THE novel coronavirus outbreak has forced some airlines to cancel flights while others have reduced their flight frequencies.
Do you know what to do in case your flight gets cancelled and you are already at the airport?
As an airline passenger, know that you are protected by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Air Passenger Bill of Rights.
One, is the right to compensation and amenities. The air carrier is obligated to provide the passenger with sufficient refreshments, hotel accommodation, transportation from airport to the hotel, free phone calls, texts or emails, and first aid, if necessary.
Furthermore, the passenger must be reimbursed of the value of the fare, including taxes and surcharges, or endorsed to another air carrier or rebooked to the next flight available without additional charge.
If the cancellation or delay is beyond the control of the airline, or in the event of force majeure or unforeseen circumstances like natural disasters, accidents, operational, safety and/or security reasons, strikes or other similar causes like the virus outbreak, passengers may have their ticket fares reimbursed, or tickets rebooked.
However, according to the CAB, air carriers aren’t required to cover other relevant charges and fees.
In cases like these, budget carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) said it will provide passengers any of the two options at no additional cost: Rebook flights for travel to the next available flight within 30 days from original departure date; or apply for the creation of a Travel Fund, which should be used by the passenger to pay for bookings within 90 days from the date of its creation.
As soon as a flight is cancelled, passengers may rebook, or request for a refund or travel fund by approaching the CEB check-in counter at the airport or by calling CEB’s reservation hotlines +(632)7020-8000; or visiting its ticket offices.
For more details, refer to https://www.cab.gov.ph/m/news/866-air-passenger-bill-of-rights. (CSL)