It’s that time of year again when we celebrate Christmas and New Year’s! For the first time in years, we will be celebrating these reunions in person; gone are the virtual Zoom parties. Many Filipinos will be returning to our regions and nation. As a result, here are some reminders for anybody flying this holiday season.
Leave your homes early for the airport
Expect heavy traffic to the airport. Expect significant traffic in all locations leading to the NAIA or Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex in Manila, including NAIAx, Mia Rd, Andrews Ave., and so on. Allow at least two hours for travel in order to be at the airport on time.
Be at the airport at least three hours earlier
You should be at the airport at least two hours before your domestic flight and three hours before your international trip. However, due to the increased traffic, I recommend that you be at the airport at least 3 hours before your domestic flight and 4 hours before an international departure. It is preferable to wait longer than to be delayed by your flight. Even if your flight is delayed, attempt to arrive on time as if it is not delayed.
Use online check-in
If your flight has it, attempt to check in online. It expedites the departing procedure. Furthermore, this guarantees you a seat on the plane. So, in order to check-in online, consider downloading your airline’s mobile app or visiting their website.
Make sure your luggage are within the weight limit
This is especially true for your hand-carry products. Cebu Pacific, for example, is quite stringent about this. They weigh your carry-on stuff, so make sure you stick to the 7kg limit or whatever your airline has. Check that you can lift them into the overhead compartments as well. It is not the flight attendant’s responsibility to assist you in loading your bags into the overhead compartment. As a passenger, you are fully responsible for this.
Expect delays especially to and from NAIA
On a regular season, NAIA is already crowded. What’s more this holiday season. While airlines try their best to minimize delays, they are sometimes beyond their control, particularly if you are traveling into and out of a packed airport like NAIA. Take-off delays are possible, especially if you are the fifth or sixth aircraft in the take-off sequence. To give you an idea, the average wait time between each aircraft during the take-off procedure is 5 minutes. So, if you are told that you are sixth in the take-off sequence, you may have to wait roughly 30 minutes before taking off.
Why can’t you take off immediately after the airplane in front of you takes off? This is done to avoid flying into wake turbulence caused by the aircraft taking off ahead of you. When flying into wake turbulence, your plane might crash, especially at low altitudes.
Be nice to your airline crew and staff
You may experience delays and inconveniences owing to risky flying conditions and incidents beyond the control of your airline and airline crew. I realize how annoying it might be for us guests and travelers, but there is nothing wrong with being nicer and more understanding. Furthermore, keep in mind that these crew and employees are missing their Christmas reunions in order to assist you and ensure you attend your reunions. I understand that it is a core part of their work, but we can always choose to be kinder and more understanding.
Expect full flights
Yes, your flight is likely to be full. Be patient throughout meal service. Your meal will also be served by your cabin crew. There’s no need to rush them to serve you just because you’re hungry. There may be other travelers that are hungry as well. There is no need to press the call button many times unless there is a medical emergency that requires quick response. Simply be patient. Your cabin crew will also attend to your needs.
Don’t forget to greet and thank your flight crew and ground crew
It would be even more nice to thank them after your flight. While this is entirely optional, it would be wonderful to offer these small gestures that may mean a lot to your hardworking crew.
Don’t forget to follow basic aircraft etiquette during your flights to prevent bothering other passengers and jeopardizing the flight’s safety.
So safe travels to all who will be traveling this holiday season! Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
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!
