Philippines Slams AirAsia MOVE Over Overpriced Flight Tickets

AirAsia is under fire in the Philippines after its online travel agency, AirAsia MOVE, was accused of dramatically overcharging for flights. On June 2, 2025, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon condemned the sixfold increase in fares on routes to and from Tacloban as “absurd” and “criminal,” following a bridge closure that increased regional demand. In response, Dizon instructed the Philippine National Police’s cybercrime unit to block the MOVE platform and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) issued a cease-and-desist order.

AirAsia MOVE, operated by Malaysia’s AirAsia under parent company Capital A, offers bookings from over 700 airlines, including both Philippine and Malaysian AirAsia carriers. AirAsia Philippines currently holds a 10.64% share of the local airline capacity market.

MOVE CEO Nadia Omer attributed the price spike to a temporary data synchronization issue involving third-party pricing providers and global distribution systems. She said the error wasn’t unique to MOVE, also impacting other platforms like Agoda, Kiwi.com, and Traveloka. MOVE, she added, is working with its upstream suppliers to resolve the issue swiftly and ensure such pricing discrepancies do not recur.

The CAB enforces fare caps on domestic routes, and it said MOVE exceeded the legal maximum on the Tacloban-Manila city pair. Omer stated that MOVE remains in full compliance with all Philippine regulations for online travel agencies and is cooperating with authorities to resolve the matter.

This controversy highlights growing scrutiny of digital travel platforms and their accountability in managing pricing during times of crisis or increased demand.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/airline-finance/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com