Tacloban to Clark Direct. My first time!
This air route has been on for a time now. It started as a regular route via a hype-up (or command?) of the president (Duterte) to decongest MNL by moving some flights to CRK. Was that 2016? I guess so.
Hmm, before I proceed, let us do some 'tsismis'.., I heard, many stakeholders in/at/of Region VIII were vehemently opposed to the Department of Transportation picking TAC as one of the cities with flights to/from NAIA that would be transferred to Clark. How vehement? Ah, many of them (such as business chambers) trooped to their lawmakers or leaders that be, for the needed intercession to Malacañang!
Lo and behold.., by the end of 2016August, the Regional Development Council VIII (RDC8) submitted a resolution to the DOTr declaring opposition to making MNL-TAC-MNL flights become CRK-TAC-CRK. I remember there was even an online (hashtag) campaign for this - the #NoToClarkForTaclobanFlights.
So what happened? Interesting! At first, all 3 airlines (PAL, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia) started flying the route CRK-TAC-CRK with most of the MNL-TAC-MNL flights ceased. Not all, but majority of the flights.
Not long after however, PAL and Cebu Pacific flights on the CRK-TAC-CRK route just disappeared from the web. All became MNL-TAC-MNL again! Maybe Tugade realized that those "against it" had a point?!
Anyway, if I remember right, Air Asia 'formally' re-started a 4X a week schedule between CRK and TAC from 02FEB2018. And/But, nowadays it's even down to just 3X a week (TU-TH-SA), while their regular daily MNL-TAC-MNL flights still go 4X a day! Or, is that 5X a day? Am not sure anymore. Basta marami pa rin per day from Manila! But nag-panic ako! I must try this Clark-Tacloban thing before it fizzles out!
So, back to this, my flight from Tacloban to Clark on Air Asia:
Check-in
Today, a Saturday, my purpose of popping into the metropolis is/was to attend an evening event at UP Diliman. I decided on this just yesterday. So, when I checked for flights on the web, I thought the most economically viable option was to do this TAC-CRK route. Departure Tacloban: 08:45AM, Arrival Clark 10:10AM. Not very ideal as I'm used to leaving TAC noon or evening. But what da, I needed to try this!
I did my web-check-in kagabi immediately after making the booking! O, laban ka? But no hassle there!
Teka nga.., why did I say that was "half-truth and half-lie"? Its like this: when the 'advent of technology' called mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes came to our lives, my office won't accept my own boarding pass image print-out from my phone as attachment when filing for reimbursements. I had to make some noise (complaint/request) that our office should consider keeping in-step with the times!
Paperless na ngayon di ba? But our (yours and mine) accounting/finance people still demand that we submit the cardboard type boarding passed. Di ba?! Did/Does that still happen to you? If so, let them read this blog and say "Helloooo Gisiiing! If still 'no epek', maghuramentado rin kayo, like I did, hahaha!
Okay, back to my check-in story..,
I told the Air Asia Staff: "ang sama 'no? moderno nga ang airline, pero karamihan naman ng mga nasa offices natin, mga gurang na makinilya pa rin ang nalalaman! Humalakhak! At least napatawa ko sya!
O, heto si printout. It is not anymore cardboard-type, yet ito pa rin ang hinahanap nung office ko!
Actually, okay na! My office now accepts the printouts from my phone images. However, on this flight, I went to print my boarding pass at the kiosk, for me to observe more, on how things go about at their Tacloban check-in counters hehe! What did I observe? Ah ehh, those better be for another blog entry ;)
Take note: another reason I wanted to observe a domestic Air Asia check-in counter was/is because, in Malaysia, you pay a hefty fee if you show-up at the check-in counters for your flight. I am not joking, meron bayad pag sa counter ka nag-check-in! If you do not want to pay, you have to do either a web or mobile check-in, or use their self service kiosks kahit me baggage ka! (because it is also automated).
Ah, and by the way, since we are on this topic, in BWN (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei), baliktad naman! Ang Air Asia staff doon, walang pakialam kung nag-web-check-in ka o hindi, me baggage o wala, bata o matanda me ngipin o wala, pipila ka pa rin sa counters nila! AND, walang express or handcarry-only or bag-drop counter. Ang nauna dumating, pila na agad! And it's not because they're not hi-tech. Hah! Mga ogag lang! Oops, Pinay pala isa dun sa kanila mga hin*** sila! At Air Asia lang ang primitive dun!
Boarding and the flight
At 8AM, my flight started boarding. Ang aga for an 8:45AM ETD! Pero sige na, boarding kung boarding since I was already starting to get bored anyway! By the way, the Tacloban airport's pre-departure area is admirably spacious during these times (8AM to 9AM). Not only "walang crowd", halos "walang tao"!
How was the flight? Ah, normal, napabilis lang ng konti, but who would complain, right?! Per schedule, and according to the crew, TAC-CRK takes a bit longer than TAC-MNL flights. They said, this flight was a nice exception! Imagine, what should have been 1 hour 25 minutes took only an hour and a minute!
Hey, while I am an 'Air Asia Big' member (I have flown many flights by just claiming air miles), I am not used to riding this airline on domestic flights. I fly with them from CEB to TPE, HKG, MFM, and ASEAN. I didn't know they sell meals on domestic flights. Learning that they do, I asked for my fave Beef Tapa!
But there was something different on how I got that meal. It took so long. It came when the flight was about to land. Why so? I'm not so sure. Although I sensed something was wrong with the cabin crew.
The story goes like this...
I boarded this flight ahead of most passengers - because Air Asia usually let those seated on rows 1 to 5, 12 to 14 board first. Seated, I saw the Santan Menu in the seat pocket in front of me. I asked the attendant standing near my seat (row 14) if that meant they serve meals on this flight. She said yes!
She even loudly asked "you did not pre-book a meal sir?". I wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic, but I said "no, since I didn't know you sell meals on domestic flights". I prompty told her though, "once you are done serving the pre-ordered meals, please give me beef tapa ha?". And she said yes with a smile!
At cruising altitude, when the "fasten seatbelts" sign was turned off, the 2 crews from the rear section came pushing their cart to about row 12. They seemed confusedly discussing, while looking at some printout. Then they returned to the rear section. As they did so, the girl I earlier talked-to said "Sir, we'll just give the pre-ordered meals first, then I will bring your beef tapa". I said 'no problem' (with a smile).
As the flight progressed, I kept glancing at the aft section. I could see my stewardess and her partner busy distributing food to passengers. But I suspected those weren't anymore pre-ordered meals! They were already selling? I worried that by the time they reach me at row 14, all the Beef Tapa would have been bought by other passengers. It already happened to me (many times) on my inter-ASEAN flights.
Her partner, a youngish steward (trainee?) kept rushing from aft to forward galley, many times asking conferring with the other 2 cabin crews up front. I don't know what, basta I could sense me problema sila - not about my beef tapa but something else. They had so many hesitations, nalilito napa-praning!
Let's make my long story shorter, the two cabin crews from front section soon reached row 12 (after a noticeably long pause at row 9 - I think those at 9ABC were their friends, or of the senior steward, kasi nagdaldalan sila ng pagkatagaltagal). As they turned to return to their front galley, I said "excuse me"!
Deadma! So, I pressed the 'attendant call button' above me. Ayun, the senior steward looked back and found me raising my hand. I said "can I have my Beef Tapa from you, ang tagal nung kasamahan nyo eh" (as I pointed to their companions were still at row 20 yata). He hesitated, they whispered, the girl also hesitated, they whispered again, the girl faced me saying "okay sir, I will come back to bring your Beef Tapa". I added "paki-samahan ng regular Coke". She got my payment and said "sandali lang sir".
I waited again. And it took ages! I was thinking.., gaano ba katagal initin ang punyiterang Beef Tapa na yan? I felt like they hesitated if they should give me my Beef Tapa or keep it as their breakfast and give me anything else. I also felt hypoglycemia was setting in, mainit na ulo ko on the verge of making war!
You see the brown bag in the picture below? That is siopao I bought at the Goldilocks counter of TAC Airport. I never got to touch it on ground, dahil when I received it, nag-boarding na. Ayan, tinira ko na!
In fact, when that stewardess (from up front) gave me that meal, her partner (the senior steward) was already pushing back for stowage, their 'souvenirs for sale' cart. Even that tinda-tinda thing was done!
The whole cabin crew team team was was obviously frantically abnormally rushing - for what reason, I wasn't able to discern. I was just starting to eat, when the fasten seat-belts sign for landing came on.
This was my first BAD encounter on any Air Asia flight. Well, probably because almost all I have flown before were international flights with longer duration, so the crews had more time. But on hind sight, I think jologs lang talaga sila or me nagawang kabobohan - because I could sense panic in their faces.
Anyway, so much for that VERY ODD cabin crew experience. O eh, so we arrived din naman!
Arrival was the same as other flights I previously had into Clark - we got off the plane and rode buses to the arrival hall. This time however, I noticed the hallway where passengers walk from the bus to the baggage claim and arrivals lobby has been spruced up. The floor is now tiled. There's even that yellow rough tiles in the middle - parang rumble strips. And the walls of the entire hallway/walkway, although obviously temporary, already have brighter colored paint. Before, this was like walking into a bodega!
Okay next... how I travelled from Clark to Quezon City! Abangan!
Hmm, before I proceed, let us do some 'tsismis'.., I heard, many stakeholders in/at/of Region VIII were vehemently opposed to the Department of Transportation picking TAC as one of the cities with flights to/from NAIA that would be transferred to Clark. How vehement? Ah, many of them (such as business chambers) trooped to their lawmakers or leaders that be, for the needed intercession to Malacañang!
Lo and behold.., by the end of 2016August, the Regional Development Council VIII (RDC8) submitted a resolution to the DOTr declaring opposition to making MNL-TAC-MNL flights become CRK-TAC-CRK. I remember there was even an online (hashtag) campaign for this - the #NoToClarkForTaclobanFlights.
So what happened? Interesting! At first, all 3 airlines (PAL, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia) started flying the route CRK-TAC-CRK with most of the MNL-TAC-MNL flights ceased. Not all, but majority of the flights.
Not long after however, PAL and Cebu Pacific flights on the CRK-TAC-CRK route just disappeared from the web. All became MNL-TAC-MNL again! Maybe Tugade realized that those "against it" had a point?!
Anyway, if I remember right, Air Asia 'formally' re-started a 4X a week schedule between CRK and TAC from 02FEB2018. And/But, nowadays it's even down to just 3X a week (TU-TH-SA), while their regular daily MNL-TAC-MNL flights still go 4X a day! Or, is that 5X a day? Am not sure anymore. Basta marami pa rin per day from Manila! But nag-panic ako! I must try this Clark-Tacloban thing before it fizzles out!
So, back to this, my flight from Tacloban to Clark on Air Asia:
Check-in
Today, a Saturday, my purpose of popping into the metropolis is/was to attend an evening event at UP Diliman. I decided on this just yesterday. So, when I checked for flights on the web, I thought the most economically viable option was to do this TAC-CRK route. Departure Tacloban: 08:45AM, Arrival Clark 10:10AM. Not very ideal as I'm used to leaving TAC noon or evening. But what da, I needed to try this!
I did my web-check-in kagabi immediately after making the booking! O, laban ka? But no hassle there!
When I reached the Tacloban airport (about 7:30AM), I went to the check-in kiosk to print my boarding pass, just out of curiosity (I do this at other airports).
There was an AirAsia staff by a kiosk who saw that I retrieved on my phone the boarding pass for this flight (picture at right). He advised me "sir, boarding pass na rin yan, okay na yan since wala naman kayong check-in baggage, pwede na po kayo pumasok sa pre-departure area". Oh ha?! Paperless na (rin), helpful pa!
And so I said: "yeah, but I want to print a boarding pass, ayaw kasi tanggapin ng office pag image lang galing sa phone"! [Note: this was half-truth and half-lie]... and the staff said "ay oo nga po sir, madami kaming na-e-encounter na ganyan, low-tech pa daw ang mga office nila"! We both laughed as I printed my boarding pass (next picture below), and off I went!
There was an AirAsia staff by a kiosk who saw that I retrieved on my phone the boarding pass for this flight (picture at right). He advised me "sir, boarding pass na rin yan, okay na yan since wala naman kayong check-in baggage, pwede na po kayo pumasok sa pre-departure area". Oh ha?! Paperless na (rin), helpful pa!
And so I said: "yeah, but I want to print a boarding pass, ayaw kasi tanggapin ng office pag image lang galing sa phone"! [Note: this was half-truth and half-lie]... and the staff said "ay oo nga po sir, madami kaming na-e-encounter na ganyan, low-tech pa daw ang mga office nila"! We both laughed as I printed my boarding pass (next picture below), and off I went!
Teka nga.., why did I say that was "half-truth and half-lie"? Its like this: when the 'advent of technology' called mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes came to our lives, my office won't accept my own boarding pass image print-out from my phone as attachment when filing for reimbursements. I had to make some noise (complaint/request) that our office should consider keeping in-step with the times!
Paperless na ngayon di ba? But our (yours and mine) accounting/finance people still demand that we submit the cardboard type boarding passed. Di ba?! Did/Does that still happen to you? If so, let them read this blog and say "Helloooo Gisiiing! If still 'no epek', maghuramentado rin kayo, like I did, hahaha!
Okay, back to my check-in story..,
I told the Air Asia Staff: "ang sama 'no? moderno nga ang airline, pero karamihan naman ng mga nasa offices natin, mga gurang na makinilya pa rin ang nalalaman! Humalakhak! At least napatawa ko sya!
O, heto si printout. It is not anymore cardboard-type, yet ito pa rin ang hinahanap nung office ko!
Actually, okay na! My office now accepts the printouts from my phone images. However, on this flight, I went to print my boarding pass at the kiosk, for me to observe more, on how things go about at their Tacloban check-in counters hehe! What did I observe? Ah ehh, those better be for another blog entry ;)
Take note: another reason I wanted to observe a domestic Air Asia check-in counter was/is because, in Malaysia, you pay a hefty fee if you show-up at the check-in counters for your flight. I am not joking, meron bayad pag sa counter ka nag-check-in! If you do not want to pay, you have to do either a web or mobile check-in, or use their self service kiosks kahit me baggage ka! (because it is also automated).
Ah, and by the way, since we are on this topic, in BWN (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei), baliktad naman! Ang Air Asia staff doon, walang pakialam kung nag-web-check-in ka o hindi, me baggage o wala, bata o matanda me ngipin o wala, pipila ka pa rin sa counters nila! AND, walang express or handcarry-only or bag-drop counter. Ang nauna dumating, pila na agad! And it's not because they're not hi-tech. Hah! Mga ogag lang! Oops, Pinay pala isa dun sa kanila mga hin*** sila! At Air Asia lang ang primitive dun!
Boarding and the flight
At 8AM, my flight started boarding. Ang aga for an 8:45AM ETD! Pero sige na, boarding kung boarding since I was already starting to get bored anyway! By the way, the Tacloban airport's pre-departure area is admirably spacious during these times (8AM to 9AM). Not only "walang crowd", halos "walang tao"!
How was the flight? Ah, normal, napabilis lang ng konti, but who would complain, right?! Per schedule, and according to the crew, TAC-CRK takes a bit longer than TAC-MNL flights. They said, this flight was a nice exception! Imagine, what should have been 1 hour 25 minutes took only an hour and a minute!
Hey, while I am an 'Air Asia Big' member (I have flown many flights by just claiming air miles), I am not used to riding this airline on domestic flights. I fly with them from CEB to TPE, HKG, MFM, and ASEAN. I didn't know they sell meals on domestic flights. Learning that they do, I asked for my fave Beef Tapa!
But there was something different on how I got that meal. It took so long. It came when the flight was about to land. Why so? I'm not so sure. Although I sensed something was wrong with the cabin crew.
The story goes like this...
I boarded this flight ahead of most passengers - because Air Asia usually let those seated on rows 1 to 5, 12 to 14 board first. Seated, I saw the Santan Menu in the seat pocket in front of me. I asked the attendant standing near my seat (row 14) if that meant they serve meals on this flight. She said yes!
She even loudly asked "you did not pre-book a meal sir?". I wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic, but I said "no, since I didn't know you sell meals on domestic flights". I prompty told her though, "once you are done serving the pre-ordered meals, please give me beef tapa ha?". And she said yes with a smile!
At cruising altitude, when the "fasten seatbelts" sign was turned off, the 2 crews from the rear section came pushing their cart to about row 12. They seemed confusedly discussing, while looking at some printout. Then they returned to the rear section. As they did so, the girl I earlier talked-to said "Sir, we'll just give the pre-ordered meals first, then I will bring your beef tapa". I said 'no problem' (with a smile).
As the flight progressed, I kept glancing at the aft section. I could see my stewardess and her partner busy distributing food to passengers. But I suspected those weren't anymore pre-ordered meals! They were already selling? I worried that by the time they reach me at row 14, all the Beef Tapa would have been bought by other passengers. It already happened to me (many times) on my inter-ASEAN flights.
Her partner, a youngish steward (trainee?) kept rushing from aft to forward galley, many times asking conferring with the other 2 cabin crews up front. I don't know what, basta I could sense me problema sila - not about my beef tapa but something else. They had so many hesitations, nalilito napa-praning!
Let's make my long story shorter, the two cabin crews from front section soon reached row 12 (after a noticeably long pause at row 9 - I think those at 9ABC were their friends, or of the senior steward, kasi nagdaldalan sila ng pagkatagaltagal). As they turned to return to their front galley, I said "excuse me"!
Deadma! So, I pressed the 'attendant call button' above me. Ayun, the senior steward looked back and found me raising my hand. I said "can I have my Beef Tapa from you, ang tagal nung kasamahan nyo eh" (as I pointed to their companions were still at row 20 yata). He hesitated, they whispered, the girl also hesitated, they whispered again, the girl faced me saying "okay sir, I will come back to bring your Beef Tapa". I added "paki-samahan ng regular Coke". She got my payment and said "sandali lang sir".
I waited again. And it took ages! I was thinking.., gaano ba katagal initin ang punyiterang Beef Tapa na yan? I felt like they hesitated if they should give me my Beef Tapa or keep it as their breakfast and give me anything else. I also felt hypoglycemia was setting in, mainit na ulo ko on the verge of making war!
You see the brown bag in the picture below? That is siopao I bought at the Goldilocks counter of TAC Airport. I never got to touch it on ground, dahil when I received it, nag-boarding na. Ayan, tinira ko na!
In fact, when that stewardess (from up front) gave me that meal, her partner (the senior steward) was already pushing back for stowage, their 'souvenirs for sale' cart. Even that tinda-tinda thing was done!
The whole cabin crew team team was was obviously frantically abnormally rushing - for what reason, I wasn't able to discern. I was just starting to eat, when the fasten seat-belts sign for landing came on.
This was my first BAD encounter on any Air Asia flight. Well, probably because almost all I have flown before were international flights with longer duration, so the crews had more time. But on hind sight, I think jologs lang talaga sila or me nagawang kabobohan - because I could sense panic in their faces.
Anyway, so much for that VERY ODD cabin crew experience. O eh, so we arrived din naman!
Arrival was the same as other flights I previously had into Clark - we got off the plane and rode buses to the arrival hall. This time however, I noticed the hallway where passengers walk from the bus to the baggage claim and arrivals lobby has been spruced up. The floor is now tiled. There's even that yellow rough tiles in the middle - parang rumble strips. And the walls of the entire hallway/walkway, although obviously temporary, already have brighter colored paint. Before, this was like walking into a bodega!
Okay next... how I travelled from Clark to Quezon City! Abangan!
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