Air Philippine Express

Air Philippines was on sale and we were able to book a flight to Bacolod from Cebu for only 231 pesos. The flight will depart at 7:20 AM which means we have to be at the airport as early as 5:20 AM. Mom joked that my fare to the airport might be expensive than my fare to Bacolod so I was very determined not to ride a taxi especially since they just increased the rate with 40 pesos flag down and 3.50 pesos for every few meters traveled.

So how did I get to Mactan-Cebu International Airport on a budget? This is only applicable for people with few/light hand-carry luggage.

House to Labangon on a Tricycle at 7 pesos
Labangon to Colon on 12D jeepney at 8 pesos
Colon to Mandaue Highway on 21B jeepney at 11 pesos
Mandaue Highway to Marina Mall on 27/23 jeepney at 9 pesos
Save More near Marina Mall to Airport on Yellow cab at 8 pesos

Total fare was 43 pesos only. Yippee!  I would have saved 2 pesos more if jeepney drivers have the conscience to give me my 0.5 change.

It’s my first time to ride an Air Philippine Express and these are my thoughts:

a) I think they have overbooked the flight so they were a bit strict to the point that they rejected a few customers because of some lousy technical issues like not having a photocopy of both credit card and the owner’s valid ID and having printed out the wrong ticket.

b) They asked us if we were willing to give up our seat for other customers although they will provide accommodation and a new plane ticket at a later date.

c) If I am not mistaken, the aircraft is probably second-hand because it looked very much well-used. But I’m still alive to blog and give my 1-cent crappy thoughts about this airline and I think that’s what matters most.

d) They supposedly offer “FREE” 15kg check-in baggage allowance unlike other budget airlines like Cebu Pacific but upon checking, prices are just about the same on normal days.

After 20 minutes of flight, Hello to New Bacolod Silay Airport.

P.S. Umbrellas are not allowed in the hand-carry item. Terminal Fees in both Mactan-Cebu and Bacolod Silay for domestic flight is 200 pesos.

All Aboard KLM

It was a bit risky to take Cebu Pacific flight at 5 AM to catch my KLM flight at 11 AM considering that Cebu Pacific is prone to delays and occasional cancellation but I was able to catch my first ever long haul flight without a glitch.

Although the Philippine immigration has several questions to verify my identity and even asked for my office ID and invitation letter from my sponsor, I got through right away after the officer saw the letter that she got from Belgium’s local city hall.  It should be common sense that Belgium Embassy will NOT release a visa unless everything was in order.

So that chair was to be my “home” for 11 hours. I tried to sleep but I was scared that I might snore like a sailor so I entertained myself with this tiny screen instead.  I was lucky to be sitting beside a middle aged Filipino guy from Cebu who helped ignorant me how to go about it. Actually, most people sitting around near me were Filipinos. They were very helpful but they sure have a hard time believing that I will go back to Philippines when my visa expires. Apparently, they are an expert of me.

About this tiny screen, I LOVE IT. I could learn a few foreign language, watch so many movies, listen to music and even play computer games.

And then there are foods being served all the time. It’s not Michelin rated but it’s definitely more than what I’m used to. They even serve ice cream on board. Weepee!

It’s supposed to be 6 in the evening when I arrived in Netherland but it was bright as day still. I had to transfer to KLM’s cityhopper to get to Brussels for less than an hour flight but not before passing through passport check first. Dutch immigration officer only asked me simple questions like my purpose in Belgium, where I’m staying and for how long.

At 10:15 in the evening, I was finally in Brussels, Belgium. Could somebody please PINCH ME?!

Nota Bene:  Hate long queues?  Check-in online 30 hours prior to your departure.

Luggage Shopping

According to my KLM Ticket Manila-Amsterdam-Brussels-Amsterdam-Manila, I’m allowed a free baggage of only 1 piece with the following conditions: maximum size of 62 inches for length + width + height and maximum weight of 23 kilogram.

Based on my experience with mom and colleagues alone, some Filipinos have a tendency NOT to follow instructions. Mom literally insisted that I will have no problems at all even if it’s more than 23 kilograms.  Good thing she started to listen when I make her read this info from a forum:

I suggest that you stick to the airlines rule on baggage limit. My flight was also Etihad and I was charged 15,000 Php for a 10 kilogram overweight. I suggest you send your other stuff through a freight service. I also had my other things send through philpost ~ here is the link for the rate (http://philpost.gov.ph/web/international_postage_rates.pdf)

And since I don’t want to pay a single cent more to the airlines, I told my mom that she better not test me because I definitely will have no qualms throwing stuff at the rubbish bin to avoid any excess baggage.

I’ve been traveling around Asia only and I either have a backpack or a small luggage so mom and I went shopping for a large one. I literally have the sales guy measure the luggage in front of my own eyes to see that it’s within 62 inches in total parameter.

Out of curiosity, I went to test if I will fit inside my luggage. Nyahaha.