Korean Job Discussion Forums

legalquestions · Joined: 25 Mar 2007

Recently I decided to extend my stay in Cebu by one day. I went to the Cebu Pacific office in the Midtown Robinsons Mall and asked to re-book for one day later. The employee there said OK and then called the main Cebu Pacificoffice at the Cebu airport to confirm the rebooking.

She told me that all was ok, just show up the next day at the airport. But the next day I wasn't allowed to board the flight because they said the flight was a Korean charter flight. WTF? I bought my original ticket through the Cebu Pacific website, and I never heard anything about the daily Seoul-Cebu flight being a Korean charter flight.

So I wasn't allowed to board the flight even though it was only half full. I had to first get it all approved by some Korean travel agent at a place called "Plantation Bay Resort." Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

So I had to taxi back into town, get another hotel and miss a day of work due to this error (all at my expense). Not to mention that the flight was delayed on this and all 5 previous flights I took.

No explanations, no apologies, no customer service. Buyer beware! It is a self proclaimed "low budget" airline. I guess you get what you pay for!

I-am-me · Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom

Koreans charter flights so they wont have to sit next to filipinos or other foreigners.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

I've had no problems with them. I also extended my stay last year and had no probs.

dannylelievre · Joined: 11 Nov 2006

I've done the same thing with Cebu with no problems. Must have been an unlucky day for you.

discostar23 · Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Location: getting the hell out of dodge

I wouldn't use cebu pacfic again. I missed my flight due to a ferry delay and i had to buy a brand new ticket...then my flight was delayed. Annoying. They are cheap so i guess you get what you pay for.

Teachurrrr · Joined: 21 May 2008 Location: Parts Unknown

Legalquestions, sorry to here about your bad run of luck.

In early June, 2008, I was scheduled to take a flight from Cebu to Manila (local carrier), pick up my work visa at the Korean Embassy in Manila, then fly direct from Manila to Busan to start my new job. The high school was under the impression that I could get my visa processed in one day. Wrong, 3 days. Anyway, on Thursday, I had to go back home to Cebu, reschedule my flight with Korean Airlines, and return to Manila (Korean Embassy) on Monday.

Thus begins an all day hassle. The ticket was purchased from a Korean travel agent by a school official in Korea. The ticket was in my name. Let the games begin:

Friday:

1) 8:00 AM, I start to call the number for Korean Airlines in Manila. No answer. After two hours and talking to 6 different clueless people who all wanted to transfer me again to the same six people, I finally got a phone number and physical address to the Korean Airline office in Cebu City. (Always get the address because they may or may not answer the phone).

2) 10:30 AM, the family and I drive to the Korean Airlines office in Cebu City. Surprise, it's closed (as in the location has moved). Here today, gone tamale! Someone was nice enough to put a sign on the door that said the office was now in Mactan and left a cell phone number.

3) 11:00 AM after calling the number for 30 minutes, we get an answer. We find out the Korean Airlines office is at Mactan International Airport.

4) 11:30 AM we have lunch.

5) 12:30 PM we drive for 1 hour through traffic to Mactan International Airport and arrive at the Korean Airline office. Predictably, an office worker said it would be a problem to change the date (it always is) because the ticket was purchased in Korea, thus the travel agent would have to confirm the date change for the flight (Open-ended 1 year). They may not be able to get a response from the agency that today so I would have to try again on Monday, the date I need rescheduled. (This translates to, 'We don't really know the procedure and don't want to contact the agent in Korea, opting rather to pass the burden on to another worker on Monday).

As usual after any simple transaction in the Philippines that goes horribly awry, I break down in despair, my eyes glaze over, I fall into a nearby chair, slump over, and completely give up. This is when they always try to help! The office manager then contacts the travel agency and within an hour they make the change.

5) 2:00 PM after explaining, worrying, and waiting, everything seems okay, but wait ... there's always more. The clerk notices that the new e-ticket does not have my family name suffix (II) which is in my passport. She swears up and down that Korean Immigration would not allow me through if the name in my passport and e-ticket do not match exactly. I explain I have flown through Korea many times and my ticket name and passport name are rarely exactly the same (as my name is often mispelled in Korea). I explain this will not even be a concern. I am talking to a brick wall.

6) 3:00 PM, it's Friday and I have to fly up to Manila on Monday. The manager tells me they have informed the travel agency via email after the name discrepancy. She asks me to drive back to Mactan tomorrow.

7) 3:30 PM I don't care anymore. I tell them to email the new air ticket to me if and when it arrives. I will print it off and take it to the airport on Monday. We leave.

8: 5:00 PM we arrive at our home and I still do not know if the matter is resolved. We did what I could.

9) 11:00 PM I check my email. The e-ticket is there and everything is a go. I print it and later fly out Monday with no problem.

In my experience, this is the Philippines when dealing with any schedule change with a airline or agency outside the Philippines. No matter how simple the procedure may be, it takes all day if your lucky.

About Cebu Pacific, I have flown with this airline more times than I can count. Yes there are usually delays between Manila and other destinations, but the price is great and the service is typically good, unless you need to change your flight date from a ticket purchased in another country or make a last minute purchase.

This Saturday, I am flying home on Cebu Pacific directly between Busan and Cebu City (650,000 won) which is oddly priced at 1,220,000 won on my e-ticket from the travel agent in Changwon (Go figure!).

If I have to change my return flight date for any reason while in the Philippines (meaning Filipino office workers have to contact or deal with a Korean travel agent), I fear the outcome! I will hope there will be no need to change the return flight date and everything should be fine.

Honestly, your experience trying to change the flight date (regardless of the excuses or reasons they give) is just par for the course in the Philippines. They are so strangled by bureacratic red tape that they make the Ministry of Information in Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil look efficient! Better luck in your future travels!

milkweedma · Joined: 15 Dec 2006

Ive used my credit card to book flights with these guys before but this time the damn thing won't work so i tried PAL's website and my cc wouldn't work on there either so I called Pal up and did it that way. They said their online booking system has problems sometimes. I'm assuming ditto for Cebupacific too. I called my bank about it and no problems there.
Anyone else have problems with their home country credit card when booking either Cebupacificair or Philippineairlines?

Teachurrrr · Joined: 21 May 2008 Location: Parts Unknown

Cebu Pacific Airlines now has roundtrip direct flights between Busan and Cebu. I flew to Cebu to visit my family from September 13th-21st. The cost was 650,000 won (though the e-ticket said 1,200,000 won - Go figure!). The flight took 4 hours and 10 minutes. I am happy to say everything worked out without any hassles. They even let me check in an extra box (presents for family/friends) that put me over 20 kg without any extra charge. I hope they continue this flight. Cheers!

mickydenn · Joined: 26 Mar 2008

Teachurrr,

I checked the CebuPacificAirlines website and Busan isn't an option for online booking; or so it seems.
Please tell me how do I avail of the fare to Cebu you mentioned? Any travel agent or would you recommend a particular one?

Cheers.

Teachurrrr · Joined: 21 May 2008 Location: Parts Unknown

The fare I quoted can not be found on the Cebu Pacific Website. I guess I should have mentioned it since I brought it up. My apologies.

If you wish, contact Jesse from MODE TOUR Travel Agency in Changwon. Her email is 서봉균 <[email protected]>.

She has all the info, speaks English, and was very helpful in my case. I hope this helps. Cheers!

mickydenn · Joined: 26 Mar 2008

It does, thanks. Much appreciated.

rickvaughn · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject:

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

spencer23 · Joined: 25 Jan 2007

Flown on them 3 times, every time they screwed up bookings and they are impossible to get on the phone through there call centre.

Coming back through Manila going to Taipei they stuffed up my booking and said they couldnt get me on a flight for 48 hrs. They said I was free to stay in the airport. My wife and I plus two Germans who the same thing happened to kicked up a stink and they ended getting us on EVA air 9 hours later.

Cebu = Cheap but poor service

I-am-me · Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom

I agree...dont fly Cebu. My flight was scheduled for 10:30 am and it was delayed until 6:30 that night. They changed the departure time 3 times and instead of taking us to Caticlan, they flew us to Kalibo and then put us in vans for 2 hour ride to Caticlan. Needless to say it was a wasted day. On top of that, they didnt even give us dinner
!! Next time i am flying pal express no matter what the cost.