Tacloban To Cebu To Manila

As said in my previous post, this first leg of my earnest circle trip was flying TAC-CEB-MNL. I usually do anyway. If you're not that familiar, TAC is airport code for Tacloban, CEB for Cebu and MNL for Manila.

Why go through connecting flights when there are lots of direct TAC to MNL flights? People have many reasons in doing so. Many of you already know, mine is: just to drop my laundry in Cebu, where I live!

Hmm hey, nothing hanky-panky nor illegal there. I just usually handcarry my "labadami", go out of the departure area, Manong JC would already be there waiting for me, and then we "exchange gifts", done!

Anything that I have to carry back inside still pass by those x-ray machines. In case I need to check-in anything, I just go to the counters to do so, even if my boarding pass was issued at a previous station.

But let's start from the very beginning as I always do, right?

Okay, approaching the Tacloban Airport on a gloomy afternoon, I took a picture of this little airplane:

I did that shot without asking my driver to stop or even slow down. But he still noticed and exclaimed "OMG sir, amo it im sasakyan" [is that what you are riding]? I said "no, what do you think of me, rich"?!

I asked him why he said "OMG", and (I suspected this) he said that one is too small, even smaller than "the plane that tried to catch the pope's and crashed", and that the weather was way far from normal!

We laughed. Because we just remembered that that is one of the lingering funny anecdotes in Region 8, about Noynoy's power/attention-hungry cabinet. They demanded to takeoff when it wasn't allowed yet - ayun tuloy, nagalit ang langit! Surely, that day will forever be remembered by those people hehe!

Anyway, I said again, only wealthy people (or their companies or 'august offices') can afford to charter airplanes, even if tiny like that, since chartering is expensive, than flying on normal passenger planes.

Ah the driver had so many more questions, answers of which are, worth sharing with you my readers!

ABOUT CHARTER PLANES

About Charter Planes
What's that plane? Well, it's a Beechcraft King Air 350 from Textron Aviation. It can accommodate only 8 passengers plus the 2 pilots in its original 'executive class' layout. But it has a 17-passenger version!

Who uses that kind of plane? Hmm, to and from Tacloban? Surely not me hahah! If not some big time businessman (who is into politics), it could be a politician or showbiz people brought by a politician!

Ganyan madalas, di ba? And if you noticed, "businessman", "politician" or "showbiz" can be 1 person!

My driver's eyes were getting wider when he asked "mayada hira hiton"? I said "not that one, that is a rented plane"! How do I know? Eh, that is RP-C2528, owned and operated by PG1 or Pacific Global One Aviation - an air charter company owned by PLDT. Yes, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company!

That plane was acquired 'band-new' in 2008.

Oh, let's not forget to mention where that plane is resting in peace hehe. That is the outer part of the tarmac of DZR airport. If you noticed, there seems to be a gate and road going out into where we were passing? That's the connection point (sor far) to a new tarmac being built to expand Tacloban airport.

That very gate and pavement is where the pope passed from the PAL plane into where he held mass.

Okay now... imagine that... one of my weekly flights from Tacloban to Cebu, on a gloomy rainy evening that we can call repetitively boring. Yet, I still found something to talk about. Iba na ang tsismoso. Da!

Tacloban DZR Airport Pre-departure Area

Inside the Airport
Done with check-in, waiting for my flight, I caught another snap of the cramped pre-departure area.

You would really agree when you hear the Warays say "when will that new terminal ever materialize"?

Smoke-like Condensation In An Aircradt Cabin

Flight Boarding: What's That Smoke?
Make the long story short, we boarded, and I heard a kid asking her parents about all that "smoke"!

I smiled to hear the adults tell her 'aircon yan'. True naman, though I know there are many people out there, some are now reading this blog, who know it's not a cause for alarm, yet not too sure what it is!

I already asked a scientist-friend about that phenomenon sometime ago. He described and explained it to me as best he could. I said "thank you oh so much", but my lowly brain said "na-nose-bleed ako"!

One of the txt msgs said: "...it's actually condensation or water vapor from the air conditioning system. When warm humid air inside the cabin mixes with cooler drier air from the AC vents, it creates a visible mist or fog. That's similar to how you can see your breath on a cold day." And I said "ahuh, okay" hehe!

Just looking around, I always find many things worth noting. Travel is really education!

AERIAL VIEW OF SAN JUANICO BRIDGE AT NIGHT

San Juanico Evening Sky-view
Soon my flight took off from DZR Airport's Runway 36 way into the night over Basey.

Tacloban city proper was dark this time, due to lots of rain clouds. Unlike many previous experiences.

Yet I still watched out to see if the San Juanico Bridge would be visible from my vantage. And it was!

I quickly snapped those 3 pictures in the collage, amid pesky clouds that blocked most of my views!

Not quite as good as previous sightings, but I was happy enough to have seen it.

Landing In Cebu

Cebu Arrival
After 33 minutes from take off (it was cloudy turbulent, okay?), here we were landing at Cebu!

Also still rainy cloudy that the plane kept bouncing. Hay, I could not get a good shot of the city lights!

Yet we arrived on time! The schedule said ETA 1920H and at about that time I was already inside MCIA. But I had move faster, as I only had 70 minutes to transit and connect to my flight for MNL, ETD 2030H.

Transiting At Mactan Cebu International Airport

Transit In Cebu
No issue so far. I have been doing this for many years now, so I fairly know the 'tricks of transiting' in Cebu, if I may call it that. Let me caution you though, my dear fellow Pinoy Travelers, don't bet on that 70-minute-transit-time that I have been doing, IF you are not (yet) very sure of every step of your way.

Shh, don't tell airline people about it! That is actually "not proper". If you misconnect, they can opt to "not help you", because in our country, the minimum transit time between domestic flights is 2 hours.

If I may tell you a bit of history (nostalgia na naman!), long time ago, when online booking technology was not yet available, when tickets were only issued at ticket offices, no airline or travel agency would knowingly give you any 2 flights where the connection time interval was less than 2 hours. Ganun yun!

These days, with computerized and online booking systems worldwide, you "can" book flights that are (as I do it, shhh) less than 2 hours apart - even if that computer system knows that it is so! Jologs 'no?

Well, the important things is, again, caution on transiting for less than 2 hours. Make sure kaya mo!

That 2-hour window is an industry standard worldwide. But in the Philippines, that would be practical only when connecting on domestic-to-domestic flights. For domestic-to-international, 3 hours is best.

Oist I'm not sure, but I think I wrote an article, about transit/transfer matters. If none, coming soon!

Let's proceed with my connecting flight to Manila.

MABUHAY LOUNGE DINNER: ARROZ CALDO

It's Lugaw Time Again!
But first, of course I passed by the Mabuhay Lounge - masarap ang Arroz Caldo pag tag-ulan hindi ba?! I still had time, so I stayed put to wait for my flight's boarding call - at ginawang dinner si Arroz Caldo!

How Mabuhay Lounge Staff Assist Passengers During A delayed Flight

Delayed ang flight to MNL!
Eto na! While enjoying my second (oh maybe 3rd) serving of the arroz caldo, a Lounge Attendant came with a charming yet diffident smile. I knew what it was, so all I could say was "uh-oh patay tayo dyan"!

True. My flight to MNL was delayed. But (and this is one thing I like with these Mabuhay girls), she did not come to just tell me about the delay or how long. She prepared an 'alternate flight' option for me!

All I had to do was say yes, since it was the best option, and she did all the works while I still sat with the Arroz Caldo and more eatables. After some calls, she came to effect changes on my boarding pass!

Wasn't that great? Yeah, an advantage of being a Mabuhay Club Member.

Oh, she just manually wrote those changes on my old boarding pass, and whispered "Sir, that flight is already on its final call, sa gate 7 din". Da! So I hastily stood and flew to Gate 7 to board my new flight!

Let's discuss those things that happened to me. There are some new things for you to learn, children!

First, the whisper. Why was the Lounge Attendant whispering to me. There are/were at least 2 reasons I can think of: 1] they always try maintain peace and quiet inside their Mabuhay Lounges. She/We had to tone our conversations down; 2] apparently.., that option was not for everyone. Inuna lang nila ako!

Unahin natin si item 2] above. Was that favoritism among the many passengers affected by the delay? Probably, how would we really know, right? Especially that I was the recipient of the favor, bakit ko pa pag-dedeskitahan yan, di ba?! Well-behaved passenger kasi, at malakas kasi ang charm ko, that's why!

Hahaha, before you believe my joke, Ms. Entitled Karen, hahaha, look at my SEQuence number on the lower right corner of the boarding pass. That means I was the 7th person to be checked-in on PR1864. Thus, if they could accommodate only a few passengers to transfer to flight PR2880, I was 7th priority!

Did you notice that? Me gamit naman pala kung maaga ka nag-check-in! That's probably why they had to whisper too, para hindi na marinig nung mga hindi naman mapag-bibigyan. Hindi sila masasaktan!

Why Silence Is Required In An Airline Business Class Lounge

Now on item 1], Airline VIP/CIP Lounges (on earth yan ha?) are usually peaceful and quiet, in an effort to provide their guests that needed stress-free comfort in a relaxing, though communal, environment.

That is the reason why lounge staff would usually tone down their voices (you need to tell them if you are deaf), and that they avoid announcing things - they'd usually go and talk to a person one-on-one.

Since we're on the topic, it should now be worth sharing, that (although unwritten) there is some kind of 'protocol/etiquette' expected of guests in an airline's Business Class Lounge. Foremost is 'be quiet'!

I'll expound on that 'protocol/etiquette' in a later article. Promise!

Anyway, as you can see in the pic above, I was boarded on PR2880, on an aisle seat. Argh! But I would rather be on that aisle seat, flying for just a little more than an hour, than be uncertain about PR1864!

If you noticed, the seat given to me on this flight (yung naka-ballpen) was 28C - the left side aisle seat of the last row! But I can't complain. Sampig lang ako dito. I was just 'inserted' into this plane from my delayed PR1864. Eh I was duly apprized about this, I was asked if I wanted to take this, AND, I said yes!

Da! Yan ang tunay na paningit! Isiningit lang ako. Mukhang isa nga lang ang bakante, 28C hehehe! Now that should explain why the dear Mabuhay Girl hushly discreetly talked to me about this. Winner ako!

Pushback at 9:27PM. This was already PR2880 I was on. Considering that my original flight PR1864 was supposed to leave at 8:30PM, I was still almost an hour late. Still thankful they placed me on this one!

My hotel in Pasay even already called to ask if I was still coming. I said yes. Nairita lang ako doon sa "I would like to inform you that we will still charge your card a whole day's stay, even if you don't arrive"!

I just said "yes, okay", but in my mind I was like shouting "I know, sinabi nang dadating ako eh"!

Hotel Reservations Rule: Call if you are arriving later than 6PM

The 6PM Hotel Rule
Oh, do you know about that hotel reservations rule? That is industry practice. When you book a room, check-in is (usually) 2PM, but if you don't arrive at 6PM, without telling them early-on, they will cancel your booking, yet still charge you for one day of stay. Arrive at 11PM and they can say "no more room"!

A stupid rule from our point-of-view, right? But they can do that to us, especially during peak season.

I have ways on how to avoid that situation, and these are:
1] I put my time of arrival, including flight details (e.g., arriving MNL 10PM via PR1864) in the comment or request box when I book my rooms online. I also say that when I book direct by phone or via email.
2] When my flight is delayed, I call before 6PM to tell my hotel, and if I want to cancel or change dates.

For my case today... I did not do item 2], but I did item 1], kaya nairita ako! Still good that HIE Newport called me though, so they could tell the free-shuttle-bus I was arriving at about 11PM instead of 10PM.

Oh, back to the picture above.., I noticed there were more than a lot of cabin crews on this flight, and all of them were males. Parang lima yata sila. Well, maybe the other 2 were new, on "OBS" (observer). That's how PAL usually call their "newbies" (on OJT) - obersver na pinagta-trabaho na. Bakit ayaw mo?

Aside from this flight having a "Hagibis" or "Boy Band" Cabin Crew, there was nothing else notable for me. Cloudy and very dark outside eh. Ah, I didn't eat my SkyTreat (Choco Chips Brownie). Busog pa eh!

NAIA Terminal 2 Evening View

A Nice View of MNL T2
At 11:20PM, I was already out at the parking lot searching for a nook to smoke (much needed, urgent)!

Hey I haven't been in this area during an evening, for many years now. That's because I have not been arriving in MNL late evenings, by choice. Ayaw lang. Malayo ang QC. At mahal na ang taxi, delikado pa!

This time though, I was not going home. I was just spending a layover at a nearby hotel, in the vicinity of the airport. So, okay lang to arrive at night - especially that there is a free hotel shuttle bus service.

Public Bus Services at NAIA

Ube Express P2P Bus
Speaking of buses, I like it that there now are public buses (the one at right) that go from some Metro Manila areas (or beyond, like Sta. Rosa Laguna) to the airports and back. They're called "Ube Express".

Not really the 'real' public bus that has no care about time and stays at every EDSA stop for centuries! Ube Express is a P2P (point-to-point) premium bus service - no stops between origin and destination.

But that's public enough. Meaning it is "still" mass transport, and not as expensive as taxi.

I haven't tried them yet, because their farthest north is just Cubao. I wish they'd go as far as Fairview - o kahit hanggang Philcoa lang. One of these days, I might try the one that goes to Robinsons Galleria.

Trivia: do you know why they have purple-colored buses, reason why they're called "ube" express? Oh, black-and-purple actually. I am not very sure, but the obvious to me is: its mother company Airfreight 2100 (popularly known to us as Air21 the courier company or basketball team) sports that same color!

If you see black-and-purple buses on the tarmac, it's because they provide 'airside' buses to airlines.

MIAA Shuttle Bus
Look again at that picture above. The bus at left is called by many people as the Airport Transfer Bus. Officially, authorities call it the MIAA Shuttle Bus or its long name: Inter-Terminal Transfer Bus. Basta, whatever people call it, the important thing to remember is: libre yan, walang bayad, Free-Of-Charge!

Note though, that is only for "legit" transfer passengers - those arriving at any of the 4 terminals with connecting to flights that depart from other terminals. They'll check your tickets and boarding passes!

I'm saying that note because... I have a friend who lives in QC, she met her parents at Terminal 3 (they flew in from Calbayog) connecting to a flight from Terminal 2 going to the US. When they attempted to board that transfer bus, they were not allowed, because my friend was not a transfer passenger. O ha!

Syempre, pagka-uwi (sa QC) eto na si friend galit na galit ke MIAA, kesyo "how inconsiderate" daw. Ako naman, my point of view (which I told her) was: tama lang na hindi sya pinasakay, hindi sya transit eh!

Ayun, because I said my opinion, hindi ako kinausap ng mga isang... minuto hahaha!

She was saying "it was their only golden hour to talk" before her parents went inside T2 check-in area for their onward flight to the US of A". I said "ulol, kelangan talaga sa loob ng transfer bus mag-usap"?

Rules are rules, and there's wisdom why they were created in the first place. What if bad guys board a transfer bus like that and rob transiting passengers? Syempre me mga valuables yan, nasa biyahe eh.

In fact, to make it safer (and faster di hamak), all such transfer buses should pass "airside" only - just like what PAL does to their passengers transiting to PAL flights between T2 and T3. Conveniently safe.

And my friend from QC said "ata, di hindi ko na nakita ang parents ko". I said "So be it, if they want to be purely transit/transfer passengers. What for ba kasi iyang kitakits na yan while they pass by MNL"?

Another friend said "mag-iiyakan sila na parang namatayan eh vacation lang naman si parents ng two months"! Ayun, siya naman ang hindi kinausap ng medyo mas matagal hahaha! Mga two minutes 'ata!

Anyway... still on the bus at left, you may have also noticed, that other than the writings on its front, it looks like the Ube Express P2P bus at right. Maybe MIAA also leases some units from Air21. If so, good!

Kesa naman eto..,

This is a free terminal-transfer bus too - just like the black-and-purple bus above. It's air-conditioned too, only smaller, of different color and definitely aged. This is the 'original' transfer bus, still running!

Old but still serviceable. GoRa! When you're near this bus you'll know it's old. The engine is noisy loud hahaha! Eskandaloso! Aw, if you compare this to similar buses at our ASEAN neighbors.., mas bago ito!

I have a video later below, where you'll see and hear what I am saying! Meanwhile, read the markings:

Whatever the size or color, somehow somewhere in some way, there will be markings or writings as to what kind of bus it is! Read them before attempting to board. If there's none, it's probably not for you!

You may be asking, wouldn't it be confusing with differently-colored and different-sized buses for one purpose? Ah yes, but wait.., there's even another 'bus service' that you can add to the confusion hehe!

Airport Loop
It is also called the NAIA Loop Bus. And yes, it looks just like the tiny white one above, though labeled accordingly. The airport loop bus, as the name suggests, is supposed to be plying a loop route among the 4 temrinals and some external destination/s like the MRT & LRT Pasay Station and PITX - for a fee.

That fee is affordable enough (P50, I think) but a friend told me, their issue is that those buses do not always go to all terminals. Friend says "it just depends on what the driver feels, so ask first". Oh My G!

That friend, who works at MIAA btw, told me everything keeps evolving, but they post updates here.

When I read that page, my brain was a mix of satisfied and dissatisfied. Happy that those services are on that page (let us hope it'll be always updated); but unhappy that not everything is straightforward!

So there it is folks. Refer to that page if you want to know what is best for you. And do not be like me, who just depends on the colors and sizes of buses. Best is to still ask the driver, before you climb-in!

Wonderful that I went out to the parking lot to smoke 'no? I saw another facet of airport operations!

Airport Hotel Free Shuttle Buses

Hotel Shuttle Service
And that's not all about airport buses. I was waiting for mine, that is an entirely different category!

Yep, that is already inside the Resorts World free airport-hotel shuttle bus service. Some of the better hotels in Metro Manila do have buses, not just limousines, to ferry their guests to/from the terminals.

Didn't I earlier say I was sleeping at Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City? How come this shuttle I boarded is a Resorts World bus? Relaaak pare, there are 4 or 5 hotels in RW and HIE Newport is one of those. Passengers/Guests on most (if not all) of those hotels use that bus, operated by Resorts World.

To be sure, do ask your hotel upon booking if they have free airport shuttle. We wouldn't know if that 'communal use' arrangement applies to your hotel, or they may even have their own separate service.

Oh, just a heads up on hotel shuttle buses in the Philippines. They're not like those in other countries (especially Macau), where any human may hop-into a hotel bus, no questions asked, and delivered to their hotel's doorstep. Not here! You must be an expected guest to ride in them -not even always free.

Of course you already know, that when arriving at T3, you can just walk via a bridge to Resorts World!

Okay, I'll put that short video clip here (soon), where you'll see some of those buses!

So.., I arrived 9 minutes past midnight. Let's sleep!

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