Philippines terminal fees part of airline ticket cost starting October 1, 2014

[zuluweta 250]

I'm posting the article here about the folks complaining about the new policy on terminal fees, including English translations of Tagalog text:

OFWs urged to protest inclusion of NAIA terminal fee in airline tickets

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 09/24/2014 4:38 PM | Updated as of 09/24/2014 4:38 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Migrante International is urging overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to protest the inclusion of the P550 terminal fee in international airline tickets.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) had earlier said it will implement the new policy for passengers of all international flights starting October 1.

OFWs are currently exempted from the payment of terminal fees under Republic Act 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers Act, exempts OFWs. OFWs have to just present their Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) to validate their OFW status.

With the new policy, Migrante International said OFWs will have to pay the terminal fee when they buy their airline tickets, then get a refund later.

"This blanket scheme is another vehicle for state exaction and kotong (translation: asking for a bribe) from our OFWs. It is illegal and should not be implemented. Instead of saying that OFWs can refund the fees paid, what the government should do is spare our OFWs from all that hassle. Theyve already gone through all the trouble of fulfilling requirements for the OEC, tapos ngayon ito pa? Ang siste ay tila iniisahan na naman ang mga OFW (translation: and now this? The scheme looks like OFWs are again being taken advantage of)," said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson.

He noted the "refund or reimbursement" process is an unnecessary step which will be a hassle to OFWs leaving the country.

"Kikita sila sa pag-asang, para huwag na lang maperwisyo, hindi na lang magre-refund ang mga OFW natin (translation: They will make money by hoping that OFWs will not ask for a refund so as not to be inconvenienced)," Martinez said.

Some OFWs have started a petition on Change.org, seeking the exemption of all OFWs from the P550 terminal fee imposed under the MIAA.

On Tuesday, the MIAA clarified that if the airline ticket is purchased online or abroad, these exempted passengers would have to pay terminal fee. Also, the exempted passengers should also pay the fee, if they cannot present the proper certification when tickets are purchased over the counter.

However, the MIAA said the terminal fee could be refunded at NAIA if the passenger can present the overseas employment certificate, electronic ticket, boarding pass, and MIAA exemption certificate.

The "terminal fee" collected by the MIAA is used for the airport operations. Of the P550, the MIAA gets P390 for maintenance and upkeep, the national government gets P100 and aviation security gets P60.

[Hank_ 9,173]

 

Ideally, this would be the best scenario but how they chose to implement it (without any regard for those exempted) is wrong. This would be similar to the travel tax collection confusion, there are just too many exemptions to deal with.

 

They are planning to include it even for tickets purchased outside the Phils. How they can enforce or implement this ... who knows.

You misread somewhere, tickets purchased online and aboard are exempted.

"On Tuesday, the MIAA clarified that if the airline ticket is purchased online or abroad, these exempted passengers would have to pay terminal fee."

[yannix 24]

 

You misread somewhere, tickets purchased online and aboard are exempted.

"On Tuesday, the MIAA clarified that if the airline ticket is purchased online or abroad, these exempted passengers would have to pay terminal fee."

Nope, you're missing the part after that. There's a continuation after that statement. What MIAA is saying is everyone has to pay if purchasing online or abroad. If you are exempt, you claim the refund.

Doesn't make sense for the EXEMPTED passengers to have to pay the terminal fee physically at the airport right?

[Hank_ 9,173]

 

Nope, you're missing the part after that. There's a continuation after that statement. What MIAA is saying is everyone has to pay if purchasing online or abroad. If you are exempt, you claim the refund.

Doesn't make sense for the EXEMPTED passengers to have to pay the terminal fee physically at the airport right?

Let me reword that, exempted is not the word I should have used. The fee is NOT collected by the airline when ticket is purchased online or aboard, that fee will still have to be collected at the airport... and there in is the question everyone is having. How? If those counters are removed.

[zuluweta 250]

Pasay court halts integration of terminal fee in int'l airline tickets

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 10/31/2014 4:31 PM | Updated as of 10/31/2014 4:58 PM

MANILA The Pasay Regional Trial Court has temporarily stopped the implementation of the integrated terminal fee in all airline tickets of international flights.

The Pasay RTC Branch 109 issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Friday, granting the petition of several overseas Filipino workers' groups and advocates.

A Memorandum Circular of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) mandating airline and travel agencies to integrate the terminal fee of P550 in the price of airline tickets was supposed to take effect on November 1.

The OFW groups argued that the circular violates a provision in the Migrant Workers Act, which exempts OFWs from paying travel taxes, documentary stamps and airport terminal fees.

Recruitment industry leader and former OFW Lito Soriano lauded the courts decision to grant the TRO.

"Napatunayang Philippine justice system works for these people that are marginalized like OFWs, he told dzMM.

MIAA, meanwhile, said it will honor the TRO and will suspend the implementation of the integrated terminal fee.

In view of the TRO issued by the Court on the integration of the International Passenger Service Charge (or better known as Terminal Fee), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is hereby suspending its implementation, it said in a statement. -- With a report from Dexter Ganibe, dzMM

[zuluweta 250]

Looks like this policy was finally implemented February 2015.

I'm curious to know if it really made a difference in terms of shorter waits/lines at the terminal fee counter.

[luckytwo15 13]

We flew 11feb. I bought the tickets online through Orbitz 9feb.

There were signs posted around terminal 1 saying this took affect 1feb.

JAL sent us over to the travel tax counter and there we paid 1620 php for fiancée. Me as a USC did not have the tax. Then we returned to JAL and they handed us our boarding passes. JAL stamped our tickets with that little 550 php stamp, so the usher to the terminal fee line ushered through a side door and we we skipped that terminal fee counter. Still had to stamp out with immigration of course and fiancée had to ballpen a small immigration form.

It seemed a little faster than normal.

[zuluweta 250]

We flew 11feb. I bought the tickets online through Orbitz 9feb.

There were signs posted around terminal 1 saying this took affect 1feb.

JAL sent us over to the travel tax counter and there we paid 1620 php for fiancée. Me as a USC did not have the tax. Then we returned to JAL and they handed us our boarding passes. JAL stamped our tickets with that little 550 php stamp, so the usher to the terminal fee line ushered through a side door and we we skipped that terminal fee counter. Still had to stamp out with immigration of course and fiancée had to ballpen a small immigration form.

It seemed a little faster than normal.

So tickets now bought online through Orbitz includes the terminal fee, based on your experience. This is interesting. I thought the terminal fee-inclusive tickets are only for tickets purchased in the Philippines, through a travel agent or Philippines-based airline (PAL).

[J_d_Petitioner 17]

We flew 11feb. I bought the tickets online through Orbitz 9feb.

There were signs posted around terminal 1 saying this took affect 1feb.

JAL sent us over to the travel tax counter and there we paid 1620 php for fiancée. Me as a USC did not have the tax. Then we returned to JAL and they handed us our boarding passes. JAL stamped our tickets with that little 550 php stamp, so the usher to the terminal fee line ushered through a side door and we we skipped that terminal fee counter. Still had to stamp out with immigration of course and fiancée had to ballpen a small immigration form.

It seemed a little faster than normal.

I just purchased the ticket through Orbitz but couldn't find anywhere in their receipt that terminal fees are included. Did you?

Also, do they (my parents) have to pay the travel tax first before they check-in then? I'm wondering if you went back at the back of the line to claim your boarding passes.

[luckytwo15 13]

I just purchased the ticket through Orbitz but couldn't find anywhere in their receipt that terminal fees are included. Did you?

Also, do they (my parents) have to pay the travel tax first before they check-in then? I'm wondering if you went back at the back of the line to claim your boarding passes.

I didn't see it itemized on our Orbitz receipt. I suspect JAL just pays the airport 550 per person and it probably is included in the price of the ticket to the customer.

Yes, we returned to the JAL line to claim our boarding passes. The travel tax can be done ahead of time I suppose before going to the JAL counter. It only takes giving the travel tax counter the itinerary and passport with the 1620 to get the receipt. The receipt is what JAL wanted before giving us the boarding passes.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Yes you should get the travel tax paid before you go to the airline ticket counter.

[luckytwo15 13]

After we got our boarding passes we headed for the departing gate. The airport usher directed us through a side door that looked like it was a short cut to immigration and in fact it bypassed the 550 terminal fee counter. It appeared there are folks that still need to go through that 550 terminal fee line for one reason or another. The usher decides based on what the airline marks on the boarding passes.

We were a bit confused because there are a variety of booths near immigration, but learned that the usher meant for us to head straight for immigration with the small immigration form that the JAL ticket counter had given us and to get in line just like any other time leaving the Philippines. They stamped our passports and we were on our way.

Recommend carrying a ballpen to fill out the various forms along the way. JAL handed out customs forms on the airplane from Manila to Narita. We had to fill those forms out because we chose the 15 hour layover route that required us to leave Narita airport. For the shorter layovers the customs forms are not needed, because the traveler is not leaving the airport.

We also filled out short U.S. Customs declaration forms on the JAL flight from Narita to our Chicago POE.

Edited February 21, 2015 by luckytwo15

[luckytwo15 13]

Yes you should get the travel tax paid before you go to the airline ticket counter.

We weren't sure what fees or taxes were included in the Orbitz ticket purchase with the recent changes, so we went to the airline counter first to see if the tax was included. But no, only the terminal fee was included.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Travel tax is only included in the ticket fee when purchased within the Philippines, and that isn't guaranteed even. And I would think the terminal fee would be the same, time will tell on this.

[clairegie 265]

Both travel tax and terminal fee were included in my ticket. This was 4 days ago when I traveled back to US from Manila on Philippine Airlines.

Edited February 23, 2015 by iammrsregie