What to do when your flight gets canceled

MANILA, Philippines – Do you know what to do in case your plane flight gets canceled?

With the recent plane mishap involving Xiamen Air, passengers were at a loss on what to do with the massive flight cancelations that paralyzed the country's main gateway.

Despite the resumption of flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's (NAIA) main runway, there were still numerous cancelations brought about by the domino effect in operations over the past few days. (LOOK: Crowded NAIA after runway reopening)

General guidelines:

Below are the rights passengers are entitled to according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB):

Delays

If there is terminal delay of at least 3 hours after the time of departure, airlines are required to provide refreshments or meals, whether or not the carrier is at fault.

Passengers are also entitled to free phone calls, sending of text messages or emails, and first aid, if necessary.

In cases like this, passengers are also entitled to rebooking the ticket without additional charge to the next flight with available space or within 30 days. They may also be reimbursed, including taxes and surcharges of flight.

Passengers may also opt to be endorsed to another carrier without any payment of fare difference.

If there are delays of at least 6 hours from the time of departure, passengers are entitled to demand compensation from the airline for delays attributable to the carrier.

However, this is not applicable to cases of force majeure or unforeseeable circumstances such as accidents, or in this case, the Xiamen Air plane mishap.

Cancelations

If the flight cancelation is due to the airline's fault, passengers who are already at the airport must be given sufficient refreshments or meals, hotel accommodation accessible from the airport, as well as transportation to and from the said hotel.

Similar to delayed flights, passengers may request for free phone calls, sending of text messages or emails, and first aid, if necessary.

Passengers also enjoy the same reimbursement, rebooking, and endorsement privileges as a delayed flight.

If the airline is not at fault or in cases of force majeure, passengers may have their ticket fares reimbursed, or rebooked. But CAB notes that the Air Passenger Bill of Rights does not require airlines to charge other relevant fees.

Airline guidelines:

AirAsia

AirAsia passengers have the following options:

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines (PAL) passengers can go to ticket offices nationwide, call hotline number 8558888, or visit the ManageMyBooking portal on the airline's website.

Cebu Pacific

Cebu Pacific, meanwhile, said its passengers can opt for any of the following, without penalties:

Cebu Pacific advised passengers to rebook or refund flights through the Manage Booking section of the airline's website. Passengers can also call hotline number 7020888. – Rappler.com