Cebu Best Posts in Thread: Refusal of check in for a flight from Cebu to Hong Kong

This is great information to know. If you don't need a valid passport in the transit area then you surely don't need a valid visa or other documentation beyond a valid onward ticket. It means I can take a filipina to Canada or US and stop to change planes in Tokyo without having to get her a visa for Japan because we have no intention of leaving the secure area. (Of course she will need a visa for the destination country.) It is especially interesting because I have noticed problems with the USA in the past in that they don't even let non-visa people even fly over their country, let alone stay in the secure area of the airport.

Thank you for supplying additional information. I will write to ANA before paying for the flight, just to be sure, but the information you have given here tells me I will have no problem at all doing that.

 

My connecting was not a Cathay Pacific flight but with Aeroflot, the reason why Cathay Pacific was unable to label any check in luggage till final destination. For reasons that @HKG airport there is obviously no exchange of luggage between these two air carriers for luggage coming in and to be forwarded on another flight.
But when you have only carry on luggage it is just not relevant.
I was not delayed or did forget to renew my passport, it was planned this way. As I also did it 5 years ago.
Once again, Cebu Pacific made rules on non existing grounds to refuse a passenger who full fill all the requirements, a valid ticket to fly from Cebu to HKG, a valid passport on departure from the Phils, a valid ticket for a connecting flight and again a passport that is still valid to fly to final destination, my home country.
If not, than Cathay Pacific should have refuse me or Aeroflot should have refuse me for boarding.
That did not happen, coz no problem. Only Cebu Pacific was making problems.
So in my point of view Cebu Pacific is the one making a big big fault.
But knowing the attitude in the Phils they will never, never admit they were wrong.
Oh, what I forgot to tell, upon arrival with the Cathay Pacific flight @HKG airport I went straight to the Immigration officer on duty.
Guess what he told me. You are completely right, in your situation no need to have a passport with a validity of 30 days as you are not entering HKG territory by passing Immigration.
In return I asked him to give me a written statement what he just told me.
His reaction, no need to do so, coz that are well known rules and if Cebu Pacific don't know you better log a file and start a complain against them.
For Immigration, as long as you stay in the transit area, we will not deal with passengers.

 

I did not call the main office of Cebu Pacific, given the fact the answer I got from the supervisor after he did call Manilla and nothing changed the situation as only keep on refusing me from check in.
I made that reservation on line so no agency or ticket office involved.
I know pretty well what are the requirements with respect to the validity of a passport.
Same I did 5 years ago when my passport was also about to expire within a few days from the date I flew from Manilla to Europe.
No problem of course, but it was not with Cebu Pacific I flew out of MNL
That's why I opt for this opportunity again because I rather renew my passport while being on holidays in my home country than all the hassle of a domestic flight from Dumaguete to Manilla vice versa, staying overnight in an hotel, local transport from hotel to embassy and more. All in all more cost involved than simply do it @home. Though now that Cebu Pacific refused me another story he he....!!
While still in the PH, I made an advance appointment on line to renew my passport and already done by Friday last, so when going back to the PH next month I have a new one or else it was impossible even get out of my home country on check in.
The suggestion to go to the Cebu office in HKG when I will be there next month is worth trying to hear what they will say.

 

Question. Generally when you book here through a cebu pacific office or a travel agency you need to present your passport. Did you book that way and present your passport and more so potentially book through an in person cebu pacific ticketing office? If so they are very much legally liable. I would first though contact the main office as the ticketing offices and their managers are always clueless. I would also contact their HK office and if their is an HK airport liason or complaint office contact them as well even though you were stopped in the Philippines. But potentially if you get the right person in HK at their airport and say it the right way about Cebu Pacific defrauding the airports customers (after all you were a customer through the airport) that may have a more negative effect on Cebu Pacific wanting to clear up the issue rather then have another negative mark on a major flight destination.

Cebu Pacific has been hit with temp bans with other countries including the US before because of customers complaining on cebu pacific service pretty much defrauding customers and not just for safety issues which is the usual story people assume.

 

RR_Biker, that really sucks and I would be pissed. I would consider whether it was worth my time to sue CP or if I would be out time and aggravation as well as money.

If you think it is a matter of principle all I can say is go get them tiger and give you my thanks because this could happen to any of us.