PAL, Cebu Pacific reduce fuel surcharge in bid for more passengers

By: Llewelyn Sanchez and Darwin G. Amojelar, InterAksyon.com
July 12, 2012 4:10 PM

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MANILA - (UPDATED 4:15 p.m.) The country's flag carrier will reduce its fuel surcharge on domestic flights starting next week, while the leading budget airline removed the fee altogether in its latest seat sale.

The operator of Cebu Pacific on Thursday said it has removed the fuel surcharge on all domestic flights, slashing fares by up to 70 percent.

In a statement, Cebu Air Inc. said the zero-fuel surcharge domestic seat sale is available from July 12 to 15 or until seats last, and would be due for travel from September 10 to December 15.

Passengers can buy P500 all-in seats on flights from Manila to other destinations in Luzon, and from its extensive Cebu and Davao hubs. Seats on flights from Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo, and from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi are also up for grabs.

For Manila to Visayas destinations, the all-in seat starts at P600, while Manila-Mindanao would sell for P700 all-in.

All-in domestic fares are inclusive of administration fee, aviation security fee, 12 percent value-added tax, and 7 kilos hand-carry baggage allowance, but exclusive of check-in baggage.

Separately, the Civil Aeronautics Board approved the reduction of Philippine Airlines' fuel surcharge for a three-month period.

PAL will bring down the surcharge to P330 for flights within Luzon from the current P340.

For Luzon to Visayas and Luzon to Mindanao flights, the surcharge will drop from P404 and P531 to P350 and P450, respectively.

PAL and Cebu Pacific's moves come on the heels of a similar reduction in the surcharge by rival ZestAir.

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