Cebu Pacific refunded P300M in terminal fees, Senate panel told

Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines give back the terminal fees they collected in behalf of the government when "unflown" passengers ask for them, airline executives said during a Senate inquiry on Thursday.

According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras", the representative of Cebu Pacific said that the company has refunded more than P300 million in terminal fees to passengers who were for one reason or another didn't make their flights.

"All the fees we collected are accounted for. There is no exception no? We have collected this on behalf of the government, we have always been clear on that. This is not are money," the Cebu Pacific executive said.

Around P250 million, he said, have yet to be refunded.

Philippine Airlines representatives didn't give exact figures but indicated they refund terminal fees paid by unflown passengers as a matter of policy.

"Nagrerefund po kami kung sinasabi ng mga pasahero, hindi po namin ginagalaw po 'yan. Nakabukod po 'yan, we don't declare it as revenue. We put it in a trust fund." said Attorney Fred Mison, PAL's senior vice president.

Senator Grace Poe on Thursday indicated that passengers who were not able to take their flights should ask for a refund of the terminal fee.

"Entitled kayo sa refund so kung kayo ay nag-fly at di kayo nakasakay sa Cebu Pacific,  flight na 'yun, or sa PAL (Philippine Airlines) o anong airlines... na-cancel 'yung flight niyo o nagkasakit kayo, 'yung terminal fee na nabayaran na ninyo sa ticket ninyo, iyon po ay refundable," Poe said.

This was echoed by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) noting that the terminal fee is not really part of the fare of the passenger as it was only integrated in the airline tickets.

"Hindi naman parte ng pamasahe 'yung terminal fee eh. Inintegrate lang. Technically, it's not part of the fare," said Attorney Wyrlou Samodio, chief of the legal division of CAB. "Hindi nga nagamit eh, hindi nga siya lumipad eh. Hindi natuloy eh."

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has warned that he will file plunder cases against airlines who fail to remit terminal fees to the government. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News