Big Jim’s Philippines Experience

There are 4 airport terminals in Manila for the public to use. They are all situated on the one area of land and use the same runways.

They are:

1. The new international terminal which is now designated Terminal 3. It was supposed to be the terminal for all international flights but that does not look like it will happen any time soon. Presently tthe only international flights are for Cebu Pacific. It is also operating as the domestic terminal for Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines (now incorporating PAL express) plus any jet aircraft flights for Seair and Zest
2. The old international terminal known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 1 (NAIA1). It handles all international flights except for Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.
3. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 2 (NAIA2). Also known as Centennial 2. In general, this airport only handles Philippine Airlines flights, both domestic and international. It is V shaped and has domestic at one end and international at the other. The building utilises much glass and when you are waiting for a flight, the only thing separating domestic and international passengers is some very thick glass.
4. Domestic Terminal for all prop planes for Zest and Seair

Instructions for negotiating each terminal

TERMINAL 1

At NAIA1, after you pass through customs, there are 2 sets of glass doors. After the first set of glass doors, there are ATM machines to the left and money changers to the right. The money changers have different rates so shop around. One of the ATM machines on the left is a BPI. BPI dispenses P10,000 in a single withdrawal and is a good way to get cashed up before you hit the city. They accept Cirrus, Maestro, Mastercard, VISA and AMEX.

Through the second set of glass doors is the car hire people and Yellow airport taxis. Yellow airport taxis charge higher rates than normal white taxis but they still use the meter. It is P70 flagfall and P4 per 200 metres plus P4 per minute waiting time.

If you are being collected, you have to cross the road from the second set of glass doors and go down a ramp. There are two ramps, right or left but they both end up in the same place. If the first letter of your last name starts with A to M, choose the left hand ramp. If the first letter of your last name starts with N to Z, choose the right hand ramp. At the bottom of the ramps there is a road. It acts as a dividing barrier between passengers and those coming to greet them. The passenger side is divided up alphabetically. You wait in the area corresponding to the first letter of your last name. IE if your last name is Sibbick, go and wait by the sign with the letter S. The greeters side is also divided up alphabetically. The greeter waits in the area corresponding to the first letter of the last name of the passenger they are waiting for. I can’t verify this but a person greeting me said she had to pay P30 to pass through the gate and cross the road to meet me. 

If you are being met by a van from a hotel, just wait by a letter designated by them as hotel vans usually pick up multiple people. Otherwise, if you are the only one, wait by the sign relating to your last name and they will just drive along the road and stop at your letter.

TERMINAL 2

After exiting your international flight, you descend stairs to the passport control and customs area. Plus there is a transfer desk and a single money changer. It is all in one big room. If you will transfer to a domestic PAL flight, your luggage is booked all the way through and you did not get your boarding pass in your home country, get it at the transfer desk before going through passport control. To avoid a delay here, it would be much better to ask for your international and domestic boarding passes before you board in your home country.

After passport control, if your luggage is booked all the way through on a domestic flight, take your luggage off the carousel and take it to the INTERNAL customs inspector (on the opposite side of the room to the customs inspectors near the exit doors). After the inspection, they will tag your luggage as inspected and put it back on the luggage carousel so it can be placed on your domestic flight. If you are from North America, you may have different instructions. Check the PAL inflight magazine during your international flight for your transfer instructions.

The one and only money changer is just near the customs inspectors. So change your money before you pass customs. After customs, you are outside. There is probably another moneychanger somewhere in the airport complex but this is the only one anywhere near the international arrivals

If you need to get cash from an ATM, there is only one ATM machine near the exit. It is BPI which dispenses P10,000 at a time and only accepts MASTERCARD, CIRRUS MAESTRO and AMEX. For more ATM machines go upstairs to the domestic departures.

If you are transferring to a domestic PAL flight it is upstairs and to the right.

If you are being met, walk out to the footpath (sidewalk) and choose a bay. The bays are all numbered. The numbers near international arrivals start at 1. If you need to ring someone, there is a bank of payphones which work on cash or credit cards near bay 2.

The Yellow metred airport taxis are also near bay 2

TERMINAL 3
I have not arrived on an international flight, only domestic flight. However, I believe that the international flights use the same room as the domestic flights because it is set up for international use. After you descend the escalator, you will see a money changer directly in front of you. It is the one and only money changer in this area. There is another money changer in the building. They are located on level three in the departures area. After you collect your luggage, you go through a set of glass doors. You are then in a very long open area. There are only 2 atm machines here. They are RCBC and PNB. They only accept VISA and PLUS. I enquired about other ATM machines and was told there were none. If you want to go to the level 3 departure area, it is to the left and up the escalator.

After the ATM machines, you go through another set of glass doors and then you are outside on the footpath (sidewalk). Terminal 3 has numbered bays too. The Yellow metred airport taxis are to the right. If you are being met, make an arrangememt as to which bay you will be in. I saw public phones but I don’t remember seeing any that accept credit cards.

Old domestic terminal

The terminal is the type where you have to walk accross the tarmac to your plane and walk accross the tarmac when you exit the plane. Arrivals is one big room. You enter from one end, pick up your luggage and exit to the taxis at the other end. The taxi rank and outdoor area is fairly small so finding a Yellow metred airport taxi or someone meeting up with you is very easy.

Departures
- Regardless of the terminal, on departure, dress light if you can as they make you take off shoes, belts, hats and caps to be x-rayed.
- Terminal fees are P200 per person for domestic flights and P750 per person for international flights. Filipinos and some foreigners also have to pay a travel tax when leaving the Philippines. It varies according to the class of travel. For instance, for an economy flight it is P1620 per person. Check here for information on who has to pay and how much
http://www.philtourism.gov.ph/ttax.html
- Recommended check in for international flights is now 3 hours.
- Recommended check in for some domestic flights is now 2 hours. Cebu Pacific now ask for 2 hours advance check in for domestic flights. Regardless, do not try and check in less than 45 minutes before a domestic departure as people are now being turned away.
- NAIA terminal 1 has pay lounges. That is, you can pay a fee and have similar facilities as a first class passenger, regardless of your class of travel. There is no such facility at terminals 2 or 3. Terminal 2 has no actual restaurants in their departure waiting area, just stalls for buying snacks and drinks. Some of the stalls have stand up tables for eating off. There is however a smokers lounge/bar between international and domestic. It has a glass divider. Domestic passengers on one side and international passengers on the other. Terminal 3 has Jolleybee and some other fast food restaurants in the pre departure area. In the waiting area near the gates, they have stalls with pasulabong (souvenirs) and stalls with snacks.

Manila Shuttle
Many people have asked if you can get a free shuttle between terminals. The answer is yes but do not rely on it. One time I was travelling Cebu Pacific. On arrival at the domestic terminal, I enquired at the transfer desk about a free shuttle to the international airport. They said yes but go and get your luggage first. When I enquired again they said yes, it will be about 20 minutes wait and they directed me to a group of chairs between the luggage carousels to wait. That was 3pm. The shuttle arrived at 4.35pm. My plane didn’t depart until 7.40pm so for me, it was wait for the shuttle at the domestic airport or wait at the international airport. So, I waited for the shuttle. If you have a short time between flights, arrange a taxi!

Mactan Airport, Cebu

The Mactan airport has domestic at one end and international on the other. Terminal fees on departure are the same as Manila. After exiting your international flight, you will descend the stairs or escalator then find yourself in one big room with passport control, money changer, luggage carousel and customs. The one and only money changer is just near the luggage carousel. After you pass customs, you are outside on the roadway. There is a BPI atm machine between international and domestic but it has never been working when I tried it. So, you may have to wait for Cebu City before you can access money from an ATM machine. I personally just get my driver to stop at HSBC on the way to the hotel. HSBC allows P40,000 in a single withdrawal and accepts VISA, PLUS, MASTERCARD and CIRRUS. Regardless of if you arrive on a domestic or international flight, people waiting to meet you are behind a fence on the other side of the road. There are 2 gates, one at the domestic end of the fence and one at the international end of the fence. I didn’t see the yellow metred airport taxis but I am told they are upstairs at the departure area. So to get there you would cross the road, go to the right hand end of the fence, go through the gate and up the stairs to the taxis. Otherwise, there are still coupon taxis to the right, near the arrivals area.

Enjoy your trip! 

:)