Tag: Trip Report

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 922 – Manila to Fukuoka – ‘Almost-Missed’ Surprise & Free Base Fare International Flight

Hey ho & welcome to another flight report! Let’s take a break from all the Going Solo in Europe content & go back to something related to my 2nd favorite country after the Philippines – Japan. A few months ago, my friend & I flew to Fukuoka, Japan for 48 hours to surprise our close friend in her 1st international trip. Believe it or not, my friend & I spent less than ₱12,500 each for that whole trip – flights & hostel included. We flew with Cebu Pacific Air in a super affordable fare & stayed with Nekokura Hostel to save same some cash.

Today’s flight report will talk about that ‘almost-missed’ Manila to Fukuoka Cebu Pacific Air flight we took for that 48-hour Fukuoka trip. I will share with you how we booked the cheap ticket 3 weeks before the trip, how was our ground experience at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 & what can you expect in Cebu Pacific Air’s international in-flight product & cabin crew service.

I’ve covered a few Cebu Pacific Air & Cebgo flights in my previous flight reports – ₱600 Legazpi to Manila flight on 5J 328, $24 Manila to Jakarta flight on 5J 759, short & empty Boracay flight on 5J 905 & the Cebgo Turboprop flight from Boracay to Manila on DG 6244. Let’s add this ‘almost-missed’ & free base fare flight to Fukuoka on 5J 922.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is not a new airline in this website. As mentioned in my previous flight reports, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines largest low-cost carrier. It flies to more than 60 domestic & international destinations across the country, Asia-Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year. It has its own loyalty program called GetGo & is a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers.

Airfare & Inclusions

My friend & I got our return Manila to Fukuoka ticket for only ₱2,873.74. At the time of booking, Cebu Pacific Air’s loyalty program GetGo offered their Fukuoka route for 2,400 points per way plus taxes. At the same time, they had a ‘5,000 points off’ promotional code for selected East Asia routes including Fukuoka. The return ticket to Fukuoka costs 4,800 points plus taxes. Upon check out & using the promotional code, we ended up having our base fare free & paying only the airfare taxes. Note that we booked our tickets 3 weeks before the flight. Flights to Fukuoka take more than 3 hours per way. Having this affordable return ticket was definitely a good deal!

Cebu Pacific Air is a no-frills airline – meaning fares only include 7-kilogram carry on allowance & a guaranteed seat in the flight. Baggage allowance, food, reserved seats & insurance are all available at an extra cost. Fees & charges differ for each flight. You can click this link to more about the add-ons cost for each Cebu Pacific Air route. This trip only last for 48 hours & it wasn’t even cold yet in Japan so I only brought a small backpack me – no add-ons needed.

Want to know how I get these cheap tickets? I revealed my secrets in these blog posts – How to be a champ in booking low fare tickets part 1 & part 2.

Flight & Aircraft Information

This Manila to Fukuoka Flight on Cebu Pacific Air left Manila station a few minutes late because of us (you’ll know why) but arrived Fukuoka International Airport 11 minutes early. We left Manila at 3:27 pm PHT & arrived Japan at 7:49 pm JST. The total flight time was 3 hours & 22 minutes. The flight used a 7-year old (that time) Airbus A320-214 aircraft in an all-economy class configuration. The plane has a total of 180 seats on a 3-3 layout.

Airport Experience

My friend & I arrived at the airport 3 hours before the flight. We had quick lunch & went straight to the travel tax counter. After paying the required travel tax, we went to Cebu Pacific Air’s check in counters. There were 3 lines for check in – one for regular check in, one for mobile & internet check in & the last one for group bookings & senior citizens. My friend & I already checked in online so we headed to the mobile & internet check in line. All 3 check in lines were long, slow & chaotic.

Pamela, one of Cebu Pacific Air’s supervisors, heard & approached me. She apologized for the chaotic check in process & said that particular afternoon was busier than expected. She escorted us to the next available counter for check in. The woman in the check in desk was nice & accommodating. She granted our request of having emergency exit seats for no additional cost. The whole check in process took us about 1 hour & 15 minutes; it used to be less than 10-15 minutes.

After check in, my friend & I went to clear immigration. All immigration counters also had long & slow-moving lines. We asked favors from people in front of us if we can go first since our flight leaves in 35 minutes; thankfully, they agreed. It still took us 25 minutes to clear immigration. We went straight to final security check & cleared the process in less than 5 minutes. While falling in line, I already saw the Cebu Pacific Air ground staff calling Fukuoka-bound passengers. They are about to close the aircraft doors in 5 minutes. After clearing final security, my friend & I literally ran to the boarding gate & went straight to the plane. The cabin crew closed the plane doors after we boarded. Thank God we made it!

In-Flight Product

As a low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer on-board entertainment screens & complimentary food. All seats have a decently sized tray table & a small pocket with in-flight magazines & safety card. It has 28 inches of seat pitch & a generous recline. My friends & I were seated in the emergency exit seats so we had bigger leg room than the usual but no seat recline. The seats on this airplane were already old & needs a refit.

In-flight meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time of booking the ticket up to 24 hours before the flight. Guests who failed to pre-book snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Items for sale are found in the Fun Café menu in the seat pockets of every passenger. I purchased a bottle of Gatorade for ₱80 & a bottle of water for ₱40 during this flight.

One unique feature of Cebu Pacific Air flights is the in-flight fun games. Cabin crew members ask 3 questions under a specified category. The first passenger to get the correct answer receives a complimentary airline merchandise. My friends & I joined the game on this flight & we won a Cebu Pacific Air pouch.

I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 3.5-hour flight. From past experiences, there’s nothing spectacular about Cebu Pacific Air lavatories – they’re clean, plain & basic like a usual low-cost carrier lavatory.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew on this Cebu Pacific Air flight to Fukuoka was nice & friendly. They greeted the passenger with their best smiles & served the food right after take-off. The crew assigned to our area even asked me questions how I was before she served my drinks. She even offered a glass of ice which they don’t usually do. I have nothing against the crew on this flight. I was a happy & satisfied customer.

Verdict

Overall, it was another pleasant flight with Cebu Pacific Air. We even got more than what we paid for. Imagine paying only ₱2,873.74 for a return ticket to Fukuoka, Japan & booking it 3 weeks before the flight? You rarely get that kind of airfare deal. It was definitely a steal!

The airport & ground experience was the worst part of this flight. Long & slow check in & immigration queues & last-minute boarding process didn’t make the experience enjoyable. My friend & I were thankful for Pamela, the woman at the check in counter & the people who allowed us to cut the immigration line. We won’t make it to our flight if not for them. All parties (including us) are at fault on what happened. We didn’t imagine that those airport scenes we see in movies would also happen to us. It was our first time running from security check to the boarding gate; it was also our first time being called for boarding. Don’t worry, we already learned our lesson.

The in-flight experience made up for all the mishaps that happened in the ground. The cabin crew assigned to our flight were friendly. The emergency exit seats were relatively comfortable to seat in on this 3.5-hour flight. My friends & I won in the in-flight game. More importantly, we arrived Fukuoka ahead of schedule despite leaving Manila a few minutes late. Sure, the airplane seats, tray tables & pockets needs a refit but these didn’t affect our fun flight to Fukuoka.

I will definitely fly again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. They are always the best option for flying cheap to destinations here in the Philippines, in Asia Pacific & in the Middle East. I’m gutted my flights with them to Shanghai, China & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am still looking forward to booking future trips with them! I also want to try (again) & this time cover their long-haul economy routes to Dubai, Sydney & Melbourne. For those who want to know the specifics of this flight & the airplane used, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 18 October 2019
Flight Number: 5J 922
Route: Manila (MNL) Philippines to Fukuoka (FUK) Japan
Duration: 3:22 hours
Seat Number: 12A
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3237
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 8 years old
Year Delivered: 2012

That’s it for today. Have you ever missed (or almost-missed) a flight because of a mishap in check in, immigration & final security check? What happened & what did you do when that happened? You may share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any question about the things mentioned above or about Cebu Pacific Air in general? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll get to them soon.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report! My next flight report will be about Czech Airlines on my flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark. Watch out for that! In the meantime, you may follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: BRUSSELS AIRLINES SN 2811 – Brussels to Prague – Belgium’s Flag Carrier & My First Ever European Airline Experience

Hello & welcome to a new flight report. In the last flight reports, I shared with you how my Manila to Singapore & Singapore to Amsterdam flights with Singapore Airlines went. I flew with this Skytrax 5-star rated airline & I definitely had a great time. My journey to Singapore was fast & on time & my 13-hour flight to Amsterdam didn’t feel that long.

Today, I will share with you details about my first ever flight with a European airline. After spending 5 days around The Netherlands & 4 full days around Belgium, I hopped on a 65-minute flight from Brussels Airport (of course in Brussels) to Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic. I flew with Belgium’s flag carrier, Brussels Airlines. I will give you details about the airlines & how this 65-minute international flight went.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is Belgium’s national airline & the country’s largest airline. It is part of the Lufthansa Group, which also owns airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Eurowings & Austrian Airlines. The airline flies to over 100 destinations across Europe, North America, Africa & Middle East. Its (all) Airbus fleet consists of 10 Airbus A330s, 17 Airbus A320s & 22 Airbus A319s.

Brussels Airlines’ base airport is Brussels Airport, about 20 minutes from the Brussels city center. The airline adopts Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program – Miles & More & is also a member of Star Alliance group.

Airfare

Brussels Airlines offers their inter-Europe fares in 4 classes. Its European flights follow the low-cost carrier model where the cheapest fare only includes the a randomly assigned seat in the flight & a carry-on baggage. All other add-ons come with a free. Fares go higher as soon as you avail more services. Check out the image below for Brussels Airlines’ fare types. Please take note that their medium & long-haul flights use the Economy (with 3 variants) & Business class format.

Took this screenshot from Brussels Airline’s website – here are the 4 fare types for European flights

I availed the Light&Relax fare option & paid €67,40 for this one-way flight. The non-refundable fare includes a regular seat, 23 kilograms check in baggage allowance & 12 kilograms carry-on allowance. It also includes a free change to an earlier flight as long as it’s on the same fare class. Food & drinks are for sale during the flight. I booked my tickets 4 months before the flight & I think it’s still cheap in European aviation standards.

Flight & Aircraft Information

Brussels Airlines operated this flight from Brussels (BRU) to Prague (PRG) with an 18-year old Airbus A320-214 aircraft. This aircraft, with registration OO-SNB, has been with the airline since May 2011. The plane is named Rackham & sports such black livery – patterned after the shark submarine from the famous Belgian comic series, The Adventures of Tintin. The plane has 180 seats in on a 3-3 configuration over 30 rows. Bizz&Class passengers occupy the front row seats.

The flight to Prague took 1 hour & 16 minutes with the first few & the last minutes used for taxiing. The flight itself (from take-off to touch down) took only 1 hour & 5 minutes (65 minutes). We left the gate in Brussels on time & arrived Prague a few minutes early. The flight went smooth – no turbulence happened given the rainy weather in both cities.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Check in process for this Brussels Airlines flight was fast & efficient. I scanned my passport & got my boarding pass from the self-check in kiosk. I went to the automatic bag drop counters to check in my luggage. I placed my bag in the counter, scanned my passport, got my bag tag & placed it around my luggage handle. The machine got my luggage & I got it back when I arrived in Prague. This process took me less than 5 minutes; that includes the short queue in the bag-drop counters. Security check also didn’t take long – it was quick & easy.

Baggage allowance for Brussels Airlines’s European flights based on the fare types. The Light&Relax fare I bought included a 23-kilogram check in baggage allowance for this flight. This is on top of the 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allocated for every passenger. The airline’s carry-on baggage allowance is very generous compared to the 7-kilogram allowance I’m used to here in the Philippines.

The airline boards the passengers based on fare types. The Bizz&Class & Flex&Fast passengers boarded the plane first & the Light&Relax & Check&Go passengers followed. The boarding process didn’t take long; it only took us 20 minutes to board the plane. One thing I noted in this flight (probably an airport thing) was that the boarding gate was announced an hour before the flight. It was the first time I had that case but not really an issue.

Seat, In-flight Meals & Entertainment

There isn’t much to talk about in terms of seats, in-flight meals & entertainment. The aircraft has standard leather seats. The leg room was okay (for me) but can be too tight for taller people. Each seat has a small storage space by the knees. In-flight magazines & safety cards were placed in a small pocket in front of the passenger. The seats had no USB ports & power outlets. Its layout is almost similar to the seats of Asian low-cost carriers.

The crew offered in-flight snacks & beverages for a fee. Passengers can buy snacks after the pilot switches off the seat belt sign. The in-flight menu is available in the seat pocket in front of the passenger. Brussels Airlines do not offer in-flight entertainment for its inter-Europe flights – no person entertainment screens or mobile entertainment options. It has pretty basic flight features.

Lavatory

I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 18-year old aircraft. I got a window seat (seat 9F) & I didn’t feel the need to visit the lavatory on this short flight. I reckon its features are basic; I just hope they maintained it well over the years.

Cabin Crew Service

The Brussels Airlines cabin crew service were alright. They helped the passengers that need help in putting bags in the overhead cabin. They entertained questions from the passengers. They were in all smiles selling food & drinks to the passengers. They also took care of the minor who flew by himself to Prague – the crew assisted the kid from check in, to boarding up until inside the plane. They even gave him a snack & assisted him in Prague until he got reunited with his parents. Cabin crew service was not outstanding but not bad either. They deserve more praise for the way they took care of the minor passenger.

Verdict

Overall, this Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels, Belgium to Prague, Czech Republic was alright. It was my first European airline & it didn’t disappoint. I did some research & watch trip reports on Brussels Airlines & European airlines prior to the flight so I know what to expect in the flight. I cannot compare this flag carrier with the likes of Singapore Airlines or Philippine Airlines. Brussels Airlines’ European flights are somewhat the same with low-cost airline flights here in Asia.

This flight was cheap considering its cost & the European living standards. Every add-on has a price tag & of course, you get what you pay for. The Light&Relax fare’s 23 kilograms baggage allowance is already a win for me. I’d like to highlight the generous 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Thank you, Brussels Airlines!

My ground experience in Brussels Airport was excellent. All processes were fast & efficient. I finished check in & security check in minutes. The hard product was alright – seats were okay & the leg room was standard. The aircraft was 18-years old & somewhat didn’t smell well during boarding. The bad smell eventually disappeared when the pilot turned the engines on. The soft product was standard & simple – on time boarding & flight departure, earlier flight arrival, normal cabin crew service & services for additional fees. Flight announcements were made in English, French & Flemish languages.

Will I fly Brussels Airline again? Maybe yes, maybe no depending on the fare. If I get the same low fare value for an hour flight, then yes. If there’s another airline who flies the same route & offers better hard & soft product for a few extra euros, I might opt for that airline. Will I recommend Brussels Airlines to you guys? Of course, especially when its cheaper & more valuable than European low-cost carriers. Trust me, I had a good flight in an old aircraft – very basic on-board service but excellent ground experience. I’d also like to try their medium & long-haul flights in the future.

In case you want to know the specific details of this flight, check out the list below:

Airline: Brussels Airlines
Flight Date: 1 November 2019
Flight Number: SN 2811
Route: Brussesls (BRU) to Prague (PRG)
Duration: 1:16 hours
Seat Number: 9F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: OO-SNB
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 18 years old
Year Delivered: 2001 (Delivered to Brussels Airlines 2011)

Have you ever flown Brussels Airlines in the past? How was your in-flight experience with them? Will you fly them again? What’s your favorite European airline & why? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments below. Do you have any questions about this flight? Feel free to send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. By the way, please help me promote my social media platforms – Facebook & Instagram.

Thanks for joining me today’s flight report! Watch out for my posts about Prague & Czech Republic in my Going Solo in Europe series.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

2019 Rewind: Crossing Borders & Making Dreams Come True

Another year of travels is coming to an end. Those of you following me since 2016 know that I always post a year-end blog detailing what happened to me & where I went in that specific year. 2016 was all about travelling solo, exploring places by myself; 2017 was exploring relatively known & unknown places & 2018 was all about reuniting & travelling with friends. 2019 is a mix of all 3 years of recaps. I went & explored places by myself, I flew & took trains to both & unknown places & I had a few trips with my friends. I can say 2019 is my best year yet for travelling – I’ve crossed many borders & made my long-time dreams come true.

Allow me to share with you details of my 2019 in terms of trips taken. I will also give insights of the interesting content developments here in my website.

trips recap ✈️

SORSOGON 🇵🇭

I started off the year with a day trip to the beaches of Matnog, Sorsogon. I didn’t post about this day trip in this website but I believe it’s worth sharing here. My cousins from Australia welcomed the new year in our hometown. Days after the new year, we took them to the islands of Subic, Matnog in Sorsogon. We first went fish feeding in a sanctuary then continued to Subic Beach. It was a fun day spent with cousins in the beach.

JAPAN 🇯🇵

Back in February, I flew to my favorite Japan for 9 days. My supposed-to-be trip to Nagano, Kanazawa & Toyama turned into a family trip around Tokyo & Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara & Kyoto). I flew with them to Tokyo then took a side trip to Nagano then met my sisters in Osaka afterwards. It was a delight seeing the snow monkeys in Nagano & spending some alone time in a very cold & snowy place in Japan. I then flew to Fukuoka to spend a day around the city before catching my flight back to Manila. I may not have been to Kanazawa & Toyama in this trip but I’ll make sure to go next time.

I didn’t post much about this but I went to Japan again a few months ago. My friend & I decided to surprise another friend in her flight to Fukuoka & to ruin her first ever solo trip. We spent 48 hours around Fukuoka, Japan, went to pretty interesting places, savored every Japanese meal & drowned ourselves with the Lipton milk tea drink.

Blog List:
Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis
Japan Highlights 2019: NAGANO – 48 Hours In The Inland Prefecture Of The Snow Monkeys
Japan Highlights 2019: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN – A Theme Park That Brings You Back To Being A ‘Kid’ Just For A Day
Japan Highlights 2019: KYOTO – Japan’s Ancient Capital In One Day
Japan Highlights 2019: NARA – A Morning Visit To The Deer Park
Japan Highlights 2019: MATSUMOTO & FUKUOKA Stopovers

BACOLOD 🇵🇭

Office friends & I went on a spontaneous Bacolod weekend trip last February. We flew to the city & went to the famous Ruins then had chicken inasal for dinner in Manukan Country. We then went to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto to check out Negros’ Little Baguio. After a few hours around the mountains, we went back to the city & decided to just eat out until we flew back to Manila.

Blog: Spontaneous BACOLOD Weekend: 48 Hours In The City of Smiles

MELBOURNE 🇦🇺

I flew to Melbourne, Australia with Leng & Shane (from Sydney 2018 trip) during the Holy Week break last April. I spent 8 days around the city & the nearby suburbs. We also went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Country. My friend Lord, who I was with on It’s The Ship 2018, joined us on our first few days in Melbourne.

We didn’t make out Melbourne itinerary that busy compared to our Sydney one. We just enjoyed our time there, strolling around the beautiful city, trying out different cuisines & hoarding every single interesting item in the supermarkets.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day

TAIWAN 🇹🇼

It’s been years since our last family trip to Singapore. My parents decided to bring the family to Taiwan for the Fathers’ Day weekend. We went to the city of Taichung on our first day as per my sister’s request. She wanted to see the flower farms in Taichung plus take nice photos with the family. We then went around the city on Fathers’ Day – went to church, strolled around Daan Park, ate at Din Tai Fung, hiked the Elephant Hill & walked around Raohe Night Market.

On our third day, we took the Klook guided tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street & Shifen then finished the day around Ximending. We spent our fourth day in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Liberty Square & in the airport for our flight back to Manila. I met with my good friend Richard, whom I knew in Komodo, Indonesia in 2018, for a few nights in Taipei. He was also in the city waiting for his flight back to Europe. It was fun catching up with this man over food & drinks!

Blog List:
TAIWAN All Over Again – Family Long Weekend In Taipei
TAICHUNG Photo Blog: Picturesque Places Outside Taipei
YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

YOGYAKARTA 🇮🇩

One spontaneous trip I took this year was that to Yogyakarta. I saw a piso-fare ticket to Jakarta last June for an August trip & decided to buy that ticket. I contacted Yudi, a friend I met on Its the Ship 2018 who is now based somewhere in Indonesia. We then agreed to meet in Yogyakarta & volunteered to take me around.

Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who joined me in Melbourne last April, decided to join me a week before the trip. We then met with Yudi & his friend Dallin in Yogyakarta & we went around the city. We went to different temples (Borobudur, Prambanan, Taman Sari) & also took the lava trail tour in Mount Merapi. We ate in different local restaurants & tried several local dishes. We spent most of our time in Yogyakarta in the road, in restaurants & in our hotel. It was a relaxing trip; not the usual busy one. It’s nice to step back for a while & just enjoy chilling.

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

BORACAY 🇵🇭

My buddy Rick & I flew to Boracay last September to surprise our high school friends having their holiday in the island. They didn’t know that we were coming so we decided to show up on the afternoon of their 2nd day, right after arriving in the island. We ate in nice restaurants, walked along the shore, swam on the beach & spent some quality time with the group.

Rick & I stayed for 2 more days in the island & just spent most of the time relaxing, eating, walking & drinking. I didn’t expect this September trip to have its 2nd part after the Bohol weekend in 2018 but I hope there will be a 3rd installment in 2020, 4th installment in 2021 until this becomes a regular trip with them. By the way, I didn’t join my family in Hong Kong to join these people plus I also don’t have my passport during this time.

E-U-R-O-P-E!!! 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇰

Finally made it to Europe this year!! It’s me in Grand-Place de Bruxelles -the center of Brussels. 🇧🇪

Finally, A TRIP TO EUROPE! This is the highlight of my 2019. It was a dream come true. I haven’t posted anything about this trip in the website but I’m happy to share that this long-time plan of going to Europe happened last October to November 2019.

One of my Europe trip highlights – a trip to Český Krumlov. This town is picturesque & peaceful. 🇨🇿

It all started with an affordable ticket I got from the Singapore Airlines & BPI promotion last January 2019. I got tickets flying from Manila to Amsterdam, Netherlands & leaving from Copenhagen, Denmark, both via Singapore. I saved up the whole year, planned my itinerary, booked my hostels & booked the inter-country flights ahead of time. I applied for a tourist visa on my own – no help from any agency & got it after a week.

Nyhavn – my favorite place in Copenhagen… It’s where the Danish Christmas market is found! 🇩🇰

And the trip happened. Due to busy work schedule, I didn’t have time to do more research & make my final itinerary. I arrived in Amsterdam with no plans, not even a single idea how to go to my hostel. I got scared at first but I ended up having the best days of my life around Europe. I went to 4 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark), explored cities & small towns, reunited with friends I met from previous trips, met cool new friends along the way, took walking tours in every city / town, drank more beers than waters in a day, walked thousands of steps & tens of kilometers a day & ate all local food I can in every place. I did all of these alone! Yes, I FLEW TO EUROPE ALONE & I SURVIVED. It was probably the bravest thing I did this year.

Obligatory photo with the canals of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.. Can’t wait to go back here! 🇳🇱

I have so much to share about this trip but I am reserving that for the individual posts. I hope you’ll watch out for those write-ups.

Blogs: TO FOLLOW.

blog highlights ✨

Aside from the usual blog contents I post, there were 2 significant developments in this blog. First is the continued posts for the Tuesday Tips & Hostel of the Day features. I had 3 Tuesday Tip posts & 7 hostel of the day features published in my website solely for 2019. I still have a long list of Tuesday tips to share & hostels (especially the ones from Europe) to publish so watch out for those. My main goal of posting these Tuesday tips & hostel features is to show the world that there are nice things out there that don’t need hefty amounts of money. You can have the same fun & memorable experiences by paying small amounts.

Blog List:
Hostel of the Day: DOT HOSTEL NAGANO – Wooden House Turned High-Rated Affordable Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: KHAOSAN WORLD ASAKUSA RYOKAN & HOSTEL – Clean & Affordable Traditional Japanese Accommodation In The Heart Of Tokyo
Hostel Of The Day: NEW WORLD INN OSAKA – Simple, Affordable & Modern Property Near Tennoji
Hostel Of The Day: FUKUOKA HANA HOSTEL – Fukuoka’s In-Demand & Best Valued Tourist Accommodation
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City
Hostel Of The Day: UINN TRAVEL HOSTEL – Modern, Space-Themed & Excellent Taipei Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL BORACAY – Paradise Island’s Hidden Party Hostel Gem
Tuesday Tip: 4 TRUSTED HOSTEL GROUPS To Check When Looking For AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION in JAPAN
Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE
Tuesday Tip: Do-It-Yourself SCHENGEN TOURIST VISA Application With VFS NETHERLANDS

This year, I introduced a section in my website called Flight Reports. You guys know I love flying & my interest in aviation is something else. I thought of sharing my flight experiences with different airlines – how the service is from check in to boarding to in-flight services & cabin crew service. Since I started the section in June, I already published 8 flight reports about 5 local & international airlines. I didn’t expect this section to get hits but I’m happy that I get regular website visits for these specific posts. I still have about 5 or 6 flight reports to share with you, most of them from my European trip. I hope you’re excited for these flight reports as I am!

Blog List:
Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island
Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro
Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 915 – Manila to Singapore – 5-Star Economy Class Experience In A New Generation Boeing Dreamliner

By the way, this just came in. This website has finally hit 90,000 site views! This is another milestone hit before the end of the 2019. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the endless support – from sharing my articles & posts, to commenting & liking the posts that appear on your timelines to your comments & questions. I appreciate all of these.

Thank you for giving me the reason to continue sharing more content in this website. I can tell you this is not the end, it is just the start of more tips, flight reports, itineraries & blog posts. I have a long list of topics to share & upcoming trips & flights to take. You’ll definitely see more in this website next year.

Here’s to an adventure-filled 2020. Happy New Year, dear readers!

PS. Some photos were taken using my HTC U11. Shout out to my friends Junelle, Mark & Richard for allowing me to use your photos in this post.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 915 – Manila to Singapore – 5-Star Economy Class Experience In A New Generation Boeing Dreamliner

Singapore Airlines – one of the world’s, if not arguably the world’s best airline. I’ve read various flight reviews & watched tons of trip reports about this airline & I have to say, most, if not all the experiences were outstanding. I didn’t want to just read or watch about the airline & its service so early this year, I decided to book my tickets to Europe with them. I’ve waited for days, weeks & months for this first flight with Singapore Airlines.

Are you curious how did this flight go? Find out in today’s flight report where I will feature the world-famous & raved Singapore Airlines. Allow me to share details about the airline, its inclusions & my first ever flight experience with them in the review below.

PS. I also flew with Singapore Airlines on their long-haul flight from Singapore to Amsterdam. Check out the details & comprehensive review of the flight here.

singapore airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s flag carrier based in the world’s best airport, Singapore Changi Airport. This multi-awarded airline started in 1947 as Malayan Airways, then re-branded & commenced operations in 1972 with its current name. The airline is majority-owned by the government. Since it started operations 47 years ago, the airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers & the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 60 destinations in more than 30 countries across 5 continents. They are one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of their subsidiaries – Silk Air (which operates to some regional destinations) & Scoot (which operates on a low-cost business model). The airline (not including its subsidiaries) flies a combination of over 100 Airbus & Boeing jets ranging from the Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the Boeing 747 solely for its cargo operations.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities & services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals & in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance – one of the world’s biggest airline alliance network.

Fun fact! The airline operates the world’s longest flight from Singapore to Newark in the United States of America. This 19-hour flight is operated by an Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long range) specifically configured for this flight with a combination of only business class & premium economy seats.

In case you missed it, I flew the exact same flight – SQ 915 from Manila to Singapore – last June 2022. Check out how Singapore Airlines’ service changed after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world by clicking this link.

AIRFARE

Last January, Singapore Airlines & Bank of the Philippine Islands offered discounted flights until March 2020. I’ve always dreamed of flying to Europe so I decided to book my tickets with them. I got my economy class ticket from Manila, Philippines to Amsterdam, Netherlands & back from Copenhagen, Denmark to Manila Philippines, both via Singapore for $719.23 all in. My bank charged me ₱37,669.40 in local currency.

The ticket included 4 flights in Economy Class, Manila to Singapore, Singapore to Amsterdam, Copenhagen to Manila & Singapore to Manila with a total flying time of close to 33 hours. As mentioned above, the airline operates a full-service model which means this ticket included check in baggage, in-flight meals & snacks & in-flight entertainment. It’s not the cheap piso-fare ticket I usually book but I took the risk of buying it even without the visa. Anyway, it’s Singapore Airlines.

flight information

This Manila to Singapore flight was operated by the new-generation Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner delivered to Singapore Airlines in 2018. The aircraft comes with 2 airline classes. Its business class has 36 seats on a 1-2-1 correspondence while its economy class comes on a 3-3-3 configuration with a total of 301 seats.

The flight to Singapore only took 2 hours & 51 minutes, from the usual 3 hours & 30 minutes. It was generally a peaceful flight, not much turbulence happened. We left Manila a few minutes late but managed to arrive in Singapore Changi Airport earlier than the expected arrival time.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Singapore Airlines divided check in counters into classes & groups. Business class ticket holders, KrisFlyer & Star Alliance status holders have a dedicated check in counter. Economy class passengers have a separate check in counter; those who checked in online also have a separate check in counter. There were no queues. Check in process was smooth. It only took me about 5 minutes to get my boarding passes. Since I have an onward flight to Amsterdam, I already checked in for both flights from Manila to Singapore & then to Amsterdam.

As mentioned above & as shown in the ticket, my fare includes 30-kilogram complimentary check in baggage allowance in all flights. I surrendered my luggage in Manila Airport & collected it in Amsterdam Schipol Airport. All passengers were also allowed to carry 7 kilograms of cabin luggage. Unlike other airlines, the Singapore Airlines ground staff in Manila Airport did not weigh my carry-on luggage.

Just like check in, boarding process was done by class. Business class passengers & those with Star Alliance & KrisFlyer status were asked to board the aircraft first. Economy passengers seated at the rear part of the aircraft came in next. Those seated in the economy forward seats boarded the aircraft last. Economy class passengers were offered newspapers & earphones at the jet bridge before entering the aircraft. The lovely SQ crew welcomed every passenger in the aircraft & gave instructions on which aisle to take to their seats. Boarding process didn’t take long. Boarding by groups is probably the most efficient way to board every aircraft.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Economy class seats in Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner have 32 inches of seat pitch & 17.5 inches of seat width. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, a plush pillow, an adjustable headrest & a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with in-flight reading materials, a fold-able tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a fold-able cup holder, a USB charging outlet & a universal power outlet. Blankets are available by request.

I sat by the window & I liked the 787-10’s large windows. These windows do not have manual window shades. The window tint can be controlled by the passenger, but can also be controlled & locked by the crew. The overhead storage spaces were spacious. Amenity kits are not offered in this short-haul regional flights. Seat comfort is amazing. I don’t mind having this kind of economy seat in a long-haul flight.

Singapore Airlines offer a complimentary hot meal to its economy class passengers. Meal service started with a hot towel. This is a great small add-on which only a few airlines still observe. The crew went around & offered omelette or noodles for breakfast. I went for the seafood noodles. The meal tray came in with the seafood noodles, a bread roll with butter, fresh fruits & drinks of choice (either coffee, tea, fruit juice, beer, white or red wine). It was a moderately sized but tasty meal, enough to fill you up on a 3-hour flight. It was also great to see the airline use real metal cutlery instead of the disposable plastic ones. I hope they use paper cups or reusable cups in the future, instead of the disposable plastic cups they use.

The airline’s entertainment system, KrisWorld, offered thousands of entertainment options for this 3-hour flight. It includes hundreds of movies & TV series to watch, close to a thousand songs to listen to & even documentaries & feature videos about Singapore & other random topics. Krisworld can be accessed through the touch-enabled personal entertainment screens found in front of every seat. The touch screen monitors were responsive & easy to navigate. How I wish they would add camera features like those from the A380s. Also, the earphones provided did its job – it’s not the best in the world but it was alright.

lavatory

The aircraft’s lavatory was clean, fresh & of decent space. There was enough supply of tissue & bathroom amenities. The airline crew did a great job in keeping the cleanliness of the lavatory.

Cabin Crew Service

Singapore Airline’s cabin crew service is exceptional, definitely worth the 5-star rating. The cabin crew were accommodating, helpful & wore their best smiles all throughout the flight. The excellent service started off when they greeted all the passengers upon boarding the aircraft. They made sure all passengers have a pleasant flight. I was surprised they offered a second round of drinks to all passengers on this 3-hour flight to Singapore. I’ve never seen anything to point out for the service on this flight. The crew showed the true Singaporean hospitality in this flight. Kudos to Singapore Airlines!

verdict

It was truly an enjoyable first flight with Singapore Airlines; indeed a 5-star experience. The aircraft used was new & modern; the cabin space was impressive. Seats & seat comfort were outstanding. Food was tasty & in-flight entertainment was up-to-date.

The whole Singapore Airlines experience from check in to boarding, to the flight itself & even after disembarkation was pure class. The cabin crew service stood out the most. I genuinely felt Singaporean hospitality.

You might wonder if it is worth the extra payment to take Singapore Airlines than flying with other airlines? It’s a big YES. Tickets or fares may be a more expensive than the usual but I believe all the passengers get than what they actually pay for. It is definitely worth investing more! Will I fly Singapore Airlines again in the future? How I wish all my upcoming flights will be with them! To be honest, I cannot wait to fly with them again in the future.

Singapore Airlines, all praises to you. Thank you for this amazing flight from Manila to Singapore!

Do you want to know more about the flight & the Boeing aircraft used for this amazing flight? Check out the specifics below:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 23 October 2019
Flight Number: SQ 915
Route: Manila (MNL) to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 2:51 hours
Seat Number: 66K
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SCH
Aircraft Engine: 2 x Rolls Royce Trent 1000
Age: 2.8 years old
Year Delivered: 2018 (previously a test aircraft)

Have you every flown with Singapore Airlines? How was your flight? What do you think of the aircraft used for the flight? How was the food, the cabin crew service? Share your comments & experiences below. I’d love to hear from all of you. Do you have any comment or suggestion on how I can improve the posts & content in this blog / website? Feel free to send them in via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on for my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Thank you for joining me in this excellent Singapore Airlines flight report. This is the start of many blogs about my recent trip to Europe. 🙂 Watch out for more blogs & trip reports!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro

Hello & welcome to another flight report. Today, I will tell you more about my recent flight with Cebu Pacific Air’s subsidiary, Cebgo. I flew with them from Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila in September after spending 4 days with my high school friends in paradise. Join me as I share with you some details about Cebgo, the flight, the aircraft used & the flight experience.

In case you missed it, I shared with you last week details of our Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) flight with Cebu Pacific Air. It was an enjoyable, short yet relatively empty flight to paradise island. Know more about that flight report here.

cebgo

Cebgo is a low-cost carrier & is a subsidiary of Cebu Pacific Air. The airline previously operated as South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines until Cebu Pacific Air acquired the whole company in 2014. Cebgo currently flies to 29 domestic destinations with Manila & Cebu as its main hubs.

The airline used to operate an all-Airbus fleet until its parent company transferred all its turboprop operations to the subsidiary. Now, the airline subsidiary operates an all turboprop fleet of 20 ATR aircraft. It is also the only Philippine-based airline that operates a full cargo ATR turboprop aircraft.

airfare

As mentioned in my Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) flight report, I only paid ₱1,147.72 & 100 GetGo points for the round-trip ticket. It included seats on both flights & a 7-kilogram carry on baggage per way. We didn’t purchase check in baggage allowance because we were only there for 4 days. Check out the screenshot of our ticket below.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

This Cebgo flight from Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila was operated by a 2.2-year ATR aircraft delivered to the airline in September / October 2017. This turboprop plane can carry 78-passengers in an all-economy seat configuration. The flight took only 52 minutes including taxiing. We left Caticlan Airport 15 minutes early & arrived Manila Airport 58 minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Just like its parent company Cebu Pacific Air, Cebgo also offers mobile & web check in feature for all their flights. Passengers travelling without check in baggage can skip counter check in & go straight to their respective boarding gates. My friend & I already checked in for the flight days before & we already had our boarding passes in our phones. We didn’t have to go through the normal check in process at Boracay Airport.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass. I presented this with a valid ID during boarding.

Cebgo offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. All tickets come with a free 7-kilogram carry on baggage. Check in baggage is available for purchase at the time of booking the ticket up to 4 hours before the flight schedule. In case you are wondering how much does the check in baggage allowance cost, here are the rates as of today, 1 December 2019 from the Cebu Pacific Air website.

This flight’s boarding process took a bit of time. The people were asked to board 2 buses, depending on their seat number. Those seated from rows 1 to 10 boarded the plane first, while those seated in the last 10 rows boarded the plane last. We utilized the sole passenger door at the back.

Looking for a hostel to stay in Boracay? Check out Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay! It’s the island’s hidden party hostel gem. I wrote a Hostel Of The Day feature on this hostel. Check out the hostel review here.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

Passengers are not allowed to choose or change seats in turboprop flights from check in up to the flight itself. The airline system automatically assigns seats to the passengers a week before the flight while the airline ground staff assign seats to passengers while maintaining the aircraft’s weight stability. Preferred seats are available for purchase up to 4 hours before the flight.

The aircraft has a 2 x 2 seat layout. Each row has 2 window seats & 2 aisle seats. The seat pitch was alright; there was not enough legroom as expected. The seats only have armrests as dividers & no ‘individual’ seat space unlike those from jet planes.

In-flight snacks are available for purchase up to 24 hours before the flight or during the flight. Please take note that meals can be limited only to light snacks because DG flights are not ‘long’ flights. Most of them only take about an hour.

Cebgo’s ATR aircraft do not offer personal entertainment screens. The airline subsidiary, just like its parent company, is a low cost carrier thus only offers the basic flight service. On the good side, they have the in-flight Smile Magazine & an aircraft safety card in every pocket found in front of every seat.

Lavatory

The aircraft’s only lavatory is found at the back of the plane, near the main passenger door. It is clean & well-maintained. The lavatory space is just basic & alright, nothing fancy.

Cabin Crew Service

Cabin crew service in this short flight was good. All passengers were greeted with warm smiles. The crew also helped out the passengers in sorting their bags in the overhead storage spaces. They also finished offering & selling snacks to passengers minutes after the seat belt sign was turned off.

Verdict

It is always a pleasure flying with Cebgo. I prefer flying with Cebgo than its mother company, Cebu Pacific Air, because of their flights arrive on time, if not way earlier than the expected touchdown time. This good practice is evident in this flight when we left Caticlan 15 minutes early & arrived Manila 58 minutes ahead of schedule. Keep it up, Cebgo!

The aircraft used was relatively new & modern. Seat pitch was acceptable; legroom wasn’t that good. Seat comfort was fine, nothing extraordinary. These seats will do for short intercity / region flights. Personally, I still prefer the seats in their Airbus jet aircraft.

Overall, it was a quick but enjoyable flight with Cebgo. There isn’t much difference with the other Cebu Pacific Air flights & service, except the timely performance & the type of aircraft used. I’m happy to say that I am flying Cebgo again in a few weeks to Legazpi for the holidays. I’m already excited for the flight. I’m sure it’ll be great!

If you want to know the technical details of this flight & the aircraft used, check out the information below.

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 16 September 2019
Flight Number: DG 6244
Route: Caticlan (Boracay) (MPH) – Manila
Duration: 52 minutes
Seat Number: 14B
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7286
Age: 2.2 years
Year Delivered: 2017

Have you ever flown with Cebgo? How was your experience? How do you like (or dislike) it compared to its parent company, Cebu Pacific Air? Share your good & bad experiences in the comments section below! Do you have any questions about the flight, Cebgo or Cebu Pacific in general? You can send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on for my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

I appreciate you reaching this part of this trip report. Thank you for your time. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to Singapore & Europe in the next flight reports!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.