AirAsia Move faces economic sabotage case for alleged overcharging

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is preparing an economic sabotage case against the online travel agent platform of aviation group AirAsia for allegedly selling plane tickets to Tacloban at “unreasonably” high prices.

In a press briefing on Monday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said they were finalizing the complaints against AirAsia Move with the target of filing the case this week.

Prior to this, the government agency issued a cease and desist order against the company headquartered in Malaysia on May 26.

Dizon said the case stemmed from the complaint by Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez and Ormoc Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, who booked Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights from Tacloban to Manila via AirAsia Move that cost them about P77,704  – or almost P40,000 each.

Had they booked through the PAL website, the plane tickets would have only cost them P49,507, Dizon noted.

“Clearly, this is just absurd and … actually criminal,” Dizon said.

“I have asked them (Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group) to take this website down today para wala na ma-biktima itong si AirAsia Move kasi I’m sure hindi lang naman si Congressman Richard Gomez ang nabiktima dito,” Dizon announced in a press conference on Monday.

( I have asked them to take this website down today, so this AirAsia move can no longer scam others. I’m sure Congressman Richard Gomez is not the only victim here.

AirAsia Move faces economic sabotage case for alleged overcharging