Budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air announced today that it has permanently removed rebooking fees, allowing passengers to change their travel details as often as they want.
Wowza!
A statement released by the local airline said that it was one way to bring back Pinoys’ passion for travel.
Read: Philippine Airlines to retrench 2,300 workers as COVID decimates travel industry
“In a recent survey we conducted, flexibility remains to be one of the considerations of our passengers when deciding to travel again. Because of this, we are removing our change fee effective immediately,” Candice Iyog, the company’s vice president for marketing and customer experience, said.
“As we work on rebuilding our network and supporting domestic tourism, we will continue to listen to our passengers so we can make it even more convenient for Everyjuan (every one) to fly again,” she added.
But here’s the fine print: Iyog said that “a minimal fare difference” will still apply during rebooking.
The airline industry suffered tremendous losses due to the restrictions imposed by various governments to control the spread of COVID-19. Cebu Pacific laid off hundreds of people in 2020, while flag carrier Philippine Airlines will retrench 2,300 workers this month to stay afloat.
Read: PH gov’t wants to remove COVID-19 test as requirement for local travelers
The International Air Transport Association, an organization of the world’s leading airlines, predicts that the aviation industry will recover from the pandemic in 2024. The number of passengers traveling by plane is expected to increase by 62% this year but it will still be significantly lower than what was recorded in 2019.
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