Cathay Pacific offers help to 200 stranded Filipinos in HK

Cathay Pacific on Wednesday offered help to more than 200 Filipinos stranded in Hong Kong after the tickets they purchased from Peya Travel Agency were not honored at the Chek Lap Kok airport. (Photo by Michael Coghlan/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

MANILA — Cathay Pacific on Wednesday offered help to more than 200 Filipinos stranded in Hong Kong after the tickets they purchased from Peya Travel Agency were not honored at the Chek Lap Kok airport.

In a tweet, Cathay Pacific said while not affiliated to Peya Travels, the airline is ready to assist the affected Filipinos.

“For Filipino friends affected by the issues related to a Hong Kong travel agent not affiliated with us, we stand ready to help as much as we can. Please direct message us,” it said.

After news broke that the travel agency was in trouble, an “angry crowd crammed into – and spilled out of – the agency’s tiny cubicle shop” in World-Wide House in Central to demand answers, South China Morning Post reported.

The company, who has only given “few answers,” has yet given an assurance that the more than 200 affected people will be provided with rebooking alternatives.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said it is “deeply concerned” over this incidence of unissued tickets and unconfirmed bookings from Peya Travel.

In a statement, it advised the public to refrain from transacting with the agency “until such time that the issue is resolved and all aggrieved parties have received just compensation.”

The consulate vowed to monitor the situation and liaise with relevant government authorities to ensure that the administrative liabilities of Peya Travel are duly imposed.

For the meantime, it urged all complainants to “maintain sobriety and calmly” reach out with Peya Travel in order to secure a new flight booking or avail a refund.

The consulate for its part said it expects Peya Travel to take responsibility for the incident.

In a statement posted in its social media account, Peya Travel extended its “apologies” to all passengers affected, saying the agency is ready to take responsibility for the fiasco. No details, however, were cited when the refund can be claimed.