PAL Refund Received

[BrettGC]

Well it took about 4 weeks but I finally received the refund on my cancelled Manila -> Hong Kong throwaway ticket.  For those that don't remember, it was cancelled by PAL due to travel restrictions in Hong Kong.  I'm only guessing but I'd say they were waiting for the travel date to pass - it was for a flight on the 24th of March.  Considering I booked it together with my Sydney -> Manila flight I was quite pleasantly surprised at the amount - $324AUD, I paid a total of $1576AUD when I initially booked the trip.  

I'm still waiting for the compensation for the extra night in a hotel in Sydney due to the first flight being delayed but it's in the system and being processed.  I was surprised when they agreed to this as I'd heard stories of these types of things not being paid due to COVID.  

Edited March 26, 2022 by BrettGC

[Old55]

Thanks for sharing this Brett. And congratulations! We do hear many stories of poor service and refund procedures.

Both my wife and I have had bad experiences. Never will fly PAL again.

[Dave Hounddriver]

12 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Never will fly PAL again

Never say never.  I said never.  I was wrong.  When the flight you want gets cancelled last minute then PAL are great to book 'n go.  I would still say "I will never PLAN to fly PAL again". 

[Old55]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Never say never.  I said never.  I was wrong.  When the flight you want gets cancelled last minute then PAL are great to book 'n go.  I would still say "I will never PLAN to fly PAL again". 

True, stranger things happen. I remember the wringer you guys went through. 

If for some reason domestic Cebu Pacific flights were unavailable we would have no choice but fly PAL. Or take a ferry. A ferry voyage sounds kinda nice now that I'm retired.  

[BrettGC]

10 minutes ago, Old55 said:

True, stranger things happen. I remember the wringer you guys went through. 

If for some reason domestic Cebu Pacific flights were unavailable we would have no choice but fly PAL. Or take a ferry. A ferry voyage sounds kinda nice now that I'm retired.  

I've been trying to convince AM that we take the ferry for our planned trip to Cebu in a couple of months but she's not budging.  She still remembers the bad old days when fatal ferry incidents were commonplace and they didn't have the inclement weather restrictions they do now. 

I don't mind the bus trip up the coast, it's very scenic but it's be nice to get up and move about at will.  

[Gas]

Things have improved at PAL 

Took me 12 months and the wife 16 months to get a refund for our Manila >Brisbane return flights. My wife's refund was only payed after the attorney at the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board pestered them for around a month. 

Would we fly PAL again. Like Dave said never say never! We have a daughter who lives in the Gold Coast and the PAL flight was very convenient as it was at night and direct to Brisbane. 

[Peaceful John]

Lord help me, but I had to book PAL from Manila to Honolulu on April 3.  I've been holding my breath and hoping there's no issues.  I, also, swore I would never fly them again, but was forced to this time due to time restraints. So I stopped with my never's.  I hurt for you Gas, but I'm happy you and the Wife finally got your money back.  Brett, sounds like yours is ending up pretty good.  Four weeks and their paying for the room too. 

[OnMyWay]

I just got an email from PAL today saying they converted my 5 unused tickets to travel credits.  Last time I spoke to them in January they said that would not be possible.

[Clermont]

Earlier on I wrote about the wife wouldn't fly anything but PAL, since you blokes have been writing about the refunds hassle's and one of her good friends being dicked around with date changes for their flight, no worries now, we'll fly QANTAS, about the same exorbitant price but they have five flights out of Sydney a week.  

Brett you are right, a bloke needs a lacky to carry the paperwork just to get out of the country and another thing, no 48 hr testing to get back into Australia from mid April. 

[BrettGC]

15 minutes ago, Clermont said:

Earlier on I wrote about the wife wouldn't fly anything but PAL, since you blokes have been writing about the refunds hassle's and one of her good friends being dicked around with date changes for their flight, no worries now, we'll fly QANTAS, about the same exorbitant price but they have five flights out of Sydney a week.  

Brett you are right, a bloke needs a lacky to carry the paperwork just to get out of the country and another thing, no 48 hr testing to get back into Australia from mid April. 

I'll be honest, I've never really had a bad experience with PAL, well no worse than any other carrier.  Air Asia is my never fly airline; lost bags twice.  Oh, and Air Niugini (PNG's national carrier), I used them once after PAL stopped the direct flights from Cairns to Manila (massive Filipino population in Cairns), granted they're cheap but never on time and refused to honour lost bag insurance for a friend I was travelling with.  It wasn't a case just waiting it out and they'd eventually pay, they just outright refused stating that the bag was never checked in despite the luggage stub.