Manila

I had to read this three times to figure out what you were on about. Why don't you just say you misread the original post?

[QUOTE=Hutsori; 1433922]". (from AC)." You mean he's [i]not[/i] Coming from Antigua and Barbuda? What kind of question is that he asked? Who leaves Angeles to arrive in Manila 12 hours ahead of departure? Who'd even consider such a thing? Stay in Angeles.

OR.

". (from AC)." Argh! Damn parenthetical aside (of germane info.). Good catch. You're right; it makes little, if any, sense to arrive in Manila 12 hours before departure if one just intends just to hookup with random FLs whilst here. Stay in Angeles.

Re my previous comment. In the words of Emily Litella: ""Oh, that's very different. Never mind."[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Exoticspirit; 1433952]The AC hotel I'm staying at (the Devera) got back to me and said extending my checkout would be only 150 pesos per hour until 6 pm at which time they consider it an extra night's stay, which in my case would be 1200 pesos. I might consider doing that and check out at say midnight after doing 1-2 STs and getting some much needed sleep too.

Only thing is instead of taking the Swagman bus back to Manila at 600 pesos, I would be taking Margarita Station's at 2600 pesos, but they would be taking me directly to the MNL airport.[/QUOTE]Sounds like you've really settled into AC. Try converting those numbers back into what you get for those same dollars back at home.

For me at home.

P150 15 minutes car parking.

P1200 One month pre-paid phone credit.

P2000 Dinner for two people, mains only.

I'm just meaning that sometimes the decisions we make now thinking we are savig on the local currency we look back upon when we are home and say "wow, for the price of this [meaningless intangible first world purchase], I could have two extra SL chicks and still made my flight."

Enjoy AC.

[QUOTE=X Man;1434109]I had to read this three times to figure out what you were on about. Why don't you just say you misread the original post?[/QUOTE]Only thrice? Well done. I ain't writing for the colouring book crowd.

[QUOTE=BrainDrain; 1434242]Sounds like you've really settled into AC. Try converting those numbers back into what you get for those same dollars back at home.

For me at home.

P150 15 minutes car parking.

P1200 One month pre-paid phone credit.

P2000 Dinner for two people, mains only.

I'm just meaning that sometimes the decisions we make now thinking we are savig on the local currency we look back upon when we are home and say "wow, for the price of this [meaningless intangible first world purchase], I could have two extra SL chicks and still made my flight."

Enjoy AC.[/QUOTE]Very true. And no matter how much I will enjoy Phils, I'm probably not going to be in a position to come to Asia frequently.

[QUOTE=Exoticspirit;1433690]This does concern me which is why I was planning to get to the airport for 3 am even for a 6:30 am flight. I was originally hoping to even not go there until say 4:30 am but from some of the horror stories about the airport there.[/QUOTE]Please update us after the fact. I'm curious your feelings after the fact if you go this route. I used to get there early like all the doom and gloomers suggested. Knowing traffic patterns help. I seriously doubt there will be any traffic at that time or any congestion at the airport that will not allow you to make your flight in more than enough time.

[QUOTE=Key Master;1434349]Please update us after the fact. I'm curious your feelings after the fact if you go this route. I used to get there early like all the doom and gloomers suggested. Knowing traffic patterns help. I seriously doubt there will be any traffic at that time or any congestion at the airport that will not allow you to make your flight in more than enough time.[/QUOTE]It's not doom and gloom KM.

It is the simple dysfunctional nature of life in the Philippines.

After living here for almost 16 years I have missed 6 flights because of traffic; 4 in Manila and 2 in Cebu. All were domestic flights.

By dysfunctional I mean that you just CANNOT predict what will be the situation. In Melbourne or Sydney for example, you know within 5 minutes how long it will take to reach the airport. Not so here.

If you want to roll the dice and beat the odds then by all means try to cut it fine with time. Chances are you will get away with it. But if do get delayed and you do end up needing to re-book an international flight and / or make another hotel booking and add on your transport costs to return to the airport then it can seriously affect a budget.

[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1434363]It's not doom and gloom KM.

It is the simple dysfunctional nature of life in the Philippines.

After living here for almost 16 years I have missed 6 flights because of traffic; 4 in Manila and 2 in Cebu. All were domestic flights.

By dysfunctional I mean that you just CANNOT predict what will be the situation. In Melbourne or Sydney for example, you know within 5 minutes how long it will take to reach the airport. Not so here.

If you want to roll the dice and beat the odds then by all means try to cut it fine with time. Chances are you will get away with it. But if do get delayed and you do end up needing to re-book an international flight and / or make another hotel booking and add on your transport costs to return to the airport then it can seriously affect a budget.[/QUOTE]I agree with Red Kilt. In Phil there are no guarantees what the situation will be. I remember my last flight from lahug Cebu to back home. It left at midnight and should take about 40 min to reach the international terminal but just as I left the hotel 2 hours before the flight, a torrential downpour started and the streets were flooded and impassable in places. Fortunately my driver knew every back alley and we even passed through some dodgy barangays. We did make it to the airport 35 min before departure. When I checked in the girl said the flight was fully booked but when I boarded there were 30 or 40 empty seats as we pulled away from the departure gate, so there were plenty of people who missed that international flight.

It is with great trepidation that I decide, once again, to challenge the esteemed ISG member Red Kilt.

Sixteen years is surely impressive, but how many flights have you made in that time? This is for statistical purposes of course. I could give a flying fk about how much you travel (no pun intended).

Furthermore, of the six flights you missed, how many were at 6:30am or earlier?

And lastly, you missed six flights? Are you a slow learner?

And, so as not to sow any animosity with the esteemed RK, I will admit that I missed a flight out of Manila once. It was not because of traffic, but rather my own stupidity. I glanced at the ticket and misread the flight number as the time. On departure day, when I realized my mistake, they put me on the next day's flight without any penalty. The unusual flexibilty was mostly because the country of destination was having some nuclear meltdown issues. So a lot of empty seats on the airplane.

X.

[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1434363]It's not doom and gloom KM.

It is the simple dysfunctional nature of life in the Philippines.

After living here for almost 16 years I have missed 6 flights because of traffic; 4 in Manila and 2 in Cebu. All were domestic flights.

By dysfunctional I mean that you just CANNOT predict what will be the situation. In Melbourne or Sydney for example, you know within 5 minutes how long it will take to reach the airport. Not so here.

If you want to roll the dice and beat the odds then by all means try to cut it fine with time. Chances are you will get away with it. But if do get delayed and you do end up needing to re-book an international flight and / or make another hotel booking and add on your transport costs to return to the airport then it can seriously affect a budget.[/QUOTE]

Just curious, were the flooded streets in Lahug, or on the Mandaue side, or the Lapu2 side? I tend to prefer Cebu usually and especially during rainy season, but find my self flying into Manila in August this year.

Anyway, you guys stay dry during the rainy season. X.

[QUOTE=Nightrider1;1434466]I agree with Red Kilt. In Phil there are no guarantees what the situation will be. I remember my last flight from lahug Cebu to back home. It left at midnight and should take about 40 min to reach the international terminal but just as I left the hotel 2 hours before the flight, a torrential downpour started and the streets were flooded and impassable in places. Fortunately my driver knew every back alley and we even passed through some dodgy barangays. We did make it to the airport 35 min before departure. When I checked in the girl said the flight was fully booked but when I boarded there were 30 or 40 empty seats as we pulled away from the departure gate, so there were plenty of people who missed that international flight.[/QUOTE]

One time I flew Cebu Pacific Manila to Dumaguete and the plane couldn't land because there was a problem with the brakes so we went back to Manila to switch planes.

[QUOTE=Nightrider1;1434466]I agree with Red Kilt. In Phil there are no guarantees what the situation will be. I remember my last flight from lahug Cebu to back home. It left at midnight and should take about 40 min to reach the international terminal but just as I left the hotel 2 hours before the flight, a torrential downpour started and the streets were flooded and impassable in places. Fortunately my driver knew every back alley and we even passed through some dodgy barangays. We did make it to the airport 35 min before departure. When I checked in the girl said the flight was fully booked but when I boarded there were 30 or 40 empty seats as we pulled away from the departure gate, so there were plenty of people who missed that international flight.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=X Man; 1434474]It is with great trepidation that I decide, once again, to challenge the esteemed ISG member Red Kilt.

Sixteen years is surely impressive, but how many flights have you made in that time? . I could give a flying fk about how much you travel (no pun intended).

Furthermore, of the six flights you missed, how many were at 6:30am or earlier?

And lastly, you missed six flights? Are you a slow learner?

And, so as not to sow any animosity with the esteemed RK, I will admit that I missed a flight out of Manila once.

X.[/QUOTE]And the point is. Why not ask him in a PM. To be honest, asking him to recollect what percentage of flights missed were pre or post 6. 30am isn't really relevant to a lot of us. (as in WHO CARES!)

Weve all missed Manila flights due to a variety of reasons. Lets move on.

[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1434363]It's not doom and gloom KM.

It is the simple dysfunctional nature of life in the Philippines.

After living here for almost 16 years I have missed 6 flights because of traffic; 4 in Manila and 2 in Cebu. All were domestic flights.

By dysfunctional I mean that you just CANNOT predict what will be the situation. In Melbourne or Sydney for example, you know within 5 minutes how long it will take to reach the airport. Not so here.

If you want to roll the dice and beat the odds then by all means try to cut it fine with time. Chances are you will get away with it. But if do get delayed and you do end up needing to re-book an international flight and / or make another hotel booking and add on your transport costs to return to the airport then it can seriously affect a budget.[/QUOTE]RK, I realize you have your own experiences. I have mine. I've been flying in and out of Manila for the last 10 years 2-3 times a year at least. Things have changed a lot in the last 10 years at least for flights at Terminal 1 the International Terminal. Check in lines at airline desks are shorter. Even for me, immigration after landing is all of the sudden much quicker. The line after checking to get thru immigration to go to your gate is quicker. The front of the airport can look like a mob scene but a lot of people are also there to say goodbye and are not going into the airport. Even then, the other day when it was an ugly afternoon out front, security guided foreigners to the front thru another door to bypass such lines. There is a change there whether you want to admit it or not. Even when I've been in a long line to get inside, and or even the immigration line, I made it to the gate with way more time than I needed. It just seems like things have changed. I realize that the locals seem to bog things down, but even then for some odd reason, it's always worked for me. If you are late for whatever reason, I would think that the airline will fast track you thru the processes to get you on the flight, just like pretty much any other airport or airline. Terminal 1 has made significant progress over the last 10 years I've been flying thru. The guy is flying out at 630 am in the morning. If he's flying out at 630 pm or 1830 hours, I would tell him to leave earlier also. I don't think leaving at 4 am is cutting it fine.

[QUOTE=Nightrider1;1434466]I agree with Red Kilt. In Phil there are no guarantees what the situation will be. I remember my last flight from lahug Cebu to back home. It left at midnight and should take about 40 min to reach the international terminal but just as I left the hotel 2 hours before the flight, a torrential downpour started and the streets were flooded and impassable in places. Fortunately my driver knew every back alley and we even passed through some dodgy barangays. We did make it to the airport 35 min before departure. When I checked in the girl said the flight was fully booked but when I boarded there were 30 or 40 empty seats as we pulled away from the departure gate, so there were plenty of people who missed that international flight.[/QUOTE]I realize that weird things can happen. If it's been raining and raining, sure I would think you know you have to leave earlier due to road conditions changing. Isn't that common sense? You had a ride that takes 40 minutes to the airport that you assumed would be easy with 2 hours to departures. Isn't that cutting it a bit close? We are talking here about a drive here of maybe 15. 20 minutes with no expected traffic at all at 3-430 am. It may even be faster than that in reality. Not asking him to cut it close. I was there in Ermita when that big rain happened about 4-5 years ago and in Manila / Makati, where it flooded the streets of Mabini. I was out all night and it rained all night long. When I got up in the morning and saw the streets flooded, I didn't even bother to go the flight. I wasn't flying out in those conditions. I didn't call or check the airlines. I later learned, they had cancelled all flights as it is. Common sense? For me, most likely so. This guy if he stays in Ermita is talking about getting to the airport at 3 am. 3.5 hours before the flight departs, and you took a taxi 2 hours before a flight with a 40 minute drive time? Plenty of people missed the flight? Were they foreigners or locals? Let me take a guess. Come on.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan; 1434569]And the point is. Why not ask him in a PM. To be honest, asking him to recollect what percentage of flights missed were pre or post 6. 30am isn't really relevant to a lot of us. (as in WHO CARES!)

Weve all missed Manila flights due to a variety of reasons. Lets move on.[/QUOTE]Hey FF, why only on X? I've never missed a flight. Certain things can get in the way. Common sense plays a big part of it. We are talking about a flight at 630 am at Terminal 1 it sounds like.

I'm not going to discuss anymore on this thread in regards to this guy's flight anymore, it's taken enough space. I am pretty sure you guys will still argue your case and defend each other to the end without really looking at the circumstances presented. Given another departure time, I may say differently or if there were other extenuating circumstances, that usually require common sense. I've been on the roads at 3-5 am plenty returning from clubs or wherever.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan; 1434569]And the point is. Why not ask him in a PM. To be honest, asking him to recollect what percentage of flights missed were pre or post 6. 30am isn't really relevant to a lot of us. (as in WHO CARES!)

Weve all missed Manila flights due to a variety of reasons. Lets move on.[/QUOTE]Maybe try not reading it if you don't care?

I am staying at Cherry Blossom right now, the street towards MBC and Del Pilar is really untidy, I would have vomited if I didn't think about anything else!

Wow way too much detailed discussion here.

I was looking at the bigger picture. My key point was that in MOST airports that I have negotiated around the world it is fairly clear how much time it takes to get from home to the departure lounge. That CANNOT be said for Manila with any degree of accuracy within a 60 minute window.

It is much better for Cebu now. Each of the planes I missed in Cebu were caused by the original small 2 lane bridge being blocked by a truck break-down. The "new" bridge allows much more reliable access. When you fly domestically at least once per week, and sometimes to multiple destinations like I was doing a few years ago, then you get a little careless about time UNTIL you suddenly run into an obstruction that gives you no optional routes to get to the airport and you miss a flight.

If it is critical that you must catch a specific flight on a specific date, then my advice is to be conservative with timing and allow for unexpected contingencies. Sod's Law says that when you leave early for the airport there will be no traffic nor check-in delays and you will be 2 hours early. The obverse is that if you are a little late then all manner of obstructions will magically appear.

That's why I used the word "dysfunctional" in my earlier advisory.