Filipino in NY sues PAL for $10-M – report

A FILIPINO woman in New York has sued the Philippine Airlines (PAL) for $10 million or about P446, 314,000 for a canceled flight that was never rebooked, a US news agency reported.

In a report by California-based Courthouse News Service , the lawsuit against PAL was filed in a high court on Tuesday by a certain Cherilyn Darilag, who complained of being transferred from one hotel to another after her May 17 flight from the John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Philippines via Vancouver was not rescheduled.

The report said Darilag’s flight was grounded due to mechanical problems.

“After waiting three hours in the Airbus jet while it sat on the tarmac, Darilag and about 250 other passengers were then told to deplane because of a mechanical problem, according to the complaint,” the report read.

Citing the Filipino’s complaint, the report said Darilag and other passengers, who stayed at a hotel for a night, were promised by PAL to be flown to Manila the following morning. But Darilag said no PAL representatives picked them up the next day, which prompted her transfer to another hotel.

“The next day Darilag waited for the afternoon flight after being told the morning flight was fully booked, the lawsuit states. Those plans fell through as well since the afternoon flight – which was the same plane she exited from the previous day – was again grounded for mechanical problems,” the report added.

According to Darilag, PAL reportedly issued flight transfers, but these were not approved by other airlines because “they were not properly filled out and lacked validation stamps by PAL employees.”

She added that PAL agents and ground staff were not around to accommodate the needs of the passengers.

The report quoted a May 20 PAL statement, which was sent through e-mail by a representative named Maria Cielo.

“We empathize with the passengers knowing fully well the inconvenience of the extended stay due to the grounding. But safety remains a priority,” Cielo said, adding that the grounding was due to a “maintenance check.”

“Darilag’s attorney and media representatives from Philippines Airlines could not be reached for comment,” the report added.

After an 18-year hiatus, PAL revived its Manila-New York flights in March after being removed from the air safety blacklist of the US Federal Aviation Administration. AC

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