Posted on: 9th of September 2008 | Under: Travel Junkie

JR and I are back in Manila for a couple of days; a sudden decision to go home after hearing about his father’s health condition.

Since it was an unplanned trip, we opted for the most affordable flight: round trip on Cebu Pacific. It was actually my first time to fly with the said airlines, but I have been to the Singapore Budget Terminal (where it operates) before. The terminal is not at all that fancy, especially if you compare it to Changi Airport, but their service is quite fast. There were no long lines, and our bag (yes, we shared one luggage) was checked in less than five minutes after we arrived. Maybe it was because our flight was at midnight, but still, everything and everyone worked fast.

The only down side of the airport setup is how the actual boarding gate is separate from the waiting area. During boarding, we had to wait in a super long line for several minutes before the gates were actually opened. It would have been a real headache were it not for the officials who directed the passengers towards the plane smoothly.

The flight itself was not too pleasant. There wasn’t enough leg room and the seats were a little too hard. On the other hand, the flight attendants, wearing several promotional products from Bench (shirts, etc. - they must be sponsors), were quite friendly despite having to serve us so early in the morning. Either way, the flight was nevertheless uncomfortable. But I guess that’s because I’m so used to flying PAL.

So, I guess there are both perks and drawbacks for choosing budget flights. But all that really matters is that JR and I are home. <3