Philippine Travel Notes

Amongst so many, this one is the dumbest of questions an airline passenger can ask. Debatable? Well, let’s just go on and talk about this in more detail. And hey Jose, this is also my final take on your question! Needless to say, you can’t find a definitive answer in this article – for indeed you should not find a direct definitive answer anywhere else! If ever you do, whoever is telling you that, he must be dumber than that silly question! “ But I want to know! ” Okay, that’s fair enough and you deserve to know – so go study every detail about every aircraft of every airline. I can assure you, by the time you think you have an answer, traveling via this mode of transport may already be long obsolete or gone hehehe! If you are concerned about your safety, there are other better questions to ask. But first... Why that question is wrong Who are you asking anyway? Are you asking a friend? How does he know? Does he do the D-Checks, A-Checks or S-Checks? What are (or what will be) his basi...

After you have chosen to target a window or an aisle seat, where would that be? At the front or at the back? Where would you like to be? Which front by the way, the front of the aircraft or the front of your class? What? Well, “front” or “back” can sometimes be confusing. For many airlines, the front of the plane is business class and the aft is economy class. So if you were on business class and you say you were seated at the back that means you are still just in front of all economy class passengers! So let’s talk front and back… Why front or back? So many people I have asked have so many reasons why they choose the front of the plane or otherwise. Some are ridiculous, some are funny, some are ridiculous but funny, some are valid, some are valid but unlikely and some are respectable! I will assure you that how valid ever is the concern for choosing front or aft, no one answer is “the best” choice so that we can say “go and grab that seat”. Let’s do this by talking about some of the “...

So where would you sit in an airplane? Do you prefer the window side or the aisle side? Do you want to stay in front or at the back? Do you hate smokers? Do you hate the toilet smell even if it smells clean? What is your “intelligent choice? Let’s help you out! Window vs. Aisle Many passengers prefer window seats – and this has been proven by a lot of airline surveys formal or otherwise! Do you? Then you’re normal! But the comfort and convenience are sometimes jeopardized due to that choice. Can you believe that? Let’s see. Window seats are nice so you can see the outside as the plane starts taxiing out of the airport and starts rolling by the runway. During take off and landing, you can also see the bird’s-eye view of the world beneath. Isn’t it nice to see Metro Manila at dawn or dusk with all the dominantly yellow lights? Isn’t it nice to be by the window as your airplane approaches the usually cloudy runway of Loakan Airport and you have this little bit of fright in your knees hehe...

A common joke is: “because you are asked to straighten up your airline seat (not reclined) and told to stow away close and lock tray tables so that the cabin attendants can see everyone in equal or uniform positions because they want orderly beauty in front of them”. While there might be some truth to this, of course it is essentially just a joke! So why nga?! Well, that is again for safety, comfort and convenience of all passengers – not just you, but all other people beside, in front and behind you. Let’s talk about your seat first. There are good reasons you should heed the advice to straighten it erect than reclined when the plane is about to take off or land. During an emergency, you are likely to be alert or at least aware of your surroundings when your seat is erect as otherwise you could be lazily resting if that seat was reclined. So who will be quick to move during such scenarios? You in a reclined manner? Or those who are “ready-to-run” on their upright seats? Good luck! No...

Not all that we get excited about turns out to be a fine experience. This is one personal example that will linger in my head for a very long time! Thursday night, while cruising the World Wide Web, I chanced upon a website that ceremoniously announced the holding of the World Press Photo Exhibit 2008 August 7 to 13 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) and August 14 to 22, 2008 at 'The Block'. The ambitious and frustrated photographer in me got excited and marked my calendar that I must go and see this exhibit. Knowing such exhibits I was sure the pics would be big and vivid priceless things I could learn from. Friday, my mind was torn between going to three separate despedida parties of some colleagues or zooming off to MOA to view the exhibit. None materialized as I got sick and unable to get out of my bed for longer than 30 minutes. Old age hehe! But sick as I was, I conditioned my mind to believe that tomorrow the flu and the headache should and must be gone - since I have the World P...