Tacloban To Cebu To Manila
As said in my previous post, this first leg of my circle trip was flying TAC-CEB-MNL. Not that I am complaining, I'm just telling! I've been doing that for many years now.
Oh, if you're new here, or not yet that familiar, I've started using IATA airport codes in my blogs, like: TAC is the code for Tacloban, CEB for Cebu and MNL for Manila.
Now.., why go through connecting flights when there are lots of direct TAC to MNL flights? Well, people have many varied reasons in doing so. But, many of you, dear readers, already know, my reason is: just to drop my laundry in Cebu - where I live!
Oist, nothing illegal there! I just handcarry my "labadami", go out of departure area, Manong JC would already be there waiting, and then we "exchange gifts", that's it!
Anything that I have to carry back inside still pass by those x-ray machines. In case I need to check-in anything, I also still go through the check-in or bag-drop counters, even if my boarding pass was already issued at/by the previous station. Ganun yon!
But 🎜let's start from the very beginning 𝆔𝅘𝅥𝅱 as I always do, right?
Approaching TAC Airport on a gloomy afternoon, I took a pic of this little airplane:
I did that shot without asking my driver to stop or slow down. Yet he still noticed me and exclaimed OMG sir, amo it im sasakyan? 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, since the weather was way far from normal. He also commented that the plane was even smaller than the plane that tried to catch the pope's aircraft but crashed hahaha!
We laughed because we just remembered, that that is one lingering funny anecdote in Region 8 (that never dies), about Noynoy's power & attention-hungry cabinet. Epic!
The story was, they demanded to takeoff when it was not allowed yet. Nagalit tuloy ang langit. Da! Surely, that day will forever be remembered by those people hehehe!
Anyway, I said to my driver again, only 'moneyed' people or their companies or their 'august offices' can afford to charter airplanes, even if tiny like that, since chartering is quite expensive, than flying via the normal passenger planes.
Ah my driver had many more questions, answers of which I'd like to share with you!
What is that plane? Well, it is a Beechcraft King Air 350 made by Textron Aviation. It can accommodate only 8 passengers plus the 2 pilots in its original executive class layout. Ay it has a version that can fit 17 passengers, yet we'll only know if we see it!
Who uses that kind of plane? Hmm, to and from Tacloban? Surely not me hahaha! If not a big time businessman (who is into politics), it could be a politician, or showbiz personalities brought (meaning sponsored) by a politician! Ganyan madalas, di ba?!
Aw if you noticed, businessman, politician and/or artista are now synonyms, di ba?!
My driver's eyes were wider when he asked mayada hira hiton? I replied with "aw, not that one, that's for-rent"! How did I know? Ayun nakasulat sa labas, that's RP-C2528.
So I checked, it's owned and operated by PG1 or Pacific Global One Aviation - an air charter business of PLDT. Yes, as in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company!
I even know, that plane was acquired by them 'band-new' in 2008.
Anyway, let's not forget to mention where that plane is 'resting in peace' hehe!
That's 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 to the new tarmac being built to expand the Airport. Kon san-o mahuhuman, ambot!
That is where the pope passed from the PAL plane into where he held mass.
Imagine that... in one of my repetitively boring weekly flights from TAC to CEB, in one rainy evening, I still found something new to talk about. Nag-tatanong kasi si driver.
And oh well.., iba na ang tsismoso. Ako ba yun? Da!
Check-in done, waiting for flight, I caught another snap of the pre-departure area.
It is already cramped and congested, to say the least. You'll really nod in agreement, when you hear the Waray people say 'when will that new terminal ever materialize'?
If you didn't know yet it has been more than 2 decades (almost 3) since JICA said in a study, that this airport needs to upgrade (not a transfer to Palo, they didn't say that).
MTLSS, 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, although I know there are people out there, some are readers of this blog, who know it's not a cause for alarm, but aren't sure what it really is! e yung aircon sa bahay di naman umuusok na ganyan!
I asked a scientist-friend about that phenomenon sometime ago. He described and explained it to me as best he could. I said "thank you", but truly "na-nose-bleed ako"!
One of his txt msgs said: "...it's condensation or water vapor from the aircon system. When warm humid air inside the cabin mixes with cooler drier air from the aircon vent, it creates a visible mist or fog. Similar to how you can see your breath when in Baguio."
And I txtd back saying "ahuh, okay" hehehe! Pero sa totoo lang, nalipung ako!
Travel is really education! Just looking around, we find many things worth noting.
Soon my flight took off from DZR Airport's Runway 36 way into the night over Basey.
Tacloban looked dark due to lots of rain clouds. Unlike many previous experiences.
I still looked to see if San Juanico Bridge would be visible from my vantage. It was!
I quickly shot the 3 pics in that collage, amid clouds that blocked most of my views!
Not quite as good as previous sightings, but I was happy enough to have seen it.
33 minutes from take off (and it was OMG turbulent), here we were landing at CEB!
Also still rainy cloudy that the plane kept swaying and bouncing. I am not scared of those, but haaay, I could not do a good shot of the city lights! As if marunong, ano?!
Yet, we arrived on time - even ahead, I guess! Per schedule, our ETA was 1920H, but 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. Kinaya yan. Me pa!
No issue so far and whatsoever hehehe. 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. Memorized na e!
Let me caution you though, my dear fellow Pinoy Travelers. IF you aren't very sure of every step of the way, don't bet on that 70-minute-transit-time that I have been doing.
Shh, don't tell airline people about it! That is actually "not proper". If you misconnect, they can opt to "not help you". Their minimum transit time between domestic flights is 2 hours. That's government sanctioned. If you mis-connect, patay kang gurang ka!
Let me tell you a bit of history (hay nostalgia na naman)!
Not a long time ago, when online booking technology wasn't yet available, and when tickets were only issued at 'physical offices', airlines and travel agencies were strict.
None of them would ever knowingly sell you any 2flights where the connection time interval was less than 2 hours. I had a way then, but that's outdated and, see below!
These days, with online booking systems available anytime anywhere, ironically, you can book flights that are less than 2 hours apart - and the computer systems know!
Jologs 'no? A simple "if-then" query! Pero hush lang kayo, I'm taking advatange of it!
Anyway, the most important thing is again, use caution when transiting for less than 2 hours. Make sure you can do it, and you're lucky that there'll be no delayed flights!
What does luck have to do with this? Ah, I said above, if in case you misconnect, the airline/s may opt not to help you - dahil mali ka na in the first place. Merese na you!
If it's that risky, why am I doing it? No choice kasi. There are few flights from TAC.
FYI, that 2-hour window is an industry norm. It can change. In fact, it often changes 'for the better', as far as we passengers are concerned. Thanks to new technologies.
Plus new and better passenger terminals of course. Yung di malayo ang lalakarin.
Let's proceed na to my connecting flight to MNL.
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!
Eto na! While enjoying my 2nd (ayy, baka 3rd) serving of the arroz caldo, the Lounge Attendant came with a charming yet diffident smile. I instinctively knew what it was, so all I could say was "uh-oh patay tayo dyan"! At least natawa naman sya ng konti!
True enough. My flight was being delayed. But, and this is one thing I like with these Mabuhay Girls, she didn't just come to tell me about the flight delay or for how long.
She came prepared with an 'alternate flight' option (shh, for me only)! All I had to do was say 'yes' or 'no'. Of course, I said YES, since it was the best option, at that time.
And she did all da works while I still sat there with my Arroz Caldoand more eatables. After some calls, she came to jot changes on my boarding pass! Wasn't that great?
Yeah, an advantage of being 'as they say' FQTV (IATA code for Frequent Traveler).
Oh yes, she manually wrote those changes on my old boarding pass, and whispered sir, that flight is already on its final call at gate 7. Da! I stood and almost ran to Gate 7!
Let's discuss what happened to me. There are some notes for you to learn, children!
First, the whisper. Why was the Lounge Attendant whispering to me. There were/are at least 2 reasons I can think of: 1] they try to maintain peace and quiet at Mabuhay Lounges. That's why she/we had to tone our conversations down; 2] apparently, the option was not for everyone. Maybe only a few seats were available. Inuna lang ako!
Was that favoritism? Maybe. How would we really know, right? Especially that I was the recipient of the favor, bakit ko pag-dedeskitahan yan?! Well-behaved passenger kasi ang aking kamahalan, at malakas kasi ang charm ko, that's why inuna nila ako!
Haha! Before you believe my joke, Ms. Entitled Karen, look at my SEQuence number on the lower right corner of the boarding pass. I was the 7th to check-in on PR1864.
Thus, if they can accommodate only a few passengers to transfer to flight PR2880, I was 7th in priority! Do you know about that? Because I web-checked-in kagabi pa!
Me gamit naman pala kung maaga ka nag-check-in! Web Check-in is the key!
That's probably why they had to whisper too, para hindi na marinig nung mga hindi naman mapag-bibigyan. Hindi sila masasaktan! What you don't know won't hurt you!
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 usually go and talk to a person one-on-one.
Since we're on the topic, it should be worth sharing, that (although unwritten) there is some kind of protocol or etiquette expected of passengers in an airline's lounge.
Foremost is 'be quiet'! Okay, I'll expound on that 'protocol/etiquette' in a later article.
Anyway, as you can see in the photo above, I was boarded on PR2880, an aisle seat.
Argh! An Aisle Seat! But I'd rather be on that aisle seat, on a literally full flight, flying for a little more than an hour, than be sitting at the lounge, uncertain about PR1864!
The seat given to me (yun naka-ballpen dun sa unang picture) was 28C, the left side aisle seat of the last row! But I can't/didn't complain. Sampig lang ako sa flight na ito.
I was just 'inserted' into this plane from my delayed PR1864. Eh, I was duly apprised about this naman. I was first asked if I wanted to take this or not,AND I said yes. Da!
Yan ang tunay na paningit! Isiningit lang ako. Mukang 28C nga lang ang bakante eh, at ibinigay pa sa akin hehehe! So I was thankful and felt honored. Now, that explains why the dear Mabuhay Girl hushly discreetly talked to me about this. Winner si ako!
Pushback 9:27PM. This was already PR2880 I was on. Considering that my original flight PR1864 was supposed to leave at 8:30PM, ahh I was still almost an hour late.
Yet still, I was thankful they placed me on this one. Charm yan!
By the way, my hotel in Pasay called at 8PM, 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 said "yes, okay", to end the conversation.
But in my mind I was like shouting "I know, sinabi nang dadating ako eh"!
Oh, did you know about that hotel industry reservations rule? That, when you book a room, you are told check-in is (usually) 2PM - but if you do not arrive at 6PM without telling them early-on they will cancel your booking, yet still charge you 1 day of stay.
If you still arrive anyway, they can say "no more room"! Or some will even offer you a more expensive room, that you have to buy anew, since your booking was forfeited.
An unfair rule from our point-of-view, right? But they can do that to us.
I have ways on how to avoid that situation, and these are:
1] I put my time of arrival, including my flight details (example: arriving MNL at 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] If my flight is delayed, I call before 6PM to tell the hotel. If I get to know about the delay only after 6PM, I still call them, to tell if I want to hold, cancel or change dates.
For my case today... I did not do item 2], but I did item 1], kaya nairita ako! But if at all, it was 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 attendants on this flight. There were 6 or maybe 7 of them. Ah, maybe some were new, on "OBS" (observer) status. That is how PAL call the newbies (on OJT). Observer na pinagtatrabaho na. Bakit ayaw mo?
Aside from this flight having a "Hagibis" or "Boy Band" Cabin Crew (lahat yata male), there was nothing else notable for me. Heavily cloudy night and very dark outside.
Ah, I didn't eat my SkyTreat (Choco Chips Brownie). Busog pa sa lugaw eh!
At 2320H, I was out at the parking lot searching for a nook to smoke (much urgent)!
Hmn, I haven't been in this area during an evening, for many many years now. That's because I have not been arriving in MNL at very late evenings, by choice. Ayaw lang.
Malayo ang QC. At mahal na nga ang taxi, delikado pa!
This time though, I wasn't going home. I was spending a layover at a nearby hotel, in the vicinity of the airport. So oks lang to arrive late at night - especially that there's a free hotel shuttle bus service, going to, and coming from the hotel!
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!
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!
Oh, if you're new here, or not yet that familiar, I've started using IATA airport codes in my blogs, like: TAC is the code for Tacloban, CEB for Cebu and MNL for Manila.
Now.., why go through connecting flights when there are lots of direct TAC to MNL flights? Well, people have many varied reasons in doing so. But, many of you, dear readers, already know, my reason is: just to drop my laundry in Cebu - where I live!
Oist, nothing illegal there! I just handcarry my "labadami", go out of departure area, Manong JC would already be there waiting, and then we "exchange gifts", that's it!
Anything that I have to carry back inside still pass by those x-ray machines. In case I need to check-in anything, I also still go through the check-in or bag-drop counters, even if my boarding pass was already issued at/by the previous station. Ganun yon!
But 🎜let's start from the very beginning 𝆔𝅘𝅥𝅱 as I always do, right?
Approaching TAC Airport on a gloomy afternoon, I took a pic of this little airplane:
I asked him why he said 'OMG' and (I suspected this).., he said that one is too small, since the weather was way far from normal. He also commented that the plane was even smaller than the plane that tried to catch the pope's aircraft but crashed hahaha!
We laughed because we just remembered, that that is one lingering funny anecdote in Region 8 (that never dies), about Noynoy's power & attention-hungry cabinet. Epic!
The story was, they demanded to takeoff when it was not allowed yet. Nagalit tuloy ang langit. Da! Surely, that day will forever be remembered by those people hehehe!
Anyway, I said to my driver again, only 'moneyed' people or their companies or their 'august offices' can afford to charter airplanes, even if tiny like that, since chartering is quite expensive, than flying via the normal passenger planes.
Ah my driver had many more questions, answers of which I'd like to share with you!
ABOUT CHARTER PLANES
About Charter PlanesWhat is that plane? Well, it is a Beechcraft King Air 350 made by Textron Aviation. It can accommodate only 8 passengers plus the 2 pilots in its original executive class layout. Ay it has a version that can fit 17 passengers, yet we'll only know if we see it!
Who uses that kind of plane? Hmm, to and from Tacloban? Surely not me hahaha! If not a big time businessman (who is into politics), it could be a politician, or showbiz personalities brought (meaning sponsored) by a politician! Ganyan madalas, di ba?!
Aw if you noticed, businessman, politician and/or artista are now synonyms, di ba?!
My driver's eyes were wider when he asked mayada hira hiton? I replied with "aw, not that one, that's for-rent"! How did I know? Ayun nakasulat sa labas, that's RP-C2528.
So I checked, it's owned and operated by PG1 or Pacific Global One Aviation - an air charter business of PLDT. Yes, as in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company!
I even know, that plane was acquired by them 'band-new' in 2008.
Anyway, let's not forget to mention where that plane is 'resting in peace' hehe!
That's 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 to the new tarmac being built to expand the Airport. Kon san-o mahuhuman, ambot!
That is where the pope passed from the PAL plane into where he held mass.
Imagine that... in one of my repetitively boring weekly flights from TAC to CEB, in one rainy evening, I still found something new to talk about. Nag-tatanong kasi si driver.
And oh well.., iba na ang tsismoso. Ako ba yun? Da!
Tacloban DZR Airport Pre-departure Area
Inside the AirportCheck-in done, waiting for flight, I caught another snap of the pre-departure area.
If you didn't know yet it has been more than 2 decades (almost 3) since JICA said in a study, that this airport needs to upgrade (not a transfer to Palo, they didn't say that).
Smoke-like Condensation In An Aircradt Cabin
Flight Boarding: What's That Smoke?MTLSS, we boarded, and I heard a kid asking her parents about all that "smoke"!
I asked a scientist-friend about that phenomenon sometime ago. He described and explained it to me as best he could. I said "thank you", but truly "na-nose-bleed ako"!
One of his txt msgs said: "...it's condensation or water vapor from the aircon system. When warm humid air inside the cabin mixes with cooler drier air from the aircon vent, it creates a visible mist or fog. Similar to how you can see your breath when in Baguio."
And I txtd back saying "ahuh, okay" hehehe! Pero sa totoo lang, nalipung ako!
Travel is really education! Just looking around, we find many things worth noting.
AERIAL VIEW OF SAN JUANICO BRIDGE AT NIGHT
San Juanico Evening Sky-viewSoon my flight took off from DZR Airport's Runway 36 way into the night over Basey.
I still looked to see if San Juanico Bridge would be visible from my vantage. It was!
Not quite as good as previous sightings, but I was happy enough to have seen it.
Landing In Cebu
Cebu Arrival33 minutes from take off (and it was OMG turbulent), here we were landing at CEB!
Yet, we arrived on time - even ahead, I guess! Per schedule, our ETA was 1920H, but 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. Kinaya yan. Me pa!
Transiting At Mactan Cebu International Airport
Transit In CebuNo issue so far and whatsoever hehehe. 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. Memorized na e!
Let me caution you though, my dear fellow Pinoy Travelers. IF you aren't very sure of every step of the way, don't bet on that 70-minute-transit-time that I have been doing.
Shh, don't tell airline people about it! That is actually "not proper". If you misconnect, they can opt to "not help you". Their minimum transit time between domestic flights is 2 hours. That's government sanctioned. If you mis-connect, patay kang gurang ka!
Let me tell you a bit of history (hay nostalgia na naman)!
Not a long time ago, when online booking technology wasn't yet available, and when tickets were only issued at 'physical offices', airlines and travel agencies were strict.
None of them would ever knowingly sell you any 2flights where the connection time interval was less than 2 hours. I had a way then, but that's outdated and, see below!
These days, with online booking systems available anytime anywhere, ironically, you can book flights that are less than 2 hours apart - and the computer systems know!
Jologs 'no? A simple "if-then" query! Pero hush lang kayo, I'm taking advatange of it!
Anyway, the most important thing is again, use caution when transiting for less than 2 hours. Make sure you can do it, and you're lucky that there'll be no delayed flights!
What does luck have to do with this? Ah, I said above, if in case you misconnect, the airline/s may opt not to help you - dahil mali ka na in the first place. Merese na you!
If it's that risky, why am I doing it? No choice kasi. There are few flights from TAC.
FYI, that 2-hour window is an industry norm. It can change. In fact, it often changes 'for the better', as far as we passengers are concerned. Thanks to new technologies.
Plus new and better passenger terminals of course. Yung di malayo ang lalakarin.
Let's proceed na to my connecting flight to MNL.
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 2nd (ayy, baka 3rd) serving of the arroz caldo, the Lounge Attendant came with a charming yet diffident smile. I instinctively knew what it was, so all I could say was "uh-oh patay tayo dyan"! At least natawa naman sya ng konti!
True enough. My flight was being delayed. But, and this is one thing I like with these Mabuhay Girls, she didn't just come to tell me about the flight delay or for how long.
She came prepared with an 'alternate flight' option (shh, for me only)! All I had to do was say 'yes' or 'no'. Of course, I said YES, since it was the best option, at that time.
And she did all da works while I still sat there with my Arroz Caldoand more eatables. After some calls, she came to jot changes on my boarding pass! Wasn't that great?
Yeah, an advantage of being 'as they say' FQTV (IATA code for Frequent Traveler).
Oh yes, she manually wrote those changes on my old boarding pass, and whispered sir, that flight is already on its final call at gate 7. Da! I stood and almost ran to Gate 7!
First, the whisper. Why was the Lounge Attendant whispering to me. There were/are at least 2 reasons I can think of: 1] they try to maintain peace and quiet at Mabuhay Lounges. That's why she/we had to tone our conversations down; 2] apparently, the option was not for everyone. Maybe only a few seats were available. Inuna lang ako!
Was that favoritism? Maybe. How would we really know, right? Especially that I was the recipient of the favor, bakit ko pag-dedeskitahan yan?! Well-behaved passenger kasi ang aking kamahalan, at malakas kasi ang charm ko, that's why inuna nila ako!
Haha! Before you believe my joke, Ms. Entitled Karen, look at my SEQuence number on the lower right corner of the boarding pass. I was the 7th to check-in on PR1864.
Thus, if they can accommodate only a few passengers to transfer to flight PR2880, I was 7th in priority! Do you know about that? Because I web-checked-in kagabi pa!
Me gamit naman pala kung maaga ka nag-check-in! Web Check-in is the key!
That's probably why they had to whisper too, para hindi na marinig nung mga hindi naman mapag-bibigyan. Hindi sila masasaktan! What you don't know won't hurt you!
Why Silence Is Required In An Airline Business Class Lounge
Now on item 1], Airline Lounges on earth, are usually peaceful and quiet in an effort to accord guests 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 usually go and talk to a person one-on-one.
Since we're on the topic, it should be worth sharing, that (although unwritten) there is some kind of protocol or etiquette expected of passengers in an airline's lounge.
Foremost is 'be quiet'! Okay, I'll expound on that 'protocol/etiquette' in a later article.
Anyway, as you can see in the photo above, I was boarded on PR2880, an aisle seat.
Argh! An Aisle Seat! But I'd rather be on that aisle seat, on a literally full flight, flying for a little more than an hour, than be sitting at the lounge, uncertain about PR1864!
I was just 'inserted' into this plane from my delayed PR1864. Eh, I was duly apprised about this naman. I was first asked if I wanted to take this or not,AND I said yes. Da!
Yan ang tunay na paningit! Isiningit lang ako. Mukang 28C nga lang ang bakante eh, at ibinigay pa sa akin hehehe! So I was thankful and felt honored. Now, that explains why the dear Mabuhay Girl hushly discreetly talked to me about this. Winner si ako!
Pushback 9:27PM. This was already PR2880 I was on. Considering that my original flight PR1864 was supposed to leave at 8:30PM, ahh I was still almost an hour late.
Yet still, I was thankful they placed me on this one. Charm yan!
By the way, my hotel in Pasay called at 8PM, 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 said "yes, okay", to end the conversation.
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 RuleOh, did you know about that hotel industry reservations rule? That, when you book a room, you are told check-in is (usually) 2PM - but if you do not arrive at 6PM without telling them early-on they will cancel your booking, yet still charge you 1 day of stay.
If you still arrive anyway, they can say "no more room"! Or some will even offer you a more expensive room, that you have to buy anew, since your booking was forfeited.
An unfair rule from our point-of-view, right? But they can do that to us.
I have ways on how to avoid that situation, and these are:
1] I put my time of arrival, including my flight details (example: arriving MNL at 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] If my flight is delayed, I call before 6PM to tell the hotel. If I get to know about the delay only after 6PM, I still call them, to tell if I want to hold, cancel or change dates.
For my case today... I did not do item 2], but I did item 1], kaya nairita ako! But if at all, it was 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 attendants on this flight. There were 6 or maybe 7 of them. Ah, maybe some were new, on "OBS" (observer) status. That is how PAL call the newbies (on OJT). Observer na pinagtatrabaho na. Bakit ayaw mo?
Aside from this flight having a "Hagibis" or "Boy Band" Cabin Crew (lahat yata male), there was nothing else notable for me. Heavily cloudy night and very dark outside.
Ah, I didn't eat my SkyTreat (Choco Chips Brownie). Busog pa sa lugaw eh!
NAIA Terminal 2 Evening View
A Nice View of MNL T2At 2320H, I was out at the parking lot searching for a nook to smoke (much urgent)!
Malayo ang QC. At mahal na nga ang taxi, delikado pa!
This time though, I wasn't going home. I was spending a layover at a nearby hotel, in the vicinity of the airport. So oks lang to arrive late at night - especially that there's a free hotel shuttle bus service, going to, and coming from the hotel!
Public Bus Services at NAIA
Ube Express P2P BusSpeaking 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".
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..,
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:
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 ServiceAnd that's not all about airport buses. I was waiting for mine, that is an entirely different category!
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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