DOTr: ASEAN Summit-affected airline passengers entitled to refunds, free rebooking

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As more travelers head to airports ahead of the long weekend, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that passengers whose flights were canceled due to the ASEAN Summit are entitled to a full refund, free rebooking, or conversion to a travel fund.

A report by Marisol Abdurahman on “24 Oras” on Friday showed several passengers encountering heavy traffic on their way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Among them was Jenny Rose Dasco, who was scheduled to fly to Vietnam on Friday evening.

“Kanina po kasi nahihirapan po ako mag-book ng Grab, and I think almost one hour din po ako nag-book. And after po non kahit sa Skyway po nahirapan po kami makapasok since traffic,” Dasco said.

(Earlier, I had a hard time booking a Grab car, and I think it took me almost an hour to get one. Even after that, we had difficulty getting onto the Skyway because of the traffic.)

Rosie De Guzman, who was traveling to Bacolod with her child, said they anticipated possible traffic congestion due to the ASEAN Summit, prompting them to leave home early.

“Kahit sa Skyway medyo traffic na, madami nang sasakyan… mabuti nga hindi kami na-cancel eh, ‘yung sa [byaheng] Iloilo na-cancel,” De Guzman said.

(Even on the Skyway, traffic was already somewhat heavy, with many vehicles on the road. It was a good thing our flight was not canceled, unlike the flight bound for Iloilo.)

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) issued an advisory listing 264 domestic and 58 international flights across various airlines expected to be affected by the summit from November 13 to 19, 2026.

“These are the things that we are assuring you of, [the] government as well as the airlines— you are assured of either free rebooking, all penalties waived, walang penalty ‘yan, walang rebooking fee, walang kahit ano,” DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said.

(These are the things that the government and airlines are assuring you of—you are entitled to free rebooking, with all penalties waived. There will be no penalty, rebooking fee, or any other charges.)

“Wala kayong dagdag na babayaran, or full refund, or ‘yung tinatawag na travel fund. Meaning kung gusto mo iwan mo na lang pera mo ibang airline at gamitin mo for future travel, puwede din ‘yun,” he added.

(You will not have to pay anything extra. You can also choose a full refund or what is called a travel fund. This means you can leave your money with the airline and use it for future travel.)

The report also noted an increased presence of security personnel, including police officers, around NAIA.

Despite the influx of travelers, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said airport operations remain normal. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/VBL, GMA News