Cebu Pacific
IT’S a key part of any airline’s strategy – overbook flights to compensate for passengers who fail to turn up at the airport. However outrage from would-be passengers denied seats as a result has sparked a ban against the practice in the Philippines.
With the ban set to come in place on June 15, furious airlines have launched an appeal against the decision, saying it will severely damage their business model.
With the ban, airlines that fail to deliver seats to paying passengers will be fined 5000 pesos ($116) for each person bumped off a flight, on top of the ticket refund.
“There is a strong public outcry against these services,” Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla told AFP.
“Of course if there is recurrent practice and bad faith it (an airline’s operating licence) can be suspended or worse. It depends on the magnitude of violations.”
Driven mainly by cheaper fares, Philippine airline traffic has grown at double-digit pace in four of the past five years, including a 12 per cent rise last year to 34.5 million passengers, according to Arcilla.
Budget carrier Cebu Pacific, the country’s largest airline by revenue and fleet size, said it would appeal the ban, arguing it would have to raise fares by at least 10 per cent to comply.
“Low fares, a social equaliser and the growth catalyst that has seen millions of people fly for the first time – and keeps them flying – will be history,” it said in a statement.
Cebu Pacific also said overbooking was “industry practice” for airlines, as well as hotels, ships and trains, around the world.
Australian airlines such as Virgin Australia and Qantas offer “incentives” or compensation for those bumped from an overbooked flight including a seat on another flight.
For more interesting articles to help you improve your Aviation English please visit http://aviationenglish.com and LIKE our Facebook Page.
.jpg "Workplace English Campaign")