PAL, Cebu Pacific tickets to carry IPSC

MANILA, Philippines - National flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and budget airline Cebu Pacific have integrated the P550 terminal fee at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) into airline tickets starting today.

PAL issued an advisory informing all passengers that passenger terminal fees for international flights – also called the International Passenger Service Charge (IPSC) – would be part of the ticket cost starting Feb. 1 in compliance with the directive of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). 

“This move is being carried out by PAL in compliance with the memorandum of agreement signed between MIAA and airline companies operating in the country,” the airline said.

According to PAL, the integration of terminal fees with the ticket cost would streamline pre-flight procedures for the convenience of passengers.

The integration of terminal fees of domestic flights into the total ticket cost began in 2013. 

Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, said in a separate advisory that the new policy will apply to passengers who will book international flights from Manila or transiting Manila starting today.

Passengers who booked international flights before Feb. 1 will still need to pay the terminal fee at designated counters.

The IPSC integration was supposed to take effect Jan. 15 but airlines sought its deferral due to the operational concerns for the visit of Pope Francis from Jan. 15 to 19. 

The IPSC integration was originally set on Oct. 1, 2014 but was moved to Nov.  1, 2014 after the Pasay City regional trial court stopped it. 

MIAA reiterated that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would be refunded the P550 terminal fee paid on airline tickets bought online or abroad.

Judge Tingaraan Guiling ruled that the IPSC integration in airline tickets is unenforceable because of lack of publication. 

The memorandum integrating the IPSC in airline tickets honors all exemptions that the law has given to OFWs, Muslim pilgrims endorsed by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, athletes endorsed by the Philippine Sports Commission and others authorized by the Office of the President. 

Exemption at the point of sale shall be subject to the presentation of an exemption certificate duly issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or the MIAA.

Republic Act 8042, the Migrant Workers Act, prohibits the collection of terminal fee and travel tax from OFWs. 

Various groups, including the OFW Family Club, The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People, are strongly opposing the planned integration of the IPSC into airline ticket costs.       – With Rudy Santos