Cebu Pacific Joins Airasia, Pal, Singapore Airlines & Scoot Accused Of New Overbooking Tricks Leading To Travel Chaos—are Passengers Getting Scammed: How Can You Demand Justice?

Published on October 31, 2025

Overbooking is simply a common practice among Southeast Asian airlines, but successful 2024–2025, carriers for illustration Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, and Philippine Airlines faced scrutiny for allegedly exploiting passengers for profit. Cebu Pacific drew nationalist backlash aft galore denied boarding incidents, prompting a Senate probe and a ₱500,000 tribunal ruling for rider mistreatment. In Malaysia, AirAsia was criticized aft a family was removed from an oversold flight, starring nan Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) to prohibition bumping passengers aft boarding and enforce stricter rules effective 2025. Singapore Airlines and Scoot acknowledged overbooking but mostly connection compensation to volunteers, pinch uncommon controversies. Thailand and Vietnam enforce mean rider rights, while Indonesia’s rules stay vague. Regulators successful nan Philippines and Malaysia introduced aliases revised laws to require early notice, fair compensation, and improved passenger protections. While overbooking aligns pinch world norms, mishandled cases raised concerns of systemic abuse, pushing nan region toward transparent, accountable, and rights-focused hose practices to guarantee flyers are nary longer unfairly burdened for hose profits.

Airlines Reported for Overbooking and Notable Incidents (2024–2025)

Philippines: Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia Philippines

In nan Philippines, a activity of rider grievances deed Cebu Pacific – nan region’s largest low-cost bearer – successful mid-2023, pinch effects continuing into 2024. Passengers flooded societal media pinch stories of being bumped off Cebu Pacific flights owed to alleged overbooking, alongside predominant delays and cancellations[2]. The rumor grew truthful terrible that Philippine senators launched a nationalist enquiry successful June 2023 into nan “barrage of rider complaints” against Cebu Pacific[3]. Lawmakers criticized nan airline’s “systemic” work problems, including what 1 legislator termed a “wantusawang” (fed up) overbooking “modus” operandi[5][3]. Notably, officials from Philippine Airlines (PAL) and AirAsia Philippines were besides summoned successful this Senate probe, indicating that multiple carriers faced scrutiny for akin issues (poor on-time performance, cancellations, and imaginable overselling)[5].

Specific incidents item nan quality impact. During nan Senate proceeding connected June 21, 2023, regulators confirmed that overbooking was so legal but perchance abused – nan Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) executive head testified that while overbooking is globally recognized, “if it is abused, it will origin inconvenience and suffering” to passengers[6]. He noted that anterior to 2012 location was a 10% headdress connected overbooked seats, but this limit was removed erstwhile nan Air Passenger Bill of Rights (APBR) took effect[7]. With nary cap, senators urged exploring sanctions to curb excessive overbooking practices[5]. In 1 melodramatic illustration of accountability, a Philippine tribunal successful 2023 ordered Cebu Pacific to salary ₱500,000 (~USD 9,000) successful damages to a rider (a provincial official) who was bumped off an oversold formation – a lawsuit that dated backmost to 2011 but was only resolved successful 2023[8][9]. The tribunal determination revealed that Cebu Pacific’s ain unit acknowledged an soul argumentation of seeking volunteers aliases rebooking passengers erstwhile a formation is complete capacity, successful statement pinch CAB regulations[10]. This lawsuit underscored that denied boarding tin break rider rights and lead to ineligible consequences, moreover if nan believe is technically permitted.

By 2024, Cebu Pacific and different Philippine carriers claimed to beryllium improving their services to reconstruct nationalist trust. Cebu Pacific reported it was “committed” to supporting affected passengers and implementing measures to forestall excessive disruptions[11]. Both Cebu Pacific and PAL told lawmakers they would minimize overbooking impacts by upgrading IT systems and customer care, and by reducing formation schedules if needed to lucifer capacity[11]. Nevertheless, user sentiment remained wary. The Philippine Daily Inquirer’s editorial conception captured nationalist frustration, urging travelers to “boycott” airlines pinch chronically overbooked flights and bad service arsenic “the champion revenge for ‘Every Juan’s’ travails”[12] (a pointed reference to Cebu Pacific’s motto astir making flying accessible to “every Juan”). In short, Cebu Pacific bore nan brunt of location overbooking controversy, pinch PAL and AirAsia’s section portion besides nether nan microscope, arsenic nan authorities weighed stricter oversight.

Malaysia: AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, and Others

Malaysia’s airlines besides believe overbooking, though awesome controversies person been little predominant recently. AirAsia, nan region’s pioneering low-cost carrier, openly defends overbooking arsenic modular business. In 2023, CEO Tony Fernandes remarked astatine a world summit, “We overbook… it’s communal practice, it’s nan correct point to do.” This accuracy reflects nan manufacture position that a fewer no-show passengers tin beryllium offset by a flimsy oversell, boosting gross to support fares low[7][4]. Indeed, AirAsia was progressive successful a high-profile overbooking incident successful precocious 2022: a Malaysian family was denied boarding and moreover removed from an AirAsia plane aft nan hose oversold a Kuala Lumpur–Chiang Mai flight. The family (who had booked tickets six months early) was told astatine check-in that nan formation was afloat and offered a next-day replacement, which they initially refused. In a chaotic bid of events – including handwritten boarding passes and disorder astatine nan gross – nan mates was yet escorted disconnected nan craft by staff, causing nationalist outrage erstwhile their communicative went viral connected societal media[13][14]. Malaysia’s property highlighted this arsenic an illustration of overbooking gone wrong, noting that while overbooking is “somewhat normal” to mitigate losses, AirAsia “had immoderate explaining to do” successful this case[15]. The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) categorized nan incident arsenic “Denied Boarding and Offloading” – a script they later explicitly sought to forestall successful future[16].

By 2024, regulators successful Malaysia responded to specified incidents and nan broader uptick successful complaints. MAVCOM’s user reports show that denied boarding complaints are a mini fraction of full grievances – for example, successful nan 2nd half of 2024, only a fistful of nan 2,613 hose complaints were astir “denied boarding” (dwarfed by complaints astir formation delays and cancellations)[17][18]. Nonetheless, nan Malaysian authorities moved to fortify rider protections. In August 2024, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced revisions to nan Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code, effective January 2025, straight targeting overbooking practices. Under nan updated rules, airlines must pass passengers of immoderate overbooking-related denial of boarding astatine nan check-in antagonistic aliases boarding gross – and crucially, they are prohibited from denying boarding after a rider has already been seated connected nan aircraft[19]. This was a nonstop guidance to incidents for illustration nan AirAsia fiasco, ensuring nary rider is ever forcibly offloaded aft boarding owed to overbooking. The caller Code besides mandates that immoderate formation cancellation beryllium instantly pulled from each income platforms to forestall phantom bookings, and it imposes dense fines (up to RM200,000, pinch tenfold increases for repetition offenses) for non-compliance[20][21]. While Malaysia Airlines (the nationalist carrier) did not suffer a circumstantial overbooking ungraded successful 2024, it voiced support for these user protections. Malaysia Airlines and its subsidiary Firefly each achieved complete 90% complaint-resolution rates, signaling a committedness to promptly reside issues for illustration refunds aliases rebookings erstwhile overbooking occurs[22][23]. AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia, and different section carriers each now look stricter oversight** to guarantee that erstwhile overbooking does happen, passengers are either volunteered disconnected flights pinch capable compensation aliases re-accommodated humanely – not near emotion exploited.

Singapore: Singapore Airlines and Scoot

Singapore Airlines (SIA), arsenic a premium carrier, seldom draws nationalist complaints astir overselling, but it does utilize overbooking successful statement pinch world norms. A SIA spokesperson confirmed that nan hose occasionally overbooks flights to relationship for no-shows[24][25]. In practice, SIA handles overbooked flights by first seeking volunteers consenting to springiness up their seats successful speech for generous compensation (travel vouchers, upgrades, aliases different perks)[26][27]. Only if not capable volunteers travel guardant would SIA involuntarily contradict boarding to immoderate passengers, pursuing strict privilege rules (e.g. protecting those pinch disabilities aliases tight connections)[28]. Any involuntarily bumped rider is entitled to compensation, typically up to nan afloat worth of their fare aliases successful accordance pinch world regulations connected denied boarding[29]. For instance, if a Singapore Airlines formation from Europe aliases nan US is oversold, nan hose abides by EU261 aliases US DOT rules, respectively – meaning payouts of a fewer 100 euros/dollars positive replacement recreation arrangements[30][31]. This proactive attack has kept SIA mostly retired of overbooking scandals. Nonetheless, location person been isolated complaints. In 1 lawsuit circulated connected societal media successful 2024, a family claimed they were denied boarding connected a Singapore Airlines formation retired of Changi owed to overbooking contempt having confirmed seats (they were subsequently compensated)[32]. Such instances are uncommon capable to make news erstwhile they occur.

Importantly, Singapore has nary circumstantial rule aliases caps regulating hose overbooking aliases requiring modular compensation, dissimilar jurisdictions for illustration nan EU[33]. The country’s user watchdog, CASE, has called for a reappraisal of overbooking practices aft immoderate header incidents (including an overbooked cruise vessel that stranded complete 100 Singaporean travelers successful 2022)[34][35]. CASE’s president Melvin Yong noted that Singaporean passengers presently “can trust only connected conditions of carriage aliases recreation insurance,” which whitethorn not beryllium successful their favor, and urged authorities to see new regulations to protect consumers akin to those successful nan US and EU[36]. As of 2025, nary dedicated overbooking authorities exists successful Singapore, truthful SIA and its fund limb Scoot travel wide world conventions and their ain customer work plans. Scoot, for illustration galore low-cost carriers, besides overbooks selectively; it offers recreation credits aliases edifice stays to volunteers if a formation is oversold, aiming to debar involuntary bumping. Overall, Singapore’s airlines person managed overbooking pragmatically, pinch fewer publicized crises, but user advocates proceed to property for general passenger-rights rules to guarantee travelers aren’t unfairly near behind.

Other Southeast Asian Carriers (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.)

Across nan remainder of Southeast Asia, overbooking remains modular manufacture practice, though nan level of contention has varied. In Thailand, some full-service and fund airlines employment overbooking, but nan authorities has implemented immoderate rider protections. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand group compensation guidelines for disrupted travelers – for example, if a rider is denied boarding owed to overbooking, they are entitled to compensation, a spot connected nan adjacent disposable flight, and basal assistance (meals aliases lodging arsenic needed)[37]. Thai Airways informs customers that successful an overbooking situation, it will activity volunteers and, if bumping personification is unavoidable, supply rate aliases vouchers (reportedly astir THB 1,200–1,500 for home flights successful cases of agelong delays aliases denied boarding, according to section regulations) arsenic good arsenic rebooking options[38][39]. These amounts are much humble than EU aliases US compensation levels, but they correspond an effort to align pinch world norms connected adjacent treatment. So far, Thailand’s airlines person not made headlines for egregious overbooking incidents successful 2024–2025, suggesting issues are handled softly aliases preemptively.

In Indonesia, carriers for illustration Garuda Indonesia and nan Lion Air Group (Lion Air, Batik Air Indonesia, and Wings Air) besides overbook flights, but nationalist information connected their bumping rates is scarce. Indonesian rule addresses overbooking nether its aviation user protection rules successful principle, requiring airlines to compensate passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding (often by providing alternate carrier and amenities)[40]. For example, older guidance had constricted overbooking to a mates of seats per flight, though enforcement is not very visible[41]. The Lion Air group has a estimation for operational issues (delays and immoderate cancellations), but circumstantial overbooking controversies successful 2024–2025 were not wide reported successful nan media. It is apt that these airlines resoluteness astir oversell situations done voluntary offloads aliases by rebooking passengers connected later flights nan aforesaid day, fixed nan dense way networks. Meanwhile, Vietnamese carriers (Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Bamboo Airways) besides partake successful overbooking arsenic portion of modular practice. Like others, they effort to mitigate its effect – for instance, VietJet, known for fierce sales, will inquire for volunteers aliases displacement passengers to nan adjacent formation (which is sometimes conscionable hours later connected engaged home routes). Vietnam’s authorities person wide user protection laws, but nary circumstantial high-profile cases of denied boarding successful 2024/25 gained world attention.

In summary, virtually all Southeast Asian airlines usage overbooking to immoderate extent, but not each faced nationalist controversy recently. The astir notable incidents centered connected a fewer carriers (particularly Cebu Pacific and AirAsia) wherever overselling mixed pinch different operational problems led to passenger authorities violations aliases perceived unfair treatment. This prompted regulators successful countries for illustration nan Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand to either investigate, enforce fines, aliases tighten rules successful 2024–2025.

Passenger Rights, Regulatory Responses, and Industry Norms

A accordant taxable successful 2024–2025 is Southeast Asian governments stepping up oversight of overbooking successful consequence to user complaints. Where historically nan region lacked stringent rules (relying connected airlines’ goodwill aliases case-by-case resolutions), caller events person spurred reforms:

• Philippines: The Department of Transportation and CAB reiterated that airlines must enarthrosis nan “expenses, consequences, and inconvenience” caused to immoderate rider bumped owed to overbooking[42][43]. The APBR obliges carriers to activity volunteers first and, if involuntary denial occurs, to supply affected passengers compensation, rebooking aliases endorsement to different flight, free accommodation if overnight, and moreover rate incentives until capable volunteers travel forward[44][45]. After nan 2023 Cebu Pacific probe, legislators discussed amending laws to penalize habitual overbooking. By precocious 2024, a measure was introduced successful Congress to codify rider authorities and enforce stricter standards connected airlines’ curen of customers[46]. While not yet passed arsenic of 2025, this indicates momentum toward aligning nan Philippines pinch world champion practices (e.g. perchance reinstating an overbooking headdress aliases mandating higher compensation).
• Malaysia: MAVCOM’s updated Code (effective 2025) is simply a nonstop regulatory response. Besides banning nan removal of seated passengers, it requires airlines to notify travelers of overbooking situations early (at check-in aliases boarding gate)[19]. This transparency allows would-be volunteers to travel guardant and prevents nan daze of last-minute ejections. Malaysia stopped short of mounting a fixed compensation magnitude (unlike EU aliases US regimes), but nan Code does instruction that carriers supply assistance and care arsenic required by rule aliases regulations successful immoderate overbooking event[47]. In practice, MAVCOM tin enforce that airlines connection meals, accommodation, aliases refunds arsenic appropriate. The preamble of hefty fines for non-compliance gives these policies teeth[48][21]. The Malaysian attack frankincense now mirrors world norms successful process (volunteers first, nary involuntary bump aft boarding, etc.), moreover if compensation is handled connected a case-by-case basis.
• Thailand: The Civil Aviation Authority issued updated rider authorities regulations successful 2023, which took effect successful 2024, expanding required compensation for formation disruptions. For involuntary denied boarding, Thai airlines must compensate affected passengers (the nonstop magnitude depending connected formation region aliases hold length) and supply contiguous care[37]. Reports bespeak Thailand doubled home hold compensation and group circumstantial payouts for cancellations and overbooking (e.g. astir THB 600–1,200, now increased)[39][38]. Though these sums are little than Western standards, Thailand’s model is simply a measurement toward formalizing what travelers tin expect.
• Singapore & Others: No caller laws were enacted successful Singapore aliases Indonesia solely for overbooking successful 2024, but user bodies and nan media person kept unit connected airlines. In Singapore, CASE’s telephone for regulation, on pinch wide reported incidents (like nan Genting Dream cruise overbooking and SIA’s turbulence incident compensation, which accrued consciousness of rider rights), has put nan thought of a Singaporean rider measure of rights connected nan agenda[36]. Regionally, there’s nickname that global champion practice is to minimize involuntary denied boardings. IATA (International Air Transport Association) defends overbooking arsenic beneficial if managed correctly, noting airlines worldwide person gotten overmuch amended astatine forecasting no-shows and frankincense often debar bumping anyone[49][26]. Southeast Asian airlines are gradually pursuing suit – for example, in 2024 some Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines reported highly debased rates of involuntary bumping, comparable to ample European carriers, acknowledgment to refined booking algorithms and generous unpaid offers.

Do these practices align pinch world norms aliases transcend them? The grounds suggests a mixed picture. On 1 hand, the believe of overbooking itself is aligned pinch world manufacture norms – Southeast Asian carriers are not unsocial successful overselling seats; it’s done “worldwide” and agelong accepted by world aviation economics[2][3]. In fact, galore Western airlines overbook much aggressively connected celebrated routes, but they besides connection hefty compensation (sometimes thousands of dollars) to guarantee customers are satisfied. In Southeast Asia, nan areas of divergence person been successful user protection enforcement and work recovery. The controversies of 2023–2024 exposed that immoderate location airlines were handling oversold flights poorly – e.g. failing to springiness timely announcement aliases capable compensation, and successful Cebu Pacific’s case, perchance overscheduling flights beyond their operational capacity, compounding nan problem[6]. Such practices exceeded world norms successful a antagonistic sense, starring to nationalist cognition of exploitation. It’s telling that a Filipino congressman moreover urged suspending Cebu Pacific’s franchise complete its “lousy and terrible” work until it could “provide satisfactory work to nan public”[50][51] – a drastic measurement not seen successful countries pinch mature compensation systems.

Encouragingly, regulators successful Southeast Asia are now catching up to world standards. By mandating clearer rider authorities and imposing penalties, they purpose to deter airlines from excessively overbooking for profit astatine nan disbursal of travelers. Airlines for illustration AirAsia and Singapore Airlines support that overbooking, done responsibly, really benefits consumers done little fares and much disposable seats[4]. The cardinal is ensuring it is “done correctly” – meaning pinch robust no-show forecasting and adjacent curen for anyone who gets bumped[49][26]. The world norm is not to destruct overbooking (even successful Europe and nan US it continues), but to equilibrium it pinch beardown rider rights. Southeast Asia successful 2024–2025 is moving successful that direction.

In summary, multiple Southeast Asian airlines were reported for overbooking practices successful 2024–2025, astir notably Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, and to a lesser grade bequest carriers for illustration Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Documented incidents see passengers being denied boarding aliases re-routed because flights were oversold, sparking nationalist outcry and claims of exploitation. These cases led to heightened scrutiny: government agencies and aviation authorities responded pinch investigations, caller regulations, and moreover punitive actions (such arsenic fines aliases court-awarded damages). Table 1 beneath provides a snapshot of cardinal airlines and events:

Table 1: Southeast Asian Airlines’ Overbooking Issues and Responses (2024–2025)[5][19]

Overall, Southeast Asia’s acquisition pinch overbooking successful 2024–2025 underscores a learning curve: airlines person agelong utilized overselling to boost revenue, but only precocious person consumers and regulators demanded that this believe beryllium balanced by firm rider rights. The controversies pushed nan region person to world norms, pinch caller policies to guarantee that erstwhile airlines activity profit done overbooking, they do not do truthful astatine nan undue disbursal of their passengers’ welfare[19][42]. As of precocious 2025, nan inclination is toward greater transparency, adjacent compensation, and constricted exploitation of passengers, aligning Southeast Asia’s aerial recreation acquisition pinch what flyers elsewhere successful nan world person travel to expect.

Sources:

• Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) Consumer Report 2H 2024[23][18]
• The Edge Markets – Transport Minister connected caller Malaysian user protections (Aug 2024)[19][20]
• Philippine Senate proceeding excerpts / Spot.ph sum (June 2023)[5][3]
• Philippine News Agency – tribunal ruling connected Cebu Pacific overbooking case[8][10]
• Carlist.my (Sin Chew Daily) – Report connected AirAsia overbooking incident (Nov 2022)[14][16]
• Straits Times (Singapore) – Coverage connected overbooking and user authorities (Sept 2022)[33][27]
• Civil Aeronautics Board (Philippines) / AirAsia PH – Air Passenger Bill of Rights (APBR) guidelines[42][44]