Manila airport baggage problem

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, not so old china hand said:

Terminal 3 has had a makeover

For arrivals and International departures that may be true.  But next time you want to fly from Terminal 3 to Dumaguete or one of the outlying domestic airports they will show you to the dungeon.  It is on the very lowest, ground floor.  It is packed with seating and a sign on the wall says "Don't sit on the floor".  Another sign says "Put your baggage on the floor as people need to sit down".  The seats are worse than most bus or ferry terminals.  There is almost no signage to give updated flight information.  You have to cram onto a bus to get to the plane.  I pity the fool who has to use the poor excuse for a toilet while waiting.  The places to buy food are limited and poor quality.  The service is almost non-existent.

There is a 5 gallon jug of "free water for passengers only" in one corner but there are never any cups.  The people who know that are the employees so they regularly come over with their own cup to get some free water.  The passengers sitting near you will be stinky from a lot of travelling.  One took off his shoes and I could not stand the smell so I moved a few rows away.  The guy got up to use the toilet and came back . .  only to sit 2 seats away from my new location.  I moved away and stood up for the rest of my wait.

On my last trip the air conditioner was broken so the smell of sweaty bodies was a bit worse than normal.  Maybe it will be better when they get windows that open and a fan, since they cannot keep the aircon working. 

Sound like a good terminal to you?  Just thought I would explain why it is on the bottom of my list.  But as I said, International arrivals and departures are not that bad in terminal 3.  They just don't give a f**k about their own people traveling domestically.

[bastonjock]

Groan ,I'm flying into terminal 3 I'm march , I have an 8 hour layover , if it's possible I'll try to stay in the international lounge before I fly down to Davao

I will update on my experience

[Gary D]

The problem as I see it is that the lounge are all airside so not available if you are changing terminals. Later in the year I'm flying into Lima arriving at 22.30, my flight to Cuzco is 08.00, planes can only get in in the morning. Both the international lounges are airside so can't use the international and can't us the domestic lounge until checkin two hours before the flight, so have to bunk down in the public area for 5-6 hours. Manila is no different if you land at NAIA and have to cross to one of the other terminals.

[Dave Hounddriver]

56 minutes ago, Gary D said:

The problem as I see it is that the lounge are all airside so not available if you are changing terminals

Are you talking of a specific airport where the lounges are all airside? 

I know there is a Plaza Lounge in HKIA that is not inside the secure area.  I use it often, but each airport is likely to have a different layout.

[bastonjock]

9 hours ago, not so old china hand said:

My recent experiences have not been too bad. Terminal 3 has had a makeover and had at least one comfortable coffee shop open 24 hours the last time I had an early flight from there (2016).

As I mentioned a couple of months ago Philippine Airlines  have a transit lounge in Terminal 2 for those using PAL on international flights with a stopover in Manila. This has comfortable armchairs in a room that is well-lit if one wishes to read, a darkened room with loungers for those that wish to sleep and showers. In my case I was also given a voucher for breakfast that could be used in a coffee shop in the departure area.

 

 

Thank goodness ,I've just checked my ticket and I land and exit from terminal 2

[Mike J]

22 hours ago, Jake said:

Remember the bullet scam at NAIA?  Is the same airport general manager still holding that position?  

Probably got a promotion? 

[Clermont]

7 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Probably got a promotion? 

No Mike, he got the bums rush, last year when we were there, even the the bag trolley blokes wouldn't take a tip. Might have reverted back to the old ways by now. Change doesn't last long over there. 

[Old55]

23 hours ago, Clermont said:

No Mike, he got the bums rush, last year when we were there, even the the bag trolley blokes wouldn't take a tip. Might have reverted back to the old ways by now. Change doesn't last long over there. 

Agree 100%

Old ways die hard especially when it’s easy money.

[virginprune]

On 22 January 2018 at 4:36 PM, bastonjock said:

Groan ,I'm flying into terminal 3 I'm march , I have an 8 hour layover , if it's possible I'll try to stay in the international lounge before I fly down to Davao

I will update on my experience

I'm curious as to why you are flying in to Manila if your destination is Davao? I have always flown straight to Davao via Singapore from the UK.

[JJReyes]

NAIA is your typical Philippine political patronage system. Whoever is in power gets to dole out jobs. It is not a merit system.

One can argue that the same thing happens in the West. The party in power takes over and removes those who were from the previous one. In the Philippines, you can't really fire anyone. All you do is add another bureaucratic layer. This creates chaos and the opportunity for graft.