Day 378: DG6057 MNL-USU

Have you figured out that encoded blog post title yet? I’m traveling on Cebu Pacific from Manila to Busuanga. New airport and airline codes are fun!

After a good night’s rest it’s time to head to the airport for the next flight. While the hotel was right across the street from the airport — and there’s even a connection bridge — I’d be flying out of T4, aka “the domestic terminal”, and it was suggested to take a taxi to get there.

Generally I don’t like taxis as exact change is required and the ride is usually not as comfortable as other cars. So I fired up the Uber app and was annoyed it kept thinking I was in mainland China where Uber doesn’t work even though the map was clearly showing me being in Manila! Uber, I swear, if you disappoint me again I’m switching to Lyft, and that’s no shallow threat!

The hotel called a car for me and PHP140 later (ummm … Less than $3USD I think) I was at the airport terminal 4.

T4 is the domestic terminal and is *very* packed full of passengers, so if you ever have the pleasure of flying through MNL and using this terminal do keep your level of patience up high.

Entering the airport there was a security checkpoint — for the car! A bit weird, but I get it. There was also the Chinese-style pre-ticket counter x-ray and metal detector screening, but this time with sperate lines for males and females. Crazy! Maybe it’s the Muslim community influence here? I don’t know.

Cebu Pacific had only a baggage drop area and a self check-in kiosk, no actual ticketing agents from what I could tell. Since I needed a boarding pass I used the kiosk and printed my boarding pass then proceeded to drop my bag off. I only have a carry-on bag with me but knowing this was a small plane (ATR 72-500/600; yep dual-turbo prop plane) I paid in advance for my bag to be checked.

Richie’s Travel Tip of the Day #4: Check with your airline about checked baggage fees well before you arrive at the airport as it may cost you a lot more to pay the day of your flight than it would if you paid in advance.

Richie’s Travel Tip of the Day #5: When flying on a new airline always download their app and join their frequent flyer program (if it’s free). The app is important for checking in for your flight, ensuring it’s till on-time, and keeping your travel arrangements easily organized. And you never know when you’ll be flying that airline again, so why not earning some miles!

Next it was time to go through security and make my way to the waiting area. Oh yeah, another round of x-rays and metal detection with separate lines for guys and gals.

The waiting area is a zoo. Tons of people waiting for flights, a few small food shops and shopping options, and lots of children. It felt like a Greyhound bus station. The saddest part of all, there was not airport club lounge to use! I’m not sure which rung of Dante’s Inferno this place belongs, but it’s surely on the list!

All kidding aside the terminal was functional, mostly clean, and served it’s purpose well. After an hour of so of waiting it was time to board. From the rear of the plane!

I’ve only boarded from the rear of a plane a handful of times and it’s always an experience. This was the first time I saw cargo being loaded into the front of the plane.

The flight to Busuanga was a mostly smooth one and short, which is good because I didn’t exactly fit within the given space between my seat and the one in front of me. The nice gentleman sitting in seat 6C enjoyed a free hour-long kidney massage, compliments of my knees.

The Busuanga airport is anything but large, to the the least.

It seems only two airlines fly there, Cebu Pacific and Philippines Airlines, and it’s all turbo prop service. Don’t expect a baggage claim belt; bags are driven from the plane and places on a counter! It’s a pretty smooth operation.

The resort where my friends and I are staying, the Two Seasons resort, is a good 45 minute drive from the airport through beauiful and lush countryside. There’s basically one road to Coron from the airport and once you get to the downtown area it’s very packed with motorbikes, tuktuk type cabs, and a few cars.

The resort seems pretty nice so far, even if it’s a bit rainy/drizzly today!