Cebu Pacific Under Fire After Ground Crew Allegedly Offloads Popular Musician Duo

Cebu Pacific Under Fire After Ground Crew Allegedly Offloads Popular Musician Duo

By Bing Jabadan – Thenationweek.com
June 24, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Popular musician duo Sweetnotes Music, known to their thousands of fans as BJ and Charlotte, are alleging unprofessional conduct by Cebu Pacific ground staff after they were offloaded from a flight to Cagayan de Oro due to a dispute over a laptop bag.

The incident, which prevented the couple from performing at a scheduled concert in Tandag, Surigao, has sparked outrage online and renewed concerns about the airline’s customer service practices.

In a video posted on social media, BJ and Charlotte detailed their experience, claiming they were at the boarding gate on time after arriving from an international flight from Dubai.

The issue arose, they said, over a laptop bag. Despite being present and ready to board, the couple alleged that the ground staff, whose names they did not disclose, refused to listen to their explanations and proceeded to offload them and their luggage.

“There’s always a first time for everything,” Sweetnotes Music wrote on their Facebook page, expressing their disappointment. “And sadly, this is one of those moments we never expected would happen, one that truly breaks our hearts.”

The post explained that the couple was scheduled to perform at Tandag’s Charter Day Celebration.

“Cebu Pacific offloaded us because of a single laptop bag, despite us being early at the airport (since we just landed from our Dubai flight) and present at the boarding gate,” the post reads.

“We asked for just a few more minutes to explain our situation to the airport staff and the airline cashier, but sadly, they refused to listen. They decided to offload all our baggage, and ultimately, us.”

The duo further claimed that their attempts to rebook the flight were met with delays and a lack of assistance.

Frustrated, they turned to Philippine Airlines, which they praised for their helpfulness in securing a flight to Cagayan de Oro. However, the delay ultimately resulted in the cancellation of their performance in Tandag.

The incident has ignited a wave of criticism against Cebu Pacific, with many social media users sharing similar negative experiences with the airline’s ground staff.

The hashtag #CebuPacific is trending, with users questioning the airline’s policies and demanding better customer service.

“Why are Cebu Pacific ground crew always complained about for their behavior?” Sweetnotes Music wrote, echoing the sentiments of many online.

While Sweetnotes Music expressed their apologies to their fans in Tandag and vowed to personally settle any related cancellation fees, the incident has raised serious questions about Cebu Pacific’s operational procedures and the treatment of its passengers.

Cebu Pacific has yet to release an official statement on the incident.

The airline is facing increasing pressure to address the allegations and implement measures to improve customer service and prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

The incident has added to a growing list of complaints against Cebu Pacific, prompting calls for greater accountability and transparency from the budget airline.

In April, a social media user claimed that her father was not allowed by Cebu Pacific to board the flight bound for Bali, Indonesia, after airline personnel “discovered” a small tear on his passport.

During the same month, another passenger complained that he also failed to board the airline because a crew found “a tear on the upper side” of his passport.

The Department of Transportation ordered an immediate investigation into the alleged “punit passport” (passport-tearing) scheme at the airport.