Alabang villager expresses disgust over airline reservations treatment

Alabang Bulletin received an email from an Alabang village resident this weekend about a complaint she had about Air Philippines.

Have you experienced the same thing as well? We’ve heard of similar travel nightmares from friends and we hope that airlines treat their customers better.

Anyway, please read through the email of the villager here:

This happened last 07.15.11:

1. Called Airphil and did a book and buy for 2 tickets RT Mnl-Caticlan-Mnl for Oct for my daughter and myself.

2. Asked the agent, Zel, if I can avail of what I recently read on the website re student discount. She said yes and quoted me a lower rate for my daughter.
3. After informing me that the tickets are non-reroutable, non-transferrable and will be considered flown if not used, I agreed to all rules and she ran my card.
4. Flights for the 2 of us were confirmed and e-tickets were sent to my email.
5. After about 2 hours, she calls me and informs me that she voided my daughter’s ticket and credited back the bill to my card bec she made a mistake on giving me the student discount over the phone. Zel said that these discounts are only given in the ticketing offices so I have to go to a ticketing office and have my daughter’s ticket re-done. She admitted that it was a mistake on her part.
6. Told her that I understand that people make mistakes but having worked and still being in the service industry, I believe that they should do something about it because like what she said, it was her fault. I always purchase my tickets over the phone because I don’t have time to go to ticketing offices. She insisted that nothing can be done but I told her that I have a record locator and an e-ticket with me and it’s proof that the transactions were done. Didn’t hear from them again.
7. I called yesterday 07.19.11 and requested to speak to someone who can decide but a certain “Gids” tried to assist me and let me wait for 30 mins on the phone and still nothing happened. They promised to call me back yesterday but to no avail.
8. I called again last night, 07.22.11 to make a last check – was able to speak to a certain Mark Rivera, Reservations Supervisor. Explained everything to him and he made a temporary booking for my daughter. He said that he has to seek approval from higher authorities re the old rate that was given to me. He mentioned that the new rate is about 2k higher now. I told him that that is unacceptable. Warned him that if I don’t hear from them today on or before 12nn, I will expose them to media. I didn’t – that’s why I am doing this now.
9. I am not asking for anything more than what was agreed upon during the phone call.

We’ve had a couple of “Sir, we have to bump your flight to a later flight, is that okay?” calls as well but this one really hits a nerve since this is not the fault of the villager AT ALL.

We just hope that Air Philippines does what it should do to solve this problem.

What do you guys think?

UPDATE (July 25, 2011):

Air Philippines rescinded the latest charge and just charged the villager with the first price quoted by the booking assistant she first talked to. Hopefully, not because they were scared that this will come out widespread in the media.

Good job, Air Philippines. Now, maybe they can teach their employees their promos.