Philippine Airlines apologizes to Vice Ganda

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Airlines (PAL) has apologized to Vice Ganda after the "It's Showtime" host aired frustrations about the alleged overbooked flight. 

In Vice's Twitter account, Vice said that their supposed happy travel became a nightmare when they were about to return home. 

"GRABE KA @flyPAL!!! Grabeng pangaabala at perwisyo ang dinulot mo sa masaya sanang trip na ito!!! Bakit kayo ganyan??? Ilang beses nyo kaming pinaranas ng overbooking sa puntong di nakasakay ang kasama namin. Ngayon ako naman ang nawalan ng upuan!" he wrote. 

"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?" he added. 

Hindi yan ang sinabi sakin sa counter! Ang sabi ng staff
“THE FLIGHT WAS OVERBOOKED AND MY SEAT WAS GIVEN TO ANOTHER PASSENGER”. 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! https://t.co/fg8O9H2D26

— jose marie viceral (@vicegandako) October 24, 2023

The airline company then replied to Vice's tweet. 

"Hi, Vice. 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.

"Your concerns about overbooking have not gone unnoticed. We are here to assure you that we take your feedback to heart and are committed to looking into this matter immediately.

"We were able to retrieve your booking details, and we are already in the process of investigating the issue with our Bangkok station.

"We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve this matter for you. Expect to hear from us with updates as soon as we receive information from our Bangkok station. Thank you."

PAL then issued another statement explaining what happened. 

"Hi, Vice. We deeply regret the recent incident during your recent flight with us and would like to offer a clear explanation of the situation.

"First and foremost, we want to clarify that the flight was not overbooked, and we operate with the utmost commitment to safety. During pre-flight safety checks, two business class seats were identified as unserviceable due to safety concerns, rendering them unfit for passenger use.

"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. 

"We acknowledge that this may have been inconvenient and we extend our sincere apologies for any discomfort you experienced.

"We have received an update that eventually, two alternative passengers were identified and agreed to accept the downgrade offer, allowing you to return to your originally booked business class seats. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this situation.

"Your feedback is invaluable, and we are dedicated to improving our communication and services for the benefit of all our passengers. If you have any further concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly."

Vice, however, was not satisfied with PAL's explanation.

"Hindi yan ang sinabi sakin sa counter! Ang sabi ng staff 'THE FLIGHT WAS OVERBOOKED AND MY SEAT WAS GIVEN TO ANOTHER PASSENGER.' 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!" Vice said. 

RELATED: Vice Ganda laughs off criminal charges filed by Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas