 trip and actually got a less expensive quote from PAL, with 15kg of baggage to boot. The quote I got from CebuPac was for their GoLite promo and it was even 150php more expensive. Makes me rethink my earlier belief that PAL is the more expensive of the two.

The only downside here is that PAL terminal is bit farther from my house than NAIA 3. Maybe I’ll next need a quote on taxi fare in order to decide which of them really offers the bext value for me. hmmm.