Another Delayed Flight But I Saw Notable Things

Okay boys and girls, here was your Pinoy Traveler who ran out of energy being mad about flight delays since (my intelligent conscience told me), I was partly to blame. Why? Because I booked an afternoon flight out of Manila, when I already know, that almost always, they're delayed, whatever airline we take!

Ya... kasalanan na pala sa sarili ngayon ang pumili ng afternoon flight! Di ba di ba? Oh yes, yes!

So, I just enjoyed my time sitting, eating, walking, smoking, standing, etc., at Manila's Terminal 3.

Note... my flight was on PAL (ayoko na kasi sa dilaw at pula eh), PR2987 going to Tacloban, estimated depature time (ETD) 1630H, meaning alas-kwatro-y-media, and estimated arrival time (ETA) at 1745H.

Trivia: Did you know alam nyo ba, that actual flying time from MNL to TAC very seldom takes an hour? Yes, on any airline. It averages at just about 56 minutes. If you are wondering why their schedules say it's an hour and 15 minutes or even more, that's already inclusive of their allowances for slight delays.

But that's another story we better talk-about in a later story!

For now, let's just recognize the fact that, even if these airlines are publishing bloated scheduled flight times, we still consistently encounter delays especially on the noon to night time flights out of Manila.

Back to my 4:30PM flight... no prior email nor text, basta I just learned at the airport, that it was being delayed to 6PM. Eh what can I do? I said igsi-an nalang ang tulog tonight to be on time sa work bukas.

Here here.., this pic was taken at exactly 1:50PM, syempre downstairs at the Army Navy store!

If you may be asking why I already had my favorite 'All Day Breakfast (Bacon) at such a time inside T3 when my original ETD was 1630H, I think I already said before that I always make it early to an airport.

Besides, for this particular day/flight, I really planned to have late lunch at T3's Army Navy branch as it was most accessible. Such that my last meal in MM would be my favorite. Wala nyan sa Tacloban eh!

Due to the delay, I had time to look around and be curious at just about anything such as this...

I thought there was something odd or off in that notice. Ah yes, I easily spotted that. "Luggage" as it is already functions as the plural form. Its singular form is also "luggage". Much like the word "baggage".

Well, the plural of bag is bags. But luggage and baggage are already plural. They are part of a group of words called "pluralia tantum" - they don't have a singular form or version, but maybe used as singular.

Since we're on this, I may as well add, that if there is "pluralia tantum" there is also "singularia tantum". They're words that only exist in the singular form, but may be used "as is" to mean the plural versions. Examples? Ah there are many of them, such as "news", "advice", "furniture", "aircraft", or "information"!

Imagine that... because of a delayed flight... my mind was forced to research and learn!

Gangchair or Gang Chair

And that is not all! There is one more interesting thing in that notice!

Look at the last word of that notice. Do you know what a "gangchair" is? Hmmm, "gangchair" pala ang tawag sa mga yun? I did not know!

That's why I searched the web for a picture (just to confirm) what it really is! So eto, sa kanan ang picture nya. For a very long time, I just referred to them as "waiting chairs" or "yung mga silya na dikit-dikit"!

Of course we have seen them just about everywhere there is a need for anyone to wait, right? But I bet I'm not alone here when I say, I really didn't know about the name of that 'thing' until today! That is new knowledge to me! Sa'yo rin ba? Some call it "Gang Chairs". I wonder though why they're named like so.

I also saw on the web that some suppliers call it "GAN Chairs" or even "ganchairs". Hmm, maybe that name started from something else other than what I was thinking - "chair for gangs" pangmaramihan.

Interestingly entertaining - kesa magmukmok because of a delayed flight. Now I need to know more!

Anyway... next I saw was this pathetic scene of the perennially unserviceable walkalators. Hay naku!

LIke everyone else, I have given up hoping they'll still come alive in our lifetime. Eh, I travel each week, yet I've seen them running only twice since this Terminal 3 was opened in 2008! Such a useless thing.

Everytime I pass by, I would ask the MIAA employees what is wrong with it. The usual response is "me ginagawa", eh wala naman nakikitang gumagawa! Mind you, they look better than KLIA 2. Porma lang!

But there's something that got me more interested in that picture. Look at the right side, it's a play pen for the little ones! As in play "pen" talaga. Naka-bakod ng colorful fence eh. Pwede na - at least meron!

It is called a Kiddie Traveler's Lounge, but I wondered what's with that phrase enclosed in parenthesis saying (Passenger Amenities). And there's that big grey desk, therefore it isn't free? I would believe so!

If you've been to Changi, matatawa ka sa kiddie lounge na yan. Pero sige na lang. At least meron!

Pasyal-pasyal, and then I passed by this room called HEREOS Lounge. I have seen these before but...

They've got nothing to do with me, and I've got nothing to do with them, so I never went to see them!

Except of course today, where I was on a "killing spree" - killing nothing but time - so I entered curious.

I was surprised there was no one inside. I mean not even a lounge attendant. So I looked around!

Except for the pagkalalaking logo ng PNP, AFP and PCG it is a VIP lounge like what most airlines have.

It was an empty lounge the whole time I was there. I could have fixed me a tea or coffee hehehe!

Anyway, for those who do not know yet, Heroes Lounges are free lounge services for our servicemen - active or retired - from the National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces (AFP) and the Coast Guard (PCG) provided by the DoTr and CAAP. If traveling together their immediate families can also use the lounge.

Aside from the usual lounge amenities, there's also free wifi! And it's not only in Manila. I've seen such lounges at other airports. I'm not very sure but I probably have seen 20 Heroes Lounges or even more.

I think that is a nice gesture from the government - if only to honor them who defend the archipelago.

Here's another posted signage on one of the walls that had me sarcastically smiling in utter disbelief!

Quickly glancing at that signage, especially if you're not Filipino, you might think that people here want or prefer to sit on the floor than on chairs, right? That is surely not the case. Nobody wants to do that.

But why would airport authorities put up such a sign if nobody wants to sit on floors? Ah, they haven't done their research or they did not use their heads. If they did, such a signage would never be posted.

They just have to ask themselves why people are sitting on the floor, and they should realize that their services are wanting! Aba, no one really wants to sit on a floor, kung meron namang nakikitang upuan.

Hint: Pinoys are generally non-confrontational (with a probable exception of me, myself and I). If they see a vacant seat but loaded with bags or someone's lying down they'd rather sit on a floor than make a fuss. We're not like the Karens of America who loudly assert rights, even make-believe entitlements!

Ganun!

Anyway, I saw other notable things on this "tour" of an airport because of a delayed flight, until this...

All I could silently express was "OMG the sun has set and I have been in this airport since noontime"!

I conciously kept glancing at that golden horizon, as it started getting dark, unitl boarding time came!

Ha? Boarding time came?

Oo naman! Alangan dyan na kami "sa sahig" matulog! It came at about 6PM, and I somehow expected that. Do you know why? Ah well, one of the most dreaded delay periods of an airline is "2 hours". Why? Because per regulation, they are obliged - required by law - to serve snacks to the waiting passengers!

So there I was at 6:38PM, happily looking out from the window inside the aircraft. Remember, I should have arrived in Tacloban at 5:45PM per my reservations/ticket schedule! Pero sige na lang, let's go na!

More delay waiting for takeoff, but the unexpected best was yet to come! This...

I love looking at Metro Manila from above, during the darkness of night, and this was an unexpected opportunity -delayed flight eh. If we took off 4:30PM as scheduled, I wouldn't have seen this (again)!

Anyway and okay... I arrived and was out of the Tacloban airport about 8:10PM.