A new bill filed in the House of Representatives proposes uniform rules for refunding and rebooking flight tickets across all airlines during natural disasters or pandemics.

Filed by the Makabayan bloc, House Bill 8556 seeks to require all airlines to give passengers the option to avail of a refund, rebook or deposit to a travel fund in case flights booked in advance are canceled due to a travel ban, health emergency or a prolonged natural calamity.

The proposed Pandemic Airfare Relief Act, first filed in the 18th Congress, aims to protect passengers during massive flight cancellations, recognizing how the recent COVID-19 pandemic significantly restricted travel and impacted the rights of consumers.

"During times of natural disasters or pandemics, airline passengers are among the most vulnerable. They are often left stranded and unsure of what their rights are when it comes to refunds and rebooking of their flights,' said Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers), who filed the measure with Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women's Party) and Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist).

According to the bill's explanatory note, the measure is meant to update the Air Passenger Bill of Rights to hold airlines accountable for the impact of air travel disruptions on passengers by requiring them to follow a uniform policy.

Current regulations leave it up to the airlines to determine how to compensate or accommodate passengers with canceled flights.

'Regulators and authorities have not anticipated the massive effect of the pandemic [on] the airlines and [their] passengers. The current Air Passenger Bill of Rights did not anticipate this pandemic, and as legislators, we shall institutionalize measures that the situation may see fit,' the bill stated.

The measure allows passengers to rebook their tickets for other destinations at any time free of charge, excluding fare difference.

The bill also gives passengers the option of having their ticket value converted into a travel fund, which can be utilized to book another flight. This travel fund has no expiration date and can be made into an actual cash refund by the passenger.

Airline company Cebu Pacific Air has recently apologized after it was inundated with complaints from passengers who experienced glitches while booking flights, some of which have led to multiple unauthorized transactions.

Representatives of the airline company said in a Senate hearing on Wednesday that they will be implementing changes to its online booking system to prevent flights from being rebooked without the customer's final confirmation.

During the same Senate meeting, Cebu Pacific representatives said the company currently receives 2,000 to 3,000 calls from passengers with complaints or inquiries daily.

The uptick in travel at the start of the year has led the International Civil Aviation Organization to estimate that by the end of 2023, demand for commercial travel would have made a full recovery and exceeded 2019 levels.

 

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