Cathay Pacific has offered help up to 1,000 Filipinos stranded in Hong Kong get home to their families for Christmas.
Up to 1,000 travellers, mainly domestic helpers, were left high and dry after tickets they purchased from Peya Travel Agency were not honoured at the Chek Lap Kok airport.
In a tweet today (Wednesday, December 20), Cathay Pacific said that even though it was not affiliated to the Peya Travels Agency, it was ready to assist the affected Filipinos.
“For Filipino friends affected by the issues related to a Hong Kong travel agent not affiliated with us, we stand ready to help as much as we can. Please direct message us,” it said.
After news broke that the travel agency was in trouble, an “angry crowd crammed into – and spilled out of – the agency’s tiny cubicle shop” in World-Wide House in Central to demand answers, the South China Morning Post reported.
The company, which has given “few answers,” has yet to confirm that the affected people will be provided with rebooking alternatives.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said it was “deeply concerned” about the actions of Peya Travel.
In a statement, it advised any Filipinos stranded to refrain from transacting with the agency “until such time that the issue is resolved and all aggrieved parties have received just compensation”.
The consulate vowed to monitor the situation and liaise with relevant government authorities to ensure that the administrative liabilities of Peya Travel were duly imposed.
For the meantime, it urged all complainants to “maintain sobriety and calmly reach out” to Peya Travel in order to secure a new flight booking or refund.
The consulate said it expected Peya Travel to take responsibility for the incident.
In a statement posted in its social media account, Peya Travel extended its “apologies” to all passengers affected, saying the agency was ready to take responsibility for the fiasco. No mention was made about any refund.