Tag: Cebu Pacific Air

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 325 – Manila to Legazpi – Last-Minute Cheap Jet Flight Back to Bicolandia [May 2022]

Yes, you read the title right! Jet flights are back in Bicol. Just last month, May 2022, Cebu Pacific Air & Philippine Airlines restarted their Airbus A320 services to & from Legazpi at the newly-opened Bicol International Airport.

Since this new airport opened in October 2021, Cebu Pacific Air utilized their ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft on their daily flights to & from Legazpi, while Philippine Airlines flew their De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 aircraft on the same route. I have had the pleasure of flying these propeller planes from both airlines in the last few months. Check out the following flight reports to know more: DG6194 Legazpi to Manila, DG6193 Legazpi to Manila, PR2922 Legazpi to Manila, PR2919 Manila to Legazpi & DG6192 Legazpi to Manila.

If you have been following me in the last few weeks, you know that I’ve been to Cebu with my friends for a quick 4 days & 3 nights around Cebu City & Bantayan Island. From Cebu, I flew to Manila to fulfill some work obligations. After a quick 1-day trip in Manila, I then flew back home to Legazpi – this time on Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A320 jet service on 5J 325. Join me in today’s flight report as I share with you my experience flying with a jet back to Bicolandia.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is not a new airline in this website; it is actually my most-reviewed airline here. Cebu Pacific Air is the country’s largest low-cost carrier. The airline is owned by Cebu Air Inc which is part of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings. The airline commenced its first flight in 1996 & has been flying for over 26 years. Together with its subsidiary, Cebgo (previously Tiger Air Philippines), the airline flies to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. It operates close to 70 young & fuel-efficient jet & propeller aircraft. Cebu Pacific Air operates the narrow-body & wide-body aircraft while its subsidiary operates the propeller passenger & cargo aircraft.

The airline has a lifestyle & loyalty program called Go Rewards. It is also a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers. The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

I had initial plans of traveling by land with my parents back to Bicol after the short work trip in Manila. Last-minute changes in plans forced me to take this flight back to Legazpi. I’m super thankful for Cebu Pacific Air’s CEB Super Pass I got a one-way ticket a week before the scheduled flight for only ₱1,234.88. I paid ₱390.88 for the CEB Super Pass & added ₱844.00 for the flight taxes & 20-kilograms check-in baggage allowance. Not bad for a last-minute ticket, eh?

Travel Requirements

Albay is open to tourism & returning residents since late last year. Fully-vaccinated individuals only need to provide a valid ID & their vaccination card or vaccination certificate. Partially & unvaccinated passengers need to provide a negative antigen result taken 48 hours before the flight.

I have been fully-vaccinated since October last year, so I only had to show my vaccination card. Please take note that these requirements may change from time to time. For Cebu Pacific Air passengers, the airline has compiled on their website & is regularly updating the requirements for all their destinations. Feel free to check out the updated Covid-19 Information Page here.

Before The Flight

Even with more lax restrictions & border controls, Cebu Pacific Air still kept their passengers informed by sending e-mail reminders days before the scheduled flight. The e-mail contained contactless flight protocols, check-in & bag drop schedules & mask reminders.

Just like the reminders we got for our recent flight from Legazpi to Cebu, I noticed that the airline has removed the item about the Traze mobile application. I believe the authorities have stopped using this application for contact-tracing purposes. It would have been nicer if contact-tracing procedures were still being practiced in order to curb any possible surge in cases.

I still commend Cebu Pacific Air for keeping their passengers informed & prepared for what they may experience from check-in to the flight itself.

Flight Information

Cebu Pacific Air has brought their Airbus 320 aircraft back to Legazpi Airport just last May 2022. This 5J 325 flight was operated by a 6.5-year-old Airbus A320-200 Sharklet aircraft with registration RP-C4106. This 320 sharklet aircraft has an all-economy class configuration with 180 seats. The flight left Manila station at 9:20am, cruised to an altitude of 25,000 ft & then touched down at Bicol International Airport at 10:01am. This Manila to Legazpi flight only took 41 minutes; it departed on time & arrived at its destination a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Airport & Ground Experience

CHECK-IN

I arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 6:30am; I expected long queues from going into the terminal & to the check-in counters. I was so surprised to see a rather empty Cebu Pacific Air check-in counters. I noticed that the counters were sorted by destination for the first time in years. I also noticed that the document check section, which I mentioned on my November 2021 Cebgo Manila to Legazpi flight, was already removed.

I took me exactly 7 minutes to finish the whole check-in process. This included checking-in & printing my boarding pass & bag tags in the self-service check-in machines, queuing for bag drop & the bag drop process itself. The guy at the check-in counter was very friendly.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I went through security & walked to our assigned gate – Gate 131. I was surprised to see a not-so-crowded boarding gate. There were a lot of available seats & there were no people seated on the floor. The gate started to get packed when it was near our boarding schedule.

At exactly 8:00am, I received a text message from Cebu Pacific Air confirming Gate 131 as my assigned boarding gate. Props to Cebu Pacific Air for keeping the passengers well-informed. It’s these small details that make the flights enjoyable & worth the price.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at exactly 8:15am. Priority passengers, those traveling with kids, senior citizens & persons with disabilities boarded first. After a few minutes, the crew called the rest of the passengers for boarding. All passengers took the bus to the assigned aircraft.

Passengers board from both the front & rear cabin doors. Those seated from rows 1 to 15 boarded through the front door, while those seated from rows 16 to 31 boarded through the rear door. I was assigned seat 25F, so I boarded through the rear door. The boarding process took 45 minutes; the cabin crew closed the aircraft doors at 9:00am.

Inflight Product & Experience

SEAT

Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A320-200 aircraft has 180 passenger seats in an all-economy class cabin. It has a 3 x 3 configuration across 30 rows. Each row has 6 seats. All seats, except the exit row seats, have a seat width of 17 inches & a seat pitch of 29 inches. This 6.5-year-old aircraft had the old & thick seat design which can still be reclined.

I got a window seat (25F) for this quick flight to Legazpi. Each seat features an industry-standard leg room, a foldable tray table & a seat pocket with the aircraft safety card. Each passenger also has access to individual air vents & individual reading lights. The seats do not feature USB power outlets, unlike those from the Airbus A321neos I flew with to Davao & from Davao last March. I will choose the seat recline over the USB power outlet any time!

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Cebu Pacific Air does not offer complimentary snacks or meals on all of their flights. Instead, the airline offers buy on board light snacks & drinks during the flight. This paid snack service was only re-introduced recently when cases have gone down.

For this flight to Legazpi, the cabin crew offered light snacks & drinks to passengers shortly after take-off. Choices were limited to chips, light snacks & drinks. Rice / heavy meals & alcoholic beverages were not yet offered during this flight. Inflight menus are not yet available on this flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebu Pacific Air aircraft do not feature personal entertainment screens. Pre-pandemic, they had inflight magazines found in every seat pocket. These magazines were still not available on this flight.

The airline is known for conducting inflight games in exchange for airline-branded merchandise. For this flight, the crew asked for 3 items; the passengers who raised their hand first & showed the requested items first won Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouches. I got the 2nd question correct & won an airline branded pouch. Thank you, Cebu Pacific Air!

LAVATORY

I didn’t have the chance to visit the rear lavatory during the flight. I was seated by the window; the couple beside me were mostly asleep during the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

I had close to no encounter with the cabin crew on this flight, but I noticed that they were attentive to the questions & requests of the guests during the snack service. They also greeted all passengers during boarding & disembarkation.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

We arrived at Bicol International Airport at 10:01am & disembarked from the aircraft minutes later. Passengers use both front & rear doors for disembarkation. Our check-in baggage took longer than usual because a Philippine Airlines flight arrived ahead of us. The bags from that PAL flight came out first & were followed by those from our flight. Bicol International Airport authorities have removed the arrival forms & Traze App QR code checks they had months before.

Final Thoughts

This Cebu Pacific Air Manila to Legazpi flight on 5J 325 l took last 19 May 2022 was an excellent flight. In fact, it’s probably one of the best ones I’ve had with the airline. Everything on this flight, from ticket price, to check-in, boarding to inflight experience, went right.

The price I paid for this one-way flight was definitely the highlight of the trip. Imagine, I only paid that cheap for a flight in 7 days. Take note, the ticket even included 20 kilograms of check-in baggage allowance. Thanks to my CEB Super Pass, I got this great deal.

I was surprised to see the check-in counters & pre-departure gates empty on a Thursday morning. I enjoyed the quick check-in & bag drop process, the efficient boarding process & the on-time departure & arrival of this flight. I also won a Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouch during the inflight games.

Flights like this make me more excited to fly again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. I am looking forward to taking them again on my future domestic & international flights. Thank you, Cebu Pacific Air for such an enjoyable flight experience.

PS. I am also delighted to see bigger jet aircraft being used again for the Manila to Legazpi route!

For those who are interested, here are the technical details of this flight:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 19 May 2022
Flight Number: 5J 325
Route: Manila (MNL) to Legazpi (LGP)
Duration: 41 minutes
Seat Number: 25F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Aircraft Registration: RP-C4106
Engines: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 6.5 years old
Delivered: January 2016

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Do you have any questions about flying with Cebu Pacific Air or flying in to Legazpi? Feel free to post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming flight reports & posts! In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6207 – Legazpi to Cebu – My First-Ever Regional Flight Out of Bicol [May 2022]

Recently, my friends & I flew to Cebu for a quick weekend getaway. We flew from Bicol International Airport (Airport code: LGP) to Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Airport code: CEB) on Cebgo DG 6207. It was my first ever regional flight that’s not out of or arriving in Manila. All my past domestic flights are either leaving from or arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Join me in today’s flight report as I share with you my first ever regional sector experience with Cebgo from Legazpi to Cebu.

CEBGO

Cebgo is not a new airline in this website. In fact, it is the most reviewed airline including its parent company Cebu Pacific Air. Formerly South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines, Cebgo joined Cebu Pacific Air in 2014. Since then, Cebgo has been flying to most of the country’s smaller airports, connecting these regional airports to the rest of Cebu Pacific Air’s wide domestic airport.

The airline flies an all-turboprop fleet accommodating up to 78 passengers per flight on a single-class configuration. If I’m not mistaken, it also operates 2 all-cargo turboprop aircrafts. It’s the only turboprop cargo plane in the Philippines.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

AIRFARE

Cebgo’s Cebu-Legazpi-Cebu sector only happens a few times a week. Given this limitation, my friends & I booked tickets from Legazpi to Cebu, Cebu to Manila & another ticket from Manila to Legazpi. This one-way Legazpi to Cebu ticket cost us ₱1,803.56 each. I added 20 kilograms baggage allowance a few hours into the flight & I paid an additional ₱651.73.

This is the screenshot of the ticket including the Cebu to Manila leg I took days after this flight. 🙂

This one-way ticket to Cebu with baggage allowance cost me ₱2,455.29. It may not be the usual less than ₱1,000 ticket, but it is still worth every peso. Take note, the tickets were booked 2 months before the intended dates; it was during the post-election & summer peak & it allowed us to fly directly to Cebu without having to transit via Manila.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Cebu is & has been open to tourists for a while now. Fully-vaccinated individuals only need to provide a valid ID & their vaccination card or vaccination certificate. Partially & unvaccinated passengers need to provide a negative RT-PCR test result taken 72 hours before the flight or a negative antigen test result taken 48 hours before the flight. Some municipalities & cities in Cebu Province require a medical certificate from partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travelers stating that they do not exhibit any Covid-19 symptoms. This medical certificate must be issued within 24 hours before arrival in Cebu.

Please take note that these travel requirements may change from time to time without prior notice. For the latest requirements to Cebu, please feel free to check Cebu Pacific Air’s Covid-19 Information Page or the page of the Local Government Unit you are heading to.

BEFORE THE FLIGHT

Even with more relaxed travel restrictions, Cebgo & Cebu Pacific Air continued to send flight reminders to all its passengers via e-mail, Viber & text messages. The airline also kept us passengers well-informed of the minor changes in flight schedules via the mentioned means of communication. They also sent a reminder about buying baggage ahead of time & the updated carry-on baggage rules.

I noticed that the airline has removed the item about the Traze mobile application. I believe the authorities have stopped using this application for contact-tracing purposes. It would have been nicer if contact-tracing procedures were still being practiced in order to curb any possible surge in cases.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Cebgo, Cebu Pacific Air’s regional subsidiary, used a 5.6-year-old ATR 72-600 propeller aircraft for this Legazpi (LGP) to Cebu (CEB) regional sector. The propeller plane is registered under RP-C7281 & has 78 economy seats in a 2-2 configuration. The aircraft took off from Bicol International Airport at exactly 8:05am, flew at 17,000 ft above the ground & touched down at Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 9:02am. The whole flight only took 57 minutes.

AIRPORT & GROUND EXPERIENCE

CHECK-IN

I arrived at Bicol International Airport quarter before 7:00am & immediately headed to the check-in counters. I noticed that the airport staff no longer required the Traze App upon entering the airport terminal. I was the only person in the Cebgo check-in area. The whole check-in & bag drop process literally took a minute. The ground staff did not even bother to check my vaccination card / certificate.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I headed upstairs to submit myself to a final security check & to stay in the pre-departure area. The terminal is spacious & the 2 operating airlines, Cebu Pacific Air / Cebgo & Philippine Airlines have their own boarding gates. Some souvenir & food shops were already open when I got there. Smart Communications offers free WiFi to its subscribers waiting for their flight. Oh boy, the internet speed went as high as 410 Mbps.

A few minutes before boarding, the airline sent another text message informing us that our assigned boarding gate is Gate 8. What a lovely gesture by the airline! I stayed in the pre-departure area & waited for my friends to arrive.

BOARDING

The boarding process started on-time at 7:30am. Priority passengers & those needing special assistance boarded the aircraft first. The remaining passengers came next. The boarding process only took 20 minutes. The crew closed the aircraft doors at 7:50am; the plane was pushed back 3 minutes later. The cabin temperature was hot during boarding & did not improve until the engines started.

INFLIGHT PRODUCT & EXPERIENCE

SEAT

Cebgo’s ATR 72-600 aircraft has 78 seats in an all-economy class cabin. Each row has 4 seats in a 2-2 configuration. That means that each seat either has a window or aisle access. This 5.6-year-old aircraft is fitted with the old individual seat design. All seats have a decent-sized tray table. It also has 2 seat pockets – one for the safety card & supposed to be inflight magazine & the other for the air sickness bag.

All seats feature an individual reading light & air nozzle. Seat 17C, the seat beside me, has a broken left arm rest. I was surprised to see it wrapped in clear tape. Each seat has a pitch of 29 inches & a width of 17 inches. The seat dimensions are acceptable for a low-cost airline. Take note that these seats cannot be reclined.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Cebgo does not offer complimentary snacks to their passengers. Instead, they offer buy-on-board snacks (called Fun Café) to those who wish to get some snack / drink during the flight. This buy-on-board service started 15 minutes after take-off and was finished in 10 minutes. I did not avail of any snack or drink on this short hop to Cebu.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebgo is a no-fills airline & does not offer entertainment options on all of its flights. They used to have inflight magazines, but they haven’t brought it back. On some of its daytime flights, they conduct a game where passengers can win some airline-branded merchandise. Unfortunately, the crew did not conduct the Fun Game on this Legazpi to Cebu flight

LAVATORY

Midway into the flight, I decided to visit the lavatory found at the rear part of the aircraft. The lavatory is clean & it smells good. It was basic & it had everything you needed. Unfortunately, it was so small to the point where I could barely move inside.

CABIN CREW SERVICE

The cabin crew gave all passengers a warm welcome during boarding. They made sure all passengers were wearing their masks & following the flight protocols. They attended to all passenger requests during the snack service. Unfortunately, I had close to no interaction with the crew on this flight.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The aircraft parked near Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 1’s arrival area. We only walked for a few meters & headed to the baggage claim & arrival hall. The whole disembarkation & baggage claim process took 20 minutes.

Final Thoughts

It was another enjoyable flight with Cebgo – this time with their Legazpi to Cebu regional sector. It felt weird not flying from or to Manila, but it also felt nice to be flying inter-island to Cebu. I am very happy that these smaller routes exist. It makes inter-island connectivity easier & faster for those who have business or those who want to go on vacation in Cebu or in the nearby islands.

It’s great to see the airline continuing the pre-flight reminders & announcements even with relaxed restrictions all over the country. Ground experience was great! Check-in, security checks & boarding processes were fast & efficient. It’s sad to see that the contact tracing & requirements check measures were omitted for this flight. We are still in a pandemic & we need to still be strict on these measures.

My flight experience on DG 6207 was also good. The cabin product is still good, even if it’s a bit outdated. Seats were comfortable for a short hop. The flight left Legazpi Airport & arrived Cebu Airport ahead of schedule & the lavatory was tight but spot clean. The only downside I noticed is the ageing aircraft & the dirt in Seats 17C & 17D. This specific aircraft needs some serious cleaning. Dust is starting to pile up near the safety card pocket.

This minor observation won’t hinder me from flying with Cebgo in the future. They still provide the best value on flights around the Philippines. In fact, I can no longer wait for the next one! Let me share with you some technical details of this flight:

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 13 May 2022
Flight Number: DG 6207
Route: Legazpi (LGP) to Cebu (CEB)
Duration: 57 minutes
Seat Number: 17D
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7281
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M Engines
Age: 5.6 years old
Delivered: September 2016

Have you tried a regional flight with one of our local airlines? If yes, how was your experience? If not, is there a specific regional flight you want to try? Feel free to share your experiences & thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have a question about this flight or anything related to Cebu or Cebgo? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming flight reports & posts! In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 982 – Davao to Manila – From a Missing Pre-Booked Seat to a Delayed Late Night Flight Back to the Metro [March 2022]

After spending a few days around Davao, it’s time for us to go back to our normal lives. My friends & I took one of the last flights out of Davao last March 27, 2022. For the 3rd time on this trip, I flew with Cebu Pacific Air on flight 5J 982 back to Manila. Allow me to share with you in this flight report how this flight went, from when my pre-booked seat went missing to a delayed departure back to Manila.

In case you missed it, I shared my DG 6192 Legazpi to Manila & 5J 971 Manila to Davao flights that took me to Davao from Legazpi days before this flight back to Manila.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is the country’s largest low-cost carrier. The airline is owned by Cebu Air Inc which is part of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings. The airline commenced its first flight in 1996 & has been flying for over 26 years. Together with its subsidiary, Cebgo (previously Tiger Air Philippines), the airline flies to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. It operates close to 70 young & fuel-efficient jet & propeller aircraft. Cebu Pacific Air operates the narrow-body & wide-body aircraft while its subsidiary operates the propeller passenger & cargo aircraft.

The airline has a lifestyle & loyalty program called Go Rewards. It is also a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers. The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

I opted not to use my CEB Super Pass for this leg. Instead, I availed the GO Easy fare bundle available on the website at the time of the booking. I got the base fare for ₱199 & added ₱519 (plus VAT) for the 20-kiloggrams check-in baggage allowance & free standard seat. This bundle is way cheaper than using my CEB Super Pass then adding baggage on the add-ons page. I even added another ₱59 (plus VAT) to book a standard plus seat located in the forward cabin.

The ticket cost me ₱1,658.68 one-way. This is already a steal considering it includes a 20-kilogram baggage allowance & a forward cabin seat. Check out the breakdown of fares & taxes in the image below.

Travel Requirements

Metro Manila was downgraded to Alert Level 1 last March 2022. This meant the metro is now open to all types of travelers. No documents or tests are required to fly to Manila domestically.

Please note that these alert levels & requirements can change anytime. Always make it a habit to check Cebu Pacific Air’s Covid-19 Information Page for the updated requirements for your upcoming trip.

Before The Flight

MISSING PRE-BOOKED SEAT

At the time of booking this ticket in February, the assigned aircraft for the flight was the Airbus A330-200. I got a standard plus seat at the back (48J) & hoped that I would get the whole 2 seats for myself. A little over 2 weeks before the flight, I got an e-mail advising that the flight times have been pushed to a later time. I didn’t mind the minor schedule change. I checked the flight & saw the assigned aircraft was changed to the A321neo. I also noticed that my pre-booked seat (48J) is missing – A321s do not have Row J seats. I tried to add a standard plus seat (same type of seat I availed at the time of booking) but I was prompted by the system to pay an additional fee for this same type of seat.

I reached out to Cebu Pacific Air through their online channels (Website inquiry form, Twitter, Facebook Messenger & general e-mail) but didn’t get a prompt response. Their customer care hotline has been removed during the pandemic as part of their digitalization efforts. I tried to send an e-mail to the airline management & I got an e-mail reply after 2 days. I was endorsed to the Manager of Customer Care & was issued the ticket with my preferred standard plus 5A seat. I’d like to thank Cebu Pacific Air management for responding to my e-mails & for taking on board my concerns about the airline & system.

PRE-FLIGHT REMINDERS

Like my Legazpi to Manila & Manila to Davao flights, Cebu Pacific Air sent pre-flight e-mail reminders to all passengers. The e-mail reminders included the updated requirements for the flight to Manila as well as the process of contactless flight experience. They also gave instructions on how contactless check-in works & provided reminders to follow the health protocols from the airport terminal to the flight itself.

I applaud Cebu Pacific Air for continually sending these e-mail reminders despite the lax border requirements. The airline makes sure that passengers are up-to-date with all the travel requirements & procedures.

Flight Information

This Davao to Manila flight on 5J 982 was operated by the Airbus A321neo. This plane has a registration code of RP-C4125 & was delivered to the airline last March 2021. The flight took off from Francisco Bangoy International Airport or Davao International Airport at 11:13pm & landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 12:42am. The flight took 1 hour & 29 minutes & was delayed by almost an hour.

Airport & Ground Experience

CHECK-IN

Cebu Pacific Air check-in counters at Davao International Airport are located in the right part of the check-in area. The check-in process starts at the self-service check-in kiosks. At the time of our check-in, only 1 of the 4 kiosks were working. The ground staff pointed me directly to the counters for check-in & bag drop. I finished check-in in less than 5 minutes.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, my friends & I went through security & headed to the pre-departure area to wait for our flight. Davao Airport’s domestic pre-departure area was hot & crowded that night. All seats near the boarding gates were occupied. We found a relatively empty & cool area in the leftmost part of the pre-departure area & stayed there until our flight commenced boarding.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at 10:35pm. Priority passengers, those traveling with kids, senior citizens & persons with disabilities boarded the aircraft first. After a few minutes, the crew called the rest of the passengers for boarding. Passengers boarded in 2 lines.

I gave way to most of the passengers & decided to board the plane last. The front aircraft door closed at 10:53pm. The whole boarding process only took 18 minutes – quite fast considering the large number of passengers onboard this 321neo aircraft.

Inflight Product & Experience

SEAT

Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A321neo is fitted with 236 seats in a single class (all-economy) cabin. Around 95% of the rows have 6 seats in a 3 x 3 configuration. Rows near the emergency exits / aircraft doors only have 4 seats with a 2 x 2 configuration. According to SeatGuru, premium / exit seats have a seat pitch of 30 inches. Standard plus (forward economy) & regular economy seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches. All seats have a width of 17 inches. Recaro, a world-renowned seat manufacturer, made & supplied all the seats in this A321neo.

I got seat 5A in the forward cabin for this flight to Manila. I actually got the entire row to myself. The seat features a decent-sized tray table, an individual reading light & air nozzle. It also has a netted seat pocket with the inflight safety card & air sickness bag. One new feature that’s found in Cebu Pacific Air’s A321 (not in the A320s) aircraft is the USB charging port. Each passenger has a designated USB charging port found near the seat pockets.

One thing I do not like about these Recaro SL3510 seats is its non-reclining feature. All seats can no longer be reclined because these seats have the ‘pre-reclined’ design by Recaro.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Cebu Pacific Air does not offer complimentary snacks or meals on all of their flights. Instead, the airline offers buy on board light snacks & drinks during the flight. This paid snack service was only re-introduced recently when cases have gone down.

For this flight to Manila, the cabin crew offered light snacks & drinks to passengers shortly after take-off. Choices were limited to chips, light snacks & drinks. Rice / heavy meals & alcoholic beverages were not yet offered during this flight. Inflight menus are not yet available on this flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebu Pacific Air planes are not equipped with personal entertainment screens. Pre-pandemic, the airline had inflight magazines for every passenger. The magazine rollout has been suspended temporarily due to the pandemic. The airline is known for their inflight fun games. Cabin crew asks questions or asks for a certain item; the first passenger who provides the answer the fastest or shows the item wins an airline-branded item.

For this Davao to Manila flight, the crew decided not to have the inflight games since most of the passengers were asleep during the flight. The airline also recently brought back their Change for Good program in partnership with UNICEF. Passengers donated cash to be turned over by Cebu Pacific Air to UNICEF. This donation program came next after the snack service.

LAVATORY

The cabin crew regularly sanitized the front cabin lavatory. The lavatory was clean & well-maintained throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

I had little interaction with the cabin crew on this flight – only during boarding & disembarkation. Of course, they greeted all the passengers during these times. Also as mentioned above, I noticed the crew went to clean the front cabin lavatory a few times during the flight. I also noticed that the crew placed a garbage bag / litter bag near the airplane door during disembarkation. Good one!

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

We arrived in Manila close to 1:00am. Our plane / flight got assigned a terminal gate & jet bridge. All passengers disembarked only through the front door. I waited for & joined my friends in leaving the plane. We then went to the baggage claim area & waited for our bags.

Final Thoughts

The Cebu Pacific Air Davao to Manila flight on 5J 982 last 27 March 2022 was an ‘okay’ flight. It was not one of the best & not one of the worst 5J flights I’ve had. The airfare, including the baggage & seat bundle, was definitely a win. The aircraft used for the flight had comfortable but not-reclinable seats.

The last-minute aircraft change started it all. The airline’s system didn’t assign me a standard plus seat on the new aircraft. It even prompted me to pay again for the said add-on. Cebu Pacific Air’s customer service contact options added to the frustrations – no airline hotline available, unhelpful chatbot & busy live chat agents. I waited for 3 hours on a queue via Facebook Live chat only to be disconnected after being connected with an agent. I reached out to the airline management & was gladly issued the itinerary receipt with my chosen standard plus seat. I wish it didn’t have to go that far. I’d still like to thank Cebu Pacific Air management for responding to my e-mails & for taking on board my concerns about the airline & system.

One thing is for sure. This experience won’t discourage me from flying with Cebu Pacific Air. I will continue to fly with them in the future!

For those interested with the technicalities of this flight, please see the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 27 March 2022
Flight Number: 5J 982
Route: Davao (DVO) to Manila (MNL)
Duration: 1 hour & 29 minutes
Seat Number: 5A
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX (A321neo)
Aircraft Registration: RP-C4125
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PurePower GTF Engines
Age: 1.1 years old
Delivered: March 2021

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Do you have questions about the flight or the aircraft? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send in your questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming flight reports & posts! In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 971 – Manila to Davao – Excellent ₱872 Domestic Flight on a New Generation Fuel-Efficient Aircraft [March 2022]

A few weeks ago, my friends & I visited a good friend who moved back to Davao at the start of the pandemic. This Davao trip was initially planned for March 2020, but the pandemic happened. The lower number of Covid-19 cases & relaxed domestic border controls allowed us to finally push through with this trip. I won’t write about that Davao trip, but I will still write about my Manila to Davao flight. This flight was my first domestic narrow-body jet flight in 28 months; it was also my first time in Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A321neo aircraft. Allow me to share with you in this flight report my excellent domestic flight on the NEO!

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is the country’s largest low-cost carrier. The airline is owned by Cebu Air Inc which is part of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings. The airline commenced its first flight in 1996 & has been flying for over 26 years. Together with its subsidiary, Cebgo (previously Tiger Air Philippines), the airline flies to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. It operates close to 70 young & fuel-efficient jet & propeller aircraft. Cebu Pacific Air operates the narrow-body & wide-body aircraft while its subsidiary operates the propeller passenger & cargo aircraft.

The airline has a lifestyle & loyalty program called Go Rewards. It is also a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers. The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

I’ve mentioned in the review title that I only paid ₱872 for this one-way Manila to Davao flight. Believe it or not, I booked the ticket about a month before the flight date. At the time of booking, Cebu Pacific Air offered all their domestic destinations at ₱88-base fare for immediate travel.

I decided not to use my CEB Super Pass because the existing promotion at the time of booking had a cheaper & much better value than that of the super pass. Also, I did not pre-book any baggage or add-ons because I was only staying for 4 days. The flight to Davao takes close to 2 hours & there was no need for any meal or add-on for the flight. In case you want to know more of the airline’s add-ons, feel free to check them here.

I was super lucky to get such cheap tickets for an immediate flight to Davao. I don’t know if I can still find a deal like that given the current inflation & oil prices.

Travel Requirements

Davao City was one of the first cities that removed all Covid-related requirements for inbound travel. It means that passengers are only required to bring a valid ID for their flight to Davao. This requirement is similar to all domestic flight requirements before the pandemic.

Please note that the requirements & protocols can change anytime. Always make sure to visit the airline’s Covid-19 Information Page for the updated Davao border regulations.

Before The Flight

Even if Davao City has already removed the requirements for all inbound passengers, Cebu Pacific Air still sent pre-flight reminders days before the scheduled flight. The reminder included a note to always check the local government protocols as they are subject to abrupt changes, to download the Traze mobile application & to wear face masks at all times.

The airline also sent another e-mail containing guidelines for contactless travel. This e-mail includes updated instructions for contactless check-in & bag drop procedures. It also gave a reminder to check the protocols & border requirements of the destination of choice.

I applaud Cebu Pacific Air for continually sending these e-mail reminders despite the lax border requirements. The airline makes sure that passengers are up-to-date with all the travel requirements & procedures.

Flight Information

This Manila to Davao flight on 5J 971 was operated by one of Cebu Pacific Air’s new generation fuel-efficient aircraft – the Airbus A321neo.

AIRBUS A321NEO

Cebu Pacific Air took the delivery of their first Airbus A321neo (new engine option) aircraft last January 2019. This neo aircraft has 236 seats in a single class (economy) configuration. According to Airbus press release way back in 2019, the Pratt & Whitney PurePower GTF engines of this neo aircraft delivers up to 20% fuel cost savings.

Currently, Cebu Pacific Air has 10 delivered A321neo aircraft & is still expecting 11 more in the future. The airline has converted 10 of its A321neo orders to the more fuel-efficient Airbus A321XLR (extra-long range) aircraft due for delivery starting 2024.

Fun fact: The A321neo aircraft I flew with to Davao was the first A321neo delivered to Cebu Pacific Air back in January 2019. Its registration number is RP-C4118.

AIRCRAFT CHANGE

At the time of booking this ticket, 5J 971 was assigned the airline’s newest passenger plane type – the Airbus A330neo or the -900 variant. The aircraft was then changed to the Airbus A321neo days before the flight.

FLIGHT DETAILS

This Manila to Davao flight left Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 2:56pm, cruised at an altitude of 33,000 ft above sea level & arrived Davao International Airport at 4:21pm. The flight got delayed by a few minutes due to the late turnaround of the flight before ours. The flight took 1 hour & 25 minutes. If you’ll include the airport gate to gate times, the whole flight took 1 hour & 49 minutes.

Airport & Ground Experience

CHECK-IN

After arriving from Legazpi on DG 6192, I went up to the departure hall, proceeded to the self-service check-in counter & printed by boarding pass.  The ground staff near the bag drop section advised me to directly go to the assigned boarding gate because Davao City does not have any requirements for arriving passengers. The document check & bag drop lines that time were tolerable, not as chaotic as it is usually in the morning.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After printing my boarding pass, I went through the long lines of pre-boarding security checks. Cebu Pacific Air has notice boards after security & indicated the upcoming Cebu Pacific Air flights. My flight 5J 971 was labeled as delayed with a new departure time of 2:12pm from the initial 1:40pm schedule. The LED screen also showed that my flight does not have an assigned boarding gate. In contrary, the boarding pass indicates Gate 132 as our assigned gate.

I went to Gate 132 & noticed that the pre-departure area was packed. Travel is indeed back! Social distancing was not observed. Gate 132 had no available seats & even had people standing on the sides. I decided to go to Army Navy & had my lunch. While having lunch, I heard the ground staff announcing our flight was delayed due to the late turnaround of the assigned aircraft. Passengers were advised to stay near Gate 132 to wait for the next announcement. After lunch, I just stood near Gate 132 – there were still no available seats!

Gates 131-134 are always the most crowded & chaotic boarding gates in Terminal 3. It’s also where passengers board buses to their assigned aircraft.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at 1:44pm. The staff requested the passengers to present both boarding pass & valid ID at the final boarding / gate check. Priority passengers queued first. Gate 132 turned into a chaotic gate when boarding was announced. Some of the regular passengers immediately went on queue, even if they were not asked to line up yet. Eventually, everyone was called to board.

I noticed that the ground staff randomly checked the carry-on baggage of some passengers. The staff even called the attention of 1 passenger carrying 3 bags. Cebu Pacific Air has recently introduced new rules for carry-on bags. Please make sure to check the website for details to avoid being charged up to ₱1,000 for every excess carry-on bag.

I queued for boarding last & got on the last bus that’ll bring the remaining passengers to the aircraft. Our A321neo plane was parked near the international side of the airport. Passengers with assigned seats from Rows 1 to 15 boarded from the front door, while the rest of the passengers boarded from the rear door. The whole boarding process finished at 2:21pm; the aircraft doors were then closed.

Inflight Product & Experience

SEAT

Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A321neo is fitted with 236 seats in a single class (all-economy) cabin. Around 95% of the rows have 6 seats in a 3 x 3 configuration. Rows near the emergency exits / aircraft doors only have 4 seats with a 2 x 2 configuration. According to SeatGuru, premium / exit seats have a seat pitch of 30 inches. Standard plus (forward economy) & regular economy seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches. All seats have a width of 17 inches. Recaro, a world-renowned seat manufacturer, made & supplied all the seats in this A321neo.

Fun fact: This A321neo, with registration RP-C4118, was the first ever 5J NEO aircraft fitted with Recaro’s SL3510 seat. This seat is one of the lightest & most ergonomic seats in the air today.

I got seat 7A in the forward cabin for this flight to Davao. I actually got the entire row to myself. The seat features a decent-sized tray table, an individual reading light & air nozzle. It also has a netted seat pocket with the inflight safety card & air sickness bag. One new feature that’s found in Cebu Pacific Air’s A321 (not in the A320s) aircraft is the USB charging port. Each passenger has a designated USB charging port found near the seat pockets.

USB ports for all passengers!

One thing I do not like about these Recaro SL3510 seats is its non-reclining feature. All seats can no longer be reclined because these seats have the ‘pre-reclined’ design by Recaro.

Great legroom!

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Unlike the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air does not offer complimentary snacks & drinks to their passengers. Instead, the airline offers a buy-on-board scheme. Flight attendants sold light snacks & drinks shortly after take-off. The airline does not offer hot meals on the spot. These hot meals need to be purchased ahead of time, either during the ticket booking or at least up to 24 hours before the flight. Also, inflight menus are not yet available on this flight. I did not avail of any snack or drink during this flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebu Pacific Air aircraft do not feature personal entertainment screens. Pre-pandemic, they had inflight magazines found in every seat pocket. These magazines were still not available on this flight.

The airline has recently brought back their inflight games. For this flight, the crew asked for 3 items; the passengers who raised their hand first & showed the requested items first won Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouches. I participated in the game but didn’t win anything. How unlucky. The airline also brought back their Change for Good program in partnership with UNICEF. Passengers can donate cash to be turned over by Cebu Pacific Air to UNICEF.

LAVATORY

Midway into the flight, I visited the lavatory found in the forward cabin. I was delighted to see the lavatory so clean & spotless. The lavatory had liquid hand soap & toilet paper in it. The crew made sure the lavatory was cleaned & maintained throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew on this flight to Davao were friendly & helpful. The crew assigned in the forward cabin welcomed us with her best smile & sanitized our hands upon entering the aircraft. They even assisted some passengers to their respective seats & helped some put their bags in the overhead cabin. They also answered the passengers’ questions during the flight.

Disembarkation

We arrived at Davao International Airport at a little over 4:00pm. The cabin crew announced that only the forward door would be used for disembarkation. The passengers immediately stood up after the seatbelt sign was switched off & got off the plane. I decided to deplane last to have another look at the A321neo interiors for the last time that day.

Final Thoughts

The blog title says it all. This Manila to Davao flight on 5J 971 last 24 March was an excellent flight with Cebu Pacific Air.

Here are some of the aspects which I enjoyed on this flight. First, it was my first time flying the A321neo aircraft & my first flight on a jet in 26 months. It was supposed to be the A330neo, but the 321neo wasn’t bad at all. Second, the crew onboard the flight was outstanding. They made sure all passengers had a great flight with them. Third, the airplane seat features were great. They were comfortable to seat in for this 1.5-hour hop to Davao; they even had USB ports per seat. Fourth, the lavatory was clean & spotless. The aircraft felt & looked new even if it’s been in service for over 3 years.

I know I called it an excellent flight, but I believe there were still some I didn’t like about this flight. First, the boarding process was chaotic & long. I know the airport terminal crowd management was not the airline’s fault, but it still affected the flight experience. Second & lastly, the seats can no longer be reclined. I don’t mind having that kind of seat on short domestic flights; I don’t think it’ll be a comfortable seat for a much longer flight.

Nonetheless, it was still a fun & enjoyable flight with Cebu Pacific Air. Now that I’ve flown their A321neo, I look forward to flying their A330neo & their upcoming A321XLR!

Allow me to share with you the technical details of this flight:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 24 March 2022
Flight Number: 5J 971
Route: Manila (MNL) to Davao (DVO)
Duration: 1 hour & 25 minutes
Seat Number: 7A
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX (A321neo)
Aircraft Registration: RP-C4118
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PurePower GTF Engines
Age: 3.3 years old
Delivered: January 2019

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope you enjoyed this ride on the A321neo as much as I did. Do you have questions about the flight or the aircraft? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send in your questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming flight reports & posts! In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6192 – Legazpi to Manila – Delayed First DG Flight Out of BIA [March 2022]

Some of you know that I moved back to my hometown in Albay during the pandemic. This move has made me take Legazpi-Manila-Legazpi flights more than usual in the last few months. I’ve shared with you my flights with Cebgo last November 2021, from Legazpi to Manila & Manila to Legazpi & with Philippine Airlines in early March 2022 on the same route from Legazpi to Manila & Manila to Legazpi.

Just a few weeks ago, my friends & I decided to fly to Davao & visit another friend. There are no direct flights from Legazpi to Davao at the moment. This meant that I had to fly again to Manila before taking that flight to Davao. Join me for today’s flight report as I share with you my recent experience with Cebgo & see if anything has changed from the flight I took back in November.

CEBGO

Cebgo is not a new airline in this website. In fact, it is the most reviewed airline including its parent company Cebu Pacific Air. Formerly South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines, Cebgo joined Cebu Pacific Air in 2014. Since then, Cebgo has been flying to most of the country’s smaller airports, connecting these regional airports to the rest of Cebu Pacific Air’s wide domestic airport.

The airline flies an all-turboprop fleet accommodating up to 78 passengers per flight on a single-class configuration. If I’m not mistaken, it also operates 2 all-cargo turboprop aircrafts. It’s the only turboprop cargo plane in the Philippines.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

At the time of booking, a one-way Legazpi to Manila ticket on this flight cost over ₱3,000 – expensive! To save some cash & like my previous Legazpi-Manila & Manila-Legazpi Cebgo flights, I used the CEB Super Pass I bought back in September 2021.

I paid ₱390.88 for the CEB Super Pass & added ₱288.88 for the airport taxes & fees at the time of booking. This one-way ticket cost me only ₱679.76 – that’s over ₱2,000 less than the advertised price in the website. What a steal! I did not any add-ons since it was only a short weekend trip & the 7 kilogram carry allowance was enough. In case you want to know more of the airline’s add-ons, feel free to check them here.

Travel requirements

Metro Manila was placed under Alert Level 1 last March 2022. This meant that the region is open to anyone; no requirements are needed to enter the metro.

Travel requirements change once in a while. Cebu Pacific Air, Cebgo’s parent company, keeps their travel information section up-to-date. Feel free to check out the page here.

Before The Flight

Even with more lax restrictions in Metro Manila, Cebu Pacific Air still sent out e-mail & Viber reminders to all passengers a few days before the scheduled flight. The reminder included a note to check local government regulations, to download the Traze mobile application & to wear a face mask during the duration of the flight.

The airline also sent passengers pre-flight reminders to ensure a safe & contactless flight. This included protocols & reminders before the flight, at the airport & even during the flight. These e-mail reminders from airlines are appreciated given the endless changes in requirements & protocols. Kudos to Cebu Pacific Air & Cebgo!

Flight Information

Cebu Pacific Air has delayed the deployment of jet planes to Legazpi Airport & has continued to utilize Cebgo’s propeller planes. This Legazpi (LGP) to Manila (MNL) flight was operated by a 5.6-year-old ATR 72-600 aircraft with registration number RP-C7280. The plane has 78 economy seats in a 2-2 configuration. The plane left Bicol International Airport (BIA) at 10:55am, cruised at 16,000 ft above sea level & arrived Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 11:59am. The flight was delayed by an hour but only took 1 hour & 4 minutes in the air.

Airport & Ground Experience

DG 6912 was Cebgo’s first flight out of Bicol International Airport that day. Know more about the airport & ground experience below.

CHECK-IN

I arrived at the airport a few minutes past 8:00 in the morning. After finishing the initial security check, the airport staff scanned my Traze mobile application QR code & asked me to proceed to check-in. I was at the end of the queue at 8:08am & finished checking in at 8:28am. I noticed that many passengers had connections to other destinations like Cebu & Caticlan (Boracay); the ground staff had to strictly check the passengers’ requirements & travel documents. It was a reasonable 20-minute check-in process. Glad the staff who checked me in me was nice & accommodating.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I headed upstairs to submit myself to a final security check & to stay in the pre-departure area. The pre-departure area has a spectacular view of Mayon Volcano; only that the volcano was shy that morning. The terminal is spacious & the 2 operating airlines, Cebu Pacific Air / Cebgo & Philippine Airlines have their own boarding gates. I noticed that new restaurants & food kiosks have opened in the pre-departure area. Passengers now have more options to choose on what to have before the flight.

The aircraft arrived from Manila at a little over 9:30am. Most of the passengers anticipated boarding to commence a few minutes after but the gate remained closed. Time passed & no boarding announcements & flight updates were made. At 10:18am, a little over 30 minutes after the scheduled departure, I checked with the ground staff & I was informed that our flight would be delayed by a few minutes due to air traffic in Manila.

BOARDING

At exactly 10:23am, the ground staff announced boarding for priority passengers. Regular passengers followed. The process only took 19 minutes; the aircraft’s door was closed at 10:42am. The boarding process was fast considering our flight was full & only 1 ground staff managed the whole boarding process.

Inflight Product & Experience

SEAT

Cebgo’s ATR 72-600 aircraft has an all-economy class cabin with 78 seats in a 2 x 2 configuration. Each seat is either a window or an aisle seat. This 5.6-year-old aircraft is fitted with the old individual seat design. All seats have a decent-sized tray table. It also has 2 seat pockets – one for the safety card & supposed to be inflight magazine & the other for the air sickness bag.

All seats feature an individual reading light & air nozzle. Seat 6A has a broken left arm rest. I was surprised to see it wrapped in clear tape. Each seat has a pitch of 29 inches & a width of 17 inches. The seat dimensions are acceptable for a low-cost airline.

Disclaimer: Seat 6A is the closest seat to the propellers. You’ll hear a louder noise from the propellers during the flight.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Cebgo is a no-frills airline. They do not offer complimentary snacks or meals on their flights. Instead, they offer snacks for purchase during booking or on-board during the flight. Snack service was temporarily suspended from the early days of the pandemic but has been recently restored due to lower alert levels. Shortly after the seatbelt sign was turned off, the crew offered snacks & drinks to passengers. Choices were limited to chips, light snacks & drinks. Rice / heavy meals & alcoholic beverages were not yet offered during this flight. Inflight menus are not yet available on this flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebgo aircraft do not feature entertainment screens. Inflight magazines were still not yet offered for this flight. However, the airline has brought back its inflight games just last March. The crew asked 3 questions; the passengers who raised their hand first & answered the questions first won Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouches. I participated in the game but didn’t win anything. How unlucky. The airline also brought back their Change for Good program in partnership with UNICEF. Passengers can donate cash to be turned over by Cebu Pacific Air to UNICEF.

LAVATORY

The aircraft’s only lavatory is found at the back of the plane, near the main passenger door. I decided not to use the lavatory on this flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew gave all passengers a warm welcome during boarding. They made sure all passengers were wearing their masks & following the flight protocols. They attended to all passenger requests during the snack service. Unfortunately, I had close to no interaction with the crew on this flight.

Disembarkation

Upon arriving at our assigned bus gate, the cabin crew announced an orderly disembarkation process. Unfortunately, the passengers did not follow the by-row disembarkation process. Most passengers stood up as soon as they were allowed to. Shuttle buses took us back to the Terminal 3 building for arrival & baggage claim.

Final Thoughts

This DG 6912 flight from Legazpi to Manila was just right. I won’t say it’s an excellent flight because it surely had its misses.

Here are the things I liked about this flight. First is the ticket price. Booking this using the CEB Super Pass was definitely a steal. From the regular ticket price of over ₱3,000, it went down to around ₱700 because of the ticket voucher. Second, the airline sent reminders before the flight to make sure that passengers are well-informed of the destination requirements & flight contactless protocols. Third, inflight snack service & games are offered again onboard. It gives the impression that travel is slowly getting back to what it used to be. Fourth, the check-in process took a while than usual but it was reasonable. The ground staff made sure passengers comply with all the requirements & documents needed on their destinations.

There are also some areas in which I believe the flight experience can be improved. First, ground staff should have provided flight updates at the pre-departure area. No announcements were made on why the flight was delayed & on what’s the updated time of departure. Second, you’ll notice that the aircraft needs repair on some parts. Lastly, the flight delay almost made me miss my next flight to Davao. It was not the airline’s fault, but it still somehow affected the flight experience.

Don’t worry, I will surely fly with Cebgo & Cebu Pacific Air in the future. They still offer the best valued fares to almost everywhere in the Philippines & internationally.

Here are the specific / geeky details of this flight:

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 24 March 2022
Flight Number: DG 6192
Route: Legazpi (LGP) Albay to Manila (MNL)
Duration: 1 hour & 4 minutes
Seat Number: 6A
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7280
Age: 5.6 years old
Year Delivered: October 2016

Have you taken any domestic flight recently? How was your experience? Did you notice that the passenger level is nearing pre-pandemic numbers? Share your recent experiences & observations in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about this flight? You can also send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I will try to get back to them as soon as I can.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report. I have a few flights lined up in the coming weeks & months. Please stay tuned! Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.