Pedestrian Observer GB: Philippine Airlines Abused Elderly Passengers?

The letter below is from PHNO Forum coming from Rodolfo D. Aniceto a 72 years old man together with his wife in a wheelchair for a recent cataract operation claims to have been subjected to elder abuse by PAL staffers. Upon checking Technorati I saw that Rudy Aniceto has a blog which will not stop me from airing his complaint here.... as they say the more the merrier. If anyone out there has similar or any untoward experience with PAL, let the people know.

In case you are in the mood to say your piece or inquire with PAL regarding Mr. & Mrs. Aniceto's ordeal here is PAL's contact details:

Customer Relations

1st Floor Philippine Airlines Center

Legazpi Street, Legaspi Village

Makati City 0750

Tel : (632) 816-4302/ 816-1358/817-2844/818-4582(632) 818-0111 loc 5223/5261/5321

Fax : (632) 894-3930

e-mail : wecare@pal.com.ph

Greetings

FYI, I am Rodolfo D. Aniceto (72 years old) from Pampanga. I am related to his Most Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto, DD. We are holding GUM/MNL/GUM ticket. Ako po ay na off load last 28 July 2007 from Manila. My wife and I traveled together. She is a handicap passenger and on wheelchair with catheter. She underwent cataract surgery two weeks back.

My It's about experience started when I check-in at 730pm for GUM and your staff NING said that I cannot be boarded because I hold a non-revenue ticket as they are only accepting revenue passengers without any other reason but that. I told her what PAL Guam office told me that I will not encounter any problem and my booking was ok and confirmed with seat assignments but she would not hear me as she said they do not honor anything from Guam. I even have it my booking reconfirmed. I asked for her complete name but she refused to answer me. She just told me that I cannot be boarded that's all. She was affront rude and disrespectful. She asked me to get out of the line and wait if I want. She can check-in my incapacitated wife can be boarded without any problem.

Why is your staff overly rude and disrespectful? We waited until the closure of the counter for Guam. Unfortunately, we were not taken in for consideration and compassion. We were not minded at all. The porter brought us to counter 13 for the reschedule for the following day. They gave us a gift of rebooking NUF free. Was it my problem to get into this dilemma? Your staff at counter 13 shouted and told me that her transaction will be long and we cannot wait for her. It was good thing that the guy occupying counter 11 observed what has happened and called us to assist and help. He gave us sorry head shake when I said I was off-loaded for no valid explanation except that I am a non-revenue ticket holder. That was already 10pm. We did not have our dinner and my pitiful wife was so stressed out and hungry. My problem was where the hell will we stay and rest until your 10:20pm flight for the following day? Throbbing pain and anger ang feeling ko for the inconsideration you gave my wife and me. We finally ate at 2am.

I did not ask and begged for the ticket. I won the promo and in our excitement we decided to buy another for my wife and what a presumably happy homecoming experience turned out be a miserable incident. Had I known that I will be overly bothered using the ticket they awarded me - I will refuse the free travel outright.

We do not deserve your appalling treatment.

The following day your customer relations officers (duty officer should be helping pax like me at 6am)but was never available. Only the guards were there. Where are they? The Guards are your customer relations officers as they feed and keep giving me numbers to call (879-5698/5916/5918/5917/5920/8558000) that are neither working or a fax phone or just ringing.

Finally at 930am, someone answered and handed it to a certain Rene Reyes, who talked to me and said that I cannot be boarded as the flight was over booked and my priority is PD8 meaning that my ticket is bookable but can be off loaded anytime without any notice. If I want to be boarded I need to change my priority code to N with the VP and that will be very hard, she said. And will still wait til Monday.

I was also advise that my wife was off-loaded due to an immigration problem and the counter people were the only ones who knew about it. How can that be possible, we never had the chance to reach the Immigration due to my outright bumped off. She was not off-loaded in the first place. She is incapacitated and will need someone to assist her to go the Immigration.

Why all these problems cropped up and presumed when it was just a plain classic case of an unexplained off-loading a promo winner of a non-rev ticket? Very good Advertisement.

FYI, we are green card holders and her passport expires in 2011 and our documents are inorder.

We are poor elderly passengers but we are not beggars to be push around the way you did to my wife and me.

This is a pitiful and deplorable experience for someone who housed and accommodated your staff out of kindness for months (Agnes Buenaventura and another male person from your PAL Sales office in Manila) from an unknown environment years ago when they were assigned in Guam without any compensation.

Why is respect for elders out-dated and obsolete?

Are your staff foreign to compassion and consideration?

Are these the kind of high-tech training they get now?

The slogan "It's about experience" that you are very proud to claim was made sure was done to us.

Mine will be My Pal's Pathetic Experience (MYPalPAc EX).

I know you will do nothing about my My Pal's Pathetic Experience.

Now I know that your airline represents mga PINOY na mayabang at bastos (egoistic and uncouth) and your airline is elder-unfriendly. You made us feel that we are nothing. That you do not need our business. Ayaw ninyo ng bother na walang monetary na kapalit (You don't serve people without monetary compensation) . You all do not believe in respect and sincerity.

Kaya nga "It's about experience". Good or bad it's still about experience.

Bastos kayo! (You are rude!) Wala kayong (You have no) respect. You have no regard for the elderly.May you experience the extreme thoughtlessness and insensitivity you provided my wife.

CAPITAL BASTOS (rude) kayo MGA TAGA PHILIPPINE AIRLINES.

I REFUSE TO BE A FILIPINO KUNG KASAMA KO KAYO MGA TAGA (to be identified with you) PHILIPPINE AIRLINES.

NAKAKAHIYA KAYO! (SHAME ON YOU!)

I will refuse PAL TICKET UNTIL I die.

Thank you and GOD Bless!

Rodolfo D. Aniceto

I am listed in Guam directory.

Promo Winner / Whiner