Still worried about flight cancellations during the pandemic? Here’s some good news from the country’s leading low-cost carrier — the Cebu Pacific Travel Fund validity has just been extended for another year. This means that you can now use your stored tickets in the airline’s e-wallet for up to two years!
What does this mean for passengers?
The Travel Fund is Cebu Pacific’s virtual wallet, which is basically the full cost of one’s cancelled ticket. With the extended Cebu Pacific Travel Fund validity, travellers with unused bookings in 2020 can use up their ticket value until as far as 2022, for trips up to 12 months away. This is now available for passengers with bookings until 30 Nov 2020. They may also enjoy unlimited rebooking with waived change fees by the said date.
If you have a flight, say, on 30 Aug 2020 and cancelled on 15 Aug 2020, you can opt to store your ticket value in a Cebu Pacific Travel Fund rather than apply for a refund. You then have until 15 Aug 2022 to use that value before it expires. Furthermore, if you decide to redeem your travel fund on 30 Jul 2022, for example, you can choose from travel dates between then and 30 Jul 2023, a period of one year. “Minimal” fare differences may still apply.
“Previously, the Travel Fund was valid for one (1) year, during which time, a passenger must use it to book a flight or pay for ancillary services such as baggage allowance,” Cebu Pacific also said in their official announcement. “For customers with existing Travel Funds, the two-year validity will be applied retroactively, or from the date the fund was created.”
Also read: Cheap Flights During COVID-19 Pandemic: Are They Worth It?
What your options are, given the extended Cebu Pacific Travel Fund validity
According to an official email announcement from the airline, the Cebu Pacific travel fund validity extension aims to help its passengers manage their bookings for when they’re “ready to fly” again. At this time, non-essential travel is discouraged among travellers in and from the Philippines. And with flights being cancelled, voluntarily or by the airline, Cebu Pacific passengers may continue to choose among the following options:
1. Rebook your flights “unlimitedly”
Passengers can rebook their flights within three months from the original travel date. And, they can continue to do so depending on “changes in travel restrictions or frequency of flights.” They also don’t need to pay rebooking or change fees.
2. Apply for a full refund
Passengers who wish to completely cancel their travel plans can apply for a full refund. The refund cost will be credited back to the passenger’s credit card if paid via this option. As for how long this takes, it varies given the current demands. Otherwise, in-person claiming will be required via a Cebu Pacific ticketing office.
3. Convert ticket to Travel Fund
Passengers can also leave their ticket value in the hands of Cebu Pacific by converting it to a Travel Fund. This will make it readily available for you to book a new flight within two years from one’s original travel date. You can read this detailed guide on how to use the Cebu Pacific Travel Fund.
Also read: Countries That Have COVID-19 Travel Restrictions for Filipinos
All the above options require going to Cebu Pacific’s website through the Manage Booking page. They must also be done at least two hours before the original flight. Meanwhile, passengers who booked through travel agencies are advised to reach out to a travel agent for more information.
For more flight updates, visit our Travel Deals section and join Flight Deals – Philippines on Facebook.
Featured image credit: Cebu Pacific | Official website
