Vice Ganda fumes after getting bumped off flight; airline denies overbooking

By: Hannah Mallorca - 1 year ago
Vice Ganda

Vice Ganda. Image: Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin

Vice Ganda wasted no time in criticizing the Philippine Airlines due to overbooking issues on his way back to Manila from Bangkok, Thailand, which ultimately resulted in his flight getting delayed.

In a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) account last Tuesday, Oct. 24, Vice Ganda criticized the flag carrier for allegedly overbooking their flight that resulted in him and his companions getting bumped off.

“Grabe ka @flyPAL. Grabeng panga-abala at perwisyo ang dinulot mo sa masaya sanang trip na ito!!! Bakit kayo ganyan,” he wrote, while tagging the flag carrier’s official page. “Ilang beses nyo kaming pinaranas ng overbooking sa puntong di nakasakay ang kasama namin. Ngayon ako naman ang nawalan ng upuan!”

(You’re unbelievable, PAL. The stress and hardships you’ve caused us in this otherwise enjoyable trip. Why are you like this? You made us go through overbooking flights many times, which resulted in my companion not being able to get a seat. Now I’m the one who’s been bumped off my seat!)

The actor-comedian, who also shared a photo of his delayed flight, recalled getting teary-eyed while he was rushing to board the plane, where he noted that his partner Ion Perez was worn out from their stressful experience. “Delayed at overbooking!!!! GRABE (You’re too much)!!!!”

“Walang halong biro, naiyak ako habang tumatakbo para umabot ako sa flyt na muntik kong di masakyan dahil nag-overbook kayo,” he continued. “Si Ion inabutan kong mukhang kawawang nasa pinto ng eroplano dahil ayaw nyang sumakay kung di ako makakasakay. ‘Yun ang ginawa nyo sa amin.”

(I’m not joking. I was tearing up while rushing to catch my flight that I almost didn’t get because you overbooked us. I even saw Ion looking pained while leaning at the airplane’s entryway because he doesn’t want to get inside if I couldn’t make it. That’s what you did to us.)

In another post, the actor-comedian then accused the flag carrier of not showing empathy to its customers while pointing out that they’re all about the money.

“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 said.

(Is it part of the system to overbook flights, @flyPAL? Are you aware of how much stress you cause your customers if they can’t secure their chosen flights that they paid for? Do you feel any sympathy for your customers or is it just about the money?)

PAL’s denial, clarification

Vice Ganda’s tweets eventually caught PAL’s attention on X, and said it “deeply regrets” the inconvenience suffered by the “It’s Showtime” host and his companions. However, the airline denied that his flight was overbooked, noting that “two business class seats” were allegedly unserviceable.

“We want to clarify that the flight was not overbooked, and we operate with the utmost commitment to safety,” the flag carrier continued. “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.”

The airline then said the “two alternative passengers” supposedly “agreed to accept the downgrade offer,” while pointing out that Vice Ganda was “allowed” to return to his “originally booked business class seats.”

In separate posts, PAL also assured Vice Ganda that his sentiments are being “actively investigated” and that it’s been “coordinated with [their] team in Bangkok.”

Finger pointing

But the flag carrier’s statement only seemingly angered Vice Ganda even more, as he insisted that he was informed by a cabin crew that his seat was “given to another passenger.”

“Hindi yan ang sinabi sakin sa counter! Ang sabi ng staff (That is not what I was told at the counter. The staff said), ‘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 palpak (Just keep on pointing fingers among yourselves on who among you turned out to be incompetent),” he said.

In a separate post, Vice Ganda lamented that his encounter with the flag carrier ruined what was supposed to be a memorable trip. “Masaya sana ang bawat alis at pag uwi kung meron kayong malasakit (Going to and coming home from a trip is supposed to be happy if you show concern),” he added.

The airline company has yet to issue a follow-up comment and a statement, as of this writing. EDV

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