Vice Ganda slams local airline for delayed flight, alleged overbooking issues
Vice Ganda called out Philippine Airlines after she and her partner Ion Perez experienced a delayed flight and alleged overbooking experience, causing them emotional distress.
On Tuesday evening, Oct. 24, the comedian-host took to X (formerly Twitter) to air her grievances, writing a series of tweets detailing how a companion missed their flight due to an alleged overbooking issue with the airline, and how she herself nearly missed the flight as well.
“GRABE KA [Philippine Airlines]!!! Grabeng pangaabala at perwisyo ang dinulot mo sa masaya sanang trip na ito!!! Bakit kayo ganyan???” Vice began.
“Ilang beses nyo kaming pinaranas ng overbooking sa puntong di nakasakay ang kasama namin. Ngayon ako naman ang nawalan ng upuan!” she added.
The It’s Showtime host went on to emphasize how stressful the airline’s system is for the passengers who paid for their flight, while also questioning its commitment to true service.
Sistema nyo na ba talaga ang overbooking @flyPAL ??? Alam nyo ba kung gaanong stress ang idinudulot nyo sa pasaherong di nakakasakay sa binook at binayaran nyang flyt? May damdamin pa ba kayo ng malasakit para sa pasahero? Pera pera?
— jose marie viceral (@vicegandako) October 24, 2023
“Sistema nyo na ba talaga ang overbooking [Philippine Airlines]??? Alam nyo ba kung gaanong stress ang idinudulot nyo sa pasaherong di nakakasakay sa binook at binayaran nyang flyt?” she complained. “May damdamin pa ba kayo ng malasakit para sa pasahero? Pera pera?” she added, reiterating how awful its services are.
The host also shared a photo of her delayed flight, which added to her stress.
Delayed at overbooking!!!! GRABE!!!! @flyPAL pic.twitter.com/fMVkSBl8f1
— jose marie viceral (@vicegandako) October 24, 2023
For its part, PAL immediately responded to Vice’s posts to express their apologies: “We would like to express our apology for the disruption and inconvenience you have faced during what should have been a joyful journey. We truly understand your frustration, and we are genuinely sorry for the trouble this has caused you,” PAL wrote, while also assuring the celebrity that they will thoroughly investigate the matter.
However, distressed Vice didn’t mince words on how awful the experience was, saying that their supposed fun and exciting Bangkok trip just turned into a stressful event due to their “faulty system.”
“Pinapalitan nyo ng lungkot at buwisit ang saya na dulot ng excitement sa bawat trip at ligaya ng bawat nabuong memories sa trip ng dahil sa napakapanget nyong sistema!” she wrote. “Masaya sana ang bawat alis at pag uwi kung meron kayong malasakit!”
The Partners in Crime star also shared how she rushed when she nearly missed her flight, with her husband Ion being worried sick waiting for her at the aircraft’s door.
“Walang halong biro naiyak ako habang tumatakbo para umabot ako sa flyt na muntik kong di masakyan dahil nagoverbook kayo,” he recalled.
“Si Ion inabutan kong mukhang kawawang nasa pinto ng eroplano dahil ayaw nyang sumakay kung di ako makakasakay. Yun ang ginawa nyo sa amin,” he continued.
In a lengthy reply, Philippine Airlines detailed what had happened to her case, clarifying that the flight was not overbooked and that there were two business class seats that were deemed “unserviceable due to safety concerns” that why she lost her seat got downgraded to economy class.
“As a result, you were among the passengers offered a seat downgrade to economy class, a decision made to ensure safety and the operational integrity of the flight,” they wrote.
Apologizing for the inconvenience, the airline added that there were two passengers who agreed to be transferred to economy class instead, “allowing you to return to your originally booked business class seats. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this situation,” they wrote.
However, Vice refuted their explanation, saying that it wasn’t what the airline staff had told him.
“Hindi yan ang sinabi sakin sa counter! Ang sabi ng staff ‘THE FLIGHT WAS OVERBOOKED AND MY SEAT WAS GIVEN TO ANOTHER PASSENGER,’” she shared.
“MAG BATO BATO PICK NA LANG KAYO NG STAFF SA COUNTER KUNG SINO SA INYO ANG PAL-PAK! YUNG PANALO LIBRE KO NG ROUND TRIP TICKET VIA CATHAY PACIFIC!” she continued.
Vice recently went on a leisurely overseas trip to Hong Kong with her It’s Showtime family amid the show's suspension handed by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). The noontime show will return on Oct. 28.
PhilSTAR L!fe has reached out to Philippine Airlines but has yet to receive a reply.