Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

Damaged passport may cause flight denial: Cebu Pacific responds to viral Facebook post

Domestic flight passengers check in at Cebu Pacific's on-site check-in lane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on April 24, 2023. The airline's initiative of creating dedicated online check-in lanes goes in line with the Manila International Airport Authority's digitalization program to improve the airport experience of all stakeholders. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Cebu Pacific reminded passengers with international flights to ensure their passports are in good condition to avoid being denied from boarding their flight.This comes after a viral social media post where an elderly man bound for Bali, Indonesia was allegedly denied boarding due to a tear on his passport.According to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10162576162781422&amp;set=a.441718086421&amp;type=3&amp;ref=embed_post" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook user</a>, a Cebu Pacific ground staff took photos of the passport and told them to wait, as this would be sent to the immigration office in Bali to confirm if it would still be accepted.&quot;Even a minor tear or any unauthorized marking may be considered a damaged passport by foreign immigration authorities, which can lead to denied boarding or entry to the intended international destination,&quot; Cebu Pacific wrote in a statement.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745494292178passport tear.jpg" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Screencap of the viral Facebook post of a passenger saying her father was not allowed to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Bali, Indonesia because of a damaged passport</div>In an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo, Cebu Pacific spokesperson Carmina Romero said the Bali immigration office came back and advised Cebu Pacific that they are declining passenger’s passport because of the damage. Romero said that even if the family was able to fly to Bali, the passenger with the damaged passport would stil have been denied entry at the immigration booth there.&quot;Dahil na flag na sila at naitawag na yon sa immigration ng Bali, pagdating nila sa boarding gate, identified na sila,&quot; Romero said. (Because they had already been flagged by bali immigration, when they arrive at the boarding gate, they are already identified.)Romero also denied allegations that they were power-tripping.&quot;Wala po kami intensyon manira ng bakasyon. Hindi po kami basag-trip. Ang kaligayahan namin ay mailipad ang aming pasahero kung saan man nila gusto pumunta,&quot; Romero said. (We have no intention to ruin vacations. It is our joy to fly passengers to where they want to go.)Romero emphasized that the airline is tasked to ensure that a passenger&#x27;s documents are complete and not damaged or tampered, especially the passport.&quot;Kahit kaunting punit, minor tear or may scratch, nabasa ng tubig, tampered o nasulatan ng ballpen lalo na kung unauthorized marking, issue po talaga yan. Magiging issue po talaga yan sa inyong pagbiyahe,&quot; she said.(If there even a minor tear, or scratch, or if it got wet, tampered, or has been written on with a ballpen especially with unauthorized markings, this will really be an issue when you&#x27;re traveling.)&quot;Kapag may na detect na perceived damage or tampering, kinukunan namin ng litrato yan at pinapadala sa destination,&quot; she added. (Once we detect a damage or tampering, our protocol is to take a photo and send it to the destination.)Romero said that if the immigration officers of the destination country says that they will not allow entry of a passenger bearing a damaged passport, they are bound to follow.&quot;Ang airline po ay pinapatawan ng multa sa bawat pasahero na nakakalusot pero hindi dapat pinabyahe,&quot; Romero said.(Airlines face fees for every passenger that gets to board even if he should have been denied.)Romero said they had reached out the the passenger involved but they were not able to reach her.ABS-CBN News has tried to reach out to the Facebook user who wrote the post but has yet to get a response as of posting.

Even a minor tear or any unauthorized marking may be considered as damage to a passport, which can lead to denied boarding, the airline said.

Even a minor tear or any unauthorized marking may be considered as damage to a passport, which can lead to denied boarding, the airline said.