CEBU PACIFIC (CEB) said on Sunday it will now fly four times daily to Hong Kong, but hopes to boost demand by offering airfare discounts.
“After Hong Kong eased requirements for inbound travelers in December, the airline operated Manila-Hong Kong flights 32 times weekly until January due to the anticipated high traffic over the resumption of the destination amid the holiday season,” Cebu Pacific Director for Corporate Communications Carmina Reyes-Romero said in a phone message to BusinessWorld on Sunday.
Cebu Pacific will fly 28 times weekly for February, she added.
The budget carrier hopes that Filipinos will “take advantage of the easier travel protocols in Hong Kong,” Cebu Pacific said in an e-mailed statement.
The airline targets to restore 100% of its pre-pandemic network and capacity in March this year.
The budget carrier currently flies to 34 domestic destinations and is set to restore all its 25 international destinations in the first quarter.
“Even better, every Juan can fly to Hong Kong for as low as P499 one-way base fare, made possible by a CEB special seat sale which runs from Jan. 27 to 31, 2023,” the airline said.
The travel period is from June 1 to Aug. 31 this year.
“Upon check-in, travelers must present a negative result from an antigen test taken within 24 hours or a negative 48-hour RT-PCR result, and a proof of vaccination of primary doses for non-Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above,” Cebu Pacific said.
It noted that the test results may also be submitted online through Hong Kong’s health and quarantine information declaration website (https://www.chp.gov.hk/hdf/). Travelers are reminded to keep photos of their test results for 90 days.
Arriving travelers are also encouraged to take a self-arranged antigen test daily until the fifth day from their arrival.
Cebu Pacific said that the results of the antigen tests may be reported through the Hong Kong government’s electronic monitoring and surveillance system (https://nhqsdata.hqss.ogcio.gov.hk/ibt/#/login).
“Passengers with existing travel funds may use these to pay for flights and other add-ons. Apart from the Travel Fund, other payment options such as payment centers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets may also be used,” the airline said. — Arjay L. Balinbin
