At least 108 Filipinos from India were brought home by Cebu Pacific on Tuesday even as the airline promised to strictly implement one carry-on baggage policy starting September 1 to ensure a smooth and convenient flight experience.
The airline said the sweeper flight departed the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 10:20 AM local time, and arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9:25 PM.
The special recovery flight was organized and chartered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with CEB and the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, in response to the request of several overseas Filipino workers to be brought home while the travel ban is still in place.
“We are grateful to be part of this mission to safely bring home our fellow Filipinos, and we will assist our kababayans especially in this time of crisis,” said Alex Reyes, Chief Strategy Officer at Cebu Pacific.
The airline said the carry-on bag must not exceed 7 kilograms in weight and its size must fit in the overhead bin or under the aircraft seat.
Beginning September 01, 2021, guests who do not comply with this rule will be charged with a gate baggage fee of P1,000 per person for domestic flights. In the coming months, the airline will also begin charging for its international flights – P1,500 for short haul and P3,000 for long haul. Darwin Amolejar
Cashless payments are also encouraged, in line with the airline’s contactless flight guidelines amidst operating during the pandemic.
“We have been continuously reviewing our processes to ensure we are able to provide the best customer experience for everyJuan. This is being done to make sure CEB avoids any unnecessary flight delays as much as possible,” Candice Iyog, vice president for Marketing and Customer Experience at Cebu Pacific said.
Passengers who purchased additional items at the airport are exempted and will not be charged with this fee, if they can show the official receipt from the store where they shopped at the airport.
Other items that will be accepted as extra free hand carry are equipment for medical needs or for infants.
“We also hope this will convince our passengers to become more mindful as we do not want them to shell out additional, avoidable fees,” Iyog said.
Since July, CEB has also repatriated over 1200 Filipinos from Dubai, Oman, and Vietnam. These flights were done in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate of Dubai, and the Philippine Embassies of Oman and Hanoi.
