Cebu Pacific offers first seat sale for 2015

MANILA, Philippines – Fresh from being slapped with a P52.11-million ($1.17 million) fine for inconsistent service over the holidays, budget airline Cebu Air Inc (Cebu Pacific) is poised to get back in the good graces of its customers.

The John Gokongwei-owned airline is holding its first system-wide seat sale after the government mandated the lifting of the fuel surcharge on all international and domestic passengers.

The promo runs until January 16 and covers all 34 domestic and 28 international destinations. The travel dates for these promo tickets are from July 1 to November 30.

Fuel surcharges are already excluded from the ticket price in this promo run.

During the sale, seats for all domestic destinations including Boracay (Caticlan); Cebu; Davao; and Palawan (Puerto Princesa) are priced at P399 ($8.96).

Close by international destinations are also in on the fun. Travelers can book seats from Manila to Guangzhou, Kota Kinabalu, Taipei or Xiamen, and from Clark to Hong Kong or Macau for P1,499 ($33.66).

Seats on flights from Manila to Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Nagoya, Osaka, Phuket, Shanghai, Siem Reap or Singapore are available at P2,499 ($56.11).

The same P2,499 price also applies to those traveling from Cebu and Iloilo to Hong Kong, or from Cebu, Clark and Iloilo to Singapore.

Meanwhile, P2,999 ($67.34) seats could also be booked for flights from Manila to Bali, Busan, Seoul (Incheon) or Tokyo (Narita), or from Cebu to Tokyo (Narita).

For farther international destinations, travelers can book flights from Manila to Dammam and Dubai, as well as Manila to Sydney for P4,999 ($112.16) and Manila to Kuwait and Riyadh for P5,999 ($134.59).

Offering low air fares

Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said the seat sale is part of the low-cost carrier’s commitment to offer low fares to the traveling public.

With the global oil price hovering around the $50 mark, down from $116 in June of 2014, fuel prices have fallen in turn. The government has been keen to pass these savings on to consumers.

As such, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) issued Memorandum Circular No. 01 series of 2015 that called for the implementation of the lifting of all authority to impose fuel surcharge on international and domestic flights effective January 8.

The CAB also earlier warned that the government would not hesitate to impose sanctions on domestic and foreign airlines that would continue to impose fuel surcharge on passengers

Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate affairs Jorenz Tanada earlier said the budget airline has removed fuel surcharge in airline tickets last January 9 in compliance with the directive.

But the budget carrier is still seeking clarification over CAB’s fine of P52.11 million ($1.17 million) for Cebu Pacific’s holiday flight delays and cancellations. – Rappler.com

$1 = P44.57