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Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6193 – Manila to Legazpi – Flying Back Home to Albay During the Pandemic

A little over a week ago, I shared with you my November 2021 flight experience with Cebgo on their DG 6194 flight from Legazpi to Manila. It was my first flight in 21 months & since the pandemic started. A lot has changed from the pre-pandemic flying experience but these changes are for the passengers’ safety & well-being.

Today, I will run you through my return flight from Manila to Legazpi. After a few days around Metro Manila, I had to go home & get back to my usual ‘probinsya’ work from home set-up. What has changed in the process of flying from Manila to Legazpi? We’ll know in the detailed report below.

March 2022 UPDATE: I flew with Cebu Pacific Air’s main competitor in the Legazpi sector – Philippine Airlines – recently. Feel free to also check out my PAL Legazpi to Manila flight PR 2922 & PAL Manila to Legazpi flight PR 2919 flight reports!

Disclaimer: The reviewer is fully vaccinated during the trip. Travel requirements & procedures may change anytime. Everything mentioned below were valid during the day of the flight. For updated requirements & procedures, please check Cebu Pacific Air’s Travel Reminders page.

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 & Inclusions

Like my recent Legazpi to Manila flight, I used my CEB Super Pass voucher on this flight back to Legazpi. This pass costs ₱99 base fare plus taxes valid for one-way domestic trip. The pass is valid for one year & can be booked at least a week before the planned trip.

I paid ₱390.88 for this pass & added ₱1,494.72 for the final ticket booking. The ticket cost ₱1,885.6 one-way; it included a 20-kilogram checked baggage allowance, pre-selected window seat & the CEB Flexi option. I availed of the CEB Flexi option because at the time of booking, I was unsure if I will extend my stay in Manila or I will fly out to somewhere with my friends. Know more about the CEB Flexi add-on & other add-ons available on your Cebu Pacific Air / Cebgo flight here.

The return journey from Legazpi to Manila & back to Legazpi cost me ₱3,162.32 all-in. This included pre-selected seats & 20-kilogram baggage allowance per sector & that add-on on the way back. I think this return fare is still a steal considering fares have shoot up during the pandemic & tickets were booked just a week before the intended flight.

Travel Requirements

Travel requirements these days change more often than before. I flew to Manila last 11 November 2021 knowing that I will need to take an RT-PCR test for my flight back home. Luckily, the Provincial Government of Albay changed the requirements for inbound passengers last 12 November 2021.

All passengers need to download the Traze & Albay Get-Pass mobile applications for contact-tracing purposes. Fully-vaccinated passengers are only required to show their vaccination cards upon check in. Partially-vaccinated or unvaccinated passengers need to present a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result taken at least 48 hours before the flight. Children are also required to present this test result.

I was happy the provincial government removed the test requirement for fully-vaccinated travelers; I also got to save some money. Please take note that these travel requirements can change anytime. For the updated ones, please check out Cebu Pacific Air’s Covid-19 Information Page.

Before The Flight

One of the changes I noticed this pandemic is the e-mail reminder sent by Cebu Pacific Air to their passengers before the flight. Passengers previously only get online check in reminders. This time, the airline sends e-mails requesting the passengers to update emergency contact information, reminding them about the contactless protocols for the flight & the updated destination requirements.

I applaud Cebu Pacific Air for sending these reminders to all passengers; I can see that they are making sure that all passengers are informed & are aware of the updated protocols.

Flight Information

This Manila (MNL) to Legazpi (LGP) flight was operated by a 3.1-year-old ATR 72-600 aircraft with registration RP-C7260. The plane has 78 economy seats in a 2-2 configuration. The plane left Ninoy Aquino International Airport via Runway 13/31 at 10:54 am & arrived Bicol International Airport a minute ahead of schedule at 11:59 am. The flight took 1 hour & 5 minutes.

NAIA Terminal 3 Check-In Process

Cebu Pacific Air / Cebgo’s check-in process in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 is now contactless.

Self-Service Check-In

Passengers are required to check-in online or use the check-in kiosks found outside the bag drop counters. All boarding passes & baggage tags must be printed in these check-in kiosks.

Documents Check

After printing the boarding pass & baggage tags, passengers need to fall in line in the document check counters. Airline staff will check the passenger’s travel requirements & documents before they are allowed to drop their bags. Vaccination cards & antigen/ RT-PCR test results are also checked here.

Bag Drop

After document check, the passengers queue in the bag drop counters for their check-in luggage. The airline staff checks the bag’s weight & conduct last-minute checks. The airline staff asks the passenger to add the luggage tags to their own baggage. He/she also reminds the passengers that only 1 carry-on bag is allowed per person. Additional bags are subject to crew’s evaluation upon boarding & may incur additional charges.

The whole check-in process only took me 15-20 minutes considering the busy passenger airport load that day. It was nice seeing NAIA Terminal 3 relatively busy; it means that travel is starting to pick-up. It is, however, still far off from the pre-pandemic levels.

Boarding

Prior to boarding, Cebgo ground staff advised passengers to fill out the health declaration form required by the City Government of Legazpi & the passenger locator form required by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. The smaller passenger locator form was collected by the ground staff during boarding.

DG 6193 boarded from the super crowded Gate 134B. Due to the overwhelming number of passengers, social distancing protocols where not observed. The seats were not enough for all the passengers; there’s barely a space for a person to move around.

The boarding process started on time. Passengers with infants, senior citizens, those requiring special assistance & those who availed the GO Ahead add-on boarded first. The general passengers followed. The bus took all the passengers to the assigned aircraft near Terminal 4.

All passengers boarded from the rear door of the ATR 72-600 aircraft & were welcomed by the crew. Passengers were also offered alcohol / hand sanitizer before getting in the plane.

Seat & Inflight Experience

Cebgo’s ATR 72-700 aircraft has 78 seats in a 2 x 2 configuration. Each row has 2 window & 2 aisle seats. The seat pitch was alright; not that spacious but all good for a short flight. The seats only have armrests as dividers & no ‘individual’ seat space unlike those from jet planes. Each seat pocket has a passenger safety card & an air sickness bag. Inflight magazines were removed because of the pandemic. Each seat also has a foldable table, dedicated manual air vents & reading lights. I was lucky I had the C & D seats to myself.

This flight to Legazpi was basic as expected. There were no additional services offered during the flight. Meals were offered to those who pre-booked snacks. The flight left Manila station behind scheduled but managed to arrive at Bicol International Airport ahead of schedule.

All passengers were required to wear face masks & face shields (at that time) throughout the flight. Face shields are no longer required inflight as of writing. The cabin crew constantly reminded the passengers of the inflight safety protocols observed by the airline.

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 on this flight were on full personal protective equipment, face mask & face shield. They gave a warm welcome to all the passengers; they made sure that everyone complies to all the safety protocols throughout the flight. One of the attendants even helped a passenger look for an overhead compartment for a bag. The same crew even answered the questions of one passenger. The crew took care of us passengers from boarding to disembarkation.

Disembarkation

The cabin crew followed an orderly disembarkation process for this flight. Passengers were only allowed to stand up & get their bags once their rows were called. Upon disembarkation, all passengers headed to the arrival hall. Each passenger was asked to fill out a border control monitoring form. After getting the checked luggage, all passengers lined up in a booth to surrender all the forms (including those given in Manila) & to check-in using the Traze mobile application. After this, passengers are free to leave the terminal building & airport.

FINAL Thoughts

It was another pleasant flight with Cebgo. I’d say this was a more pleasant flight than my Legazpi to Manila leg. The pandemic has changed the aviation industry. The ever-changing destination requirements & flight protocols make flying more stressful; however, we have no choice but to comply to all these rules. Props to the airline staff for making flying even safer at these strange times.

The flight from Manila to Legazpi made me happy for a few reasons: eased flight requirements to Legazpi for fully-vaccinated passengers, removal of home or facility-based quarantine for returning passengers, Albay now opening up to tourists & the Philippine aviation industry slowly going back to life. We may be far off from how things were before the pandemic but at least we can see people starting to crowd the airports & tourist destinations again.

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

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 16 November 2021
Flight Number: DG 6193
Route: Manila (MNL) to Legazpi (LGP) Albay
Duration: 1 hour & 5 minutes
Seat Number: 8D
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7290
Age: 3.1 years
Year Delivered: 2018

You all know how much I love flying. Before the pandemic, I’m used to taking 25 to 30 flights in a year. When the pandemic hit, that went down to 0. I was so happy I finally got to fly again after so long. It may not be as frequent as before but at least I got to step on an airport again, board an aircraft & hear the aircraft engines after so long. Flying makes me happy; how I wish I can fly more in the coming months.

Have you been on a flight recently? How has the pandemic changed your flying experience? Feel free to share your personal experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about flying into Legazpi or anything about flying during the pandemic? You may post them below or you may send an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report. This may be the last one for now & for this year. I hope take more flights next year. For now, let’s all do our part in making this pandemic an endemic. Please wear your masks properly, observe proper social distancing & get vaccinated. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels – Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Please stay safe & stay tuned for the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6194 – Legazpi to Manila – First Flight After 21 Months on the Ground

Hello, it’s been a while! I hope you are all safe & healthy. After hibernating for some time, I am back with a new flight report! Yes, you read it right! After 21 months of being on the ground, I finally took a flight to Manila for a very important event.

How has the pandemic changed flying? Join me as I share with you my flying experience with Cebgo on their Legazpi (LGP) to Manila (MNL) on their ATR-72 aircraft.

March 2022 UPDATE: I also flew with Cebu Pacific Air on the return flight from Manila to Legazpi on Cebgo flight DG 6193. Just recently, I also flew with the country’s flag carrier on Philippine Airlines from Legazpi to Manila on PR 2922 & Manila to Legazpi on PR 2919. Feel free to check those trip reports!

Cebgo

Ce b go is not a new airline in this website. It is a subsidiary of the country’s biggest low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air. It used to fly as South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines until Cebu Pacific Air acquired the company in 2014. Today, Cebgo flies an all-turboprop fleet to destinations with relatively small but strong demand & to airports that cannot service bigger jet aircraft. It is also the only Philippines-based airline that flies an all-cargo turboprop aircraft.

Airfare & INCLUSIONS

A few months ago, Cebu Pacific Air offered the so-called ‘CEB Super Pass.’ This pass costs ₱99 base fare plus taxes valid for one-way domestic trip. The pass is valid for one year & can be booked at least a week before the planned trip.

I used 1 CEB Super Pass for this trip. I initially paid ₱390.88 for the pass including taxes. The one-way Legazpi to Manila ticket cost me ₱1,276.72. This included a pre-booked seat & 20 kilograms checked baggage. At the time of booking (week before my intended flight), the one-way ticket cost around ₱4,000 inclusive of all add-ons. I got a good deal with the CEB Super Pass!

Travel Requirements

Metro Manila was downgraded to Alert Level 2 when I flew out of Legazpi. There were no travel document requirements to enter Manila at the time of the flight. All passengers were asked to download the Traze mobile application for contact tracing purposes.

You may check Cebu Pacific Air’s Covid-19 Information Page for updated routes & travel requirements per destination.

Before The Flight

A few days before my flight, Cebu Pacific Air sent e-mail reminders about my flight. These e-mails included a reminder to update the guest details including an emergency contact, travel requirements to Manila & contactless reminders for everyone’s safety.

Bicol International Airport

This Legazpi to Manila Cebgo flight departed from the newly inaugurated Bicol International Airport. This airport replaced the old Legazpi City Airport & is far from the city in Alobo, Daraga, Albay. It adopted the old airport’s LGP code. The new airport hosted its first commercial flight last 8 October 2021. The airport is yet fully operational (with some sections still closed / under construction) but has the required facilities to host domestic commercial flights into Legazpi.

Dubbed as the ‘Most Scenic Gateway,’ the airport is expected to handle 2.2 million passengers annually. The new terminal building is spacious & can be compared to other airports around the country. It also has a great view of the majestic Mayon Volcano.

Flight Information

This Cebgo flight from Legazpi (LGP) to Manila (MNL) was operated by an all economy 4.6-year-old ATR-72 aircraft. The plane has 78 economy seats on a 2-2 configuration. The plane left Bicol International Airport 1 minute early & arrived Ninoy Aquino International Airport 28 minutes ahead of schedule. The whole flight took 1 hour & 2 minutes.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebgo encouraged all passengers to check-in online & avoid as much physical contact as possible. Given, I have pre-booked a seat, I already checked in online even before I went to the airport. I had my electronic boarding pass in my phone. Check in counters open at least 2 hours before & closes 45-minutes to an hour before the flight.

The woman in the bag counter initially did not want to accept my luggage because it has frozen goods in it. They no longer have plastic bags so they asked me to look for one myself. I personally disliked the ‘sorry po ubos na po plastic namin, kayo nalang po maghanap’ remark I got during bag drop. Good thing my parents found one in a nearby wholesale depot. I managed to finish the bag drop process a few minutes before the counter closed.

Cebgo offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. All tickets come with free 7-kilogram carry-on allowance. Check in baggage is available for purchase at the time of booking the ticket up to 4 hours before the flight schedule. The ticket I bought included 20 kilograms baggage allowance. Cebu Pacific Air & Cebgo recently changed their carry-on baggage policies & have limited them to only 1 hand carry bag per person. It used to be 1 backpack or trolley & 1 hand bag. The sign I saw in the bag drop counter showed that they can charge from ₱1,000 to ₱3,000 as boarding gate bag fees.

Boarding commenced 45 minutes before the flight. All passengers walked through the jet bridge then went down to the tarmac & boarded the plane from the ground. All passengers had a view of the airport terminal’s welcome signage & the majestic Mayon Volcano from afar. The boarding process took longer than expected due to some passengers.

Seat & Inflight Experience

The turboprop aircraft has a 2 x 2 seat layout. Each row has 2 window & 2 aisle seats. The seat pitch was alright; there was not enough legroom as expected. The seats only have armrests as dividers & no ‘individual’ seat space unlike those from jet planes. Each seat pocket has a passenger safety card & an air sickness bag. Inflight magazines were removed because of the pandemic. I was unlucky to have a seat with a broken tray table.

This flight to Manila was very basic. Inflight snacks were only available to those who pre-booked meals. The airline has decided to temporarily get rid of selling snacks during the flight to reduce contact between the crew & the passengers. The flight went smooth & we arrived in Manila in no time.

Face masks (and at that time face shields) were required to be properly worn throughout the flight. The cabin crew constantly reminded all passengers of this inflight protocol. At the time of writing, face shields are no longer required inside the airplane. Please take note though that this can change anytime.

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 Cebgo cabin crew on this flight welcomed us passengers in their full personal protective equipment with face mask & face shield. They made sure that passengers comply to the safety & health protocols from boarding to disembarkation.

Disembarkation

We all waited for our rows to be called by the cabin crew before we can stand up, get our bags & disembark. Upon disembarkation, we headed to the bus that took us to the arrival hall. Checked baggage were already in the baggage claim areas when we arrived. The arrival process in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 has never been this efficient until this pandemic.

Verdict

Just like the old times, it’s always a pleasure flying with Cebgo. A lot has changed since the pandemic but the airline’s service remains top-notch. Everything was great except for the bag drop encounter. Inflight experience was bare but acceptable. Seat pitch was okay except for the broken tray table. I admire how the cabin crew & the airline imposes strict health & safety protocols from the time the passengers enter the plane up to disembarkation. It was also nice to see that all passengers followed the disembarkation protocol (by rows) applied by the crew & airline.

Here are the technical details of this flight I took:

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 11 November 2021
Flight Number: DG 6194
Route: Legazpi (LGP) Albay to Manila (MNL)
Duration: 1 hour & 2 minutes
Seat Number: 7D
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7284
Age: 4.6 years
Year Delivered: 2017

I was so happy to fly again after 21 months of being on the ground. As far as I can remember, my last flight was in January 2020 when I flew back to Manila after the Christmas holidays. It felt like it was a long time ago. Flying may have changed a lot during this pandemic but it has never changed the feeling of excitement or happiness I get when in one.

This is the view every passenger gets right before boarding the flight to Manila. Majestic indeed! 😍

Have you flown any local or international airline recently? How was your experience? How has the pandemic changed your flying experience? Feel free to share your personal experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about flying into Manila or anything about flying during the pandemic? You may post them below or you may send an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Let’s hope the pandemic ends soon so we can all fly to wherever we want to. For now, please do your own part by getting vaccinated & by observing health protocols. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels – Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you. Stay safe.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flying 101: The REALITIES of Flying Low-Cost Airlines

A few weeks ago, I introduced a section in this website called Flying 101. Posts under this category aim to take the readers through the basics & the ins & outs of flying. I already shared with you a comparison between low-cost & full-service airlines. I also gave you an introduction about the Philippine government-mandated airline taxes & fees charged by the airlines.

Today’s Flying 101 post will run you through the realities of flying low-cost airlines. Low-cost travel has significantly changed the aviation & travel industry over the years. Low-cost airlines have popped out in almost every country in the world & have provided a very affordable flying experience to humankind.

There is really no issue flying a low-cost airline. However, one must get ready for the following ‘realities’ when flying one.

It’s cheap but you get what you pay for.

Yes – it’s that cheap. You can get a ticket as low as free, ₱1, $1, €1 or 1 of whatever currency base fare plus taxes & fees. This ticket only includes a guaranteed seat on the flight in an almost all-economy class configured airplane. It also includes basic carry-on luggage of 7 to 10 kilograms, depending on how much the airline allows.

Nothing else is free.

Every extra inflight service or amenity comes with a fee. Passengers pay for check-in baggage allowance, inflight meals, a bottle of water & seat selection. Some airlines in other countries also offer priority check-in & boarding plus fast-track lane access for additional fees.

Most low-cost airlines offer fare bundles with combined add-ons for discounted rates. It’s always cheaper to avail these fare bundles than paying for every single add-on after selecting the basic fare.

Flight schedules aren’t the most convenient.

Low-cost airlines don’t have the most convenient flight schedules. The low-cost airlines here in the Philippines, have convenient schedules across the domestic network. Their international network has a different story. Most international flights leave either early morning, mid to late afternoon or late at night. Only a few international short-haul destinations (the likes of Hong Kong & Singapore) have regular schedules throughout the day.

Change fees are expensive.

Low-cost airlines impose very high change or rebooking fees. This change fee is on top of the fare difference you have to pay when changing your ticket. Change fees here in the Philippines can cost as high as ₱2,000 per sector. At most times, it’s cheaper to buy a new ticket. Make sure to check the price of the new ticket before rebooking your ticket.

Some low-cost airlines now offer flexible ticket options by charging a flexible ticket add-on which waives change fees & only charges the fare difference. This is a good add-on for this with unpredictable schedules.

Expect for an ‘OK’ overall service.

Don’t expect for a 5-star service when flying these low-cost carriers. You will usually experience bus boarding / disembarkation, a walk in the tarmac, paper boarding passes, crowded passenger waiting areas & frequent flight delays. You might even encounter not-so-clean airplane seats, tray tables & (sometimes) filthy cabin & toilets in general.

One thing you’ll notice, most of the ground attendants & on-board crew are friendly & accommodating – which is good!

Don’t get me wrong – I am not a low-cost carrier hater. In fact, I love flying low-cost airlines because of their super cheap fares. Flying these airlines come with certain realities we have to face. I’ve had a few bad experiences with some low-cost airlines but here I am flying with them again & again. At the end of the day, I am fine with these ‘realities’ as long as they take me to my desired destination safe & sound.

How are your experiences with low-cost airlines? Have you experienced some of those mentioned above? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Also, please follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Flying 101 topic. See you in the next one! Stay safe & healthy.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 923 – Fukuoka to Manila – Strict But Well-Organized Free Base Fare Flight Back To Manila

Hey, I hope you’re coping well. I know most of us miss flying & going on vacations. The Covid-19 pandemic stopped leisure travel & has forced us to stay in our homes indefinitely. While most of the countries all over the world are restarting leisure travel, we, Filipinos, are still not allowed to do so – even domestic travels are not allowed. All we can do now is to look back & relive the great memories we made in our previous trips.

One of the trips I keep on revisiting is our Fukuoka 2019 surprise trip. My friend & I surprised another friend in her supposed-to-be first solo international trip. I already shared with you details about this trip in the following posts – 48 Hours in Fukuoka for less than ₱12,500 all in, Nekokura Hostel of the Day feature & 5J 922 Cebu Pacific Air Flight Report. Today, I will share with you details of our Cebu Pacific Air 5j 923 flight from Fukuoka, Japan back to Manila, Philippines. Know how organized Japanese people & airports are & generally how the flight went in this new flight report.

Cebu Pacific Air

As mentioned in my previous 5J flight report, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines largest low-cost carrier. It flies to more than 60 domestic & international destinations across the country, Asia-Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

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. It has its own loyalty program called GetGo & is a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers.

Airfare & Inclusions

My friend & I got the return ticket to & from Fukuoka, Japan for only ₱2,873.74. We booked it through the airline’s loyalty program, GetGo, ‘5,000 points off’ promotion. At the time of booking, one-way base fare to Fukuoka were valued at 2,400 points. The return ticket cost us 4,800 points plus airline (minus 5,000 points – yay, so basically free base fare) & airport taxes. My friend & I only paid for the taxes & charges imposed by the airline – a decent deal, eh? It definitely was a steal considering the tickets were bought 3 weeks before the flight schedule.

Cebu Pacific Air is a low-cost carrier – meaning tickets only include the passenger’s base fare & taxes. The airline offers baggage allowance, seat selection, meals & refreshments & all over flight services for a fee. The airline’s fleet don’t have personal or communal entertainment screens. The fare my friend & I bought only includes a 7-kilogram carry-on luggage which was enough for our 48-hour Fukuoka trip. The full list of the airline’s add-on charges is found in their website.

Flight & Aircraft Information

This Fukuoka to Manila Cebu Pacific Air flight was operated by a 5.5-year-old (that time) Airbus A320-214 aircraft with registration RP-C3277. The airplane has an all-economy configuration (just like all other Cebu Pacific Air aircraft) with 180 seats on a 3-3 layout. The flight left Fukuoka station at 7:48 pm JST & arrived Ninoy Aquino International Airport (in Manila) at 11:10 pm PHT. The flight took 4 hours & 22 minutes from one airport gate to the other.

Ground & Airport Experience

International flights arrive & depart from Fukuoka Airport’s international terminal. The terminal is 10-minute (free) bus ride from the Fukuoka Airport Subway Station / Domestic Terminal. Upon arrival at the terminal, my friend & I went to Row C check-in counters. The counters opened 3 hours before the flight.

Check-in process was quick & efficient. Heavy bags & boxes undergo security checks before they can be accepted by the ground staff for check-in. There were 3 normal check-in & 1 online check-in counters that day. All ground staff strictly check & weigh each passenger’s carry-on items. They only allow 7-kilograms of carry-on baggage & up to 2 items only. My friend & I already checked-in online & queued in the online check-in counter. We requested for exit row seats; the lovely check-in counter crew granted our request. Our whole check-in process took 20-minutes & that included 15 minutes in queue for the luggage security check.

In case you missed it, we almost missed our Manila to Fukuoka flight because of lengthy check-in process & slow immigration lines in NAIA 3. Know more about this almost-missed flight in this flight report.

Immigration & final security took less than 10 minutes. There were no long lines or whatsoever. The flight boarding process commenced 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Passengers with children & those needing special assistance boarded the aircraft first. The regular passengers boarded next. We boarded from Gate 56 & finished after 15-20 minutes. Boarding has quick & smooth.

In-Flight Product

Cebu Pacific Air is known as a no-frills airline. The airline keeps their fares low by providing the most basic product on air – a guaranteed seat on the flight & a 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Additional flight features such as baggage allowance, in-flight meal, insurance, seat selection & the likes are available at an extra cost.

My friend & I were assigned at exit seats 12B & 12C. These exit row seats have enormous legroom but do not recline. Regular seats on Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A320 aircraft feature 28 inches of seat pitch & generous reclines. These seats were made & designed by Recaro, a world-renown seat manufacturing company known for their light & ergonomically-designed seat products. Each seat features a decently sized tray table & a small seat pocket with the aircraft safety card. The seats don’t feature personal entertainment screens. The only available form of entertainment is the monthly in-flight magazine found in every seat pocket.

Shortly after take-off, the cabin crew rolled out their snack cart & offered snacks to all passengers. The list of items for sale is found in the Fun Café menu in the seat pockets. The crew also handed out the pre-ordered snacks & meals to those who availed them. The airline allows passengers to pre-book their meals & snacks from the time of booking up to 24 hours before the flight.

This night flight didn’t feature the usual in-flight fun game. The crew gave the passengers the time to rest & sleep. I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory during the flight; I was dead tired after a long day of walking around the city.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew welcomed us into the flight with their biggest smiles. One crew also went up to us & explained the additional protocols for passengers seated in the exit rows. I didn’t have much chance to interact with the crew on this flight but those small encounters made a big difference in the flight experience.

Overall Experience

It was another pleasant flight with Cebu Pacific Air. My friend & I definitely enjoyed this flight from Fukuoka to Manila. The pleasant experience started with getting return tickets for only ₱2,873.74 without baggage. I still can’t imagine how this is possible in the current times? The ticket is even cheaper than a domestic ticket to destinations like Coron & Siargao or even international destinations like Hong Kong & Singapore. Cebu Pacific Air changed the game by giving every Juan the chance to fly in the most affordable rate.

The airport & ground experience was superb! It was the total opposite of my experience on the flight from Manila to Fukuoka. The check-in lines were fast-moving bur organized. The check-in process was efficient. The ground staff were reasonably strict but were nice & very accommodation. Immigration, final security check & boarding process didn’t take long. It was my 3^rd time flying out of this airport & the experience hasn’t changed. I am amazed how the airport management maintained it even with the increasing number of passenger traffic. All my Fukuoka Airport experiences were very close to ideal.

The flight experience was alright as expected. The cabin crew greeted us with their best smiles upon boarding & disembarking from the plane. I didn’t have much to talk about the in-flight experience because I was asleep most of the flight. The only thing I didn’t like was our plane didn’t have an available airport gate when we landed in Manila station. We waited inside the plane for more than 15-20 minutes before we finally got our Terminal 3 gate assignment. I really hope the local airport authorities do something about this once everything does back to normal.

I cannot wait to fly out again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. I have plans of trying their long-haul flights (again but this time feature it) to perhaps Sydney or Melbourne once Australia opens. I also want to just fly out to wherever possible & take some time off. I will surely fly with them on those trips. For those of you who want to know the flight & aircraft details, here are the information you want or need:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 20 October 2019
Flight Number: 5J 923
Route: Fukuoka (FUK) Japan to Manila (MNL) Philippines
Duration: 4:22 hours
Seat Number: 12C
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3277
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 6 years old
Year Delivered: 2014

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Do you have any questions about the flight or anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

How I wish we can all soon go back to the times when flying & travelling is safe & places are virus-free. Those safe times are far from happening based on the current vaccine & treatment developments but I hope you are coping well with the effects of pandemic. Let’s us all hope for better times in the future. For the meantime, we can all connect & talk about our previous travel experiences. Follow me on my social media channels – Facebook & Instagram.

Don’t forget to check out my previous Cebu Pacific Air flight reports: Legazpi to Manila, Manila to Jakarta, Manila to Caticlan (Boracay), Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila on Cebgo & Manila to Fukuoka. Other flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Until next time. Stay safe!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 922 – Manila to Fukuoka – ‘Almost-Missed’ Surprise & Free Base Fare International Flight

Hey ho & welcome to another flight report! Let’s take a break from all the Going Solo in Europe content & go back to something related to my 2^nd favorite country after the Philippines – Japan. A few months ago, my friend & I flew to Fukuoka, Japan for 48 hours to surprise our close friend in her 1^st international trip. Believe it or not, my friend & I spent less than ₱12,500 each for that whole trip – flights & hostel included. We flew with Cebu Pacific Air in a super affordable fare & stayed with Nekokura Hostel to save same some cash.

Today’s flight report will talk about that ‘almost-missed’ Manila to Fukuoka Cebu Pacific Air flight we took for that 48-hour Fukuoka trip. I will share with you how we booked the cheap ticket 3 weeks before the trip, how was our ground experience at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 & what can you expect in Cebu Pacific Air’s international in-flight product & cabin crew service.

I’ve covered a few Cebu Pacific Air & Cebgo flights in my previous flight reports – ₱600 Legazpi to Manila flight on 5J 328, $24 Manila to Jakarta flight on 5J 759, short & empty Boracay flight on 5J 905 & the Cebgo Turboprop flight from Boracay to Manila on DG 6244. Let’s add this ‘almost-missed’ & free base fare flight to Fukuoka on 5J 922.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is not a new airline in this website. As mentioned in my previous flight reports, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines largest low-cost carrier. It flies to more than 60 domestic & international destinations across the country, Asia-Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

Airfare & Inclusions

My friend & I got our return Manila to Fukuoka ticket for only ₱2,873.74. At the time of booking, Cebu Pacific Air’s loyalty program GetGo offered their Fukuoka route for 2,400 points per way plus taxes. At the same time, they had a ‘5,000 points off’ promotional code for selected East Asia routes including Fukuoka. The return ticket to Fukuoka costs 4,800 points plus taxes. Upon check out & using the promotional code, we ended up having our base fare free & paying only the airfare taxes. Note that we booked our tickets 3 weeks before the flight. Flights to Fukuoka take more than 3 hours per way. Having this affordable return ticket was definitely a good deal!

Cebu Pacific Air is a no-frills airline – meaning fares only include 7-kilogram carry on allowance & a guaranteed seat in the flight. Baggage allowance, food, reserved seats & insurance are all available at an extra cost. Fees & charges differ for each flight. You can click this link to more about the add-ons cost for each Cebu Pacific Air route. This trip only last for 48 hours & it wasn’t even cold yet in Japan so I only brought a small backpack me – no add-ons needed.

Want to know how I get these cheap tickets? I revealed my secrets in these blog posts – How to be a champ in booking low fare tickets part 1 & part 2.

Flight & Aircraft Information

This Manila to Fukuoka Flight on Cebu Pacific Air left Manila station a few minutes late because of us (you’ll know why) but arrived Fukuoka International Airport 11 minutes early. We left Manila at 3:27 pm PHT & arrived Japan at 7:49 pm JST. The total flight time was 3 hours & 22 minutes. The flight used a 7-year old (that time) Airbus A320-214 aircraft in an all-economy class configuration. The plane has a total of 180 seats on a 3-3 layout.

Airport Experience

My friend & I arrived at the airport 3 hours before the flight. We had quick lunch & went straight to the travel tax counter. After paying the required travel tax, we went to Cebu Pacific Air’s check in counters. There were 3 lines for check in – one for regular check in, one for mobile & internet check in & the last one for group bookings & senior citizens. My friend & I already checked in online so we headed to the mobile & internet check in line. All 3 check in lines were long, slow & chaotic.

Pamela, one of Cebu Pacific Air’s supervisors, heard & approached me. She apologized for the chaotic check in process & said that particular afternoon was busier than expected. She escorted us to the next available counter for check in. The woman in the check in desk was nice & accommodating. She granted our request of having emergency exit seats for no additional cost. The whole check in process took us about 1 hour & 15 minutes; it used to be less than 10-15 minutes.

After check in, my friend & I went to clear immigration. All immigration counters also had long & slow-moving lines. We asked favors from people in front of us if we can go first since our flight leaves in 35 minutes; thankfully, they agreed. It still took us 25 minutes to clear immigration. We went straight to final security check & cleared the process in less than 5 minutes. While falling in line, I already saw the Cebu Pacific Air ground staff calling Fukuoka-bound passengers. They are about to close the aircraft doors in 5 minutes. After clearing final security, my friend & I literally ran to the boarding gate & went straight to the plane. The cabin crew closed the plane doors after we boarded. Thank God we made it!

In-Flight Product

As a low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer on-board entertainment screens & complimentary food. All seats have a decently sized tray table & a small pocket with in-flight magazines & safety card. It has 28 inches of seat pitch & a generous recline. My friends & I were seated in the emergency exit seats so we had bigger leg room than the usual but no seat recline. The seats on this airplane were already old & needs a refit.

In-flight meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time of booking the ticket up to 24 hours before the flight. Guests who failed to pre-book snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Items for sale are found in the Fun Café menu in the seat pockets of every passenger. I purchased a bottle of Gatorade for ₱80 & a bottle of water for ₱40 during this flight.

One unique feature of Cebu Pacific Air flights is the in-flight fun games. Cabin crew members ask 3 questions under a specified category. The first passenger to get the correct answer receives a complimentary airline merchandise. My friends & I joined the game on this flight & we won a Cebu Pacific Air pouch.

I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 3.5-hour flight. From past experiences, there’s nothing spectacular about Cebu Pacific Air lavatories – they’re clean, plain & basic like a usual low-cost carrier lavatory.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew on this Cebu Pacific Air flight to Fukuoka was nice & friendly. They greeted the passenger with their best smiles & served the food right after take-off. The crew assigned to our area even asked me questions how I was before she served my drinks. She even offered a glass of ice which they don’t usually do. I have nothing against the crew on this flight. I was a happy & satisfied customer.

Verdict

Overall, it was another pleasant flight with Cebu Pacific Air. We even got more than what we paid for. Imagine paying only ₱2,873.74 for a return ticket to Fukuoka, Japan & booking it 3 weeks before the flight? You rarely get that kind of airfare deal. It was definitely a steal!

The airport & ground experience was the worst part of this flight. Long & slow check in & immigration queues & last-minute boarding process didn’t make the experience enjoyable. My friend & I were thankful for Pamela, the woman at the check in counter & the people who allowed us to cut the immigration line. We won’t make it to our flight if not for them. All parties (including us) are at fault on what happened. We didn’t imagine that those airport scenes we see in movies would also happen to us. It was our first time running from security check to the boarding gate; it was also our first time being called for boarding. Don’t worry, we already learned our lesson.

The in-flight experience made up for all the mishaps that happened in the ground. The cabin crew assigned to our flight were friendly. The emergency exit seats were relatively comfortable to seat in on this 3.5-hour flight. My friends & I won in the in-flight game. More importantly, we arrived Fukuoka ahead of schedule despite leaving Manila a few minutes late. Sure, the airplane seats, tray tables & pockets needs a refit but these didn’t affect our fun flight to Fukuoka.

I will definitely fly again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. They are always the best option for flying cheap to destinations here in the Philippines, in Asia Pacific & in the Middle East. I’m gutted my flights with them to Shanghai, China & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am still looking forward to booking future trips with them! I also want to try (again) & this time cover their long-haul economy routes to Dubai, Sydney & Melbourne. For those who want to know the specifics of this flight & the airplane used, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 18 October 2019
Flight Number: 5J 922
Route: Manila (MNL) Philippines to Fukuoka (FUK) Japan
Duration: 3:22 hours
Seat Number: 12A
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3237
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 8 years old
Year Delivered: 2012

That’s it for today. Have you ever missed (or almost-missed) a flight because of a mishap in check in, immigration & final security check? What happened & what did you do when that happened? You may share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any question about the things mentioned above or about Cebu Pacific Air in general? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll get to them soon.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report! My next flight report will be about Czech Airlines on my flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark. Watch out for that! In the meantime, you may follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.