ComplaintsforPhilippine Airlines

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Me and my wife had booked a round trip from *********** to ******* on Philippine Airlines leaving on March 13, 2024 and returning back on March 23, 2024 ( Record locater 44IR8I). We paid $8499.00 for the round trip ticket. The day of our return flight on March 23, 2024 sometimes in the middle of the night we received an email from Philippine airlines with a title 'Simple Re- Accommodation'. There was no call or text message. We woke up at 7 am and saw the email. Buried in this email was the flight cancellation notification from ****** to ** on March 23. They rebooked us 5 days later on March 28 from ******. They wanted us to stay 5 more days in ******!! We frantically called PAL with our **************** travel agent, were on hold for two hours without any resolution. At that point, we bought another last minute ticket to LA (one way) for the same day on a different airline, spending $8000 on the tickets. After that AmEx send PAL notice to refund our money, no response from them initially. Two weeks later, **** called with me on hold to PAL, finally they came on line and processed the request for refund. I received email from PAL that I will receive the refund ( unclear amount ) for the flight cancellation, BUT it may take up to 3 billing cycles. In my opinion, this is totally unacceptable that an airline which services US customers, for an unscheduled cancellation they are dragging their feet to refund the money. They received my money right away but now I have to wait months to get my money back, and no idea how much they will refund back, if they ever do. I humbly request that BBB help me resolve this issue with PAL at the earliest, rather than waiting upto 3 billing cycles. We should get the full amount of new ticket we had to purchase last minute, amount of $8000.00. PAL customer service is atrocious. Thank you for your assistance in this matter ********************************

  Business response

  04/26/2024

  Dear Sir/*****, 
  
  We refer to the subject complaint. 
  
  Based on records, the passenger's ticket refund request has been approved for processing by our Refunds team. As the purchase was made via credit card transaction, PALs approval to refund the tickets will be forwarded to our acquiring bank. The next step in the process would be for the acquiring bank to process the approved net refund amount with the issuing bank, or the bank that issued the credit card used in purchasing the ticket.
  
  Our Refunds team will expedite the request for a copy of the refund certificate from the acquiring bank. The passenger may present the said certificate to the issuing bank to facilitate a faster credit back of said amount. We will forward a copy of the refund certificate from our acquiring bank as soon as we receive the same.
  
  With the foregoing, PAL trusts it has sufficiently clarified its position, and respectfully prays that the matter be closed with no further action.

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After convincing my wife that *** was the way to go for our 2(2 and 7 yrs old) children's first flight that is 16 hrs long I was sadly mistaken. We purchased tickets by the exit that cost $120 each way due to the leg room so that my 2 yrs old won't be as fuzzy to be as considerate as possible to others on the flight. While purchasing the tickets the system ask for children's age (2 &7 yrs old) and and allowed us to pay for tickets($960 total round trip). 30 minutes later we realized that only 14 yrs and older are allowed to sit there per FAA however PAL airlines system allowed us to do so. Seems like a glitch at first until we tried calling and start to realize that this business is into unethical business practice and cheating their own consumers. This is more clearly now after reading other complaints on BBB. I have spent 8 hrs on the phone with PAL and each time I have to explain the scenario. It's been 3 weeks and there has been no response from PAL. I am quite embarrassed convincing my wife to go with PAL due to this whole situation. PAL is clearly violating FAA regulations and committing unethical business parctice in squeezing unsuspecting consumers out of their hard earned money. Imagine that they won't give us our refund but will most like charge the next consumer the same fee for the same seats. This is no longer about the money but about principle. We do not want another family to be cheated the way we did by ***. We are going to file a formal complaint to **** of ************** as well as to let our local news to investigate to stop PAL from cheating other consumers in the future.Ticket ref NK9PQY

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  BBB

  upon booking retrieval 6 out of 8 EMDs for bulk head seats $120 each were already refunded last 07MAR24 as validated with our REFUNDS section towards the **** card ending 4935.
  ?
  LAXMNL
  ****** ************* $120  will keep this for bulk head seat  61A 
  ******* ************* $120  refunded 07MAR - new seat is 62A
  Ethan   0794554218521 $120   refunded 07MAR - new seat is 62B
  Emilia   0794554218522 $120   refunded 07MAR - new seat is 62C aisle seat with $20 fee paid under 0794554218770  
  MNLLAX
  ****** ************* $120  will keep this for bulk head seat  61A  
  ******* ************* $120  refunded 07MAR - new seat 62C aisle seat with $20 fee paid under 0794554227276 
  ***** ************* $120  refunded 07MAR - new seat is 62A
  ****** ************* $120  refunded 07MAR - new seat is 62B
  
  
  only ****** (adult) retained exit seat 61A. new seats assigned above for the rest of the passengers which is a row behind. 
  
  

  total amount refunded is $720 only not $960 because ******'s bulk head seats (61A for $120 each will be used)

  hope this clarifies and resolves this matter

  thank you

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Philippine Airlines cancelled my flight on their side 1 day before my trip and caused a big chaos in my trip plans. To be worse, they said they would refund me within 3 ~ 5 days, but it never happened. I called their customer service 10+ time to get the refund, and I ended up being here. Each time I was told to wait for the refund department to approve. Excuse me? Philippine Airlines, you cancelled my flight only 1 day before my trip, and I needed to wait for your approval to get refund? Philippine Airlines, are you crazy? I never got any feedback from Philippine Airlines except the flight cancellation. Never got any refund or anything related to refund. I believe Philippine Airlines is just breach contact in this sense.

  Business response

  07/13/2023

   

  case has being handled. initial trace returned no record. have emailed passenger to request for additional information such as ticket number and flight details. thank you

  Customer response

  07/20/2023

  Dear Officer,

  Complaint: 20272028
  
  I am temporarily rejecting this response because: Since they did not release the refund in time, the charge was disputed via the Bank as "no service received". The bank had contacted Philippine Airline on 06/14, they may simply reply the bank indicating that they agree the dispute and approve the refund release. Unfortunately, they never replied to the bank for over a month, I kinda need to keep this complaint open through the end of dispute period (07/29/2023) as shown in the attachment. Since they are already contacted by the bank, and if they admit their fault to the bank via the dispute case, I could get refund immediately. If they decide to keep quiet, I could get refund after 07/29. If they say anything dishonest to the bank, I may get the refund even later.  Therefore, I would like to keep this complaint open until I get the final refund and close the dispute case.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Hi BBB,

  please see attached email dated 24 JULY ****. please consider case to be resolved. thank you.

   

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  PAL changed the flight so I requested for a refund on January 4, 2022. It's been more than 3 months as they promised to credit back the refund but no refund yet till now.

  Business response

  04/14/2022

  Good afternoon. May we please ask your ticket number in order for us to further evaluate your refund request 

  Thank you and have a great day.

  
  

  Business response

  04/14/2022

  Dear April *****,
  
  have requested our head office REFUND section in ****** to expedite your ticket refund under reference  EIA2200078 
  we will revert the soonest. thank you
  
  ***** ******************************************** | CSR/ Secretary
  International Sales - ***
  Philippine Airlines

  Customer response

  04/14/2022

  Sure, here it is. Ticket number: *************.
  
  Thank you.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Prior to Covid, I purchased 3 roundtrip tickets to ******, Philippines. The flight was supposed to be in May 2020. Covid hit, and Philippine Airlines cancelled their May flights. This was just communicated through email, and no resolution on how I can get a refund. Finally, I was able to contact them, and instead of refund, they offered travel vouchers, to which I accepted. As we all know, Covid did not end and it still happening, which puts a lot of restriction in travelling internationally. Finally, Philippine government announced last month that they will now allow ** citizens to visit ****** without a need to quarantine. So I tried to redeem my vouchers right away, and Philippine Airlines responded to me that the vouchers are expired. I was so confused as this was not communicated to me. I emailed and called their office here, but not response. So, I messaged them through FB Messenger. They replied to me that they can extend the vouchers only until June 13, 2022. I asked if they can extend it until the end of this year, and they said no. I pulled the receipt of the vouchers and it shows that it is valid until 3/27/2024. I messaged Philippine Airlines again and send this receipt to them showing the expiration date. They did not respond anymore.

  Business response

  02/24/2022

  Good Morning!

  We have received your BBB complaint in the mail today 23 February, 2022

  In order to assist you further, may we request for your travel vouchers number please.

  This will help us verify what transpired with your original tickets and travel vouchers and reply for an explanation as you have stated in your request. 

   

  Thank you and stay safe

   

  ***** ******************************************** | CSR/ Secretary

  International Sales - ***
  Philippine Airlines
  
  

  Customer response

  02/24/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ***********************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩