The Gokongwei-led airline has so far flown about 1.3 million international passengers this year, a whopping 228% increase from 2022.
Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer Candice Iyog said the airline made significant gains this year, including a sustained revenue increase in its passenger traffic and increased demand for international flights.
Iyog made her remarks at the airline’s annual thanksgiving dinner for media, which Cebu Pacific hosted with Robinsons Hotel & Resorts at the Axis Entertainment and Sports Bar in Nustar Resort and Casino, Cebu City. The event featured short talks from representatives of Nustar and Robinsons Hotels & Resorts. Additionally, an online message featuring President of JG Summit Holdings Lance Y. Gokongwei was shown.
Iyog added that through the airline’s “growing fleet, new destinations, and heightened customer care,” CEB is on track to recover fully from its pandemic losses. She also reported that the airline is refining its digital tools, streamlining processes, and communicating with passengers during disruptions. Through these, they have seen an overall improved Net Promoter Score (NPS), a measurement of customer loyalty and satisfaction, since July.
Additionally, CEB’s overall fleet is set to grow with 19 new aircraft acquired this year. It also boosted its Clark hub with 15 new international and domestic destinations that began in January this year, alongside the acquisition of three additional aircraft based in Clark.
CEB’s gains are also a result of a concerted effort to maximize affordable options for travelers, stimulating demand in turn. The airline, for instance, collaborated with country’s largest budget hotel chain Go Hotels to provide low-cost and exclusive deals nationwide. One of those deals includes a discount for customers booking rooms 15 days to a year in advance. Synchronizing with Go Hotel’s “Arrive & Stay Promo,” Cebu Pacific travelers have the option to avail of the hotel’s accommodations and enjoy exclusive rates once they present their Cebu Pacific boarding pass.
The airline has also been offering flights from Cebu to Boracay, Bacolod, and Puerto Princesa for as low as P199, while trips from Manila to Kalibo, as well as Clark to Puerto Princesa and Iloilo are offered for P299. These sales throughout the year have contributed to the resurgence of air travel, with CEB noting a 78% rise in its revenue to P66.9 billion, while earnings from the passenger side doubled to P46.1 billion through the increase of air travel.
Their Piso Sale, which offer P1 one-way base fare to local destinations, is also available at special periods throughout the year. Popular destinations for Piso Sales include Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Laoag, Hong Kong, Macau, and Seoul.
Iyog concluded that after bouncing back into profitability in 2023, CEB continues to pursue its ongoing growth in 2024. She outlined four critical gains coming into the next year: a 103% systemwide network recovery, 60 local and international destinations, 102 local and international routes, and 2,700 weekly flights.