CEBU PACIFIC review : 22 June 2009 : by G Chew
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Hong Kong-Manila, Manila-Shanghai. Cheap fares found a month before the flight. Both flights
arrived early. Aircraft were clean and seat pitch adequate. BOB not expensive, but the
sandwiches weren't great - cheap and nasty ham. They tried to rip me off with the USD exchange
rate, but when challenged, the rate changed dramatically. Arrival into T3 in MNL was fast,
and I was in a taxi within 20 minutes. Check in in MNL was slower for no other reason than
the staff making everyone join random queues for no apparent reason. Steep excess baggage
rate for the return flight. Overall, no problems fairly positive experience.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 17 June 2009 : by Jim Benson
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Good operations for a budget airline but the customer service is the very worst. If you ever
have a problem and call the customer service number, be prepared to be on hold for a long time
and if you do speak to someone, nothing will be done. If you address an email to customer
service on their website, it will never be answered. Many problems would not occur if credit
cards from Canada and America were accepted. You can spend many frustrating minutes making a
reservation only to have your credit card declined. Don't waste your time trying it again as
the same thing will happen. Your best bet is to use one of their competitors. Hopefully,
they will get the message before they go out of business.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 8 April 2009 : by Edmund Carew
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |  |
MN -TAG. Check-in was slow because the airline has recently made passengers for each flight at
MNL's modern and pleasantly airconditioned Terminal 3 wait in separate lines rather than
combining all flights in one queue as it used to do. True to form, my mother and me picked
the slowest moving queue though in fairness the difference was only three or four minutes: the
perception, however, when standing is a bit like being in a bank queue: one assumes that the
wait is far longer than actuality. Departure was more or less on time and arrival at TAG
after a smooth flight with a load factor of about 85 per cent was a few minutes early.
Baggage was offloaded quickly which was pleasing.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 6 April 2009 : by A Cruz
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
In booking via the internet, beware. Never ever make cancellation because it's very very hard
to get back your refund. I have experienced a nightmare of calling every time for follow-up
on my refund. And guess what, it's more than five months since last week of Oct 2008 and I
haven't got my refund until now. They always say, to call by next week because the request is
already on cue with accounting. Same line always. I'm working overseas and I've been calling
via long distance call every time. I'm already having huge charges on every call because they
always put me on hold once I got a successful connection after having numerous tries on
calling. Now, I'm about to go home for a vacation and I haven't got a single cent on my
refund. So, beware in case you buy your ticket in the internet because if you ask for refund
later on, it's a dead end. It will take ages before you could have your refund...
CEBU PACIFIC review : 12 March 2009 : by J Gray
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |  |
Iloilo to Cebu, Cebu to Puerto Princesa and Puerto Princesa to Manila. Every flight on time,
smooth check in, friendly cabin crew and clean and tidy aircraft. Had no issues with using the
website and foreign credit card online. For a low cost carrier, this airline provides full
service where it counts.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 10 March 2009 : by S Ledesma
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
We applied for a refund on June 13 '08 in Hong Kong because we decided to extend our stay. It
has been 8 months and we have not received our refund even after 3 difficult follow ups. We
were told that their refund policy usually takes 8 weeks but at 8 months we have not received
anything!
CEBU PACIFIC review : 6 March 2009 : by A Duggan
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
After one year I am still waiting for a refund after a cancellation. I finally contacted the
Dept of Tourism and they forwarded my letter to the Civil Aeronautics Board. So far there was
no reaction. If there is no class action suite against Cebu Pacific then I can only suggest
going via other Philippine authorities.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 23 February 2009 : by Iain Rogers
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Hong Kong - Angeles City & return. Check-in at HKG was quick. FBA is 15 Kg. per person plus
7Kg. for hand carry. Unlike other LCC's, two people travelling together on the same booking
may combine their individual allowance, provided it does not exceed 30 Kg. after which excess
charges will apply. Equipment was A319 less than two years old. Leather seats a bit tight at
29" but exit rows 10 & 11 are great. Push-back was 10 minutes early and arrival at CRK was 20
minutes early. Chatting to one on the FA's on this flight, I explained the difficulty in
booking online and trying to contact the Manila office. I was taken aback when she said "yes,
our customer service sucks". She agreed with me when I said that a customer had a better
chance of getting through to Manila by means of telepathy or prayer. Another passenger
overheard my comments and interjected that she had spent six hours trying to book on-line. She
used five different cards (two declined, two blocked) before she succeeded. She, too,
discovered the vagaries of trying to use CP's website. However, there are no hidden charges
such as a handling fee for CC booking (Ryanair take note). Cebu is a great airline. If it
could only sort out its website I would give it five stars.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 1 February 2009 : by S Chan
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Hong Kong-Davao return A319, seats 3D-4E. First time to use Cebu Pacific and good impression.
The booking of the flight was quick and painless. I used a local Hong Kong bank's MasterCard
and quickly confirmed it. Seat Selector was great (rather expensive @ HK$18 while you could
just pick one at the airport, but I didn't see the Terms & Conditions and could not refund it
later. I saw an ad in the local newspaper stating zero fares for international flights
(excluding tax and fuel surcharge). Total fare for 5 people was HK$2705 [PHP 16180] (including
taxes, seat selector etc.) I immediately booked a flight to Davao (since Manila and Cebu were
full) for our family of 2 adults and 3 kids. Departure from Hong Kong International Airport
departure was completely handled by Menzies Aviation, only 1 counter open and flight 10
minutes late. Checked luggage limit was acceptable at 15kg person. However, schedule of the
flight was poor as it departed 00:15AM (arrive 3:05AM) to maximize use of aircraft. Seats a
bit uncomfortable to sleep in but legroom was still ok (around as much as an average city
bus). They started off with in-flight snacks (they shouted "Snacks For Sale", which wasn't
professional). Load factor about 73%. Flight from Davao to Hong Kong was very full at around
92% with 2 back rows almost empty. Time of departure more reasonable this time departing at
8:40PM and arriving at 11:30PM. We departed 10 min. early but still arrived 7 minutes later
than planned. Inflight, the cabin lights were dimmed way too late into the flight. Overall, good experience.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 25 January 2009 : by Alfons Wilbert
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
SIN-DVO A320 Y-Class, seat no 1C. This was the first time that I used Cebu Pacific on an
International Flight after having used them a number of times in the past on Domestic routes.
The booking of the flight was the usual nightmare you find described in plenty of the stories
here posted, however, I may have found one of the problems that are encountered trying to pay
with a Non-Philippines Credit Card. Like in many countries, Belgium, too, has a centralised
Bank Card System. This means, whilst the various Credit Cards are issued by the various local
Banks and even carry the Name of the Bank on them, the actual Clearance is done by one
Centralised Agency, in the Case of Belgium, the Belgium Bank Card Company, BCC for short. The
actual problem is, that Cebu Pacific asks you to enter the name of the Issuing Bank and this
is where the problem lies. They do not actually want the Name of the Issuing Bank, they need
the name of the Clearing Institute. Once I realised that, my payment was authorised without
any problems. As for the flight, I have to say that we left SIN with about 3 hours delay,
however, this delay was in no way down to Cebu Pacific but caused by Singapore Airport
Terminal Services. Cebu Pacific fly from the new Budget Terminal - it has a number of
implications for the traveller connecting through SIN Changi Airport. Firstly, despite the
fact that you may had your luggage checked through to your final destination, you actually
have to collected it from the belt of your connecting flight at SIN Changi and go through
Emigrations and Customs, as you will have to physically leave the airport to get to the Budget
Terminal. As for the flight itself, it was a good flight in a new aircraft with a crew that
has an infectious smile! Flying with Cebu Pacific has always been a nice experience for me,
its the booking of your ticket that is the problem. How else can you explain that an airline
does not even accept Credit Cards in their own booking offices (Cebu Pacific Booking Office,
Victoria Mall, Davao City) any more ??
CEBU PACIFIC review : 24 January 2009 : by Iain Rogers
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Customer Rating : 0/5 |  |
I have just booked online with Cebu Pacific. Their website is configured for North
American/Philippine standards. Required fields, such as Postal Code will not accept
alpha/numeric codes, eg. UK and Canada. Knowing that the Philippines uses a four digit postal
code, I entered "1234". This was accepted. Same again for 'phone numbers (too long/too short).
I entered Cebu Pacific's own 'phone number as my contact number. Again, it was accepted.
Trying to pay was frustrating, after three attempts at submitting payment, my card was
"blocked". A call to my bank managed to un-block the card. They suggested (HSBC) that I should
register with Verified by Visa. I did so, and when I tried the booking again it went
perfectly. Verified by Visa is the way to go. It is also "secure" in that it uses a password.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 10 December 2008 : by E Carew
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
MNl - CEB. Unlike some other travellers I have not experienced any recent problems booking online
with this efficient airline. The key may be to use a credit card that is 'Verified by Visa' or the
equivalent MasterCard security program. For check-in at the 'new' NAIA Terminal 3, the wait in the
single queue was about 10 to 15 minutes, which is acceptable. Dining options both landside and
airside were spartan, but hopefully in a few months some permanent concessions may open instead of
the 'temporary' facilities currently available. The terminal was a pleasant temperature for
Westerners although some Asians who are used to the tropical heat and humidity may have found it
cold. There was plenty of seating at the departure gate though getting there involved a reasonably
long walk, and some small unfinished, unoccupied spaces across the aisle from the boarding gate was
noticeable. Boarding was effortless as aerobridges are now in use. The flight was about 15 minutes
late leaving but on time by Cebu, such are the slack timetables. FAs were pleasant but with the
flight only 85 per cent full, they were not under maximum pressure when serving pay-as-you-go drinks
and nibbles. All in all, a reasonable flight at a value for money fare.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 30 November 2008 : by P Thrower
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
While travel on the airline for short flights is good, with friendly staff, new planes, and low cost
travel. Trying to BOOK tickets is a nightmare. If not in the Philippines and trying to book using
there website, it is a nightmare, easy enough to find flights you want at good prices, but the
website only intermittently accepts credit card payments from non-Philippine banks. Trying to call
their call centre is also a nightmare with long cues, regular disconnections when finally getting
through, poor attitude of staff towards keeping the customer happy and providng decent service, and
then when explaining that their website doesn't take payment, they refuse to give the website rates
and charge significantly more for a ticket - as an example an additional HK$122 compare to website
for a flight from Hong Kong to Cebu - reason given by call center for the price difference - it is
our call center booking fee sir. Like I said while the planes are new, and for short flights it is
comfortable with friendly staff, trying to make a booking is a nightmare.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 28 November 2008 : by N Sutherland
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
I'm a bit disappointed (but not really surprised) to see so many problems using Online Booking on
Cebu Pacific. I never use my Foreign Credit Cards Online with Cebu Pacific (or any other airline in
the Philippines) - you simply have too much hassle and I don't trust the Security in any case. I
book through my travel agent and pay cash. The small additional cost is far outweighed by the
security and eliminating some of the problems listed on other posts. Alternatively you can pay at
one of CP's offices. Obviously this is not convenient for everyone, but it works for me. I've
recently used Philippine Airlines on a trip where I normally use CP - same aircraft, couple of
inches more legroom, twice the price, twice the number of Cabin Crew, plane less than half full and
one leg was 3 hours late on a 3 hour flight in the middle of the day from MNL... nightmare. And what
did I get for the extra money? - 5 hours in the delightful surroundings of NAIA-2, a free meal which
I didn't eat, a drink and a movie which I'd seen before... thanks, but I'll be sticking with Cebu
Pacific and given the expansion of their route network and the fact that they seem to be filling
their planes, so are many other people too.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 26 November 2008 : by John kelly
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
I had a similar experience to J Chua. I booked a ticket and had to cancel it later. According to the
term and conditions, the ticket was refundable. I contacted Cebu Pacific to cancel the ticket and
ask for a refund. After nearly a year, I haven't received any refund. So if Cebu pacific doesn't
want to refund ticket, they should not put in the term and condition that the ticket is refundable.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 25 November 2008 : by E Avend
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Cebu Pacific flight is a nightmare! Flights are delayed and we are not just talking about 1-2 hours,
My flight was delayed for almost 4 hours from Cebu to Singapore and worst of it, my flight back from
Singapore to Cebu was delayed for 13 hours! There was an announcement that my 1220am flight will be
delayed to 220am. While waiting in the lounge they announced that the flight will be delayed due to
some maintenance and it will be at 430am. At about 330am, I was shocked when I saw in the
announcement board that our flight was moved to 1030am with no announcement whatsoever. This is
really not acceptable, and all the passengers were just sitting in the lounge waiting and waiting
and at 1030am still no announcement. Finally we boarded the plane at 1pm. The service is so poor.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 21 November 2008 : by J Chua
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
I agree with J Shep. This is really scamming the people of their money. I am supposed to get a
refund from Cebu Pacific and I have waited for 7 months now and there's still no news of the refund.
I called their call center and was directed to the accounting office. I called their accounting
office several times but no answer. I called back their call center every so often but still, no
refund in sight. It's really a nightmare.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 21 November 2008 : by L Mileson
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Tried booking online but there online booking system doesnt work for any overseas credit/debit card.
I then called them in Manila (from the uk) and was told they cannot process foreign cards via the
phone either. The only way to complete the booking was to pay at a cebu pacific office in Asia with
cash. Luckily enough I have friends in Hong Kong that were able to help but obviously no way to run
a business!! On the plus side I have flown a few times with them and despite always being about 45
minutes late on every occasion they are decent enough, the fleet is new and the cabin crew friendly
and above all they are at least half the price of most Asian carriers.
CEBU PACIFIC review : 15 November 2008 : by J Shep
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Booking online is a nightmare with this airline. I have travelled a number of times with Cebu
Pacific and every time I book online there is some problem with my credit card. today when I tried
to book it said my card was declined then rang the card company who said there was no decline. Now
the price has gone up. This happened to me before where you only find out you are not booked on the
flight after "your card has been declined" on the day of your flight then have to rebook at a much
higher price. I think this is a way of scamming the tourists who have no other way of booking than
online. I would like to report this to an organisation that can deal with this as it is fraudulent
activity and I know a number of people have been affected by this.
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