Best Budget Airline in Asia Awarded to Cebu Pacific in 2012 Travel Poll

The Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) was named third best budget airline in Asia in the 2012 Best in Travel Poll, conducted by readers of SmartTravelAsia.com

Representing the Philippines, CEB bested other budget airlines such as Tiger Airways, Spice Jet, IndiGo and Virgin Blue.

On its 8th year, the 2012 Best in Travel Poll is a three-month poll based on actual experience, word-of-mouth and brand image.

Those who voted were travelers who took an average 16.22 annual air trips, with roughly 70% based in Asia, 15% in UK/Europe and 15% in USA/North America. SmartTravelAsia.com is the only dedicated travel magazine for Asia, with over 1 million unique visitors annually.

According to the SmartTravelAsia.com, “Readers spot ‘aspirational’ brands and offers unique insights into brand perceptions and trends…. The May-July 2012 poll offered no premium. Our interest was in securing the participation of genuine travelers.”

CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog said, “We are proud to be the only Philippine carrier recognized in the survey by global travelers, who continue to inspire us to innovate, extend our reach and share the Filipino brand of service.”

CEB flew more than 6.9 million domestic and international passengers in the 1st half of 2012, a 17% system-wide growth compared to the same period last year. It aims to serve a total of 14 million passengers for the full year 2012.

Its trademark lowest fares will be made available on new routes, as CEB plans to launch 5 domestic routes in October, and 3 domestic routes and 2 international routes (Hong Kong – Iloilo and Singapore – Iloilo) in November 2012.

CEB’s route network in the Philippines remains the most extensive, allowing foreign and local tourists to visit two to three Philippine tourist spots in one trip. These new routes include Kalibo (Boracay) – Davao and Cebu – Busuanga (Coron).

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www.cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

In its 16th year of operations, CEB has flown over 65 million passengers. It provides access to the most extensive network in the Philippines, with 32 domestic and 19 international destinations. The airline also remains a pioneer in the Philippine aviation industry by being the first to offer web check-in, self check-in, e-ticketing, and Lite Fares.

CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 21 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 39 aircraft – with an average age of 3.6 years – is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2012 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 21 Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft orders. It is slated to begin long-haul services in the 3rd quarter of 2013, with the arrival of 4 Airbus A330 aircraft from 2013 to 2014. About Cebu Air Inc. (PSE: CEB)

Cebu Air Inc. is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering its low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.