Flight Reports – Page 10 – The Wknd Travel

Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital

Hola to another flight report! Last time I shared with you how my Jakarta to Yogyakarta on Indonesia Air Asia went. It was a winner for the price but just okay in all other aspects. There are a lot of points which they can improve on such, as seat quality, legroom & flight punctuality.

Today, I will share with you my Indonesia Air Asia flight back to Jakarta from Yogyakarta. I really didn’t have plans of covering this flight, but my great experience forced me to do so. I’m calling this a redemption flight – a redemption of all the not-so-good experiences I had on the flight to Yogyakarta.

Believe it or not, we used the same old aircraft back to Jakarta. There’s not much I can do with these details but the service topped it all. Allow me to share with you some details of this amazing flight. Please expect a shorter review this time as most details are already mentioned in the previous Indonesia Air Asia post.

indonesia air asia

As mentioned in my previous flight report, Indonesia Air Asia is a low cost airline that is based in Jakarta Airport. It is the Indonesian counterpart of Air Asia Berhad based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline currently flies to over 20 destinations in Indonesia, Southeast Asia & even in Australia. It operates an all economy class Airbus A320 fleet. Just like any other low-cost carrier, the airline offers basic flight services. Any additional service needs to be purchased.

Ticket

I paid ₱3,155 for a Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta return ticket with Indonesia Air Asia. I booked the ticket 6 weeks before the scheduled flight. I still consider the fare cheap considering it was booked a few weeks before the flights. The ticket includes complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage per way – a great add-on for the ticket. I hope all low-cost carriers offer this even just to its domestic services.

flight details

The flight was operated by a 6.2-year old Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an all economy class configuration. The plane has a 180-seating capacity & has 30 rows of 6 seats each. The flight departed Adi Sucipto International Airport on time & arrived Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta 40 minutes ahead of schedule. The flight only took 1 hour 1 minute back to Jakarta. It surely made it up from the flight I had a few days before.

CHECK-IN, BAGGAGE & BOARDING

Indonesia Air Asia uses Terminal B in Adi Sucipto International Airport. I arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight & the check-in counters were packed. If I can remember it correct, I was 15th in the line. It took me about an hour to check-in. The check-in process was very disorganized. For me, this was the only let down of the flight. It was the total opposite of the check-in experience I had on the flight to Yogyakarta.

As mentioned above, all passengers were given 15-kilograms complimentary check-in baggage allowance. I checked-in my luggage to reduce the inconvenience of walking with a heavy bag. This free add-on is definitely a win for the airline – a low-cost carrier offering free baggage allowance. Great job, QZ!

Indonesia Air Asia, just like any other Air Asia flights, board passengers via seat numbers. They prioritize Premium Flex guests & those assigned on Rows 1-5, 12 & 14. Passengers seated from rows 15-30 come next & those seated from rows 6 to 11 board last. The boarding process in this flight was smooth & organized. It didn’t take us long to board the aircraft.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

The airline’s system automatically assigns seats to all passengers days before the flight. If the passenger doesn’t like the seat assigned to him / her; he / she has the option to choose a preferred seat with an additional fee. This can still be done during check-in process. I was lucky enough to get an exit seat- well not just exit but the front-most seat, 1E. I was in the middle of 2 Malaysian guys who know each other so I offered to exchange seat with one of them. I eventually got seat 1D by the aisle. The legroom on these 1st row seats were the best. It had so much space. The seats of this 6.2-year old aircraft are due for change. Their seat covers are already old & over-used. I hope the airline changes them soon. Just like the CGK-JOG flight, the seat belts on this aircraft were too tight.

Indonesia Air Asia doesn’t offer complimentary meals. Snacks & rice meals are available for pre-order during booking or during the flight itself. The available items can be found in the Santan Magazine provided in every seat pocket. The airline also doesn’t have in-flight entertainment systems. They only provide a seat pocket consisting of the airline’s magazine, Duty Free brochure & the safety card.

lavatory

I was seated in the 1st row, so I had the chance of checking the aircraft’s lavatory. I’d say the crew did a fantastic job in maintaining the front toilet clean all throughout the flight. They offered the basic amenities like tissue & liquid hand soap.

cabin crew service

Cabin crew service was probably the most outstanding part of this redemption flight. The crew were helpful & super friendly. They didn’t make any unnecessary noise during the flight. Believe it or not, meal & food service was finished 15 minutes after take-off. All of the cabin crew were attentive to all of the guests requests. I’m glad I experienced the genuine Air Asia hospitality in this flight. Hats off to the crew assigned to this flight last August.

verdict

Overall, my Indonesia Air Asia flight from Yogyakarta to Jakarta on QZ 7551 was awesome. The airfare, assigned seat, boarding process, early arrival, complimentary baggage allowance & cabin crew service made this flight my best QZ flight so far (had about 5 – 7 QZ flights in the past.)

The only dent I saw on this almost perfect flight was the long & disorganized check-in process & the old aircraft used for the flight. Everything was great aside from those things. I am happy that Indonesia Air Asia redeemed themselves in this flight back to Jakarta. Will I fly them again? OF COURSE. Nothing beats their affordable fares & amazing schedules, plus the complimentary baggage allowance. I personally don’t mind flying low-cost carriers to nearby destinations.

For those of you who are interested on the flight & aircraft information, check out the details below.

Airline: Indonesia Air Asia
Flight Date: 26 August 2019
Flight Number: QZ 7551
Route: Yogyakarta (JOG) – Jakarta (CGK)
Duration: 1:01 hours
Seat Number: 1D
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: PK-AZE
Age: 6.2 Years
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you ever flown with Indonesia Air Asia? If yes, how was your flight experience? If not, do you plan to fly with them sometime soon? Feel free to post your comments, questions, experiences & thoughts in the comments section below. You can also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you so much for joining me in today’s Flight Report. Watch out for more flight reports soon. Ciao!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City

Hello & welcome to another flight report! Today, I will share with you my experience with Indonesia Air Asia on their domestic service from the country’s capital Jakarta to the royal city of Yogyakarta. I will discuss on the fare, in-flight service, pricing, etc. just like the previous flight reports.

Let me take you to Yogyakarta (JOG) via Air Asia – Indonesia’s Royal City located in Central Jaya!

In case you missed yesterday’s post, I shared with you details about my $24 international flight last month on Cebu Pacific Air from Manila, Philippines to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was an awesome night flight – crew was great, the emergency exit seat pitch was spacious & the flight arrived on time. I was a happy passenger considering I only paid a that much for the 4-hour flight.

Be sure to also check my previous flight reports on EVA Air’s Taipei to Manila service & Cebu Pacific Air’s domestic service from Legaspi to Manila. Now back to the Indonesia Air Asia, allow me to discuss the flight details in the parts mentioned below.

indonesia Air asia

Indonesia Air Asia is a low-cost airline headquartered in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the Indonesian counterpart of Air Asia Berhad based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline currently flies to over 20 destinations in Indonesia, Southeast Asia & even in Australia. It operates an all economy class Airbus A320 fleet. Just like any other low-cost carrier, the airline offers basic flight services. Any additional service needs to be purchased.

*Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is a clean & nice airport. It has that local vibe! 🙂*

Air Ticket

You might have noticed in my previous post that my recent Indonesia trip was booked only 2 months prior. I wasn’t able to get the chance of getting really low fares for the domestic sector in Indonesia. Thank God for Indonesia Air Asia, I was able to get a Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta ticket for about ₱3,155 (amount reflected on my credit card statement.) This fare is already cheap considering it was booked 6 weeks before the trip & I was flying in & out during peak days of Friday & Monday.

The ticket summary – each flight comes with 15 kilograms complimentary checked baggage!! 🙂

The airfare includes a guaranteed seat in the flight plus 7 kilograms carry on baggage. Unlike other low-cost carriers, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage for all its domestic routes. Take note this free baggage allowance is only applicable to flights departing & arriving at an Indonesian destination. I don’t have any idea on what’s the reason behind this, but it is a great free add-on!

Flight Details

This flight service from Jakarta to Yogyakarta was operated by a 6.2-year old Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an all economy class configuration. The plane has 30 rows, with 6 seats per row.

The flight started taxiing 10 minutes after scheduled departure time & arrived 40 minutes after the scheduled arrival time at Adi Sucipto International Airport . The flight was delayed due to the busy air traffic at Yogyakarta Airport. The flight that was supposed to only take 50 minutes ended up taking 1 hour & 48 minutes. It was not Indonesia Air Asia’s fault. However, the delay still affected the flight experience.

Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Indonesia Air Asia flies from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 2 in Jakarta. Check-in counters in this terminal are spacious & efficient. Passengers are expected to check in using the self check-in kiosks located near every counter. After printing the boarding pass, passengers with check-in baggage are advised to go to the bag drop counters to leave their bags. There were no lines or whatsoever. In fact, I finished the check-in process (with bag drop – of course I had to make use of the free baggage allowance) in less than 5 minutes.

As mentioned above, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15-kilogram baggage allowance in all of its domestic sector. It is a great addition; at least passengers don’t need to purchase baggage allowance for their flights. My luggage was a little over 7 kilograms but I still checked it in. It feels good to walk around the airport without a heavy bag on your back.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

Like any other low-cost airlines, these services are for additional fees. Indonesia Air Asia assigns seats to all its guests days before the flight. If you want to change the seat assigned to you, you need to pay extra for your preferred seat. They also do not allow seat changes upon check-in. You either take your assigned seat or pay at the check-in counter for your preferred seat. In my recent Cebu Pacific Air flight, the ground staff granted by request to be seated in the emergency exit row free of charge.

The legroom – not the best. It was okay for a short flight but not for a medium / long haul flight..

I got seat 3B for this flight. I got a premium or hot seat as they call it. Is it really premium? I don’t think so. Legroom has 29-inch seat pitch – the same with Cebu Pacific Air’s. The only difference is that Air Asia’s seats are the soft, old & thick ones while Cebu Pacific Air’s seats are the thin new ones that provide more legroom for the passengers. The seats were already old up to the point my back can feel the knees of the passenger behind me. The seats & tray tables were not that clean; the seatbelts were too tight. I guess I’m not a fan of Air Asia’s seats.

In-flight meals or snacks can be pre-ordered or purchased on board. The cabin crew goes around with the snack tray & offers food to the passengers. Air Asia offers an extensive choice of snacks & drinks. The choices can be found on the airline’s inflight menu called, Santan. I didn’t avail of any meal or snack for this short flight. Airplane food for sale on-board are expensive & overpriced.

There’s nothing in front of you except for a red seat cover & magazines to read during the flight..

Indonesia Air Asia doesn’t have personal entertainment screens on their aircraft. Passengers are only given in-flight literature & Duty Free magazines to read / browse during the flight.

Lavatory

I didn’t get the chance to visit the aircraft’s lavatory during the flight. I was a bit shy to tell the person seated beside me to stand & I also didn’t feel the need to use it.

Cabin Crew Service

Air Asia’s cabin crew service is known for being passenger-friendly & hospitable. The crew on this flight isn’t an exception. They welcomed all the passengers with their smiles in their faces. They were all nice & attentive. Crew service was fast & efficient; they were able to finish meal service 20 minutes after take-off. The only downside I can remember was the noise they created in the front galley when we were waiting for landing. 2 ladies were chatting in loud voices about random stuff. Other than that, service was good.

Verdict

I had an ‘okay’ flight experience with Indonesia Air Asia on flight QZ 7550 from Jakarta to Yogyakarta last August. The flight had both hits & misses so I can’t generally say it was an awesome flight. First miss, the aircraft used was already old & some cabin features are already outdated. Seats are not comfortable; legroom isn’t that good. Second, the flight was delayed due to runway traffic in Yogyakarta Airport. It was not the airline’s fault, but then again, it has stained the flight experience. Third, cabin crew were alright. They were responsive, friendly & hospitable, but they also had unnecessary noise in the front galley towards the latter part of the flight.

The flight also had some wins. First, the fare was great. Considering I booked the ticket about 2 months into the trip; I still managed to get it for around ₱1,600 per way. Second, the ticket included a complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage allowance. This is a rare add-on for low-cost airlines – thank you Indonesia Air Asia. Lastly, check-in & boarding process was fast & efficient. It didn’t take long to finish all these processes.

At the end of the day, the airline was able to bring me to Yogyakarta for that affordable price. I am thankful I got the my destination safe & sound. Will I fly them again in the future? Maybe yes, maybe no. I really can’t say. The main deal-breaker will probably the airfare. If it’s cheap, then I’ll give it a go. If it’s almost the same as a full-service airline, I’ll go with the full-service airline.

In case you’re interested in the flight & aircraft details, check out the specifics below.

Airline: Indonesia Air Asia
Flight Date: 23 August 2019
Flight Number: QZ 7550
Route: Jakarta (CGK) Indonesia – Yogyakarta (JOG) Indonesia
Duration: 1:48 hours
Seat Number: 3B
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: PK-AZE
Age: 6.2 Years
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you ever flown with Indonesia Air Asia? Where did you fly to & how was your flight experience? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. If you want to remain anonymous to everyone, you can also send it via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! Watch out for the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia

Last month, I flew to Indonesia to spend a long weekend with my friends. We all flew to Yogyakarta to go around the city for 3 full days & visit the majestic Borobudur Temple. Watch out for the post about that trip. I first flew to Jakarta & spent the night there before continuing my journey to our destination. Believe it or not, I flew with Cebu Pacific Air for only ₱1,236 one way. It’s crazy cheap for a 4-hour flight; guess I’m lucky in getting these kinds of deals. I will share with you how my experience was on that flight. Note that I won’t be covering my Jakarta to Manila flight because I just slept the entire flight.

Did you know that I already talked about my previous Taipei to Manila flight with EVA Air & Legazpi to Manila flight with Cebu Pacific Air? Check out those flight reports in this link.

Cebu Pacific Air

As mentioned in my previous flight report, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippine’s largest airline, flying to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. The airline is known for it’s Piso Fare promotion where they offer flights for as low as ₱1 base fare. They hold these promotions at least once every quarter or during special occasions, milestones or holidays.

If you want to know more about the airline, feel free to visit their corporate website by clicking this link.

Airfare

My ticket from Manila to Jakarta & back cost me only ₱2,471 – ₱1,236 from Manila to Jakarta & ₱1,235 from Jakarta to Manila. Jakarta’s airport authority, Angkas Pura II, has pretty much the same fees & taxes imposed by our own Manila International Airport Authority. I was able to book this cheap ticket last 12 June 2019 when Cebu Pacific Air had their Independence Day Piso Fare sale.

The ticket included only 7-kg carry on baggage. I didn’t avail of any additional services because the trip only lasted for a 4 days; I didn’t have to bring a lot of stuff. What do you think of the airfare? Imagine flying 4 hours for only that much; that’s around ₱300 per hour – even cheaper than my almost an hour Grab ride to the airport.

flight information

The flight was operated by an 8-year old Airbus A320-314 aircraft – built & delivered in 2011. The plan operates an all economy class configuration with 3 seats per row & 180 seats in total. It took us 4 hours & 13 minutes to get to Jakarta, 2 minutes earlier than the airline’s allotted 4 hours & 15 minutes flying schedule. The flight had a lot of turbulence along the way, especially when we were flying to our assigned cruising altitude.

Airport Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air’s check-in facilities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 were alright. They divided the flights & check-in counters by destination. They also have a special line for web & mobile check-in & a priority lane for senior citizens, persons with disability & people travelling with infants. I already checked in via the airline’s mobile application so it only took me about 10 minutes to check-in.

One of the many Cebu Pacific Air check-in counters in Ninoy Aquino International Airport T3!! 🙂

I mentioned in my previous Cebu Pacific Air flight report that the airline offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. My recent Indonesia trip only lasted for 4 days, so I didn’t avail of any check-in baggage for my flights. In case you are wondering how much the updated baggage rates are for Cebu Pacific Air’s Jakarta route, check out the screenshot below.

The boarding process was done by sections / seats. Those travelling with infants, small children, senior citizens & those needing special assistance were asked to board first. They were followed by those seated from rows 16 to 31. The last group to board were those seated from rows 1 to 15. Boarding didn’t take us a lot of time – all passengers were already inside the aircraft about 20 minutes after boarding started.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Airline, being the country’s biggest low-cost carrier, offers all add-ons for additional fees. You can avail of these extra services as early as during the ticket booking process up until 4 hours into the flight.

Seats are automatically assigned by the airline a week before the flight. Passengers can view their assigned seats in the ‘Manage Booking’ section of the website. If any case they don’t like the seat assigned to them, they can change it & purchase their preferred seat for a fee. Alternatively, passengers can just ask for a window, an aisle or an exit seat during check-in.

Here’s the updated seat selection free for the Manila-Jakarta route. Rate as of 21 September 2019.

I was initially assigned seat 24A during this flight, but I asked the ground staff for an available emergency exit seat during check-in. Voila, I was transferred to seat 12F with no extra cost; plus I had the whole exit row to myself. The legroom on exit seats is amazing; seat pitch is big – not the usual 28 or 29 inches in a regular seat. The only downside of getting this emergency exit seat is that the seats do not recline. I guess you really can’t have it all.

Thank God for this spacious seat pitch on seat 12F; glad I was able to request for an exit seat to CGK.

Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer free in-flight meal & entertainment. Rice meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time the ticket is booked up to 24 hours into the flight. Guests who failed to purchase snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Feel free to check out these snack items at the Fun Cafe menu found in the pocket in front of each seat. I didn’t avail any snack during the flight; I made sure I had a heavy dinner before the flight. The airline also doesn’t have personal entertainment screens; they only have their in-flight magazine & duty free magazine for you to check or read.

Here are the updated prices if you decide to pre-book your in-flight meals & snacks on the website

Fun Cafe menu – this contains the treats & drinks available for purchase onboard during the flight

I didn’t really expect anything from Cebu Pacific Air in terms of these matters. They’re a low cost airline; they will only provide passengers the basic flight needs for super affordable fares. I don’t mind flying with them in short haul international destinations – you’ll arrive at your destination after a few hours.

lavatory

I used the aircraft’s front lavatory before we left Manila & prior to landing in Jakarta. I must say that the lavatory was clean & properly-maintained by the crew. Kudos to the flight crew for constantly checking on the front lavatory.

cabin crew

Cabin crew on this 4-hour flight were great & welcoming as expected. One thing I found good about this crew was how fast they finished meal service after the seatbelt sign was switched off. If I remembered it right, it only took them about 15 minutes to finish serving the pre-booked meals & offering in-flight snacks to the passengers. Also, they were super attentive to every request made by the guests & stayed alert throughout the flight. From experience, Cebu Pacific Air’s cabin crew has always been great & I’m glad that they keep that vibe throughout the years.

verdict

My flight with Cebu Pacific Air last 22 August 2019 on 5J 759 from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia was great. Even though the aircraft was already 8 years old, the in-flight facilities such as the seats, lavatory & ventilation, are up-to-date & well-maintained. The flight was on time & the cabin crew were amazing as always. Paying only ₱1,236 for this Manila to Jakarta leg was definitely a steal. You don’t get that much chance to fly to international destinations at that cheap rate. I am thankful I recently had the chance to do so.

Will I fly Cebu Pacific Air again? Of course! I will be flying them again in December when I fly back to my home town for the holidays & probably back to the metro in January, plus I have another flight with them to a new destination in February. I am already looking forward to these Cebu Pacific Air flights & I cannot wait to fly with them again with cheap fares!

Having 2 empty emergency exit seats beside you was the best thing in this 4 hour flight to CGK!! 🙂

In case you’re wondering what the statistics of this Manila to Jakarta flight are, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 22 August 2019
Flight Number: 5J 759
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK)
Duration: 4:13 hours
Seat Number: 12F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3267
Age: 8 years
Year Delivered: 2011

Have you flown with Cebu Pacific Air on a ₱1-base fare international flight? Where did you fly to & how was your experience? Feel free to share your flight experience in the comment section below. You can also share them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! My next flight report will be about a famous low-cost airline in Southeast Asia. Watch out for it soon.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila

Last month, I introduced a new section in my website called Flight Report. This section will talk about my experiences on the flights I took in the past. My 1st flight report was about our Taipei to Manila flight with EVA Air last June. It was a decent flight for such an affordable fare. Check out the post here to know more about this 5-star airline economy experience.

Weeks after the 1st post, here I am sharing with you another flight report of a recent flight I took. 2 weeks ago, I went home to my hometown to surprise my mom on her birthday. I took the bus from Manila to Bicol & took a flight back from Legazpi to Manila with Cebu Pacific Air. The flight back to Manila will be the subject of this flight report. How did the flight go? What aircraft was used for the flight? Was it on time? Find out in the text below.

Cebu Pacific Air

View from Legazpi Airport’s pre-departure area. Hello to the A320 aircraft & to Mayon Volcano! 🙂

Cebu Pacific Air is the country’s largest low-cost carrier flying to over 60 destinations within the Philippines, across Asia Pacific & the Middle East. This private airline is fully-owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. It has a wholly-owned subsidiary called Cebgo which flies to smaller airports in the country. The airline operates a fleet of 70+ planes consisting of Airbus & ATR aircraft & has new-generation aircraft orders in place.

Cebu Pacific Air is known for providing the lowest fares in the Philippine airline sector. They are famous for their ₱1-base fare promotions to all of its routes, being offered a few times a year. They also hold special & regular fare promotions that enable a lot of Filipinos travel to destinations at affordable fares. The airline is one of the founding members of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers. It also has a loyalty program known as GetGo.

Airfare

Believe it or not, I only paid ₱596.32 ($11.50) for this flight from Legazpi to Manila. The airline had a ₱11.11-base fare sale last 11 November 2018 & offered flights from Legazpi this cheap. The fare only includes 7 kilograms of carry-on baggage. Check in baggage, in-flight snacks & seat selection are offered for additional cost; basically how modern low-cost carriers work. I was only travelling light, so I didn’t need to avail of these additional services. Imagine only paying that much. The fare was cheaper than the usual bus fare from Legazpi to Manila.

Flight

I initially booked a flight for 30 July 2019. The airline changed my original flight schedule & offered change booking, full refund, travel fund storage or rerouting options. I took advantage of this flight change & booked the night flight day before.

The flight was operated by a 6-year old Airbus A320-214 aircraft delivered to the company in December 2012. It operates an all-economy class 3-3 configuration & has 180 on-board seats in total. The flight took about 42 minutes, from the scheduled 1 hour & 20 minutes flying time. It departed Legazpi Airport on time & arrived Manila Airport 30+ minutes ahead of schedule.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air provides counter, online & mobile check in for all their flights. Legazpi Airport has a relatively small but efficient check in facility. I already checked in online & have my boarding pass on my phone so I didn’t have to go through the usual counter check in. Passengers also don’t need to print their boarding passes – less paper used plus a good move for the environment.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass; didn’t go through manual check in. I removed the QR code for security purposes. The staff also asked for a government issued ID during boarding 🙂

The airline offers prepaid baggage for all their flights. Passengers have the option to include baggage at the time of booking or in the manage booking section up to 4 hours before the flight. Baggage fees vary per weight allocation & prices change as the day of the flight approaches. If you want to get reasonable baggage fees, include the baggage allocation while booking the flight or add it at least 15 minutes before the day of the flight.

Here are the check in baggage fees from Cebu Pacific Air’s official website as today, 11 August 2019.

The boarding process was alright – the flight started boarding around 20 minutes into the scheduled departure. The passengers rushed up to the gate when the ground staff announced boarding. I waited for the majority of the people to board & decided to board last. The ground staff checked my mobile boarding pass together with a valid identification card to confirm my identity.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Air offers in-flight services for additional fees. The airline automatically assigns seats to its passengers days before the flight. If the passenger wants to be seated in front or in exit seats, he / she must pay for the seat. The seats have a 28-inch pitch & a basic recline. The seats don’t have the best legroom but it’s okay for short flights. Each passenger has a seat pocket in front; the seat pocket contains the aircraft safety card & in-flight magazine.

Here’s the amount of legroom that you get when you fly on a Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320 aircraft.

Preferred seats can also be booked through the website.. Here are the rates as of 11 August 2019.

The airline doesn’t offer free in-flight meal & has no on-board entertainment. Snacks are available for pre-order in the website up to 24 hours before the flight & are also available for purchase on-board. The airline also offers items or souvenirs (blankets, eye shades, neck pillow, etc.) for sale. The full snack menu & brochure of items for sale can also be found in the in-flight Smile Magazine.

No in-flight entertainment or whatsoever. You only get a plain seat with a tray table with an ad.

Here are the meal prices as of 11 August 2019 – meal includes a free drink if you pre-book it online.

I did not avail of any add-on for this flight. It was a short flight back to Manila & I didn’t have many things with me. Basically everything beyond the free 7 kilogram carry-on baggage allowance is offered for additional fees. This is how low-cost carriers operate. They make money out of everything they can charge so they can offer fares at the lowest possible cost.

Lavatory

The flight only took 42 minutes – too short for me to use the lavatory. It didn’t take long when the seat belt sign was switched on again & when we started our descent to Manila. Perhaps, next time on a longer flight?

Cabin Crew Service

Cebu Pacific Air’s cabin crew were nice & very welcoming. They make sure that they greet all passengers upon entering & before leaving the plane. Safety instructions were shown manually by the cabin crew. They performed all necessary security checks before we departed for Manila. While on air, they walked down the aisle & sold snacks & goods to the passengers with smiles on their faces. I’ve been flying with the airline for years now & I can say that they’ve maintained their service through time. The in-flight cabin crew service was great – beyond what I expected from a low-cost airline.

Verdict

My experience with Cebu Pacific Air on 5J 328 last 29 July 2019 was awesome. The cheap ticket was a steal given my only aim was to fly back to Manila. The services were very basic – 7 kilograms free carry-on baggage & a typical low-cost airline seat pitch. Every other add-on (baggage, seat preference & in-flight snack) came with additional fees. Glad I didn’t have to avail of those additional services.

Will I fly them again? OF COURSE! Cebu Pacific Air offers a handful of flights between Manila & Legazpi every day. Having a range of convenient flight schedules to choose from (especially night flights) gives us locals more time to spend with our families in our hometown. I’ve been flying with them between Manila & Legazpi for years now & I don’t mind doing the same thing in the next few years. Thanks to this airline for offering cheap flights to & making hometown within reach.

In case you’re interested with more information about this Legazpi to Manila flight, check out the full details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 29 July 2019
Flight Number: 5J 328
Route: Legazpi (LGP) – Manila (MNL)
Duration: 42 minutes
Seat Number: 9B
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3272
Age: 6 Years
Year Delivered: 2012

One last photo of the Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A320-214 that flew me from Legazpi to Manila. 🙂 🙂

Are you a Cebu Pacific Air frequent flyer? If yes, what is your favorite destination flown by the airline? Can you share the cheapest ticket you got from them? Believe it or not, I got a Manila-Narita-Fukuoka-Manila ticket with them worth ₱1,613.19. I used this ticket last February when I went to Tokyo, Nagano, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara & Fukuoka with my family. What are your ₱1-fare stories with Cebu Pacific Air?

Feel free to share yours in the comment section below. You can also tell me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me in this Flight Report! Looks like the next flight report will be about Cebu Pacific Air again but for an international destination. Any guesses where I’m going next?

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare

Last month, I ran a poll on my Facebook page & asked you, my readers, if you are interested in reading flight / trip reports in this platform. 101 out of the 107 respondents said they want to see this type of content here. A few weeks later, here I am, sharing with you the very first flight report on this website.

Coincidentally, this is also my website’s 100th post – YES!! I believe the best way to celebrate this milestone is to introduce this new section called Flight Report. This blog section will always include information about the fare & the flight. It will also tackle experiences about the check in & boarding procedures, seat quality, in-flight service & a lot more.

My family & I flew to Taipei, Taiwan (I know – wait for the newest Taipei posts in the coming weeks) about a month ago for a 4-day father’s day weekend trip. I’ve been to Taipei twice, one in 2015 with my high school friends & the other in 2017 with my colleagues / office friends. My mom insisted that we go to Taiwan (again for me) to have another family trip since our last was Singapore in 2015. Third time’s a charm & the trip happened. We flew with Evergreen Airways, commonly known as EVA Air, for both Manila to Taipei & Taipei to Manila legs.

EVA Air

EVA Air is a privately-owned & international full-service airline based in Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. It commenced operations in 1991 & since then has been flying to multiple destinations in Asia Pacific, North America & Europe. It is also Taiwan’s second largest airline, next to the flag carrier, China Airlines. The airline is Taiwan’s 5-star carrier certified by Skytrax, an international airline & airport review company.

Let me share with you my thoughts about our EVA Air BR 277 flight last month. EVA Air runs 3 daily flights between Manila & Taipei. The flight I am about to tell you was our Taipei to Manila afternoon flight. Apologies, I wasn’t able to get as much detail as I can during our Manila to Taipei flight because of its early morning departure. I was asleep most of the time on board that Airbus A321-200 flight to Taipei.

Airfare

My family & I booked our tickets about 4 months before our intended trip. Each economy return ticket cost USD 127.32 or about PHP 6,600+ in our currency. You might think this is expensive; but it’s not. My previous tickets to Taipei cost me PHP 2,700+ return, but only provided an airline seat & carry-on baggage. It didn’t include check in baggage, food or whatsoever; the schedules were inconvenient. Our ticket to & from Taipei included in-flight meals & entertainment, 30-kilograms check in baggage per way & free seat selection. If you try to add these services to my previous tickets, it’ll be pretty much the same cost.

Details of our Manila – Taipei – Manila ticket. Each passenger only paid **USD 127.32 round-trip**.

The fare we paid for was such a great deal for a return flight to Taipei on a 5-star airline. It was worth every single peso.

Flight

BR 277 from Taipei to Manila took 1 hour & 55 minutes in the air. The plane left Taoyuan Airport a little late but managed to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on schedule. The flight used a 3.5-year old Airbus A330-300 delivered to EVA Air in 2015. The plane has 2 passenger classes – business class & economy class. Business class seats were at 2-2-2 configuration while the economy class followed a 2-4-2 seat configuration.

Check-In & Boarding

EVA Air’s Economy Class Check-in Counters at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2.

Check-in & boarding was alright. We were travelling with a kid so we were always a priority during check-in & boarding. The ground staff assisted us to a special check-in counter while we boarded the plane first among the economy class passengers. I can’t say the experience was amazing or bad because I didn’t get to experience the usual process.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

EVA Air offers a great range of in-flight services. First, seat selection is free of charge upon booking / online check-in. Take note that our fare is the lowest possible fare the airline can offer & with that, the seat selection feature is still free. The seat pitch of EVA Air’s Airbus 330-300 is 33 inches; pretty decent for me. The leg room was generous enough for it to be apt for a long haul flight. The seat was comfortable; it also featured an adjustable headrest. The seat pocket contained the necessary safety card, in-flight magazine & Duty Free brochure.

Such a generous leg room on EVA Air’s Airbus A300-300 aircraft.. Or maybe I’m not that tall? LOL

Second, in-flight meal was okay. It didn’t have the best taste, but it was decent enough to fill our stomach. And oh, they offered a full rice / pasta meal with salad & fruits on a 2-hour flight. Passengers can also choose the type of meal (low calorie, halal, vegetarian, etc.) they prefer up to 24 hours before the flight.

EVA Air provided a full rice meal with salad & dessert on a 2-hour flight from Taipei to Manila. 🙂

Third, each seat has a small touch screen monitor & an old-style remote. The in-flight entertainment had an acceptable range of movies & programs to watch. It also had a number of albums you can listen to. I wish they had more choices though. Every passenger is provided with a pair of earphones sealed in a plastic container. Each seat is also equipped with a USB port. The in-flight entertainment in my seat didn’t work for the most part of the flight. The flight attendant tried to reset it but it still didn’t function. It’s not a major issue since the flight didn’t last long.

Fourth, the cabin crew provided pillows & blankets to passengers who requested for it. Again, it is a short flight so add-ons like these are not expected, but props to EVA for having them on board (even if the supply is limited & it is only available upon request). EVA Air’s in-flight amenities on our BR 277 flight were excellent. I’m not going to complain. We got way more than what we paid for.

Lavatory

The flight only lasted for less than 2 hours. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go to the lavatory. Perhaps, I’ll check it out in my next EVA Air flight.

Cabin Crew

EVA Air’s cabin crew were alright. I only had a few encounters with them & with those times, not everyone was wearing a smile. There were one or two who were super nice & accommodating. I generally felt they’re like robots going around distributing food & getting food trays afterwards. I can’t blame them if they had to speed up their service but I think I’m just used to the hospitality of Southeast Asian airlines. It’s not the best & also not the worst, I’ve experienced worse in another airline.

Verdict

Overall, my experience with EVA Air on BR 277 from Taipei to Manila was great – extremely affordable fare for a full-service 5-star certified airline, with on-time flight departure & arrival, quick & special check-in & boarding process (thanks to my baby cousin), amazing in-flight amenities & so-so cabin crew service. I’m not going to judge the cabin crew on that flight & generalize that all EVA cabin crew are the same; perhaps that batch wasn’t having a great day.

Will I fly EVA Air again? YES, of course! They always offer extremely cheap fares to Australia, North America & Europe. I’d love to try their long haul product in the future, especially on their newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner. If you want to know more about our flight & the aircraft used, here are the complete details of it:

A glimpse of EVA Air’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I’d love to fly this new aircraft in the future!! 🙂

Airline: EVA Air
Flight Date: 18 June 2019
Flight Number: BR 277
Route: Taipei Taoyuan – Manila
Duration: 1:55 hours
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Aircraft Registration: B-16336
Aircraft Serial Number: 1690
Age: 3.5 Years
Year Delivered: 2015
Engine: 2 x GE CF6-80E1A4

Have you flown with EVA Air in the past? Was it on a short haul or long haul route? How was your experience? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about my experience or EVA in general? You can send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

One last look at the aircraft that flew us back to Manila last June ’19 – an EVA Air Airbus A330-300

Thank you very much for joining me in this very first flight report. I hope you are excited for the upcoming ones!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.