AirAsia MOVE denies price gouging allegations

Malaysia-based AirAsia MOVE on Monday denied manipulating airfare prices following concerns over unusually high ticket costs for Tacloban to Manila flights.

“MOVE clarifies that it does not manually set or manipulate airfares in light of the fare discrepancy issues,” said AirAsia MOVE CEO Nadia Omer.

The Civil Aeronautics Board issued a Cease and Desist order against the platform last 26 May for allegedly charging excessive fares during a transportation crisis in Leyte as pointed out by Representative Richard Gomez.

Omer explained that as an Online Travel Agency, AirAsia MOVE displays flight inventory and pricing data from upstream suppliers, including third-party aggregators and global distribution systems.

“The discrepancies in fare displays for certain routes, including domestic flights operated by Philippine Airlines, were caused by temporary data synchronization issues with flight pricing partners,” she said.

After identifying the issue, AirAsia MOVE said it immediately raised the matter with its third-party pricing provider and took steps to resolve it. The company added that it remains fully compliant with regulatory requirements and is coordinating with authorities.

“(AirAsia) MOVE welcomes the opportunity to proactively engage with relevant authorities to provide clarity on the issue and asks for due process to take its course for the benefit of all passengers booked via the platform," Omer said.