SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III called on the government to adopt a policy in the United States requiring airlines to issue automatic cash refunds for canceled or delayed flights.
Adopting such a policy could put airlines “on their toes” to provide better airline experience, he said.
“What we want to prevent is to ruin what should be a good and pleasant experience, travel or vacation, by making these airlines accountable and ensuring that passengers get a refund without delay,” Pimentel said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit)
Beginning Nov. 4, the US Department of Transportation requires airlines to provide cash refunds without passengers needing to request them.
The policy includes provisions for delayed baggage, allowing passengers to claim refunds for bag fees if their luggage is not delivered within a specific timeframe.
“I hope that Filipino travelers could benefit from similar passenger protections. Both local and international travelers should be reimbursed for the inconvenience caused by flight delays and cancellations,” Pimentel said.
Airlines should be held accountable for all delays in flights and luggage arrival, since it is “social injustice if the government does nothing to address the recurring problems,” he said.
He cited the incident on May 20 where at least 38 domestic flights and 21 international flights were delayed, and three flights were canceled, due to “software issues” concerning the Air Traffic Management Center.
The incident affected about 9,240 passengers.
Flight delays have become so common in the Philippines that the term is “almost synonymous with certain airlines,” he said.
Pimentel said he is one of many travelers who experienced flight delays and cancellations.
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