MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 23 June 2009 by Francisco Pinyata
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Having gone through NAIA terminal 1 three times since my last review about a year ago, I have
noticed some minor changes with the whole airport experience there, most of them positive.
First, upon arrival, the lines were visibly shorter on all 3 trips through there, once between
1pm-2pm and twice between 7pm-8pm. I do not know what changes they've made, but on average the
time spent on queues went down by half. Secondly, the time it took for me to get my luggage
from the time I stepped out of the aircraft also went down drastically. I was out of the
airport with my bags about 20-30 minutes after getting out of the plane, which is a huge leap
of improvement from previous experiences there. Departing from NAIA 1 has become easier as
well. Before, you couldn't get inside the terminal if you do not have a hard copy of your e-
ticket. During one of my trips out of there, I told the security guard by the entrance that I
only had the reference number for my flight. The security officer told me that the reference
number was enough and that they have been granting ticketless passengers terminal access for
some time. The number of security checks inside the airport have gone down from 3 checks to 2
- once before checking in and then again after immigrations. The terminal fee (which some of
the other comments below have been incorrectly referring to as "airport tax") is still 750
pesos or about 15 US dollars. The duty free shop is still a no-no, with overpriced merchandise
that you'd better off buy onboard your flight. The smoking area is still one of the biggest
setbacks, with a non-existent ventilation system and a floor area no bigger than my bedroom.
The good news is that you could go upstairs to the restaurant-cafe and puff away there without
buying anything. But, their coffee is not that bad so I'd recommend that. I'd also suggest you
try the ham and cheese sandwich. On of the saddest parts of this airport is the boarding gate,
and not because of the fact that your vacation is over at that point. It's those cold, steel
seats painted white. And there never is enough of them. And it's not just insufficient by a
couple of seats - it's more like nearly half of the passengers waiting for their flight are
standing up. A must-fix for the airport operators. But, all things considered, a one star
improvement from previous experiences there.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 22 May 2009 by N Sutherland
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Been through NAIA-3, half a dozen times now and it's getting steadily better. Looks like about
3 Airlines using the terminal, but unfortunately Cebu Pacific are all crammed up at one end
and the International Departure Check-Ins are already getting a bit crowded and the snake-like
queues have started... (Not as bad as when they were in T1 but since Cebu Pacific seem to be
the majority of the business there I'd have though they'd be given more space). Still no
Flight Information Screens anywhere in the terminal, and the incomprehensible sound system is
not going to help you to get to the gate in time. The Ticket Desks seem to have lengthy slow-
moving queues also. Seating is adequate throughout the terminal. The upstairs eating areas
have expanded a little and there's more choice now but it all still looks a bit temporary and
given the amount of business they seem to be doing I'd have thought they could produce
something a bit better. No Internet and no WiFi that I could see. Immigration is still quite
slow and Airside still lacks many facilities. Security isn't very efficient but neither is it
crowed and unlike the other terminals there's plenty space. Duty Free is very poor both in
selection and price. Although there are signs for an Airline (Pay?) Lounge I certainly never
found it. Arrivals and Baggage are quick and slick. I've started using the Yellow Cabs instead
of the Whites - I think you get a better deal. I certainly prefer NAIA-3 to any of the other
MNL terminals just for the lack of crowding and access to a clean toilet here and there.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 16
May 2009 : by E Laurel
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Arriving at Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport: For several years I have been flying into this airport,
I have not noticed any improvements. The same decor - except for Christmas decorations during
Christmas holidays. The same plants displayed in the lobby, some of the pots are broken. The
overall cosmetic is bad. Now, look at the maintenance. The floors look clean and shiny. When
passengers arrive at an airport, they usually look for the restrooms. The restrooms are small
and no toilet paper. I think there were a total of 2 stalls before we reach Immigration. The
immigration line is chaotic. No one is ushering the passengers where to line up so anything
goes. It is good there are free luggage carts now so the passengers who are not requesting
porters do not have to be bothered by them (they are all over). Well, it is understandable,
these people make money from foreigners. But some of them can be irritating. If you have a
"Balikbayan" box and you have been waiting for it to show on the carousel, do not panic. Some
porters now remove the Balikbayan boxes without making any announcements - and move them to
one corner where they are all packed so you will really need a porter. Once you get out of the
airport, there are no signs showing you where to go for taxi, etc. There are a lot of hasslers
hassling you to try their hotels, etc. Flying out of Manila: If you want to go to their
restaurant outside the check-in area, the food is inexpensive and good. You find the restrooms
and they are so filty - no toilet papers. Avoid the restrooms if you can. You get in line for
xray scanning. After x-ray, look for your airline counter where you will encounter a couple of
security checkers asking you the question, "did you pack your own bag, etc....". Then you get
in line again. After checking in, you go to Immigration where they check your passport and you
pay the departure tax - I think about 25US dollars. After Immigration, you proceed to the
gate. There are usually airline staff who direct you to the gates so that was helpful. You get
to the first security screening. You remove your shoes, etc. Then you get to another security
screening. You do the same thing. Then, at the gate area, another security screening where you
leave your belongings to the security screener and you can only get it after you are already
inside the gate area. Security screening is stringent. Airport staff and airline employees
are courteous, friendly and polite. Airport facilities are terrible. If you are a frequent
flier, buy a lounge membership. This airport needs to be redone, renovated. They need to put
more restrooms for inbound and outbound passengers.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 13
May 2009 : by R Silverio
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Terminal 2 is small yet efficient. However, there is nothing much to do while waiting for the
flight. The wifi is not working. There are limited food choices. The place is not even
conducive for reading, working or sleeping because of the noise created by the frequent and
repetitive announcements. There are only two cramped and dirty toilets each for men and women
at the boarding area of international section.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 11
May 2009 : by John Philipps
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
The PAL Terminal at MNL is an exercise in pointless red tape to use as an exit point from
Manila. The process includes the following steps. First, show a printout of your itinerary
to the security guard, for without it, you will not gain entrance to the terminal. For those
of you with e-tickets, walk a quarter of a mile to the PR office and have one printed out for
you. Second, line up and push all your belongings through a large x-ray machine, although it
is not apparent that anyone is actually monitoring the bags going through. Third, line up and
collect your boarding pass at the counter. Fourth, walk to a separate counter and pay
US$15.75 or PHP750 airport tax in cash, not included in your ticket price. Fifth, have the PR
monitors stop you and force you to check any carry-ons that they arbitrarily deem to be "too
large" or "too heavy", even though you brought the exact same bags into the airport earlier in
the week. Sixth, show your airport tax receipt to another PR employee. Seventh, process
through immigration. Eighth, process through another security check, including another bag
scan, personal grope, shoe carnival up to an including flip-flops, and liquid confiscation.
You are now in the sterile area and can wait to board your PR flight while vowing to never fly
PR internationally from MNL again. The level of inefficiency is astounding, and drives anyone
with a need to make a repeat visit to MNL to use CX or JL or some other airline to avoid this
terminal.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 1
May 2009 : by Pedro Cadelina
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
These comments apply mostly to Terminal 2. T2 is exclusive to PAL and as such is handy for
transfers if flying to another destination other than Manila. The terminal is very nice inside
and out. Once inside though, the process is not as nice. Everything is built from plywood and
painted giving the interior a cheap feel. Security is throughout including at the entrance,
prior to the gate area, and at the gate if you fly international. Food is available but not
too many selections. Delifrance and a place that serves Singapore pulled coffee are good. Lots
of noise from constant paging and alert sounds from announcements and security machines. The
Philippines love noise pollution. Restrooms are clean and attendants are not invasive. The
planners of the Manila airport have made the unfortunate decision to build new modern
terminals but not connect any of them together. A ideal situation would be to have T3 as the
international terminal for all airlines and T2 as the domestic thus vacating the original T1
and domestic terminals. This will not happen as T2 and T3 are across the runway from each
other.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 6
April 2009 : by Jon Beltran
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
If you fly into Terminal 1, which most, non-Philippine Airline international flights use, be
prepared for a shock. Upon arrival, the first impression of a nation or country, that a
visiting international traveler receives, is usually the airport. Unfortunately, the first
impression one gets when arriving into Manila’s Ninoy International Airport, Terminal 1 is
quite antiquated, shabby and run-down. By the gate area: Sections are cordoned off (for one‘s
safety, I assume), though there seems to be little or no renovation work being accomplished.
The flooring surface is a mismatch of old, late-70’s early 80’s turquoise carpet and the same
color carpeted tiles. The ceiling squares are also in need of replacement with yellowish-
brown water stains. If one is unfortunate enough to be arriving or departing at the terminal,
during or within a couple of hours of a rain storm, lookout for the large leaks flowing into
buckets at several locations throughout the terminal. Each traveler must pay a P750.00
(around $15.00) airport fee, charged by the airport officials upon departure. Thousands of
passengers pay this fee on a daily basis, amounting to quite a sum. One wonders how those
funds are spent when contrasting that sum with the state of the facilities. It is almost as
if there was an unspoken conspiracy to castigate travelers who chose to travel on an airline
other than PAL to the Philippines. In contrast to Terminal 1, if one takes Philippine
Airlines (PAL) into Manila, it is quite a different story. PAL passengers use Terminal 2.
This Terminal is a modern, glass and steel structure with lots of light with an open, airy,
feel to it. There is also the new large Terminal 3, which like Terminal 2, is modern and
clean and completely empty. Except for a domestic low-cost carrier that uses 3 or 4 of the
jetways while the other 20 or so sit idly by.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 3
March 2009 : by S Bishop
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 is new and looks very modern, clean, and
huge.Sadly it isn't fully operational yet. We flew out of the NAIA T3 to and from Boracay via
Cebu Pacific last January and I enjoyed it even though we were running most of the time to
avoid missing our flight. Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 is better than
Terminal 1. It only serves Philippine Airlines. Getting out of the airport is a breeze. The
place is clean. Going through security is a little tough though. After checking in and going
through immigration, we went through the usual x-ray and taking off shoes. At the boarding
gate, we were again asked to xray our carryons, remove our shoes again, and got frisked again.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 13 January 2009 : by C Watson
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Arriving was fine - swift, clean, although the metered taxi wouldn't use his meter. However
this is the first airport I have departed from where there is no sign saying where the
entrance is. Because departures are on the upper floor, which can only be accessed from the
ground floor, all the doors say "arrivals" on them. The entrance is through the "Arrivals
(with luggage)" door. Check-in area looks nice, nice Cebu Pacific logo on the overhead
screens although they can't actually write the destination on the screens it seems so they
stick a piece of paper on the screen with the destination written on it. No arrival/departure
screens working. I followed the signs to the "Shopping Mall" but it doesn't exist yet. Three
empty floors. The guy on security was so interested in the text message he was reading that
he asked me why I was still standing by the machine. I told him he hadn't ejected my other
bag from it. Glancing at his monitor he said "Oh yeah!" and ejected it. Sorry, P200 of the
P750 airport tax is a security fee is it? Admittedly this was the second security check as
there is one to enter the airport. There were signs regarding liquids but the guy asked me to
please drink my 2L of water at some point before I board the aircraft. Airside were five
small shops - one very small duty free with very few Filipino souvenirs, one book stand
crammed into a tiny space despite the wide open unused space around the airport, one sushi
bar, one pot noodle stand and a coffee shop. The terminal opened in June- something
ceremoniously advertised but one wonders when they might actually finish the terminal.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 10 December 2008 : by J Levitsky
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Having used both Terminals, I would rate MNL very low, especially since neither Terminal appears to
be a real improvement over the old terminals.Lounges very poor representation for JL, CX, and PAL at
an international terminal. No one can use an e-ticket only, as all passengers are required to
produce a paper itinerary. This will result in the unaware international passenger making a lengthy
detour to the ticket offices upon departure. Multiple ineffective X-ray checks of passengers and
baggage. Shoe carnival at the departure lounge. Disorganized check-in queues for all airlines.
Separate airport tax of PHP750 or $20 required to be paid in cash. Air conditioning that ranges from
insufficient to Arctic, but does not settle on comfortable. Seedy snack bars and souvenir stores.
Inoperable toilets, usually unclean. Very long waits for baggage to arrive at the luggage carousels.
Incredible amounts of luggage consisting of paper bags bound with twine. No sense of propriety when
it comes to passengers waiting to collect their baggage, just a crazed crowd of people standing as
close to the carousel as possible, whether or not their bag is in sight. Terrible traffic patterns
for ground transportation to the airport. I recommend that passengers aim to minimize the amount of
time they spend actual in the MNL airport by arriving as close to departure as possible, and by not
checking any luggage when arriving on MNL-bound flights. I also recommend that departing passengers
remember to Print their itinerary and Have PHP750 in cash ready for the airport tax.
While not a downright obstacle to travelers like the old Djakarta International or the two Bombay
airports, MNL is way below par.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 28
November 2008 : by N Sutherland
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
NAIA-2. Check-In is fine as is the Arrivals Area. Being far less crowded than NAIA-1 Immigration and
Security are reasonably quick. Airside however reminds me more of an upmarket Bus Station than an
Airport - limited eating facilities, poor Duty Free both in terms of selection and price, totally
incomprehensible announcement system and the total lack of Flight Information screens. This,
combined with uncomfortable seating, brutal air conditioning, no pay-lounges and a 3-hour delay on a
3-hour flight in the middle of the morning conspire to produce a fairly negative customer
experience. It's been a couple of years since I've been through NAIA-2 and hopefully it'll be at
least that long again before I have to endure this terminal.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 5
November 2008 : by E Mallari
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Arrived via Northwest Airlines. Still the same old terminal. Passed through immigration in no time.
Avoided the men's room near the baggage carousel, notoriously dirty. Customs check is quick. Used
the passenger lounge for hotel car transfer, employees on break watching t.v. in the lounge and
occupying the seats meant for arriving passengers. Departed Manila airport on October 26th.
Baggage x-rayed as soon as passengers enter the terminal. Only ticketed passengers are allowed
inside the terminal. Three hours before my 7:30 a.m. flight Northwest Airlines check-in line
already long but organized. After checking-in passengers enter a room and pay the airport departure
tax, then go through passport check and then enter the terminal where gift shops and restaurants are
located. Walk to the gate area is a little long, passengers have to go through second x-ray check.
The gate areas have snack bars and souvenir stores. Used men's room and found that toilet doors
were broken, shame on the airport management. This has been a chronic problem in this particular
men's room in the pre-departure area. To get in the pre-board waiting area, passengers have to go
through the third x-ray check! Boarding was organized, airline employees assisted by uniformed
airport personnel. The sooner the international airlines like Northwest move to the newly opened
Centennial Terminal, the better.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 26
September 2008 : by N Sutherland
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
NAIA-3 actually looks like a proper airport... kind of. Check-in is very good with a pier-style
layout which makes best use of the available space - though the place was a bit dark... I think
they're saving electricity. There's a selection of food and drinks places both land-side and airside
- all of it seems a bit 'temporary'... 'camping out' rather than here to stay... Airport Tax is
still PHP750. Signs are adequate. There's a Smoking Room airside which is a sensible provision.
There's no computerised flight information system or video flight screens in the terminal, nor in
the Baggage Area. This is not a problem with Cebu Pacific being the only airline using the terminal
but will need fixing if/when it fills up. The arrivals area looked very good - 20 minutes from
getting off the plane to getting into a taxi, including luggage which is excellent. Without luggage
would be less than 10 minutes. My main criticisms of the other terminals has always been the chronic
overcrowding. This will only be alleviated if NAIA-3 takes some of the load - it's arrived but it's
some way away from the finished article and would struggle to handle say 6 airlines.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 27
August 2008 : by Emiel van Daalen
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
NIAI terminal 3 is finally open. For now only for all Cebu Pacific flights. There's not much in the
Terminal yet, in the International part maybe 2 or 3 bars/restaurants. A lot is still under
construction inside. The checkin area is nice, just like the spotless restrooms. (just for how long)
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 27
August 2008 : by Robert Chua
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
NAIA Terminal 1 is old and not at par with the rest of Asia, however there is something about this
old cramped terminal that makes me like it. Maybe it is the fact that you can actually get lounge
service even if you are not on a business/first class passenger. Sampaguita lounge is just an
elevator away. It is hidden and not many people know that. Theres food and drinks which is not bad
for 400 pesos (roughly around $8 us dollars). The relative small size of the airport is also an
advantage since you do not have to walk great distances to go to your plane. Major downsides are
the long lines from check-in to immigration. One time, it took me 2 hours and a half to get checked
in to a MNL-HKG flight via Cathay Pacific. The immigration people had to open a special immigration
desk for us so that we can be accommodated right away as the plane was about to leave.
MANILA NONY AQUINO AIRPORT review : 28 June 2008 : by Francisco Pinyata
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Stepping into the NAIA terminal is like stepping into a time machine back into the 70s. Everything,
except the few LCD flatscreens at the at the check in counters, are in need of a major technical
makeover. The walls on the entire structure looked extremely dull and dirty. Very slow immigration
and customs officers whom all seem to want to squeeze a buck out of every passenger. There are not
enough baggage conveyors so between 1pm to 2pm when my flight arrive together with 5 other flights,
there barely was sufficient room for the passengers waiting for their luggage. Before you even get
out of the terminal you will be approached by sales people selling you everything from taxi rides to
sim cards to bottled water. Departing from this airport is not that much different. Duty free shop
is microscopic compared to most other international airports in that part of the world. Not enough
seating for passengers waiting for gate boarding announcements. Smoking area is located within a
small cafe with very poorly working ventilation system. Your clothes will smell as if it was rubbed
against a wet ashtray. Only star this airport will get is for the polite and helpful security and
staff (immigration and customs people not included).
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