Philippine Travel Blog - The Travelers Guide to Philippine Destinations

Abe » July 31st, 2008 at 12:32 am

I think they will sell franchise to taxi operators to ply that route. Just like NAIA 1 & 2.

Nonoy » August 5th, 2008 at 8:33 pm

The recently much publicized fiasco with Cebu Pacific’s operations at the NAIA 3 comes as no surprise to me, even though I did not hear a similar incident involving Philippine Airlines when it moved into the new terminal. Let me relate a lamentable experience I had with Cebu Pacific in Hong Kong on the night of January 3 this year so I may drive my point better. Please excuse the rather detailed narration.

I arrived at the entrance of the Hong Kong International Airport on or about 6:30 pm, and casually made my way to the check-in counters believing my Cebu Pacific flight to Manila is at 9:25 pm. But I would be horrified to learn on reexamining my e-ticket, just as the check-in counters for the 7:25 pm flight closed, that my flight is in fact at 7:25 pm. I had confused my arrival time in Manila for my departure time from Hong Kong!

It was probably not even a minute since the check-in counters closed when I approached Cebu Pacific counters to ask their personnel to let me check in on my original flight, but they adamantly refused. Deciding to take full responsibility for what happened, I finally agreed after much pleading to pay HK$1,150 to cover the no-show charge of HK$250 plus the rebooking charge of HK$250 plus the fare differential.

I flew Cebu Pacific to take advantage of its less costly fares, thereby minimizing my travel expenses for this personal trip as my budget is limited. Having to part therefore with HK$1,150 for being one minute late can be difficult. Yet while walking away from the check-in counter after being rebooked for the next flight, I still managed to call out to the Cebu Pacific personnel who arranged my rebooking to thank him, even though he had in fact raised his voice at me at one point while I was appealing to be allowed to check in for my original flight to avoid the surcharge. I remember telling my wife afterwards that we should be magnanimous in all things, good or bad, then resolving to put this experience behind me—until I arrived at my boarding gate.

The flight to which I was rebooked for being late one minute checking in for the previous flight, was delayed forty minutes! (I wonder if the flight I missed was delayed as well.) This was still an improvement though on the roughly hour-long delay in my Cebu Pacific flight going to Hong Kong two weeks previously, as if it was any consolation. (I remembered passengers moaning in unison when the delay was announced during this earlier occasion.) I then recalled other times in the past, when my Cebu Pacific flights, both domestic and international, were delayed despite the airline’s erstwhile positioning as being always on-time. On each of these times, all that Cebu Pacific can do by way of mollifying its disgruntled passengers was to say that it is sorry. But I think it should be taking more responsibility for the delays in its flights, just as it makes its passengers take more, even costly, responsibility for being late checking in.

What is more, I also remembered agreeing to defer for forty-five minutes my check-in for a flight to Manila in June last year on the request of Cebu Pacific check-in personnel also in Hong Kong, so they can rebook me to a later flight at no cost to me as they had thought my original flight had been overbooked, only to be told after that forty-five minutes had elapsed that rebooking me would not be necessary anymore. Yet last January 3, when it was Cebu Pacific’s turn to do me a favor, they cannot. I cannot help seeing the irony in this.

Once, I had been late ten minutes checking in for a domestic flight, this time with Philippines Airlines. The check-in counters had already closed but a check-in clerk had still managed to let me in on the flight. Although you might argue that it is because it had “only” been a domestic flight, I still tend to view it as Philippine Airlines being willing to go the extra mile for its passengers. In contrast, Cebu Pacific could not even go the extra minute.

And it would get worse. My Cebu Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Manila last April 1 would be delayed 3 hours, the longest delay I’ve experienced yet. Now, there are these delays at the NAIA 3, which if I heard right took as long as 13 hours.

An airline would have great difficulties adjusting to a new terminal if its operations is just inherently poor.

irene yu » August 28th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

i got into this site because i was looking for a telephone number that i can call.
cebu pacific has moved to naia 3, what number can i call to confirm flights arrivals and departures knowing that flight delays are common.

Bengee MV » September 15th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Is your direct fleight to Hanoi still active? I’m asking because it is not mentioned in the list when you transferred to NAIA 3, only Saigon and other countries were mentioned. Please advise.

marius » November 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 am

what are other international flights operating at the new NAIA Terminal 3