I usually choose to fly low-cost airlines, especially if the trip is short. Hence, heading out from Manila to Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay Island, is no exception. So for those who are curious about how it is to fly from Manila to Caticlan via Cebu Pacific, allow me to share this flight experience of mine.
Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Caticlan eight times daily; hence, you will definitely not have a hard time choosing a flight time that is perfect for your itinerary. Aside from that, you may also fly from Cebu and Clark to Caticlan. Another good thing about a Cebu Pacific flight is that you can customize your service. You can choose to get a flight with absolutely no frills and without any checked-in luggage. However, in my case, I had checked-in luggage with me, but I really don’t care about food since the flight would be relatively short. You may pre-order meals, though, but for me, you’d rather save and just wait until you get to Boracay. But anyhow, they still sell food on board no matter what.
This was actually my first time flying to Boracay via Caticlan. Way back, I would always choose to fly via Kalibo because Caticlan at that time did not accommodate jets. Plus, the fares were totally expensive. For Kalibo, we utilized jets, and fares were affordable. That was before, but it’s different now. Caticlan can now accommodate jets, thanks to a longer runway after they bulldozed a mountain just to extend it.
Flight Details
My flight, 5J 899, was supposedly departing at 9:40 a.m. It was a perfect time because the check-in time at the hotel was still at 2 p.m. Hence, being the early bird I am, I arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 as early as 7:00 a.m. Check-in was a breeze since I had checked in online prior to the flight, and yes, I was able to secure a window seat in order to vlog.
NAIA Terminal 3 Experience Was Not Good
The experience that I hated the most is, you guessed it right, the airport. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Not only was it packed, but there was hardly any place to eat after you check in. All tables are full; all seats are full. Not many choices of restaurants, either. You even have more choices outside the departure area. But once you’ve checked in, it’s terrible. Since there were not many places to eat, I had to eat my breakfast on top of this divider while standing up. I even noticed some passengers already seated on the floor. No wonder why NAIA is a consistent recipient of the world’s worst airport list. I hope this changes soon, especially with the Bulacan airport currently under construction.
After eating, I headed to the boarding gate, which is a bus gate. After a few minutes of waiting and wandering, we boarded the bus to our aircraft.
Our Plane
The plane we took was an Airbus A320-200, otherwise known as A320ceo, carrying the registry RP-C4107. The aircraft is relatively young, at 7.2 years of age. However, please do take note that an aircraft’s age is not measured by years, but by the number of pressurization cycles.
The cabin holds 180 all-economy seats with a seat pitch of 29 inches and a width of 17 inches. Honestly, I prefer these older seats to the newer Recaro SL3710 seats found on their newer planes like the A321neo, A320neo, and A330neo.
While I do love the new designs of Cebu Pacific’s cabins, I just find the old seats more comfortable since they are thicker and can be reclined. However, the planes with SL3710 ultra-thin seats are equipped with charging ports.
Delayed Flight Due to Congestion in the Airport
Our flight was delayed by an hour due to congestion at the Manila airport. However, it’s okay because the check-in time was still 2 p.m., so it did not quite bother me. Our flight was full, the plane was cold enough, and the seats were comfortable. The flight attendants did their safety demo and safety check afterward. As usual, there were some passengers who needed to be reminded three times to put up their window shades and to put their seats in the upright position.
After waiting for more than 20 minutes at NAIA RW13, we were next to take off. Everything was smooth. Skies were also clear, and after a few minutes, the fasten seatbelt sign was switched off.
Very Smooth Flight
Our flight was just 50 minutes, so the cabin crew had to do everything fast. It would be an extra challenge if people still ordered food, as they had to do things quicker. After distributing pre-purchased meals and those purchased on the spot, they still had to conduct fun games and afterward, collect donations for UNICEF, their CSR project. The crew was definitely fast, and it seems like they are used to such quick flights. Besides, if Cebu Pacific flies to Caticlan eight times daily, I guess the majority of the crew have already flown the route.
After less than 50 minutes in the air, we were finally landing in Caticlan. The landing was somewhat firm due to a positive landing approach since the runway is still quite short. Plus, the winds were quite strong, especially since the airport is very near the shoreline. Positive landing is very much normal and is done for safety reasons, especially if the runway is short, if the winds are strong, and if it is raining or the runway is wet.
Now here’s the strange thing about Caticlan airport. Since the bigger terminal is still in its skeletal phase, there are two terminals. One is for arrivals, and the original terminal is for departures. We parked at the arrival terminal, where planes from different airlines kept arriving. However, after landing, our plane experienced some APU problems, most likely. Hence, we were not able to disembark immediately. In fact, the next Cebu Pacific flight from Manila arrived a few minutes later, but their passengers disembarked first. After a few minutes, it was our turn to disembark.
Why Choose a Low-Cost Airline for Caticlan
If you ask me personally what time of flight you should take from Manila to Caticlan, a low-cost airline like Cebu Pacific would do. The flight time is short, and you don’t need the extra frills like food, and you pay less. Of course, checked-in luggage is a must, which you can also avail of when you customize your Cebu Pacific flight.
How was my flight? It was great, except for the airport experience. We really need a new airport, and NAIA Terminal 3 has gone beyond its operating capacity. It’s no longer passenger-friendly. However, choosing Cebu Pacific was indeed very much worth it, and basically, everything from check-in to boarding to take-off all the way to arrival was hassle-free, sans the delays at the airport and the APU problem, which was tolerable.
You may watch the whole experience below:
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
