Tag: Manila

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 5055 – Tokyo Narita to Manila – From Long Check-In Lines to Chaotic Boarding Process | Full Low-Cost Flight Back to Manila [October 2023]

After spending a few days walking around the beautiful city of Tokyo, my friends and I took the train to the airport and hopped on our Cebu Pacific Air flight back to Manila. This flight, 5J 5055, which flew out of Tokyo Narita International Airport Terminal 2, will be the subject of today’s flight report.

Join me as I share with you the details of this full low-cost flight onboard Cebu Pacific Air’s flight 5J 5055 from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Manila, Philippines (MNL).

In case you missed it, I previously shared the details of our onward flight to Tokyo from Manila onboard Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 5056. Click on this link to learn more about that ideal flight.

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 and has been flying for over 28 years. Together with its subsidiary, Cebgo (previously Tiger Air Philippines), the airline flies to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. It operates close to 70 young and fuel-efficient jet and propeller aircraft. Cebu Pacific Air operates the narrow-body and wide-body aircraft while its subsidiary operates the propeller passenger and cargo aircraft.

The airline has a lifestyle and 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 and 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 and features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Philippine Airlines. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

As shared in my previous 5J 5056 flight report, my friends and I paid ₱7,116.72 each for the Manila-Tokyo-Manila tickets with Cebu Pacific Air. We got the fare bundle that includes a standard seat, 7 kilograms of carry-on baggage allowance, and 20 kilograms of checked luggage allowance.

I booked this ticket during Cebu Pacific Air’s ₱1 base fare anniversary sale back in March 2023. I honestly think these ₱1 base fare tickets are the cheapest and most valuable ticket purchases in this age of surging air ticket prices.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Philippine passport holders are only required to present their valid passports and the E-Travel QR code when entering the country’s borders. Non-Philippine passport holders may be required to present other requirements, such as a valid visa or onward departure ticket. These requirements vary from one nationality to the other. It is always best to check with the relevant authorities regarding the updated entry requirements.

Before The Flight

Cebu Pacific Air sent email reminders as early as 3 days before our intended flight schedule. 72 hours before the flight, the airline sent an email containing reminders about prepaid baggage, important travel documents, and online arrival cards.

48 hours before the flight, Cebu Pacific Air sent another email about the check-in process and reminders. The email also advised that online check-in is now open for our flight to Manila. 24 hours before the flight, the airline sent another email detailing the airport check-in process, times, and reminders.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Tokyo Narita to Manila Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 5055 was operated by a 4.1-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A321neo aircraft. The plane, delivered to the airline in October 2019, features a single economy class configuration with 236 pre-reclined seats.

Flight 5J 5055 left Tokyo Narita International Airport at 1:48 p.m. local time, cruised at an altitude of 34,000 feet, and touched down Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5:14 p.m. local time. The flight only took 4 hours and 26 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

Cebu Pacific Air flies out of Narita International Airport Terminal 2.

CHECK-IN

My friends and I arrived at the airport a few minutes after 10:00 a.m. We went straight to the R check-in counters and saw long and slow-moving check-in queues, both for online check-in and regular counters. We noticed the empty kiosk check-in counter and immediately looked for the kiosk check-in machines.

We found one near the escalators, a few check-in counters away from counter R. We checked in using the kiosks, scanned our passports, printed our boarding passes and bag tags. We walked back to counter R and lined up at the kiosk check-in section. We finished our check-in process in less than 5 minutes. Whew!

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, we checked the shops on the second floor and bought some last-minute treats. We quickly went through immigration and security and dropped by the duty-free stores to get tax-free chocolates and treats. We had lunch at Yoshinoya, near our boarding gate, while waiting for the boarding process to start.

BOARDING

After lunch, we walked towards Gate 97 and saw that boarding had commenced earlier than 12:30 p.m. schedule. Also, the passengers were all over the place with no clear lines. I am pretty sure the ground staff made some pre-boarding announcements, but I do not think these instructions were followed.

We chose a random line and eventually made it to the plane. We settled into our seats and waited for a long time before the cabin doors were closed. The cabin crew had trouble fitting all carry-on bags in the overhead bins. They eventually sent luggage and bags to cargo hold, which they had to prepare additional documents for.

Cabin doors closed at 1:25 p.m., 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time. The plane was pushed back at 1:28 p.m. and headed over to the runway for take-off. It took off at 1:48 p.m.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Tokyo Narita to Manila Cebu Pacific Air flight was operated by one of the airline’s newest (at the time of the flight) Airbus A321neo aircraft. The aircraft features 236 pre-reclined Recaro seats in a 3-3 economy class configuration. According to SeatMaps, each regular economy seat has a seat width of 17 inches and a seat pitch of 28 inches.

Each seat features decent legroom with no recline. It also has a seat pocket, which contains the aircraft safety card, inflight magazine, onboard café menu, and air sickness bag. Each seat has an assigned individual air vent and reading light. Each row has two cabin crew call buttons and four regular USB charging ports. These charging ports can be used for free after take-off. The cabin also features the old overhead cabins, which can only fit limited luggage.

I got seat 11D on this flight back to Manila. I think the seat is alright for short haul flights like this. I just miss its recline feature.

INFLIGHT SNACK SERVICE

Cebu Pacific Air does not offer complimentary snacks or meals on all their flights. Instead, the airline offers pre-purchased meals and snacks at the time of booking or up to 48 hours before the flight. The airline also offers buy-on-board snack and drink service for those who get hungry during the flight.

The cabin crew served inflight snacks 25 minutes after take-off. They served the pre-booked first before offering the buy-on-board service.

My friend and I skipped the inflight snack service because we were still full from our Yoshinoya lunch. We also brought snacks from the convenience stores and ate them midway through the flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebu Pacific Air does not feature personal entertainment screens on their planes. They only provide inflight magazines named Smile Magazine, which passengers can read through during the flight.

Also, the airline is known for conducting inflight games in exchange for airline-branded items. For this flight, the crew asked for 3 items; the passengers who raised their hands first and showed the requested items first won Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouches.

After the snack service, the crew conducted the CEB Fun Game. After that, they went around for the UNICEF Change for Good donation program.

I did not participate in either of the two and decided to take a short nap during the flight.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

The airline does not offer inflight Wi-Fi services on all its flights.

LAVATORY

I visited the front lavatory once during the flight; I found it clean and well-maintained. It has toilet papers and a small bottle of hand soap for those who need to use them.

CABIN CREW INTERACTIONS

I had minimal encounters with the assigned cabin crew on this flight. I can tell that they performed their work and duty to the best of their abilities. They assisted people in fixing the bags in the overhead cabins, and they served the snacks and meals with their best smiles.

Disembarkation & Luggage Claim

Disembarkation and immigration were quick and efficient. It did not take long before we finished both processes. The checked luggage took a while before it came out of Luggage Belt 5. My friends and I got our luggage 30 minutes after we disembarked from the plane.

Flight Experience

It was a full low-cost airline flight with Cebu Pacific Air on this 5J 5055 service from Tokyo, Japan, to Manila, Philippines. It was nothing fancy, but surely a bang for the buck.

The flight stood out in many ways. First, the best part of this journey is the affordable return ticket we booked during the airline’s anniversary sale. My friends and I only paid a little over ₱7,000 for a return ticket to Tokyo, including standard seats and checked baggage for both sectors. Incomparable! Second, the airline never failed to keep their passengers informed of everything before the flight. They sent out emails about travel requirements, check-in reminders, and even the check-in process. Props to Cebu Pacific Air for continuously doing this on all their flights.

Third, the aircraft has modern seats with complimentary UBS charging ports. It is quite rare to see a low-cost airline offering complimentary charging facilities on their flights. Please do not change this anytime soon, Cebu Pacific Air. Lastly, the kiosk check-in option at Narita International Airport was a lifesaver. My friends and I skipped the regular and online check-in lines and opted for the kiosk check-in and bag-drop process. We finished the whole check-in process in less than five minutes.

This flight was not all good; it also had its misses. First, there was no difference in the online check-in and regular check-in queues. Both lines moved slowly, leading to longer check-in times for most passengers. Second, the boarding process was chaotic in so many ways, from random boarding lines to a longer boarding process due to the full overhead cabin storage spaces.

Lastly, the pre-reclined seats, which may be the future of airline seats, are something I am not comfortable with on flights longer than three hours. Unfortunately, most of Cebu Pacific Air’s aircraft are equipped with these pre-reclined Recaro seats. Too bad.

I still had a wonderful time flying Cebu Pacific Air on this Tokyo-to-Manila sector. I will always consider the airline my favorite local carrier, and I cannot wait to fly with them again to many destinations in the future.

For those who want to know more about the flight and the aircraft used, I have prepared some geeky details for you below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 17 October 2023
Flight Number: 5J 5055
Route: Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 4 hours and 26 minutes
Seat Number: 11D
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX
Aircraft Registration: RP-C4120
Engines: 2 x Pratt and Whitney Engines
Age: 4.1 years old
Delivered: October 2019

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you a comprehensive review of how it is flying with Cebu Pacific Air on their Tokyo to Manila route.

Have you flown with Cebu Pacific Air in the past? How was your flight experience? Are you looking to book a ticket with the airline soon? If yes, let me know if you have questions so I can respond to them. post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines and other airlines like Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 5056 – Manila to Tokyo Narita – Ideal International Low-Cost Flight Onboard a 3-Month-Old Modern Aircraft [October 2023]

Late last year, my friends and I flew to Tokyo, Japan, for a few days to rediscover the city. We have been to Tokyo in 2015, but we wanted to see more of the city. As usual, we flew with our favorite budget carrier, Cebu Pacific Air, to and from Tokyo. We booked our tickets during the airline’s ₱1 base fare sale back in March 2023.

Today’s flight report will feature our Manila to Tokyo Narita International Airport journey onboard Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 5056. Read on below to learn why I think this flight was an ideal one.

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 and has been flying for over 28 years. Together with its subsidiary, Cebgo (previously Tiger Air Philippines), the airline flies to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. It operates close to 70 young and fuel-efficient jet and propeller aircraft. Cebu Pacific Air operates the narrow-body and wide-body aircraft while its subsidiary operates the propeller passenger and cargo aircraft.

The airline has a lifestyle and 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 and 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 and features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Philippine Airlines. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

My friend and I booked our return tickets during the airline’s anniversary ₱1 base fare sale back in March 2023. We paid ₱14,233.44 for 2 people, around ₱7,116.72 per person.

This ₱7,116.72 return ticket included complimentary standard seats, 7 kilograms of carry-on allowance, and 20 kilograms of checked luggage on both sectors. Without the add-on bundle, the ticket will only cost around ₱5,500-₱6,000 return.

These ₱1 base fare tickets always provide the best possible value for plane fares. Imagine paying the lowest possible fare at the time of booking to a destination like Japan. Absolutely worth it!

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Regular Philippine passport holders require a tourist visa when entering Japan for leisure purposes. People planning to visit Japan for holiday need to secure a tourist visa through accredited travel agencies.

A few years ago, I wrote about apply for a Japan tourist visa. Click here to learn more about getting one for yourself.

Additionally, the Japanese government requires all incoming passengers to perform immigration and customs arrival procedures via the Visit Japan website. Upon arrival, all passengers are required to present the issued QR codes at immigration and customs for scanning. Incoming tourists can get their QR codes up to 2 weeks before the intended arrival date.

All departing passengers from Manila are required to fill out the online departure card and obtain a QR code from the eTravel website.

Before The Flight

Cebu Pacific Air sent email reminders as early as 3 days before our intended flight schedule. 72 hours before the flight, the airline sent an email containing reminders about prepaid baggage, important travel documents, an online departure card, Japan QR codes, and fresh produce and meat restrictions.

48 hours before the flight, Cebu Pacific Air sent another email about the check-in process and reminders. The email also advised that online check-in is now open for our flight to Narita. 24 hours before the flight, the airline sent another email detailing the airport check-in process, times, and reminders.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Manila to Tokyo Narita Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 5056 was operated by a 3-month-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A321neo aircraft. The plane, delivered to the airline in July 2023, features a single economy class configuration with 236 pre-reclined seats.

Flight 5J 5056 took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 2:41 p.m. local time and touched down Tokyo Narita International Airport at 7:34 p.m. local time. The flight took 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

All Cebu Pacific Air international flights depart from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

CHECK-IN

We arrived at the airport four hours before our flight schedule. We paid the travel tax and went straight to check-in. We spent 10–15 minutes at the check-in counter because the ground staff took some time confirming my friend’s travel documents. We got our boarding passes and went straight to immigration and security.

If not for the additional document check, we could have finished the check-in process in less than 5 minutes. There was no line at the regular international check-in counters at that time.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After clearing immigration and security, we went straight to the PAGGS Lounge. My friend used her credit card to go in and tag me along. We stuffed ourselves with food and stayed at the lounge for 2.5 hours. We left the lounge at 1:30 p.m. and walked straight to our assigned boarding gate, Gate 103.

BOARDING

At 1:38 p.m., the staff announced priority boarding for our flight. They asked passengers flying infants, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those who availed of priority boarding to board the plane first.

Passengers assigned to the rear cabin seats boarded the plane next. Passengers seated in the middle and front parts of the cabin came in last. At 2:18 p.m., the cabin crew closed the airplane doors. The entire boarding process took 40 minutes, longer than the usual 20–30 minutes.

The plane was pushed back at 2:26 p.m. and headed over to the runway for take-off.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Manila to Tokyo Narita Cebu Pacific Air flight was operated by one of the airline’s newest (at the time of the flight) Airbus A321neo aircraft. The aircraft features 236 pre-reclined seats in a 3-3 economy class configuration. According to SeatMaps, each regular economy seat has a seat width of 17 inches and a seat pitch of 28 inches.

Each seat features decent legroom with no recline. It also has a seat pocket, which contains the aircraft safety card, inflight magazine, onboard café menu, and air sickness bag. Each seat has an assigned individual air vent and reading light. Each row has two cabin crew call buttons, two regular USB ports, and two USB-C charging ports. These charging ports can be used for free after take-off. The cabin also features spacious overhead lockers, which can fit more carry-on luggage.

My friend and I swapped seats; I got seat 11B and an empty seat 11C beside me. The pre-reclined seats were comfortable enough for a short-haul international flight like this.

INFLIGHT SNACK SERVICE

Cebu Pacific Air does not offer complimentary snacks or meals on all their flights. Instead, the airline offers pre-purchased meals and snacks at the time of booking or up to 48 hours before the flight. The airline also offers buy-on-board snack and drink service for those who get hungry during the flight.

The cabin crew went around twice during the flight. They served the pre-booked meals first before offering the buy-on-board service. The first snack service commenced 25 minutes after takeoff and the second one started an hour before landing.

My friend and I skipped the inflight snack service because we were still full from our PAGGS lounge visit.

SMILE MAGAZINES & CEB FUN GAMES

Cebu Pacific Air does not feature personal entertainment screens on their planes. They only provide inflight magazines named Smile Magazine, which passengers can read through during the flight.

Also, the airline is known for conducting inflight games in exchange for airline-branded items. For this flight, the crew asked for 3 items; the passengers who raised their hands first and showed the requested items first won Cebu Pacific Air-branded pouches.

I got the first question correct and won an airline-branded pouch. Thank you, Cebu Pacific Air!

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

The airline does not offer inflight Wi-Fi services on all its flights.

LAVATORY

I visited the front section lavatory and found it to be fragrant and spotlessly clean. I only found a clogged sink, and I immediately informed the crew about it. I was told they would clean it after me, which they gladly did.

Cabin Crew Interactions

I had minimal interactions with the crew during the flight. I was happy they immediately cleaned the clogged sink after I used the front lavatory. I also saw them serving the other passengers with their best smiles. I found the cabin crew on this flight to be pleasant and friendly to passengers.

Disembarkation & Luggage Claim

After landing, our plane taxied to Narita Airport Terminal 2 for disembarkation. The whole disembarkation process, from the plane door to immigration, customs check, baggage claim, and arrivals area, only took us less than 20 minutes. My friend and I managed to take the local train a few minutes past 8:30 p.m. Everything went by fast and efficiently.

Flight Experience

It was an ideal low-cost international flight with Cebu Pacific Air on this almost 4-hour journey from Manila, Philippines to Tokyo, Japan. The flight was impressive in so many ways. Allow me to share them below.

First, the ₱1 base fare ticket made it undeniably affordable. The return ticket only cost us ₱7,116.72, including a standard seat and 20 kilograms of checked luggage in both sectors. Second, the flight was operated by a newly delivered (at the time of the flight) aircraft that was just 3 months old. The plane was clean, modern, and looked very new.

Third, Cebu Pacific Air never failed to keep its passengers informed about the flight requirements and reminders. The airline sent daily email reminders three days before the actual flight. Fourth, the airline offered complimentary charging onboard with their USB power outlets. I hope they do not charge for this feature anytime soon.

Fifth, the aircraft featured larger and more spacious overhead cabins. This resulted in more space for carry-on luggage and a more efficient boarding process. Sixth, the airline continues to conduct their inflight fun games. It is the airline’s unique way of entertaining and rewarding participating passengers during the flight.

Lastly, my friend and I were impressed with the fast and efficient disembarkation process at Tokyo Narita International Airport Terminal 2. We disembarked from one of the farthest gates, but we managed to finish the whole immigration, luggage claim, and customs process in less than 20 minutes. Only in Japan!

No matter how ideal the flight was, it also had its not-so-good parts. First, the pre-departure area at Ninoy Aquino International Airport was not hot and not properly ventilated. It is beyond the airline’s responsibility, but somehow it affected the flight experience. Second, the pre-reclined seats may be the way to go in the future, but it is something I am not comfortable with for flights longer than 3 hours.

Nevertheless, I believe this was one of the best recent flights I had with Cebu Pacific Air. I have flown them over 30 times internationally and domestically in the last 2–3 years, and no other flight comes close. Thank you, Cebu Pacific Air. I will never get tired of flying you if you keep your ₱1 base fare and super pass promotions.

Allow me to share with you more details about the flight and aircraft used:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 7 October 2023
Flight Number: 5J 5056
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT)
Duration: 3 hours and 43 minutes
Seat Number: 11B
Aircraft: Airbus A321-271NX
Aircraft Registration: RP-C4133
Engines: 2 x Pratt and Whitney Engines
Age: 3-months-old
Delivered: July 2023

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you a comprehensive review of how it is flying with Cebu Pacific Air on their Manila to Tokyo route.

Have you flown with Cebu Pacific Air in the past? How was your flight experience? Are you looking to book a ticket with the airline soon? If yes, let me know if you have questions so I can respond to them. post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines and other airlines like Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 910 – Singapore to Manila – Standard but Turbulent Morning Flight Back to Manila [September 2023]

After spending a week of family time in Sydney and Brisbane, it was finally time to go home. In September 2023, I, together with my parents, flew back to Manila from Brisbane, Australia, with Singapore Airlines.

In my previous flight report, I shared with you some of our flying experience from Brisbane to Singapore onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ 246. Today, I will report how the onward connecting flight to Manila went. Join me in today’s flight report as I tell you more about this Singapore Airlines flight, SQ 910, from Singapore to Manila.

In case you missed it, I also wrote about our flights to Australia with Singapore Airlines. I hope you can check both SQ 921 from Manila to Singapore and SQ 231 from Singapore to Sydney. I also shared with you how our domestic Virgin Australia flight VA 943 from Sydney to Brisbane went.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world-class airline is based at one of the world’s best airports, Singapore Changi Airport. The airline started as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then rebranded, and commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers and the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 70 destinations in more than 30 countries across five continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of the Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max, and Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator, with 63 currently in service and two more on order. 7 of the 65 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business and premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used on North American routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities and services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals, and in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance, one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the second-most-reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

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, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

This SQ 910 flight is part of a four-sector ticket from Manila to Australia and back on Singapore Airlines. The return ticket, booked 5 months before the intended flight date, only cost $497 (US dollars) per person. This return ticket includes a 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, inflight meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens on all flights, and a 5-star flight experience with a well-trained and passionate cabin crew.

I booked our ticket directly with the airline using my credit card and paid $1,491 (US dollars) for three people. I got charged ₱83,537.75 for all three tickets, including foreign transaction service fees. This translates to only ₱27,845.92 per person. Considering when the ticket was booked against the intended flight schedule, this ticket was definitely a steal. It already has everything a passenger needs on a long-haul flight, from food to amenities to entertainment. The other airline competitors offered way more expensive ticket prices at the time of booking for our planned August schedule.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Philippine passport holders are only required to present their valid passports and the E-Travel QR code upon entering the country’s borders. Non-Philippine passport holders may be required to present other requirements, such as a valid visa or onward departure ticket. These requirements vary from one nationality to the other. It is always best to check with the relevant authorities regarding the updated entry requirements.

Before The Flight

Unlike previous Singapore Airlines flights, I did not receive any business class upgrade offers for this SQ 910 flight. I only got a flight check-in reminder on the airline’s mobile application 48 hours before the Brisbane to Singapore flight.

Upon getting the said check-in notification, I immediately chose our seats for both Brisbane to Singapore and Singapore to Manila flights and checked-in for both flights. Singapore Airlines allows its passengers to choose their seats for free during mobile or web check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Singapore-Manila SQ 910 flight was operated by a 4.6-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A350-900 aircraft. This plane, delivered in January 2019, features the airline’s regional configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 economy class seats.

Flight SQ 910 took off from Singapore Changi Airport at 9:32 a.m. and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport four minutes behind schedule at 1:09 p.m. The flight took 3 hours and 37 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT TRANSIT EXPERIENCE

Passengers can transit through Singapore Changi Airport, provided both flights (to and from Singapore) are under the same ticket or itinerary. The passenger’s bags should have been tagged from the airport of origin to the final country or airport of destination.

I already checked in for this Singapore-Manila flight in Brisbane. Upon arrival at Changi Airport Terminal 3, Gate B9, I got off the plane, took the sky train to Terminal 2, and headed to the food court for breakfast. I got kaya toast and milo, while my parents got noodles and coffee. After breakfast, we walked leisurely to Gate F54 and waited for the boarding gate doors to open.

Transiting at Singapore Changi Airport is always a pleasant experience. The airport is clean and well-maintained. It also has a long list of leisure activities that passengers can do or try while waiting for their next flight.

PRE-DEPARTURE

Singapore Changi Airport is one of the few airports in the world where final security checks are conducted before entering the flight’s assigned boarding gates. Depending on the size of the flight, the boarding gates open 1 to 2 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

Gate F54 opened to passengers at 8:03 a.m. I submitted myself for a final security check. Afterwards, I secured a comfortable seat inside the pre-departure area while I waited for the flight boarding announcement.

BOARDING

The ground staff announced boarding commencement at 8:37 a.m. They first called passengers traveling with infants and those needing special assistance. The ground staff then announced boarding for first class passengers, then for business class passengers and PPS Club members. They called in Star Alliance Gold and Krisflyer Elite members, followed by premium economy class passengers.

The local staff called the economy class passengers last. They asked these passengers to board according to their assigned groups. The whole boarding process only took 28 minutes.

The airline crew closed the aircraft doors at exactly 9:05 a.m. The aircraft was pushed back 10 minutes later, at 9:15 a.m. and taxied to the runway for take-off.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

This Singapore-Manila flight was operated by one of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The plane sports the regional seat configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 standard economy seats. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a 60-inch seat pitch and a 28-inch seat width. The seats have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat having direct aisle access. All business class seats are equipped with a large personal entertainment screen paired with noise-canceling headphones. Each seat also includes a pillow, a blanket, several storage spaces, and a large tray table.

Business Class Seat

Economy class seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches and a seat width of 18 inches, slightly bigger than the Boeing 787-10’s 17.5-inch seat width. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, an adjustable headrest, and a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with inflight safety cards, a foldable tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a foldable cup holder, a USB charging outlet, a comfortable pillow, and a universal power outlet in between seats. Blankets, face masks, and disinfectant surface wipes are available upon request.

I got window seat 64A for this 3.5-hour flight to Manila. I believe the airline provides more than what a passenger needs for a short-haul flight.

INFLIGHT BREAKFAST SERVICE

Singapore Airlines served complimentary breakfast meals on this short-haul flight to Manila. The airline has let go of physical menu cards and incorporated them into the inflight entertainment system and the onboard connectivity service. The airline has also brought back the appetizer that went missing during the pandemic.

The cabin crew offered traditional fried carrot cake and sausages with scrambled eggs as main options. They gave out the meals with fresh fruits, a fruit yoghurt, a bread roll with butter, a bottle of water, and a drink of choice – coffee, tea, wine, beer, soft drinks, water, or juice. After the meal service, the crew went around for the second time and offered water, coffee, and tea to those who wanted them.

I went for the traditional meal option, which was the Singapore fried carrot cake (fried savory radish-rice flour cake with prawns and picked turnips). I got it with a glass of apple juice and enjoyed the breakfast meal. I was impressed by the large mains portion the airline provided for this main option. I was full after the tasty meal.

I admire the airline for using metal cutlery and recyclable food containers during meal service. It helps a lot in eliminating solid waste; it is environment-friendly. I hope they can find a sustainable alternative to plastic cups.

After the breakfast service, I asked for a glass of my Singapore Airlines staple, the Singapore Sling. I was given the drink after a few minutes, and I finished it just in time for landing.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, Krisworld, offers thousands of options for passengers to choose from. It has hundreds of movies, television series, and music albums from different parts of the world. It also has games and local Singaporean media for passengers to enjoy. It also features an inflight map, which shows the plane’s current position, its flight path, and other flight-related details. All these entertainment options can be accessed via the touch-screen personal monitors found in front of every seat.

The personal entertainment screen of rear economy bulkhead seat 55D is mounted on the wall. It still has the touch-screen feature but is mostly controlled using the remote due to its far and high position. It can still personalize the entertainment experience by logging in using your Krisflyer membership number. It has the same moving inflight map feature. The only thing it lacks is the presence of cameras, which passengers can view during the flight.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Since July 2023, Singapore Airlines has offered complimentary unlimited onboard Wi-Fi access on all its flights, except for flights operated by Boeing 737-800s. Passengers are required to log in using their Krisflyer accounts to use the onboard Wi-Fi service. Those not registered with Krisflyer can register during the flight to access the said service.

I connected to the onboard Wi-Fi service, but I got a very slow internet connection despite the ‘11 Mbps’ registered speed. I stopped using it, and I just watched a movie while waiting for landing.

LAVATORY

I did not have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 3.5-hour flight. The seatbelt sign was turned on for most of the flight due to turbulence.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was the usual warm, friendly, and hospitable SQ service. The crew welcomed us during boarding, served us during meal service, and sent us off during disembarkation with their biggest smiles. They also did their best to serve all means and attend to everyone’s requests despite the frequent flight turbulence. They were apologetic for the frequent meal service suspensions brought about by turbulence.

Disembarkation & Luggage Claim

The aircraft was parked at Gate 112 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. All passengers disembarked in an orderly manner, went through immigration, and claimed checked-in bags at the arrival hall.

Flight Experience

Despite the never-ending turbulence, I still had a nice flight with Singapore Airlines on this regional service from Singapore to Manila, Philippines. Allow me to share with you the positives and negatives of this specific flight.

Let us start with the good things. First, I only paid $497 (US dollars) or ₱27,845.92 in local currency for this 4-sector ticket from Manila to Australia and back. I got more than I actually paid for because I enjoyed the following ticket inclusions: a 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, inflight meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens on all flights, and a 5-star flight experience with a well-trained and passionate cabin crew.

Second, I had an easy transit experience at Singapore Changi Airport. The airport terminal was complete with all signage and directions to our assigned boarding gate for this flight. It also had a long list of features and amenities that all passengers could enjoy during their layovers. I have been to many airports around the world, and I can confidently say that Singapore Changi Airport is one of the world’s best, if not the best in current times.

Third, the breakfast offerings on this flight were tasty and flavorful. I got the popular local breakfast option, and I can tell you that it was a complete turnaround of the meals on the previous Brisbane-Singapore flight. The main dish tasted great, and it had a larger serving size than usual. I will not hesitate to get it again in case it is offered on my next SQ flight.

Let us move on to the not-so-good stuff of this flight. First, the rear cabin temperature was a bit hot compared to the previous flights. The absence of individual air vents made it even worse. Second, the inflight Wi-Fi connection worked very slowly. It took some time to load a website or even send a message via Facebook and WhatsApp.

Lastly, the flight had more turbulence than usual. The seatbelt sign was turned on most of the time. The cabin crew had to suspend the breakfast service several times due to turbulence. It was not the airline’s fault, but somehow it still affected the flight experience. I encountered the same level of turbulence last July 2022 on the same route but on another Singapore Airlines flight SQ 916.

Despite the turbulent ride back to Manila, I still enjoyed this short final hop onboard SQ 910. I do not mind taking the same onward flight to Manila if I ever fly from other Singapore Airlines destinations outside Southeast Asia in the future.

Allow me to share with you some details of this flight to Manila:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 4 September 2023
Flight Number: SQ 910
Route: Singapore (SIN) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 3 hours and 37 minutes
Seat Number: 64A
Aircraft: Airbus A350-941
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SHD
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Age: 4.6-years-old
Delivered: January 2019

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you a comprehensive review of how it is flying with Singapore Airlines on this busy route from Singapore to Manila.

Have you flown with Singapore Airlines in the past? How was your flight experience? Are you looking to book a ticket with the airline soon? If yes, let me know if you have questions so I can respond to them. post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

I hope you can check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines and other airlines like Emirates, EVA Air, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines. I hope you also look forward to more flight reports in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 921 – Manila to Singapore – Almost-Perfect Intraregional Flight Under 3 Hours [August 2023]

A few months ago, I flew to Australia for over a week. I brought my parents to Sydney and Brisbane for some long-overdue family time. I walked them around Sydney for 3 full days and took them to my aunt (my dad’s sister) for the rest of the trip.

I have been to both Sydney and Brisbane in 2018, and I have written about my previous trips to these cities. I hope you can check out the following: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City, Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours, BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches, and BRISBANE Weekend.

My parents and I flew with Singapore Airlines on our way to and from Australia. We flew from Manila to Sydney via Singapore and left the country from Brisbane to Manila via Singapore. Our first Singapore Airlines flight, SQ 921, from Manila to Singapore will be today’s flight report feature. Allow me to share with you how this supposed-to-be delayed flight turned into an almost-perfect one.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world-class airline is based at one of the world’s best airports, Singapore Changi Airport. The airline started as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then rebranded, and commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers and the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 70 destinations in more than 30 countries across five continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of the Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max, and Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator, with 63 currently in service and two more on order. 7 of the 65 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business and premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used on North American routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities and services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals, and in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance, one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the second-most-reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

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, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare

This SQ 921 flight is part of a four-sector ticket from Manila to Australia and back on Singapore Airlines. The return ticket, booked 5 months before the intended flight date, only cost $497 (US dollars) per person. This return ticket includes a 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, inflight meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens on all flights, and a 5-star flight experience with a well-trained and passionate cabin crew.

I booked our ticket directly with the airline using my credit card and paid $1,491 (US dollars) for three people. I got charged ₱83,537.75 for all three tickets, including foreign transaction service fees. This translates to only ₱27,845.92 per person. Considering when the ticket was booked against the intended flight schedule, this ticket was definitely a steal. It already has everything a passenger needs on a long-haul flight, from food to amenities to entertainment. The other airline competitors offered way more expensive ticket prices at the time of booking for our planned August schedule.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service and a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Regular Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to enter Australia. I applied for my visa back in January last year, and I was approved for a multiple-entry visa valid for one year. I helped my parents obtain their visas, and I was pleased to see they were granted the same validity as mine.

All departing passengers from Manila are required to fill out the details and obtain a QR code from the eTravel website. The QR codes are scanned by the immigration officers on the day of the trip.

In case you missed it, I wrote about the steps on how to get an Australian tourist visa. I hope you can check out this quick guide.

Before The Flight

Unlike previous Singapore Airlines flights, I did not receive any premium economy or business class upgrade offers for this SQ 921 flight. I only got a flight check-in reminder on the airline’s mobile application 48 hours before this flight.

Upon getting the said check-in notification, I immediately chose our seats for both Manila to Singapore and Singapore to Sydney flights and checked-in for both flights. Singapore Airlines allows its passengers to choose their seats for free during mobile or web check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Manila-Singapore SQ flight was operated by a 4.6-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A350-900 aircraft. This plane, delivered in February 2019, features the airline’s regional configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 economy class seats.

Flight SQ 921 took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport about 45 minutes late at 7:17 p.m. and landed at Singapore Changi Airport 13 minutes ahead of time at 10:07 p.m. The flight only took 2 hours and 50 minutes, an hour shorter than its declared flight time.

Ground & Airport Experience

Singapore Airlines flights depart from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

CHECK-IN

Singapore Airlines check-in counters at NAIA Terminal 3 open three hours before the flight. The well-manned counters opened earlier than usual, at 2:55 p.m. and were divided into the following: Business Class, Regular Economy Class, Internet Check-In Economy Class, and Special Assistance.

I was traveling with two senior citizens, so I accompanied them to the special assistance check-in line. I noticed that this line moved slowly (20 minutes in line), and I asked them to join me in the internet check-in line.

We were immediately entertained at the internet check-in counters, and we finished our check-in process in about 5 minutes. We checked in our bags all the way to Sydney, Australia.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, my parents and I cleared immigration and security and spent some time at Marhaba Lounge. I used my Security Bank Platinum Mastercard (not sponsored) to access the lounge and to bring in my father using the yearly complimentary passes.

We stayed in the lounge for a few hours, stuffed ourselves with food and drinks, and waited for boarding. A few minutes before the scheduled boarding time, we left the lounge and walked towards Gate 108.

BOARDING

We reached Gate 108 before 6:00 p.m. and noticed that boarding has not started. The pre-departure area was chaotic and did not have the usual by-group segregation by Singapore Airlines. The pre-boarding preparations were announced at 6:25 p.m. Five minutes later, the formal boarding process started.

Business class passengers and PPS Club passengers boarded the plane first. Krisflyer Elite and Star Alliance Gold members came next. Economy class passengers boarded the plane by seat numbers. Those seated at the back (group 4) boarded the plane first. Groups 5 and 6 economy class passengers eventually boarded the plane.

The entire boarding process only took 21 minutes. The aircraft doors were closed at 6:51 p.m. The plane pushed back after three minutes at 6:54 p.m.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Manila-Singapore flight was operated by one of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The plane sports the regional seat configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats and 263 standard economy seats. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a 60-inch seat pitch and a 28-inch seat width. The seats have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat having direct aisle access. All business class seats are equipped with a large personal entertainment screen paired with noise-canceling headphones. Each seat also includes a pillow, a blanket, several storage spaces, and a large tray table.

Economy class seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches and a seat width of 18 inches, slightly bigger than the Boeing 787-10’s 17.5-inch seat width. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, an adjustable headrest, and a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with inflight safety cards, a foldable tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a foldable cup holder, a USB charging outlet, a comfortable pillow, and a universal power outlet in between seats. Blankets, face masks, and disinfectant surface wipes are available upon request.

The seats on this Airbus A350 aircraft are complete and comfortable enough for a short-haul international flight. It has more than what a normal economy class passenger needs for a 3-hour flight.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Singapore Airlines served complimentary hot meals on this 3-hour flight. The airline has let go of physical menu cards and have incorporated them in the inflight entertainment system and in the onboard connectivity service. The airline has also brought back the appetizer which went missing during the pandemic.

Passengers had the option to choose between creamy tuna pesto pasta and chicken rice as the main course. The main dish came with a mixed seafood salad, a bread roll and butter, coffee jelly with tapioca, a cup of water, and another drink of choice – coffee, tea, wine, beer, soft drinks, water, or juice. The crew went around again to offer a second round of drinks and offered water, coffee, and tea to those who wanted them.

I went for the chicken rice meal with a glass of apple juice and enjoyed it. The chicken was soft; it tasted good. The food portions were just right, enough to make me full during the flight. I admire the airline for using metal cutlery and recyclable food containers during meal service. It helps a lot in eliminating solid waste; it is environment-friendly. I hope they can find a sustainable alternative to plastic cups.

An hour after the dinner service, I requested for the airline’s signature cocktail, the Singapore Sling. The crew came back and gave me two Singapore Slings and two packs of peas and crackers. This Singapore Sling drink is already a staple every time I fly with the airline.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Krisworld, Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, offers thousands of options to choose from. They have hundreds of movies and TV shows to watch, thousands of songs to listen to, games to play, and a few local media pieces to check out. All these options can be accessed via the touch-screen personal entertainment screens found in front of every seat. The touch-screen screens were responsive and easy to navigate. It also showed the flight path and even details of onward connecting flights. The provided earphones were alright. They are not noise-canceling, but they did their job.

Krisworld also gives frequent flyers the option to personalize their experience. The system asks for the passenger’s KrisFlyer membership number and then shows the passenger’s favorites or the last song, movie, or television show he or she watched or left unfinished. I hope Singapore Airlines installs cameras in their A350’s that passengers can access and view during flights.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Since July 2023, Singapore Airlines has offered complimentary unlimited onboard Wi-Fi access on all its flights except those operated by Boeing 737-800s. Passengers are required to log in using their Krisflyer accounts to use the onboard Wi-Fi service. Those not registered with Krisflyer can register during the flight to access the said service.

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi service on this flight did not work. I tried to connect multiple times, but I always got no internet in my mobile browser.

LAVATORY

The lavatory on this Airbus A350-900 aircraft was clean throughout the flight. It had additional amenities such as paper cups, dental kits, and moisturizing hand lotion. The sink had cold and warm water and had hand soap and tissue beside it.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was excellent. From the time we entered the aircraft, to the meal service, and until disembarkation, the cabin crew served us with their biggest smiles. The crew had to pause the dinner service due to turbulence, and the crew apologized for the delay. Several members of the flight crew went around the cabin throughout the flight and attended to every passenger’s requests. They even went around and offered glasses of water to those who wanted them.

The assigned crew on this flight showed true Singaporean hospitality. They made sure that passengers had an enjoyable flight onboard Singapore Airlines. Their top-notch service made the flying experience a lot better.

Disembarkation

Before arriving in Singapore, the airline displayed on the inflight screen the list of flights and assigned boarding gates for passengers with connecting flights. The airline also indicated the assigned luggage belt for those who need to get their bags to Singapore. They also had the same announcement in the mobile application.

Upon arrival in Singapore, all passengers disembarked in an orderly manner. The business class and forward economy class passengers went out first. The middle and rear economy class passengers followed.

Flight Experience

It was an almost-perfect flying experience with Singapore Airlines on this SQ 921 flight from Manila to Singapore. It could have been a perfect mark if only everything went right during boarding and onboard. The onboard product is indeed one of the world’s best, especially on the modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Let me share with you the hits and misses of this short hop to Singapore.

The first and probably biggest win of this flight is its cheap return tickets. My parents and I got the return Manila-Australia-Manila tickets for only US$497 each, or around 28,000 PHP. The tickets included carry-on and check-in baggage, inflight amenities, and superb service on an Airbus A350. Second, the Manila-Singapore legs utilize modern Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. The A350 we used on this flight had modern cabin features, state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems, and comfortable seats.

Third, Singapore Airlines onboard hard and soft products are exceptional. The entertainment system had thousands of choices, and the onboard meals and snacks were great. The airline has brought back the appetizers to the meals. Fourth, the cabin crew service on this flight was warm, hospitable, and world-class. Lastly, the airline’s sustainability efforts are worth commending. The airline uses metal cutlery, reusable food containers, and has removed physical menus.

The flight also had its misses. First, the ground staff did not make any announcements regarding delayed boarding. They announced that the flight from Singapore has arrived, and that is it. It would have been ideal if the passengers were informed that there would be delays in boarding. Despite this delay, the flight still managed to touch down in Singapore ahead of schedule. Acceptable.

Second, the onboard Wi-Fi did not work during the entire flight. Bummer. Lastly, I hope the airline can find sustainable alternatives for the plastic cups used on this flight. There were over a hundred plastic cups used on this flight alone. Changing these cups to environment-friendly options is ideal.

Despite these misses, I still had an enjoyable and almost-perfect flight to Singapore with Singapore Airlines. I was happy to introduce and let my parents experience the airline’s world-class and 5-star service for such an affordable fare. Will I fly them again? Definitely. I am already excited for my next flight with the airline, even if I do not have anything booked as of this writing.

Here are some of the aircraft and flight details about this quick hop to Singapore:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 26 August 2023
Flight Number: SQ921
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Seat Number: 63K
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SHC
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Age: 4.6-years-old
Delivered: February 2019

Have you flown Singapore Airlines recently? How was your experience? Will you fly them again soon or by any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your ground and flight experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report! Watch out for my onward flight from Singapore to Sydney also on Singapore Airlines. In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here.

Before you go, I hope you can like and follow my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next flight report!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: EMIRATES EK 332 – Dubai to Manila – Underwhelming Inflight Meals on a Busy & Full Flight Back to Manila [December 2022]

Late last year, my friends and I went on a 3.5-week holiday around France, Italy and Spain. We visited and went around the cities of Paris, Rome, Florence, Milan and Barcelona. We took different flights to and from Europe.

I flew with Emirates from Manila to Dubai and Dubai to Paris to Europe and Barcelona to Dubai and Dubai to Manila (this flight) back to the Philippines. I have shared with you in the past on how the first 3 flights went in previous flight reports.

To complete the flights on this trip, allow me to share with you details about the last sector – Emirates Flight EK 332 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Manila, Philippines. Read on below to know why I believe this flight was the only underwhelming flight among all 4 sectors I took with the airline last year.

Emirates

Emirates commenced operations in 1985 from its home hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 37 years after, the airline is now one of the world’s biggest airlines. The airline is a subsidiary of the state-owned The Emirates Group. Most, if not all, of its flights depart & arrive from the massive Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

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.

The airline flies to over 80 countries & 150 destinations in the 6 habitable continents. It has a fleet of over 250 wide body aircraft with 200 more on order. The airline currently operates only Boeing 777 & Airbus A380 aircraft in their fleet; it is also the largest operator of both aircraft types. It makes use of Dubai’s strategic location in connecting people from all over the world.

Apart from its commercial division, the airline also has its cargo & corporate subsidiaries. Its cargo division is called Emirates SkyCargo, while its corporate & private subsidiary is called Emirates Executive.  Emirates’ frequent flyer program is called Emirates Skywards. The airline is not part of an airline alliance but has codeshare & partnership agreements with airlines like flydubai, Qantas, United, Air Canada & a lot more.

Emirates is a full-service airline. This means that the airline offers services & amenities such as inflight meals & snacks & personal entertainment screens on every flight. All Emirates tickets also include check-in baggage allowance depending on the booking / ticket class where the passengers are booked.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my Emirates ticket in January 2020 before all borders closed due to the pandemic. Back then, my ticket was from Hong Kong to Munich, Germany via Dubai & back to Hong Kong via Dubai from Budapest, Hungary. I wasn’t able to use this 2020 ticket, but I was so pleased that Emirates offered the most flexible airline ticket option.

Basically, they extended the ticket validity for 3 years & allowed passengers to rebook the ticket when they are ready to fly as long as there are seats available. The flights tickets should be used within the validity period. On top of this, they also allowed the passengers to change the airports of origin & destination as long as the airports are within the same Emirates region. Emirates also waived all fare difference, rebooking & change fees.

Fast forward to 2022, my friends & I decided to fly to Europe for a 3.5-week holiday. After getting my tourist visa from VIA Italy, I called the Emirates hotline & requested for my ticket to be issued. I changed the airport of origin from Hong Kong to Manila (both in the Far East) & the airport of destination from Munich to Paris (both in Europe). My return flights were also changed from Budapest to Barcelona (both in Europe) & then back to Manila. I got my new ticket in less than 2 minutes after the Emirates agent confirmed my preferred flight schedules & details. The best thing was this new ticket didn’t cost me anything – no additional fees, change fees or airport taxes or whatever. It even included a 20-25 kilograms check-in baggage allowance from previously 15 kilograms.

Believe it or not, I only paid HK$4,039 or ₱27,072.73 for this return ticket. This ticket includes inflight meals, personal entertainment screens & even baggage allowance both ways. Compared to the usual tickets to Europe, this one didn’t cost much. Thank you, Emirates, for this flexible ticket. I know I’ve booked tons of cheap tickets in the past, but I believe this was probably the best-valued to date.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

At the time of the flight, the Philippine government still required proof of vaccination or negative test result (for those unvaccinated) for all incoming international passengers. On top of this, they also required the E-Travel QR Code which can be obtained from the E-Travel website.

As of July 2023, the government has removed all pandemic-related entry requirements. They retained the E-Travel QR code requirement to replace the previously required physical arrival forms.

Before The Flight

Emirates sent an e-mail and mobile application check-in reminder 48 hours before my scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline offers free standard seat selection during web or mobile check-in.

I already had my seats pre-booked at the time of getting this ticket so I did not bother checking or changing them during web check-in. I checked in for the flights to Manila immediately I received the check-in reminder. Take note that you will need your passport information and other necessary details to complete this early check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Dubai to Manila Emirates flight was operated by a 10.6-year-old Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. This plane, delivered to Emirates back in May 2012 has 3 cabin classes – first class, business class and economy class. The first class section has 8 enclosed private suites. The business class cabin has 42 lie-flat seats on a 2-3-2 configuration while the economy class area has 310 seats arranged in a 3-4-3 layout.

The flight took off from Dubai International Airport at 4:17am, flew around 6,900 kilometers, cruised an altitude of 35,000 to 37,000 feet and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at 3:47pm. The whole flight took 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

Emirates fly out of Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

CHECK-IN

I completed the check-in process for this flight in Barcelona, Spain when I checked in for the first flight to Dubai. I was only in Dubai for a quick 3-hour transit or layover. If you want to know how my Barcelona Airport check-in process went, feel free to check out my previous flight report about EK 256 flight from Barcelona to Dubai.

DUBAI TRANSIT & MARHABA LOUNGE EXPERIENCE

Upon disembarkation from my Barcelona to Dubai flight, I immediately went to the Connections Area, went through security check, took the airport train to Terminal 3 Concourse C and located the assigned boarding gate for this Emirates flight to Manila.

After checking out the gate, I went to the Concourse C Marhaba Lounge to get some rest and have some snack. My newly-acquired (that time) Security Bank Platinum Credit Card (not sponsored) came with 2 complimentary airport lounge access per year at any LoungeKey-affiliated lounge around the world. This is on top of the unlimited Marhaba Lounge access I have in NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 here in the Philippines. I used the 1st complimentary access during my Dubai Layover on the way to Paris; I used the 2nd free access during this layover on the way back to Manila.

Terminal 3 Concourse C’s Marhaba Lounge has almost the same size as that of Concourse A’s. The lounge was packed with people when I arrived a few minutes after midnight. Most of the lounge guests left after 2:00 am. The lounge served a wide range of food options; they have salad, bread, mains, desserts and fruits. They also have coffee, tea, juices, beers and some cocktails free of charge. The lounge had clean and well-maintained amenities. I left the Marhaba Lounge full, relaxed and ready for my 7.5-hour flight back home.

PRE-DEPARTURE

While at the lounge, Emirates notified me via the mobile application of the assigned boarding gate for my flight to Manila. The notification also included what time boarding will start and what time the doors will close. After about an hour, I got another notification advising that boarding is about to commence at our assigned gate. I finished my food, packed my stuff, left the lounge and walked to Gate C5.

Upon arrival at Gate C5, I saw a big bunch of people waiting to go inside the pre-departure area. Apparently, our flight was assigned to a smaller boarding gate which could barely accommodate a full Boeing 777 flight. I stayed outside the boarding gate and waited for our turn to board.

BOARDING

Boarding commenced at 3:10am. First class, business class and Skywards status holders boarded the plane first. Economy class passengers flocked the boarding area and started lining up even if their boarding class and zone has not been called.

Economy class passengers seated at the rear part of the plane boarded the plane next. They were followed by those seated in the middle economy section. Our boarding group, seated in the front economy section, boarded the plane last. The cabin crew gave out masks and hand sanitizers to all passengers once everyone was seated. The aircraft doors closed at 3:54am – 4 minutes behind schedule.

The boarding process was chaotic and disorganized. The ground staff were not able to control the influx of passengers wanting to enter the pre-departure area and wanting to board the plane first.

INFLIGHT HARD & SOFT PRODUCT

SEAT FEATURES

This Dubai to Manila Emirates flight was operated by 3-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The first class section has 8 seats in fully-enclosed suites. According to SeatMaps, the first class seats on this plane has a seat pitch of 86 inches, a seat width of 23 inches and a 180 degree recline. The business class section has 42 lie-flat seats with 60 inches of seat pitch and 20.5 inches of seat width. The economy class has 310 seats on 3 (front, middle and rear) cabins. Each economy class seat has a pitch of 32 to 33 inches, a width of 17 inches and recline of 6 inches.

Economy class seats feature a touch-screen personal entertainment screen, a big tray table, a cup holder, a coat hook, a USB charging port, a seat pocket with Duty Free magazines and aircraft safety card, shared universal power outlets (2 in a row of 3 seats), a pillow, a blanket, a pair of headphones and an adjustable headrest. Every economy class passenger also has access to spacious overhead cabins, individual reading lights and air vents.

I got aisle seat 18C in the front economy class cabin for this 7.5-hour journey to Manila, Philippines. I found the seat features to be complete and comfortable for a long-haul flight like this.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Emirates provides complimentary meals on all their flights. Passengers can access the inflight menu from the airline’s website as early as a week before the flight. They also have the option for passengers to request for or book special meals up to 24 hours before the scheduled flight. The airline does not provide physical menus; instead, they ask passengers to access and browse the menus through their on-board portal.

The crew served a breakfast meal and a light meal on this 7.5-hour flight. 40 minutes after leaving Dubai, they started the breakfast service. They offered 2 breakfast options – scrambled eggs with creamed spinach, turkey rashers and rosti and dori yakisoba with vegetables and soy sauce. The meal came with fresh fruits, croissant with butter and jam, a granola bar and coconut mouse for dessert. It also came with a small glass of water and a drink of choice – coffee, tea, juice, soda, wine or alcoholic beverage. I went for the dori yakisoba and paired it with a glass of apple juice. After meal service, the crew went around for another round of drinks.

2 hours and 20 minutes before landing, the crew went around to distribute the light meals. They only had one option for the meal – chicken adobo with vegetables and rice. It came with a chocolate mousse for dessert, a small glass of water and a drink of choice – same options as above. The crew went for another round of coffee and tea after all meals were served.

Emirates made sure that passengers are well-fed on this 7.5-hour flight. In my opinion, both meals were underwhelming. The food portions were great but the food taste was not to my liking. I found the dory yakisoba too salty and the coconut mousse too sweet. The chicken adobo was alright but it was nothing compared to the superb breakfast tapa served in my Manila to Dubai Emirates flight. The meals on this flight were the least favorite ones of all the meals I took on 4 flights to and from Europe.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Emirates is known for its excellent inflight entertainment system called ICE. The entertainment system offers thousands of options ranging from movies, television shows and series, documentaries, songs and even games which you can play together with your seat neighbor. It even has region-specific movies and television shows. ICE also offers live television coverage of news channels like BBC World News, CNN International, Sports 24 and Sky News Arabia.

ICE also offers access to 2 aircraft cameras installed in the front of and under this Boeing aircraft. It also shows the complete flight and aircraft details and even has 2 kinds of moving flight maps. The airline indeed offers the best entertainment system in the skies – a system every airline in the world should copy.

The entertainment system on seat 16C worked well throughout the flight. I slept most of the flight and was not able to use it apart from the flight map shown in the screen. I noticed that the entertainment system on this aircraft was modern compared to the ones on my Manila to Dubai and Barcelona to Dubai flights but a bit outdated compared to the Airbus A380 inflight system on my Dubai to Paris flight.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Emirates offers paid inflight wi-fi connectivity on their flights. Rates range from $2.99 – $19.99 depending on the type of use the passengers need. The cheapest onboard internet plan costs $3.99 & is only limited to messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

I did not try this service during this flight; I did not use it because I was mostly asleep in the flight. I think it would be nice if the airline offered complimentary but limited connectivity / data allowance at least for Emirates Skywards members like how Singapore Airlines offers to their Krisflyer members.

LAVATORY

The middle section lavatories on this flight were alright; they were not dirty but also not super clean. The lavatories had the right size; it also had the usual moisturizing lotion, perfume and loads of toilet paper. I did not find dental kits inside; I believe it would have been nicer if they provided some.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight felt normal and relaxed. The crew did not rush in distributing meals and giving away the second drink service. They catered to the needs of the passengers, helped them during boarding and served the passengers with their best smiles.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

Disembarkation was quick and organized. The first class and business class passengers left the plane first. Economy class passengers followed. I was seated in the forward economy section so I was one of the first economy class passengers to leave the plane.

I passed by immigration quickly and headed to the baggage claim area. I waited for an hour before I got my luggage. I do not know what happened but I heard that Emirates conducted an additional security check before releasing all the checked bags to the passengers.

Flight Experience

This pretty much sums up my flight with Emirates on their Boeing 777-300ER service from Dubai to Manila. It was not the excellent and ideal Emirates economy class flight experience but it was still a good one.

Some details of the flight stood out to me. First, the cost of this return flight to and from Europe is incomparable. This pandemic ticket, which had the best pandemic flexibility terms, only cost me HK$ 4,039 or ₱27,072.73 for all 4 sectors. It included a generous 25-kilogram baggage allowance, inflight meals and entertainment. This ticket was definitely a steal. It will take some time before we see Europe-bound tickets go low as this one.

Second, Emirates knows how to spoil their passengers. The seats onboard their planes are clean and comfortable. They have everything a passenger needs in a long-haul flight. The entertainment system is modern and has thousands of options to choose from. It is surely one of the best in the world right now. Third, the airline provides real-time flight updates through their mobile application. They notify passengers once the bags are checked in for flights, once boarding gates are assigned and every time boarding starts for flights.

Fourth, the cabin crew service on this flight was warmer and more relaxed. The service did not feel rushed like my experience on the outward flight to Dubai on EK 335. Lastly, Emirates hard and soft product is consistent even with different aircraft types. The seats types, entertainment system, lavatories and even onboard offerings are almost the same in all the aircraft types I flew with them – Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR and the Airbus A380-800.

Moving to the flight disappointments, this Emirates flight was probably the least favorite all 4 I took with them last year. First, the boarding process was chaotic. The ground staff announced boarding by class and groups but they were unable to control the crowd of passengers in the pre-boarding gate. The waiting area was hot, suffocating and was a mess. Everything came back to normal after most of the passengers have boarded the plane.

Second, the meals served on this flight were underwhelming. The meal portions were great but the taste was not to my liking. The dory yakisoba was salty, the coconut mousse was too sweet while the chicken adobo was alright. A friend who flew with Emirates to Manila weeks before my flight agreed with the underwhelming meals on the DXB to MNL flights.

Third, Emirates did not offer complimentary Wi-Fi access to their passengers. Maybe the airline can offer limited access to Skywards members like how Singapore Airlines offered it to their Krisflyer members. Just a few months ago, Singapore Airlines started offering unlimited complimentary internet access to all Krisflyer members onboard their flights. I hope Emirates provide the same perk in the future.

Despite all of these let downs, I still had a good flight with Emirates on their EK 332 service from Dubai to Manila. Will I fly them again? For sure! I will grab every opportunity to fly with them in the next few years. I cannot wait for the next one!

Allow me to share with you some details of this flight:

Airline: Emirates
Flight Date: 8 December 2022
Flight Number: EK 332
Route: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 7 hours & 30 minutes
Seat Numebr: 18C (aisle seat)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Aircraft Registration: A6-EGP
Engines: 2 x GE GE90-115B Engines
Age (at the time of the flight): 10.6 years old
Delivered: May 2012

And that’s 4 out of 4 flights with Emirates in 2022. Have you flown Emirates in the past? How was your experience? Will you fly Emirates soon & or by any chance have questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to share your experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Emirates flight report. In case you missed it, I also flew with Emirates on their Manila to Dubai, Dubai to Paris CDG and Barcelona to Dubai routes. I hope you can also check out these flight reports as well as my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Air France. All other previous flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Feel free to check them out. Please look forward to more flight reports in the future.

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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.