Legazpi – The Wknd Travel

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: 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

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

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.

P’s List: 5 Philippine Destinations I Won’t Get Tired of Visiting

Before I started flying to different international destinations, I’ve been going around different Philippine destinations. I remember in 2012, I had 4 trips in 4 consecutive weekends – I went to Cebu, then to Bacolod, Legaspi & Puerto Princesa. I may not have been to all 81 Philippine provinces, but I can say I’ve been to some of them.

Falling in love to a place you’ve been to maybe a cliché but it really happens. I enjoy every single place I visit but I don’t necessarily fall in love with it. It takes jaw-dropping views, fun & exciting inland & island tours, great company & tasty food for me to fall in love with a place. Today’s P’s List will feature 5 Philippine destinations where I can say I fell in love with & I won’t get tired of going back again & again.

Boracay

It may be the most touristy & commercial island destination in the country but it is still Boracay. The island’s white sand beaches, spectacular sunset & relaxing holiday vibe make it a unique beach destination. The island isn’t famous for nothing. I’ve been to the island a couple of times & I keep on coming back. It’s one of those islands where you can fly in, lie down in the fine white sand & just relax thinking about nothing.

Palawan

Continuously hailed as one of the world’s best islands, Palawan stole my heart since I visited the island in 2012. I’ve been to Puerto Princesa once, Coron once, Port Barton twice & El Nido four times & I still look forward to visiting the island again. Palawan has pristine beaches, world-class islands, stunning views & rich marine life. My favorite spots / activities in Palawan include Iwahig firefly watching activity in Puerto Princesa, Malcapuya Island & Kayangan Lake in Coron, Nacpan Beach, Big Lagoon & Entalula Island in El Nido & Turtle Point, Twin Reef & Maxima Island in Port Barton. It has everything an island destination can have; it is hands down my favorite domestic destination next to home.

Siquijor

I went on a spontaneous weekend trip to Siquijor with friends in July 2017. I feel in love with how simple & untouched everything is in the island. The island is relatively unknown compared to its neighbors but has the beautiful Paliton & Salagdoong Beaches, the one-of-a-kind Cambugahay Falls, the interesting Balete Tree & the old but preserved Lazi Church. I instantly feel in-love with the island on my first visit & I want to go back & explore it again.

Siargao

I may not be a surfer but I surely fell in love with Siargao on my first visit. The beautiful tour locations (in the morning) & the crazy party vibes (at night) made this Siargao a great place to visit. I fell in love with Sugba Lagoon, enjoyed Magpupungko’s tidal & rock pool & liked the tour around Sohoton. The jellyfish sanctuary visit was really cool. I also loved Cloud 9’s island vibe. Ahh, I want to go back to Siargao soon!

Albay

Nothing beats a place called home; Albay will always be my favorite. You may find it biased but hey, you can’t blame me for being one. It’s where I grew up & where my family is. Add to it the spectacular view of Mayon Volcano, which I can see from our house’ gate. I miss home, I can’t wait to go back when this pandemic is over. Albay is the place which I’ll never get tired of visiting.

I honestly can’t wait to visit these places again. I know international travel won’t be allowed in the next few months but I hope the government will allow domestic tourism as soon as it’s already safe for everyone. How about you? Which Philippine destinations do you always keep on visiting & why? Share your own list in the comments section below!

Do you have any questions about the destinations mentioned above? If yes, you may send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Feel free to follow me on my social media channels for more information on cheap fares, thrift hacks & fun lists & itineraries – Facebook & Instagram. Thank you for joining me in today’s list. Until the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11 & HTC Re.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila

Last month, I introduced a new section in my website called Flight Report. This section will talk about my experiences on the flights I took in the past. My 1st flight report was about our Taipei to Manila flight with EVA Air last June. It was a decent flight for such an affordable fare. Check out the post here to know more about this 5-star airline economy experience.

Weeks after the 1st post, here I am sharing with you another flight report of a recent flight I took. 2 weeks ago, I went home to my hometown to surprise my mom on her birthday. I took the bus from Manila to Bicol & took a flight back from Legazpi to Manila with Cebu Pacific Air. The flight back to Manila will be the subject of this flight report. How did the flight go? What aircraft was used for the flight? Was it on time? Find out in the text below.

Cebu Pacific Air

View from Legazpi Airport’s pre-departure area. Hello to the A320 aircraft & to Mayon Volcano! 🙂

Cebu Pacific Air is the country’s largest low-cost carrier flying to over 60 destinations within the Philippines, across Asia Pacific & the Middle East. This private airline is fully-owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. It has a wholly-owned subsidiary called Cebgo which flies to smaller airports in the country. The airline operates a fleet of 70+ planes consisting of Airbus & ATR aircraft & has new-generation aircraft orders in place.

Cebu Pacific Air is known for providing the lowest fares in the Philippine airline sector. They are famous for their ₱1-base fare promotions to all of its routes, being offered a few times a year. They also hold special & regular fare promotions that enable a lot of Filipinos travel to destinations at affordable fares. The airline is one of the founding members of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers. It also has a loyalty program known as GetGo.

Airfare

Believe it or not, I only paid ₱596.32 ($11.50) for this flight from Legazpi to Manila. The airline had a ₱11.11-base fare sale last 11 November 2018 & offered flights from Legazpi this cheap. The fare only includes 7 kilograms of carry-on baggage. Check in baggage, in-flight snacks & seat selection are offered for additional cost; basically how modern low-cost carriers work. I was only travelling light, so I didn’t need to avail of these additional services. Imagine only paying that much. The fare was cheaper than the usual bus fare from Legazpi to Manila.

Flight

I initially booked a flight for 30 July 2019. The airline changed my original flight schedule & offered change booking, full refund, travel fund storage or rerouting options. I took advantage of this flight change & booked the night flight day before.

The flight was operated by a 6-year old Airbus A320-214 aircraft delivered to the company in December 2012. It operates an all-economy class 3-3 configuration & has 180 on-board seats in total. The flight took about 42 minutes, from the scheduled 1 hour & 20 minutes flying time. It departed Legazpi Airport on time & arrived Manila Airport 30+ minutes ahead of schedule.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air provides counter, online & mobile check in for all their flights. Legazpi Airport has a relatively small but efficient check in facility. I already checked in online & have my boarding pass on my phone so I didn’t have to go through the usual counter check in. Passengers also don’t need to print their boarding passes – less paper used plus a good move for the environment.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass; didn’t go through manual check in. I removed the QR code for security purposes. The staff also asked for a government issued ID during boarding 🙂

The airline offers prepaid baggage for all their flights. Passengers have the option to include baggage at the time of booking or in the manage booking section up to 4 hours before the flight. Baggage fees vary per weight allocation & prices change as the day of the flight approaches. If you want to get reasonable baggage fees, include the baggage allocation while booking the flight or add it at least 15 minutes before the day of the flight.

Here are the check in baggage fees from Cebu Pacific Air’s official website as today, 11 August 2019.

The boarding process was alright – the flight started boarding around 20 minutes into the scheduled departure. The passengers rushed up to the gate when the ground staff announced boarding. I waited for the majority of the people to board & decided to board last. The ground staff checked my mobile boarding pass together with a valid identification card to confirm my identity.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Air offers in-flight services for additional fees. The airline automatically assigns seats to its passengers days before the flight. If the passenger wants to be seated in front or in exit seats, he / she must pay for the seat. The seats have a 28-inch pitch & a basic recline. The seats don’t have the best legroom but it’s okay for short flights. Each passenger has a seat pocket in front; the seat pocket contains the aircraft safety card & in-flight magazine.

Here’s the amount of legroom that you get when you fly on a Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320 aircraft.

Preferred seats can also be booked through the website.. Here are the rates as of 11 August 2019.

The airline doesn’t offer free in-flight meal & has no on-board entertainment. Snacks are available for pre-order in the website up to 24 hours before the flight & are also available for purchase on-board. The airline also offers items or souvenirs (blankets, eye shades, neck pillow, etc.) for sale. The full snack menu & brochure of items for sale can also be found in the in-flight Smile Magazine.

No in-flight entertainment or whatsoever. You only get a plain seat with a tray table with an ad.

Here are the meal prices as of 11 August 2019 – meal includes a free drink if you pre-book it online.

I did not avail of any add-on for this flight. It was a short flight back to Manila & I didn’t have many things with me. Basically everything beyond the free 7 kilogram carry-on baggage allowance is offered for additional fees. This is how low-cost carriers operate. They make money out of everything they can charge so they can offer fares at the lowest possible cost.

Lavatory

The flight only took 42 minutes – too short for me to use the lavatory. It didn’t take long when the seat belt sign was switched on again & when we started our descent to Manila. Perhaps, next time on a longer flight?

Cabin Crew Service

Cebu Pacific Air’s cabin crew were nice & very welcoming. They make sure that they greet all passengers upon entering & before leaving the plane. Safety instructions were shown manually by the cabin crew. They performed all necessary security checks before we departed for Manila. While on air, they walked down the aisle & sold snacks & goods to the passengers with smiles on their faces. I’ve been flying with the airline for years now & I can say that they’ve maintained their service through time. The in-flight cabin crew service was great – beyond what I expected from a low-cost airline.

Verdict

My experience with Cebu Pacific Air on 5J 328 last 29 July 2019 was awesome. The cheap ticket was a steal given my only aim was to fly back to Manila. The services were very basic – 7 kilograms free carry-on baggage & a typical low-cost airline seat pitch. Every other add-on (baggage, seat preference & in-flight snack) came with additional fees. Glad I didn’t have to avail of those additional services.

Will I fly them again? OF COURSE! Cebu Pacific Air offers a handful of flights between Manila & Legazpi every day. Having a range of convenient flight schedules to choose from (especially night flights) gives us locals more time to spend with our families in our hometown. I’ve been flying with them between Manila & Legazpi for years now & I don’t mind doing the same thing in the next few years. Thanks to this airline for offering cheap flights to & making hometown within reach.

In case you’re interested with more information about this Legazpi to Manila flight, check out the full details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 29 July 2019
Flight Number: 5J 328
Route: Legazpi (LGP) – Manila (MNL)
Duration: 42 minutes
Seat Number: 9B
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3272
Age: 6 Years
Year Delivered: 2012

One last photo of the Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320-214 that flew me from Legazpi to Manila. 🙂 🙂

Are you a Cebu Pacific Air frequent flyer? If yes, what is your favorite destination flown by the airline? Can you share the cheapest ticket you got from them? Believe it or not, I got a Manila-Narita-Fukuoka-Manila ticket with them worth ₱1,613.19. I used this ticket last February when I went to Tokyo, Nagano, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara & Fukuoka with my family. What are your ₱1-fare stories with Cebu Pacific Air?

Feel free to share yours in the comment section below. You can also tell me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me in this Flight Report! Looks like the next flight report will be about Cebu Pacific Air again but for an international destination. Any guesses where I’m going next?

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.