MNL-SIN-MNL

I practically have two choices when shuttling between Manila and Singapore. One is Philippine Airlines and the other is Cebu Pacific, both Philippine flag carriers. I say practically because there are other alternatives including Tiger and Air Philippines. Both have many daily flights allowing for flexibility in the schedule. Ceb Pac is usually cheaper as it is classified as a budget airline and has many promos. However, this difference is only marginal since PAL has responded to the competition with their own promos. There is also PAL's advantage of being able to field larger planes as they have a more diverse fleet of aircraft that includes wide-bodied Boeing and Airbus planes.

Perhaps an odd and unexpected consideration is also the in-flight meal, which, despite the bad take on airline food, is still a decent meal. The choices, of course, are usually limited unless one happens to be in business class, Mabuhay Class in PAL's case. I say it is a consideration because if one was to purchase a meal at the airport or in flight, like in Ceb Pac's case, one would end up shelling out the equivalent of price of the same meal or even more depending on the purchase. This because of the typical jacked up prices of food and drinks at airports and on the airplane.

It is my first time to use Ceb Pac for an international flight. PAL I have flown on many times including long haul, non-stop flights to and from the United States, so I have a very good idea of their quality of service and I use it as my benchmark for when I take other airlines. The flight via Ceb Pac would allow me to assess future travel using the airline not just between Manila and Singapore but possibly for other international destinations as well. For domestic flights that are usually 45 (Roxas City) to 90 (Davao) minutes long, I don't mind the no frills approach but for longer flights, I do mind a little more comfort even if it appears to be marginal to some people. I am considering taking Ceb Pac for traveling to Japan, for example, and in the future maybe even to the U.S. in the remote possibility that restrictions imposed by the FAA on Philippine carriers are lifted and Ceb Pac is allowed to fly long haul to U.S. destinations. In that same case, PAL would probably also increase the number of U.S. cities that it will be serving including Chicago and New York where there are substantial Filipino populations translating into sufficient demand for flights.

The verdict from last night's flight is a satisfactory rating. It is basically a passing grade but not pasang awa as we usually refer to hurdling something by the skin of one's teeth. I was satisfied with the service but wasn't particularly impressed given that there was no in-flight entertainment (even some music could have helped) and I couldn't help but notice that we and other flights had to shift from one gate to another at NAIA3. This is something that should probably be on the airport and not the airline but given the set-up at Terminal 3 where Ceb Pac is the dominant airline, I believe that they could do better with coordinating gates with the airport authorities. Finally, it was also my first time to use the budget terminal of Changi and I would have to say that though I was impressed by the terminal's design, it is something that is ideal for domestic airports like what should be for trunkline domestic airports in the Philippines. I would prefer to use the main airports anytime. And the next time will be on April when I will again be taking PAL.