Apr

Cebu Pacific Airlines is Evil!

Rai

If you are planning to go somewhere that needs to be taken by air, please, please, please be kind to yourself and save your sanity. Avoid Cebu Pacific Airlines at all costs. Well, at least until they have fixed their stupid new system.

Yesterday, April 3rd, my boyfriend’s father was supposed to arrive here in Manila from a connecting flight from Wellington, New Zealand – Sydney, Australia – Hong Kong – Manila. Out of luck, one of his flights was delayed (can’t remember which one) creating a wave of missed flights to Manila. One of these flights is from Manila to Tacloban via Cebu Pacific.

His Cebu Pacific flight was supposed to leave at 350AM April 3rd since his estimated arrival from Hong Kong to Manila is at around 1AM of the same day. Because of the delay, he arrived at Manila at 10AM, April 3rd. The long delay caused him to miss his domestic flight and this is where it all started.

My boyfriend and I decided to rebook the domestic flight the day before. That means on April 2nd, we tried to contact Cebu Pacific by phone to rebook the flight. No one was answering the phone. My boyfriend went to Megamall to one of their ticketing offices so he could rebook the flight. When he arrived there, he said that there are a lot of people waiting in line to get their tickets. When he managed to get inside after an hour of waiting, the clerk told him that they cannot rebook so he has to go to Robinson’s Galleria. It was already late so we decided to drop by the ticketing office the next day (yesterday) so we can rebook the flight to the afternoon schedule which will leave at around 5PM.

On April 3rd, he fetched his dad from the airport and went to their cousin’s house. I tried to contact Cebu Pacific (again!) but to my surprise, Verizon picked up my call. This is Verizon Wireless. The number you are trying to reach is no longer available. WTF!???? Then left for Galleria and got there at around 11AM. I was really hoping we could get a new ticket because we have plans to go to Ocean Park on the same day. Unfortunately, their office was so full of people that no one can get inside anymore. So we are already thinking that this is all screwed up! Anyway, we got a number (we are customer number 468 and they are serving customer number 220). Hungry and tired, we decided to have lunch first and come back after. It was already around 1PM when we got back and surprise, surprise! They are serving customer number 232! After over an hour has passed and only 12 people was server. We got number 468 for crying out loud! Doing the math, we will be served after 20 hours assuming that everyone waited for their turn! It was F***ING crazy! Much to my annoyance, I slipped inside to see what is happening and saw that one of the customers is holding number 8xx!

What the hell is happening!???

Their stupid excuse is that they are using new system and they are still learning how to use it. Is that even an excuse? Their phone system is not working, their ticketing office is packed with angry customers and only 4 staff are attending to customers! Sounds like customer service at its best, huh?

We are so desperate to get a ticket so we decided to buy a new one and get the first one refunded. We went to Netopia and using their awful mouse and slow PC, bought a new ticket and voila! When we checked the confirmation email, the payment status is still pending which according to their new system, is not a valid e-ticket because they have not yet confirmed the payment. So we decided to go home and hope for the best.

At around 6PM, the ticket is still on pending status. Very annoyed, we went to Megamall to confirm the status. Very helpful they were, they said that they do not confirm payment status. So we were like “OH F**K! WE GOT SCREWED BY CEBU PACIFIC!”

So since we can’t do anything and they can’t do anything either, we went home, checked again for anything from Cebu Pacific, then there it was. At around 7PM, six freaking hours after the purchase, they have finally confirmed the payment and sent the real e-ticket.

This is my worst service experience from any airline company. They are so freaking smart they decided to roll out the new system during peak season and decided to change call center company during new system launch. They are so f***ing genius.

So here’s my message to Cebu Pacific: Learn from this experience and next time, do a better job of upgrading. And oh, I WANT MY MONEY BACK!

—
The actual exam of N10-003 is somewhat similar to that of 70-431. A lot of people actually write their 350-030 as well as 642-642 before they are about to venture the N series in order to get a hang of the pattern.

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123 Comments to “Cebu Pacific Airlines is Evil!”

beth hemminger March 10, 2011 at 11:57 am
God! your article is very helpful to me!we just have the same situition going on….Cebu pacific sucks!
greg May 28, 2011 at 12:06 am
Based on what i read, you are definitely a whiner! a person that loves to complain! “Netopia’s awful mouse and slow PC” hmm.. seems a kind of person that is not easy to get contented! wtf wtf wft.. why you chose budget airline in the first place if you are expecting that their staffs will treat you as their master and will ignore those more than 200 people in front of you after you ate your lunch in a peak season? FYI, there are many reasons why your booking not immediately got confirmed, usually bank to bank traffic. I love to see more stories of people like you, people that are trying to live in a world that is full of their impossible expectations.
Edfer June 13, 2011 at 4:42 pm
It only shows that cebu paficic indeed is still the No.1 airline! kaya ang dameng tao bitter lang yan!!! paimportante!!! and hello!!! di ho biro magpobok, dame mong arte sa 5J kpa nagbook di dpat nag pal ka tanga!!!!!!!!!!!!!
chuck marks October 7, 2011 at 4:03 pm
E-mail I sent to cebu pacific customer service.
I tried to schedule a flight a couple of hours ago from CDO to MNL for my wife and child. When I input the date on the main page of cebu pacific, the date changed on the next page. I did not catch the date change until I purchased the ticket and read the itenerary. I tryed to change it online, but it sayed I need to contact cebu pacific customer service. I tried to cancel on-line with no luck either. I tried to call several times and the recording did not comprehend when I pushed the number requested. I changed phones and used a ceullar to see if it would make a difference. I had same results every time, listen to the recording and push #3. I booked a flight with another airline and tried to cancel by phone again. I finally got thru on about my 7th try. I spoke with Mr. Noah Dallardo and explained what has happened. He said the web site was working fine there but I walked thru here two times here in the US with him on the phone and it changed my date
from 2nov11 to 26nov11. There maybe a glich in the system I was so lucky to discover. Mr Dallardo told me there was no one there who can refund the full fare and I would have to request a refund by this e-mail. I have used cebu pacific many times in the past and have never had any problem. I ask that the full fare be refunded to my card and that you reply to my e-mail address.

Reply from cebu pacific customer service was a bulk e-mail with the rules of the flight reservation and to inform me there is no refund at all. Thank you cebu pacific for taking my money ($100+ and many international phone attemts) for nothing but stress in return. thank you thank you thank you
I will spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can legally to hurt this company over such a little thing like this which could have been easily taken care of.
.
Charles Marks
john v dam October 15, 2011 at 6:00 pm
I fly a lot and dont know how to discourage ANYONE in fact to take this airline if you could name it that way . Unfortunately the only positive thing i can say ( let me start with that is that when you are lucky : they fly ..!! . sofar the positive news .. and as far as I know never one crashed . So if thats enough for you …: try your luck
For the rest : they are cowboys … I could leave it to that .. but let me explain : I was at Bangkok airport one time about one year ago, had my printed confirmed and booked ticket at hand but they said to me : your credit card payment did not arrive so you have to buy a new ticket for tomorrow. After a lot of discussion because i was flabbergasted of course, one of the ladies of CPA told me in private : “I understand you sir . Actually i never fly with CPA .. its terrible “.What can you do ?? just buy a new one .
This was all one year ago . After this happening i send several decent emails to the ” contact “form at thir site : still have to get an answer ( one year later).the only thing that works at their site is the online payment .
Now my recent experience : one week ago I flew from Europe to Manila ( by Royal dutch airlines) but that flight was cancelled the day before so i missed my connective flight from Manila to Dumaguete. ( yes , had again made a booking at CPA) ..The same day my flight from europm was cancelled, I tried of course to change the flight manila – dumaguete on their ” manage booking ” link at their site : Does it surprise you it did not work ??? whatever i tried and at whatever time : no function ..seems to be phoney. I wrote of course a letter to their ” contact ” link again …now its one week later: no answer . So instead of changing my flight I could buy a new one: how a cheap cowboy-line can turn-out to be expensive. The day I arrived at manila there came the other usual surprise : the disaster of their checking-in : although their are more yellow shirts as at ANy airline at the check-i counter they have an absolute world-record in waiting .. and chaotic handdling. The check-in counter more looks like a chaotic restaurant where one staff member does not know what the other is doing…count on 7/10 minutes for each passenger to check in : I have checked it at my watch .. so .. if 10 people are in front of you: reckon on more then one hour ..so indeed you are risking to miss your plane ..but they have a ” solution” for that : planes that go very soon and because of the restaurant-handling .. there is another of the many ladies holding a shield and walking around yelling that passengers for that flight can go first . Otherwise several planes would go without a number of passengers . I know its hard to believe but you can simply check it at terminal 3 second floor at Manila airport ..
So dear readers .. : it is the way it is … cant make it more beautiful.
The cowboy-airline is so lucky they have no real competition in the Philipines ( except the more expensive Philipine airlines) and philipine people dont like to complain apparently
And last but not least : maybe the most alarming fact is that on just have to google the words ” complaints” and ” cebu ” and its all about Cebu pacific airline instead of about the city . Do i need to say more?
and : dont say its because its a third world country because they have the same aircrafts and the same equipment ( computers etc etc) as all airlines have .
Its just the “human factor”, no competition and a small bunch of cowboys filling their pockets instead of really organizing this company .
hans October 16, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Sad to say, but i had simmilar expiriences the last years! most i hate, that i can not use my (fully valid) international creditcard; which i still not understand why? i ask them many time, but never got a reply mail from cp…
“the customer is the king” is not appling here..
teray November 1, 2011 at 3:20 pm
My flatmate (we live in Hong Kong) flight was delayed for 12 hours. She stayed there at the airport whole time because no one would tell her how long the delay would be. CPA doesn’t have staff in HOng Kong, they hire concessions staff. They gave out HKD20 for a meal, the nearest fastfood resto is about 10 minute walk and cheapest is about HKD65

I booked a flight to Manila with my partner and I used my credit card (partner do not have Visa/MC). Partner has last minute work thing to do so he can’t make it. I cancelled his flight, a week in advance, got 37% refund which you will not get in CASH, instead it will be credited to your CPA account (which you will be forced to sign in if you do not have any), they call it TRAVEL FUND this is according to the Customer Service from the Philippines, yes I have to call overseas because HK telephone number and staff are useless. You have to use this Travel Fund within 90 days, otherwise say goodbye to your 37% refund.

Now here is the ridiculous part, partner is going to Manila, I told him, use CPA I will book him thru my CPA account so I can use my Travel Fund. So I did book him and when it got to the part that I want to use the Travel Fund, I was told that I need to pay HKD600 for change of name (I think it means because the booking is not under my name I should be penalize). How much is the original refund? HKD529.00
teray November 1, 2011 at 3:40 pm
FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUDGING PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT CEBU PACIFIC STRESSING THAT IT IS A BUDGET AIRLINE. BUDGET AIRLINE OR NOT, CPA IS MAKING MONEY BECAUSE OF US, WE DO NOT DEMAND UNREASONABLE TASKS, WE DEMAND TO BE TREATED FAIRLY. REFUND OUR HARDEARNED MUCH REDUCED MONEY BECAUSE OF CPA PENALTIES, BE ON TIME IF THERE’S A DELAY TELL PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE BOOKING WITH CPA ARE OFW’S, HALF A DAY DELAY OR WORSE IS SUCH AN INVCONVENIENCE BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEIR TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES BECOME SHORTER.

CEBU PACIFIC HAVE A CONSCIENCE!!!
krishna November 20, 2011 at 11:59 am
One of the worst check in experiences i ve ever had in my extensive travels. The staff in manila treat us n other passengers as cheats n theaves carrying extra baggage. The way they talk n their body language is so brash. While we ve been carrying one had bag in addition to a laptop bag (mine was less than three kgs) I was forced to pay for and check in my another bag small under their new rule that passengers can only care one bag including a laptop (that rule was only for us I think). They act like mafia and threated us that we can not fly if we dont pay in next 5 mins. I ve never had a more awful expwrience in dealing with human beings. It is almost inhuman and so uncivilised. All under the pretext of cheap flying. I am embarassed, disgusted and ashamed that I have to deal with such people and the fact that such evil companies can still grow and be sucessful i cant fathom how anyone in the service industry behave like this and get away with such behaviour. I think the least we can do is stand up for our rights and speak up at least. We guys deserve better than this. Just because they r cheap themselves they treat their clients as cheap people. I am sorry to say this and I am sorry that such companies exist in our times.
john November 25, 2011 at 11:36 am
worst airline company!!!! AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!!! unless you don’t mind arriving a day late then by all means take cebu pacific!

even their air freight cargo ’service’ is evil…..1st time i’ve heard of air cargo within the philippines on a short 1:30minute flight – can take more than 1 week to arrive airport to airport!

this company and it’s people are pure @ssholes!!!
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dimple December 6, 2011 at 7:09 pm
I’ve used CPA for years, the only bad experience I had was when the flight got delayed from Singapore to Manila. It was like more than 1 hour of waiting, and the only reason was they were waiting for a certain passenger. I mean, is that even acceptable?
Anyway, I would understand if they can’t give you the BEST Concierge-like service, they are a budget airline anyway. . .
BTW, my husband and I booked a ticket online from Cebu Pacific as well. I’m optimistic that we won’t experience anything terrible like what some of you had experienced.
God speed CEBU PACIFIC. There is always room for improvement.
shimz manaois December 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm
hi guys. i am writing a letter of complaint to dotc and dti or even the office of the president and congress regarding CPA’s inefficiencies and abusive regulations. i also had similar terrible episodes with cebu pacific and the latest one happened yesterday when my flight to the province was cancelled and they can’t rebook me within december because they said all flights are booked in december. they have also this regulation that booked or purchased tickets are non-refundable. i hope you guys can also provide me with at least your email addresses because more voices are better than one. i hope concerned authorities will look into this.

thanks,
shimz
david portman January 3, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Cebu Pacific will not accept my visa from the 2nd largest bank in Canada!
I had booked and paid in cash for a ticket for my wife.When I got the ticket her name was
miss speled.They would not change the tcket,I had to buy a new one.I never got a refund.
Cebu air has been taking lessons from the Mafia!
SOPHIA January 9, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Oh Gosh!!! Terrible experience about CEBU Pacific….!!!!! They must learn about their STUPID policy in TICKET REFUND…
I booked the ticket for the daughter(elementary student) of my korean boss, then suddenly they got some problem in Korean so they did not come here and i cancelled the ticket for refund. They asked the “original passport and 2 valid I.Ds of each passenger, then we called to Korean to send the original passport (imagine huh, sending the original passport is so much hassle) then we got it. Then we went to Ticketing Office in Galleria to claim the refund and with the requirements that they told us for refund, hoping that we could finish the transaction on that day.,..but GOSH!!!! They are asking again for another documents from Korea!!!!!
Holy S***…!!!!! Before we go to the Office, we assured that all of our requirements are valid and complete….!!!!! And again<<<<<<!!!!!!!
Wow,,,, what kind of policy they have!!!! STUPID policy!!!!!
josa January 10, 2012 at 5:38 pm
The worst thing that I encountered in this airline is when my flight was delayed, people along with me who patiently waited for our flight stared at me as if i were a superstar. What’s annoying is that most of the eyes darted on me were from men.

I blushed. I think less beautiful people take CPA while Goddesses like me take PAL.
Kent_ignore January 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm
One person here is dreaming… Goddess come on…. goddess beauty don’t fade let see your in a few years… any ways i been using Cebu Pacific for a long time and its just fine with me or may be im just lucky… good luck to you all…
Kent_ignore January 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm
One person here is dreaming… Goddess come on…. goddess beauty don’t fade let see your’s in a few years… any ways i been using Cebu Pacific for a long time and its just fine with me or may be i’m just lucky… good luck to you all…
Kristin January 13, 2012 at 11:04 am
to those of you who had bad experiences with Cebu Pacific, may I request that you upload your feedback onto their facebook page, as it will no doubt reached a wider audience and warn the rest of the world against using them if they have a choice.

this airline had screwed me around and I dont think there is any resolution in sight, how can 2 representatives from the same airline give out contradicting information? one told me that they will refund my tickets back to my credit card, and in good faith I believed her and went ahead to pay for other travel arrangements, only to call back and be told by another that it is a refund is impossible! In some countries this is consider a criminal act by means our fraud and it can be reported to the police, is it the same case in the Philippines? I had so far not been able to get any response from the airline, and attempts to speak to someone in charge such as a manager had been to no avail. If this is another airline, I am confident a manager would have already reach out to me and try and resolve the issue…I had never felt so victimised before….also lodge a complain with the Civil Aeronautics Board – quite sure this is not going to produce any result as well….so for all of you who are frustrated with the airline, flood their facebook, we need to be heard. And if anyone of you are considering suing the airline, maybe we can look at a class suit – mental distress is a serious by product of the stress Cebu Pacific put us through
ronald January 27, 2012 at 1:52 pm
I did a rant on Cepac in 2009. Check this link: http://calbayogevents.blogspot.com/2009/08/cebu-pacific-sucks.html
admin January 27, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@greg

Booking flights from a budget airline does not mean they can treat everyone like shit and get away with it. We are not demanding royal treatment from Cebu Pac. If there are rules and regulations and the customers were informed beforehand of such regulations, then we would have accepted it that way. And besides, we are *paying* customers. We are not beggars, so we definitely have the right to be choosers.
admin January 27, 2012 at 2:26 pm
@Edfer

It’s not like I can choose a flight number.

Now that you mention it, next time I fly CebuPac, I’ll ask them not to put me in any 5J flight.

Oh, wait, they said I can’t choose my flight number, because they said each flight has their assigned flight number. What a dumb airline! I want my flight number to be 888JJJAAJSMXSJHA&!^@*!@^($!12J and they’re sayingI can’t do that! F**K THEM!

Which leads me to this question: How come you seem to know what 5J means? Do you work for CebuPac? Better pray CebuPac doesn’t follow suit with what PAL did to their employees.
Krishna January 27, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Honestly, dealing with cebu pacific changed my whole perception about philippines. As to how soft, polite, less cunning and nice the people are. My perception is far more balanced now. I am amazed at how consistant they are at providing awful service.The problem is that, for some reason, filipino clients are in generaly too tolerant and do not like to confront. Such companies can only survive in an environment like this. With the values that they have (as manifested in reality), they should have long been out of business and may be inside a jail or a rehab centre for showing such apathy towards customers and having such cunning policies.