CebuPac to lessen flights to China, Macau, HK after Philippines' 1st nCoV case

Following the confirmation of the first case of novel coronavirus in the Philippines, budget carrier Cebu Pacific announced its plan to reduce flights to and from mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

In an advisory, Cebu Pacific said flight reduction between the Philippines and the above destinations will hold from Feb. 3 to Mar. 29, 2020, “in light of developments related to the Wuhan coronavirus.”

The local airline flies directly to Beijing from Manila and also has direct flights to Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xiamen.

“Passengers affected by flight cancellations have been notified through the contact details provided upon booking,” Cebu Pacific said.

“They may also check the status of their flights through the Manage Booking portal in the Cebu Pacific website, https://book.cebupacificair.com/Manage/Retrieve/,” it said.

Passengers affected by the airlines' flight reduction will have the following options available for them:

•     Rebook the flight (new flight date within 30 days of original travel date)
•     Refund the tickets in full
•     Store the value of the ticket in a Travel Fund for future use

“We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank our passengers for their understanding,” the Cebu Pacific said.

“We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available,” it said.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier confirmed the very first case of novel coronavirus in the Philippines.

At  a press conference, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China arrived in the Philippines via Hongkong on January 21. —Ted Cordero/LBG/MDM, GMA News