Skip to main content

True Story: Warning to Zest Air Passengers and Potential Customers

By Admin
I don't really want write this to my blog but lately, I thought it would be beneficial for many people to know what happened to me and my friends late last month.

We Booked  Zest Air Tickets Cebu-Davao

We had an event in Davao around the middle of this month. To save money we looked for promo fares from   local airlines such as Cebu Pacific, Airphil, and Zest Air. But because it's just a month before the event, we had trouble finding one, thanks to Zest Air who advertised a 88 Pesos promo Cebu - Davao flight. Here's the promotional poster from their website.



We were so glad about it. Five of my friends were able booked a one-way ticket to Davao.


Zest Air Cancels the Flight and ONLY Offered Refund 

Everything's fine until we received this email from Zest Air last April 23, two weeks before the travel date.
Dear __________________,

ZESTAIR FLIGHT ADVISORY: Please be advised that effective May __, 2013 onwards flight Z2-____ from CEBU to DAVAO has been CANCELLED due to Operational Requirements. For more information you may call our Manila Office Tel: +63-02-855-3333 from Mon to Fri 07:00am to 11:00pm. Sat and Sun from 7:00am to 9:00pm or Email us at flightadvisory@flyzest.com.Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you

Sincerely,
ZestAir
After receiving this email, we went to Zest Air's office in Mactan-Cebu International Airport to demand for us to be booked with other airlines on an agreed date. But the officers there told us that they only offer full refund of the tickets. What? Is that all?

Why Refund is NOT Enough?

In my perspective, Zest Air treated us unfairly and ILLEGALLY. Here are the reasons:

  • By cancelling the flight two weeks before the flight, we lost our chances of booking a new promo fare. Should they just refund us the discounted fare we paid and just leave us alone when they decided to cancel the flight? Oh com'on Zest Air, you know well how unfair is that.
  • What Zest Air did was ILLEGAL. Here's the reason why. I will quote Chapter 4, Section 11d of the Air Passenger Bill of Rights
Right to compensation and amenities in case of Cancelled Flights
a. In case of flight cancellation attributable to the airline, the passenger is entitled to:
- be endorsed to another air carrier without paying any fare difference, at the option of the passenger, and provided that space permit such re-accommodation;
Provided, that in case a carrier cancels a flight less than twenty-four hours before the ETD, it shall not be liable for the forgoing amenities, except, it shall be obliged to notify the passenger, and, in accordance with the preceding provisions, to rebook or reimburse the passenger, at the option of the latter.
Reference: http://www.dotc.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=454 h
 Air Passenger Bill of Rights

Poor Customer Service

Knowing our rights as a passenger, we didn't took the offer of refund. Instead, we filed a complaint. Asked them when will they respond, they said after 2-3 days. But after two-three days, we received none.

One of my friends sent  a complaint through their Facebook Fan Page, but after a day, she was apparently blocked from accessing the Page. 

We called Zest Air hotlines and office numbers several times, but again and again, we were just passed on to different personnel and none helped us.

Our next move then is to file a formal complaint to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Filing a Complaint to DOTC and DTI

They have exhausted all our efforts to fix this mess between us and them. It's about time to let authorities know how they operate their business. We are hoping that DOTC and DTI will hear our case.

______________________________________________
Blogged Philippines gives you the latest trending information in the country. To receive free notifications follow us through the following:

1. Subscribe in our email newsletter
IMPORTANT! To enable email subscription, please verify your email address by clicking the link sent to your email address by Feedburner.

2. Follow us on twitter

3. Make BLOGGED PHILIPPINES your homepage

4. Find us in Facebook at facebook.com/pages/Blogged-Philippines

5. Follow us on Google
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 7, 2013 at 4:13 PM

    by purchasing a promo fare, you have WAIVED your rights to the air passenger bill of rights. isnt it clever? i really like it when people purchasing promo fares will just skip the "fine print". crazy huh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AdminMay 7, 2013 at 4:37 PM

    You are wrong. Promo Fares DOESN'T waive a passenger's right. Please read the law again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cristina HuilarMay 8, 2013 at 7:59 AM

    "We didn't took the offer of refund" hehe typo po :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 8, 2013 at 8:07 AM

    before you book your ticket always read terms and conditions. zest air is known for cancellation of flights long time ago.

    3. On Flight Misconnection

    The Carrier shall not assume any responsibility for any flight misconnection booked on other airlines.
    On Flight Disruption (Delays or Cancellation)
    a. Due to technical and operational issue, Zest Airways, Inc. will refund the
    amount equivalent to the air ticket paid.
    b. Due to Force Majeure or Acts of God, Zest Airways will rebook the
    passenger on the first available flight.
    NOTE: Land and hotel arrangement are the sole responsibility of the package provider.

    4. Conditions of carriage for journeys entirely within the Philippines apply.

    5. Seats are bookable and time limit (system generated) for ticketing applies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AdminMay 8, 2013 at 8:31 AM

      Sorry but your quoted terms is outdated: here's the latest one attached to the ticket I purchased.
      ON FLIGHT MISCONNECTION. The Carrier shall not assume any responsibility for any misconnection on flight; either international or domestic, as booked on other airlines. Passengers are advised to book their return flight at least a day later to avoid flight misconnection.

      Delete
    2. AdminMay 8, 2013 at 9:05 AM

      They might've changed the TC to align with the superior dotc Joint Administrative Order known as the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights. BTW, the order was just passed last year amidst the airport brawl of celebrities.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMay 8, 2013 at 8:08 AM

    So my right po talaga kayo.kung di kayo na rebook nila.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 8, 2013 at 8:52 AM

    you better boycott the airline.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. exkarlsionsMay 16, 2013 at 9:19 AM

    I have the same experience.. The moment I received the cancellation notice, I immediately called their Manila office and much of a hassle because I'm based in Davao.. So there, it was April 23 when I received the notification and immediately processed the refund, but up until now, May 16, no refund was made by the airline..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AdminMay 16, 2013 at 9:33 AM

      Hi Karl. Thanks for sharing your story. In our case, we didn't bought-in to their offer. After much effort and hassle, they gave us a new flight Cebu-Manila-Davao. You can read the story here: An Update to My Cancelled Zest Air Flight Story

      Delete
    2. exkarlsionsMay 16, 2013 at 10:00 AM

      Were you able to send your complaint to DOTC?? It was a 7-party flight btw.., and I decided not to have a new flight. I just want my money back! :)

      Delete
    3. AdminMay 16, 2013 at 10:04 AM

      Nope. We didn't proceed with the complaint because they really did followed the law. For the hassle and wasted time though, we decided never to book Zest Air flight again until such time that their services becomes better.

      Delete
    4. exkarlsionsMay 16, 2013 at 10:23 AM

      thanks! :D

      Delete
  8. huecmpmMay 18, 2020 at 4:10 PM

    In this blog is very interesting, Truely you provide the information is well said and the explanation way is very clearly to easily understanding for readers. Keep continuously the good work and I am waiting for your valuable details. abcya games , Friv2021 , Minecraft games

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SCAM: My First Scam Text This Year; 850000 Pesos from GMA Kapuso Foundation

By Admin
It's a brand new year for everyone, including local scammers. And despite all the efforts by PLDT and Globe Telecom to curb text message scammers, from time to time, they still creep out and show up in our inboxes. And as hard to believe as the messages of winning some great amounts of money is the fact that there are still people who believe them. I personally know someone and that scam text message triggered events that turn her life upside down. So my point is, we still need to be careful regarding these scam messages. The danger is real! So without further ado, here's the scam message I received a few days ago. On Sunday, January 7, 2018 at exactly 3:33PM (PH time), I received this message from a certain Atty. Jhon Acosta with phone number 09552962911 Congratulations! Ursim# Hadwon PHP850,000 From(GMA KAPUSO FOUNDATION) To Claim Send Ur (NAME/ADD/AGE) &Call Me Now Im Atty;JHON ACOSTA DTI#0391s2018 Thankyou,  Do Not Ever Reply Obviously, this is a...
197 comments
Read more

How Much Does a MRI Scan Costs in the Philippines?

By Admin
My dad needs a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan for his prostate problem. I did a little research on how much does it cost to have one. Well, it depends on many factors, such as which body part is to be scanned. There's also this technique called "MRI with contrast," wherein the patient will be injected with a chemical to make the scan clearer. For your information, this technique of adding contrast is known as  Gadolinium Contrast Medium . It adds cost to the procedure, but with more clarity, the more you can trust the diagnosis. MRI Machine KasugaHuang , CC BY-SA 3.0 , Link So, in my father's case, we had a  Prostate MRI,  and I assume it was without contrast since he was never injected with the "contrast" chemicals. We got it in  i-Scan Healthcare Inc.  here in Quezon City. The cost is  13000 Pesos . Please take note that the amount was just for the scan, and a separate professional will read the result. Some laboratories offer this service (i....
76 comments
Read more

How to Apply For SSS Salary Loan Online?

By Admin
Here's a very short tutorial on the step-by-step procedure on how to apply for a Salary Loan from Social Security System (SSS) using their online facility. But before you apply, make sure that you are eligible. Here's the eligibility requirements: Only currently employed, currently contributing self-employed or voluntary member is qualified to avail of the salary loan program: For a one-month loan, the member-borrower must have 36 posted monthly contributions, six (6) of which should be within the last 12 months prior to the month of filing of application. For a two-month loan, the member-borrower must have 72 posted monthly contributions, six (6) of which should be within the last 12 months prior to the month of filing of application. The member-borrower must be under sixty-five (65) years of age at the time of application (SSC Res. No. 434 dated 09 November 2005). The member-borrower has not been disqualified due to fraud committed against the SSS. If you are eligib...
160 comments
Read more