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CB Airlines and Air Travel Review of PAL Online booking
PAL Online booking

PAL Online booking review: Disallowed Rebooking / Refund 5

J
Author of the review
5:23 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I bought a round trip Mla-Dvo-Mla online ticket #[protected] last July 18, 2010 and I requested for its re-booking to another date or refund as I am sick and I cannot take the flight to Davao as scheduled.

I was informed that I cannot have it re-booked nor refunded and that I simply must take the flight otherwise the amount I paid for the ticket will be forfeited by PAL.

I find this condition highly onerous and insensitive. I cannot take the flight to Davao as scheduled simply because I do not feel well as I am sick. Can one predict when one will get sick? ? ? When I bought the ticket I never expected I will get sick on the day or prior to the day of my scheduled flight to Davao. Why penalize me for getting sick? In the same manner, when PAL cancels flights or subjects its passengers to long delays, can one penalize PAL for it? Is PAL willing to pay its passengers for the lost business opportunity?

Justice demands fairness and I am appealing to your sense of fairness to allow me either to re-book my trip or refund me the amount I paid PAL in full as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Jovito Hizon, Jr.

Update by Jovito Hizon Jr.
Aug 17, 2010 12:31 am EDT

There must be a law against onerous contracts. This is a clear example of a one-sided contract. The reason PAL offers promo tickets is to attract passengers to take PAL instead of other airlines. But in all business offers, fairness must be observed. If PAL passengers are expected to understand and forgive PAL for cancellation and or delay in flight schedules, which is a common with PAL to say the least, PAL must also accept valid reasons for failure of a passenger to take its scheduled flight.

I would not mind if I failed to cancel my flight early enough to allow PAL to sell my seat to other passengers. But if PAL sold my seat to another passenger, which I am sure they did, then PAL is obligated to refund to me the amount I paid in full. Why should PAL enjoy the best of both worlds.

Your statement "they take a chance thinking "Nothing will happen. I'm going to take this flight." applies to PAL as well when it cancels or delays flights for reasons beyond their control. Do passengers have any recourse against PAL for lost business opportunities of passengers caused by cancellation or delay of PAL's scheduled flights? Where is justice in this regard.

Unless PAL can show proof that they "lost" the seat I bought, it is but fair that I get a full refund. Otherwise, I will demand for justice at whatever cost for the principle behind the issue. In the meantime, I will just have to share to everyone and, I mean to everyone, the lesson learned from this experience which is never to buy PAL promo tickets at anytime, anywhere.

Update by Jovito Hizon Jr.
Aug 17, 2010 9:38 pm EDT

You will please note that my request is either for re-booking or refund. Why can you not allow me to re-book my flight? You have regular flights to and from Davao anyway. Your argument regarding losing a ticket to a basketball game because your child got sick does not hold water because in my case I got sick and not my child. You could have gone to see the game because you were not sick but you decided not to. I could not, although I wanted to, because I was sick. You see the difference.

You admitted "Your arguments make sense, however they are still not valid..". I have not yet come to the point of questioning the legality of your rules. I am merely appealing to your sense of fairness. There is always an opportunity to bend the rules in favor of fairness. It is a fact that people can get away with sanction or punishment by claiming that they have not done anything illegal. But the question that must answered is, is it moral? It it fair not to have my ticket re-booked? PAL is in the business of public service and offering promo fares is a business decision to attract more passengers. But, do you have to change the rules completely? I would accept the no rerouting and no refund issues but, why can't you allow re-booking? If the promo flight is not available on that particular date, then, by all means, bill me the regular fares and collect the difference. This is within the concept of fairness. There has got to be some exceptions to the rules like when one is sick or when one is prohibited by law to travel.

As I have said earlier, PAL is in the business of public service and if you intend to continue to stay in business profitably, PAL must improve your service by not cancelling or delaying flight schedules and addressing the concerns of ticket holders with fairness, be it promo fares or not. As I have said, if you lost my 2 way seat because I did not notify PAL on time, I have no case against you.

Update by Jovito Hizon Jr.
Sep 26, 2010 9:42 pm EDT

Thanks for supporting my request for a re booking. PAL cannot be so dense as to disregard service and see only money in all its actions. PAL must be fair in all its undertakings otherwise PAL will not survive in this highly competitive industry.

Update by Jovito Hizon Jr.
Oct 29, 2010 10:52 am EDT

PAL should adopt a customer friendly policy to stay in business otherwise, sooner than later, it will be out of the air line business.

PAL SHOULD RUN ITS BUSINESS FAIR AND JUST!

5 comments
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kullay
, PH
Feb 28, 2012 2:51 am EST

Guys, that is really the reality of Pal, other thing was why would pal ask some security guard to check your passport before you enter the plane. as if they are immigration officer, checking the boarding pass is accepted but to check your passport ? you are not suppose to do that. its only pal who is allowing this kind of thing and its annoying to all people entering the plane. I'm talking international flight here. cause this was happened to me and you know what? i was being off loaded and the fact that they cannot rebook my ticket nor refund cause that is their policy. I did mention to them that the plane staff who where the one off loaded me but still i did get nothing and nothing at all. so Pal my goodness listen to your customer be kind to us.

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Nestor Villalon
Coquitlam, CA
Mar 12, 2011 10:59 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have already cancelled my tiket through Pal call center. I would like to request for a refund, my cofirmation CUDEMF,
my tiket number [protected]. Please transfer my refund through my credit card.

Thanks,
Nestor B.Villalon

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Maricon S. Quisio
, PH
Oct 30, 2010 12:19 am EDT

I would like to ask refund for the ticket that i sold for my husband because his flight schedule from Japan was delayed so I need to rebook his ticket but he have not yet a fix schedule. So please... can you facilitate my refund through my credit card.I bought this ticket from online booking.I hope my request will be granted.Thanks a lot in advance.

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Willy David Jr
, PH
Oct 29, 2010 10:15 am EDT

Hi guys,

This is the same way I encounter. I am booked for November 16-November 22 from Manila to Cebu. But I got invited today by my close business partner for a wedding in November 20, 2010. With this, I need to resched my flight a day before November 20. But I cannot find any links on how to do this even on the confirmation booking email I received from PAL. To bad for a loyal customer of PAL.

Best regards,
Willy David Jr
http://www.cashflowphilippines.com

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knights
, CA
Sep 25, 2010 2:19 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I agree with Jovito Hizon. PAL is a service company, but I can see no service here at all only a loop hole which they are taking advantage of in order to make money. Why do a promo and yet being so strict with your conditions? In most cases, promo fares are offered but with a limited number of times for re-booking or rescheduling usually 3 times regardless of reasons. No refund is allowed. However, not allowing to re-book or reschedule for the first time even with a valid reason, is totally incomprehensible. PAL is not running a scam, is it? So, why not allow a re-booking? It is not a refund, but a rescheduling.

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