Flying back to the Philippines used to be the “nightmare before Christmas” for most OFWs. Transport secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has promised to issue the Bill of Rights for air travel before Christmas in the hopes of providing a comprehensive solution to customer complaints.
Abaya said he will push to have the bill of rights signed and implemented before Christmas to benefit more people, especially balikbayans. The last quarter of the year is when OFWs return to the country to celebrate Christmas with their families and loved ones.
The proposed Bill of Rights will be jointly issued by the DOTC, Department of Trade and Industry and the Civil Aeronautics Board and will cover denial of boarding, flight delay, flight cancellation, off-loading of baggage, overbooking, advertisement of promotional and regular fares, re-fundability and re-bookability of fares, death and bodily injury, and express lane for persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
According to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), air passengers filed 81 complaints last year, higher than the 77 in 2010. In the first quarter of this year alone, CAB received 21 complaints from irate passengers.
The complaints ranged from demands for a refund; unfair practices/negligence of personnel; 1cancelled flights; delayed flights, denied boarding or lost luggage; and misleading advertisement, Interaksyon.com reported.
