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From another travel site. Remember this the next time you have a little delay going to San Jose.

On low-cost-carriers and the Phillipines
Posted: 8/5/06 05:26

From the A2-board, a must read for the LCC-fans:

"....well after a typhoon ravaged week it's Friday and time to head for Hong Kong airport for my flight home...

Now Hong Kong airport is truly one of the busiest and most efficient airports in the world..

except for low cost budget carriers..

the return home...the nightmare continues..

arrive at hong kong airport at 4pm for a 7:40pm departure

why arrive so early...

simple

so I can eat as much food as i can before the flight

ok the first thing u will want to do is check which isle is the check in for cebu pacific..

hahaha...good luck...they are not even listed on any of the information boards around this huge airport..

so scratching my bald head, i make my way to the customer information center..a very efficent center with staff speaking many languages..

I'm greeted..hello, Sir..how can i be of assistance?

I ask, please can u tell me what section cebu pacific check in counters are located..

answer...oh um..cebu pacific is a low cost airline...sir check in counters are not allocated for them until 2 hours before the flight and I have no idea where they will allocate them..come back at 5:40pm and hopefully I can advise u more..

great..a airline thats not realy wanted here with no check in counters and not even listed as a departing airline..

yeah the picture is starting to evolve now...

ok 5:30pm arrives and back to information centre and told go to row 'G"

yee haw..off to row "G" and yes of coarse..I should have known..just look for the mass chaos area with queues a mile long and for sure thats a filipino airline..

found it with all filipino staff...oh Phuck..here we go again..

4 check in counters...13 staff but only 1 check in counter open..

ah yes of coarse..filipino logic at work...but i could never understand filipino logic..not sure those two words should be in the same sentence..

6:10pm..at front of check in counter...

conversation goes likes this..

hi sir...r u in the right line?

yes im sure

but sir this is Cebu Pacific going to Manila

yeah im aware of that..

but sir ur a foriegner..

I'm stunned..I stand there for a second and look in the mirror behind the girl and say
shit sweetie..ur right..thanks for telling me

sorry, Sir but not many foriegners on this flight

Sweetie, can u please check me in as we have just wasted almost 10 minutes chatting to each other...

yes sir..no problem no rush sir as we have not been allocated a gate yet...

here we go again

Sir, just go thru immigration and wait near the information boards and our flight will eventually be allocated a gate..

ok speed thru immigration as normal for Hong Kong and inside to see 1000s of people laying all over the floor around the info boards and as I look up my horror has come true..

u see it was pissing down rain and every flight was delayed or canceled or backed up in the air for hours so I think as its only 30 minutes before departure time and I may want to go to airline information counter and ask info on my flight..

this next conversation was phucking hillarious..

Yes, Sir, may I help u?
Yes, I'm looking for gate for Cebu Pacific to Manila..
a moment as she checks her computer and then..

Sir, r u sure u got the right airport as I can't find anything about Cebu Pacific..

umm..right airport..let me check..boarding pass..yes
immigration stamp..yes
Hong Kong to Manila ticket..yes

Yes, Sweetie, I'm sure

Oh yes, Sir, there it is..Cebu Pacific..low cost airline from the Philippines...Sir, I'm sorry gates are only allocated for low cost airlines 10 minutes before departure time

oh really but the boarding pass says that the gates close 15 minutes before departure, so that means the flight closes before gate allocation..

answer..a classic...YES, SIR

its 6:45pm now and BINGO!..up flashes a gate allocated to my flight along with a FINAL CALL light...gate 47

now only those who have been to Hong Kong airport will know that gate 47 is almost to the end of the terminal and if u walk it u will need at least 30 minutes so u need to take the computerized train which will take about 5 minutes..

so off I go to the train and I arrive and still have a 300 metre walk to gate 47 when im greeted ...

hurry sir quickly the flight is about to close...

oh ok..im coming,,,is everyone on board already..

U READY FOR THIS...AH filipino staff

No, Sir, only 12 people..we waiting on the rest..

So why the big rush to get me aboard?

the classic filipino reply..

I DONT KNOW sir, it's the rules

man I could have pissed myself laughing right there on the spot..

I said, Sweetie, I will be just over there in the smoking lounge having a cigarette..u can see me right..

Yes, Sir, I can see u

Then please wave at me when we are ready to go..ok

No, Sir, it's not allowed..u need to get on board now

why..I say..no one is here yet...

Sir, it's the rules..

bye im going for cigarette..

5 minutes later as i watch the gate only about 10-15 poeple board the plane and i catch in my eye the little filipina girl waving frantically at me and signalling me to board..

to cut a long story short...

55 minutes I spent in the smoking room before we where anywhere near ready to depart..

ok on board and what's this..within 5 minutes we are being pushed back and the engines starting..

im in total disbelief..we are leaving so quick after boarding...

as we move slowly along the taxi area the plane suddenly stops and I hear..

ding, ding...oh Phuck,, I know who that is..

"This is the captain speaking..due to bad weather and that we are 24th plane in sequence to depart we will be waiting here for approx. 1 hour 10 minutes to allow priority aircraft to take off and land as we are a low cost airline and have to wait for clearance behind other priority airlines.."

zzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzz..fast asleep

ding, ding...awakes me

"Ladies and gentlemen we have clearance for take off and will be departing SOON"

operative word..SOON

ok its now 8:45pm and still waiting...we move to the side of a runway as I can see departing and arriving aircraft and the all of a sudden like a crazed trike driver the captain hits the throttle and without hesitation scoots up the runway and off.

the way it was done I have never experienced before but my guess was...get in fast between aircraft...similar to jeepney traffic in Manila..

anyway we are in the air and the FOOD arrives....yummy...noodles again but there must have been a price hike in noodles in the past week coz now the price was 120p but who was I to question filipino monetary policy..

So I'm served my delicious chicken instant noodles but wait, no spoon

I tell the hostess I need a spoon and u guessed it but I wouldnt have believed it..

I was only the 6th person to be served..

Sorry, Sir..we ran out of spoons..

hehe..ok I'm sitting here with a plastic instant noodle bowl with no spoon...

I'm stunned and confused trying to figure out how I'm going to eat it, when the hostess
leans over to me and says...

Are u ok, Sir?.

ummm..I'm not sure..have u got any suggestions how I can eat these noodles without a spoon?

Now for the return comment that floors me...

Yes, Sir..if u wait for those people in front of u to finish we will wash the plastic spoon and hand
them to other passengers waiting..

Now u all think I'm joking but on my mother's life, I swear this to be true..

Anyhow I give the noodles back to the hostess and I say..

Thank u but I'm not hungry now.

She replies.."but, Sir, we can not refund ur money"

I didn't ask but I needed to get off this aircraft ASAP before I go insane..

Touchdown Manila "Shit Shed" terminal and I won't bore u with the waiting details as I'm sure u have all experienced that terminal..

12:45am I arrive at my hotel

OK, sure I only paid 7900p ($154) for the return flight but after this experiment I can assure u that budget airlines are right off my radar forever.."

Thanks Wit for the entertaining post.
Air Asia sometimes offer some cheap flights from Bangkok to Cambodia for around 10 bucks. Seems like a good deal but, after reading your article, not sure it would be.
Later, SB

The old President Airline that flew from BKK to Phonm Penh was a real jewel. One old time traveler told me about a trip 10 years or so ago, The guy in line behind him had a pistol in his belt. Airport security was right on top of him, they made him unload the gun and put the ammo in one pocket and the pistol in the other pocket, all was well.

Another guy said the PrezAir would not announce departure to the passangers nor landings, they would just pull out. Once they had a guy working on the wing when the pilot started to taxi out. It didn't appear that the job was done as they had oil leaking out of the hatch where the mechanic had been working. He continued on that the light didn't work in the toilet so you had to use a flashlight and the flight attendent had to hold the door closed as the latch didn't work.

Another guy suggested checking for duct tape. If you see duct tape, you might want to rethink the trip, if you see lots of duct tape, you might want to pray.

Shamas O'D

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Shamas O'Dognasty
Gourmet Catering & Septic Tank Cleaning

In this case it sounds like the low cost airlines get hosed by the HK airport.

I have flown a number of the low cost carriers around SE Asia. Flew AirAsia from Jakarta to Batam, Indonesia and from Singapore (SIN) to BKK. Have flown Tiger Airways twice from Clark (Angeles) to SIN and once in the other direction. Used JetStarAsia from SIN to Phuket.

Most of the low cost carriers are fairly new and have newer aircraft. AirAsia has newer 737s with leather seats. Tiger uses the small Airbus. The biggest hassle is the open seating, luggage restrictions and leg room. There is kind of a mad dash when the gate opens. But I have always been able to get to a window or isle seat in an exit row for the extra legroom. JetStarAsia assigns seats but only at the check in counter.

I've had good luck with the low cost carriers. But I've never been to HK. Will be interesting to see how the new BKK airport works out.

_________________
MidnightRider

funny travel story. Wonder how different things are now?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

what a nightmare...kinda makes flying southwest seem impeccable by comparison

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When I was born, I was given a choice - a big pecker or a good memory.... I don't remember what I chose.

Thanks for the entertaining read Working in the industry, I've seen it personally many times. I am going to be travelling through HKG on my way to the PI in a few months and it will be my first time in Hong Kong, so i'll soon see the madness for myself. Luckily though, I'll most likely be taking Cathay Pacific since I get an interline employee rate with them, so hopefully, they have a bit better service then you experienced with Cebu.