Mobility
No More Rebooking Fees on Flights? The DOTr Wants to Make It Happen
Because life (and travel) doesn’t always go as planned.
Published on Sep 8, 2025
(SPOT.ph) Anyone who’s
ever had to change a flight knows the sting of rebooking fees, which is sometimes almost
as pricey as the ticket itself. That frustration might ease soon, as the
Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to ask airlines to remove—or at
least reduce—the extra charges.
On September 4, Acting
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he would formally meet with
airline companies to raise the issue.
“Magkakaroon po kami ng
pagpupulong sa airlines. Isa po ‘yan sa aming ipapakiusap. Kung hindi man namin
matatanggal ‘yung rebooking fee na tuluyan, makakaasa po kayo na makikiusap po
na bawasan man lang,” Lopez said during the DOTr budget hearing with the House Appropriations Committee.
Rebooking fees are extra charges
imposed on passengers who need to change their flight schedules, on top of
paying fare differences. Right now, Philippine Airlines (PAL) allows unlimited
free rebooking on domestic tickets, as long as changes are made at least seven
days before departure. Otherwise, a change fee of P1,500 to P2,000 applies for economy-class tickets on a one-way trip.
On the other hand, Cebu Pacific allows passengers to rebook flights up to two hours before departure. Fare differences and change fees apply, with the exact amount depending on the booking and route. The total cost is shown in the Booking Summary before confirming the change. However, if the airline is behind the changes in schedule or cancellation of a flight,
passengers can rebook within 30 days at no extra cost.
DOTr has yet to release a
timeline for when the talks with airlines will begin or whether the plan would
apply to both domestic and international flights. We'll just have to wait and see.
Not just rebooking fees
The discussion on rebooking fees comes as lawmakers are also sounding the alarm on terminal charges, which have risen sharply since San Miguel Corporation's New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) took over Ninoy Aquino International Airport's (NAIA) operations in September 2024.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Representative Brian Poe called on the DOTr to review terminal fees after the NNIC implemented new rates this month: from P200 to P390 for domestic flights and from P500 to P950 for international flights.
Poe argued that passengers should see direct relief since most of the fees collected don’t even stay with the airports. During budget hearings, Lopez explained that 82% of terminal fee revenues go to the national treasury, while only 18% remains with the NNIC.
“Every peso counts for our kababayans. If the government is already taking 82 percent of terminal fee revenues, then a portion of that should go back to the passengers through subsidies or reductions,” Poe was quoted as saying. “Transportation is a basic necessity. People already pay for so many things—food, fuel, utilities. If we can remove or at least subsidize terminal fees, even just for domestic travel, it will already be a big help. The goal of modernization should be to make travel more convenient and accessible, not more costly.”
Micah believes that writing is always political. Beyond the byline, you’ll find her bruising herself in a pole studio or napping with her beagle. Reach her at micah@spot.ph.
You Might Also Like