Cebu Airport

I arrived at Cebu airport to leave for HKG and then onto London. (My last report was 3 weeks earlier on arrival this one is departing). The main part of the airport was buzzing and a nice selection of shops however once checking in I was so surprise that I had to pay departure tax and had no pesos on me luckily I had English money but I suspect I got rip off with the lousy exchange rates. Why on earth do I have to pay this departure tax wasn't happy about this at all. There is one restaurant at the departure lounge and it is very expensive had to sit in the large waiting area where the seats was dirty and very uncomfortable 3 hours of boredom no cheap drinks either.

The international departures terminal does not have much to offer some snack shops money change souvenirs and a restaurant none if which accept credit cards. The seats are not very comfortable. If you have to kill between flights I'd recommend going across the road to the Waterfront Hotel. From the front of the international departures building cross the road and walk up the stairs where you see the sign for the There is a restaurant in the lobby which is a more comfortable place to wait they accept credit card and provide access to free wifi.

Small airport with very expensive duty free shops that only accepts USD. Not worth it to shop in there at all when you know you are obviously paying a premium. A lot of taxi touts once you step out of the airport. Airport is old and run down with nothing to shop in there. No cosmetics or alcohol duty free shops. Worst thing is that you have to pay an airport fee of PHP550. This is the only airport which I've been made to pay an airport fee for goodness knows what. There is also no wifi in this airport.

For a rather small but busy airport it's efficiently run. Friendly staff too expensive so called tax free shops extremely expensive to drink a beer after check in and security. More convenient then NAIA. Could use an upgrade but there seem to be plans to build a new import in nearby Cordova. Knowing how things go in Philippines this will probably be in 2025. Better to pay 550 pesos airport tax in Cebu then 750 pesos in Manila.

Departures is the saddest and most horrible airport I have ever used. The lower bar has been re-set in my estimate. You have to pay PHP550 each 'extra tax' regardless of what you already paid in the ticket. Only one little duty free which I thought was overpriced there is a small store selling a few snacks one restaurant where they make it clear that they do not accept credit cards. Most people walk out when they see the prices. After much tinkering I did manage to get the free wifi working. Quite a shock after visiting such a lovely country.

Arrived on an evening flight from Manila that was delayed. All good on arrival luggage and disembarking quick. International departure was good. A little crowded as a couple of flights were leaving but through to check-in quickly. Staff at the Cathay desk were friendly and helpful. No long queues. Aerobridges always help as does a 747 with 3 seats to myself!

Look like the airport is stuck in the 1980s. Too brown and too dark the ambience is not appropriate for a city known for its beaches and clear skies. Fairly clean halls but the toilets need a little more scrubbing. Very few dining options. An upgrade or a new terminal must be in order.

The airport is small so it's easy to navigate. Used the domestic area of the airport and it was a good experience. Check-In hall was old but very clean and spacious. Security was okay we had to pay the terminal fee as usual. Departure gates were rather spacious and cozy. The best part was the free internet and the computer stations! It was fast and I was able to go on facebook and check my emails. There were an ample amount of restaurants and shops and the staff was rather friendly. I much prefer Cebu than Manila it's small manageable and the experience is less stressful.

Used Mactan-Cebu International Airport Sept 2nd 2010 close to 12 midday (incoming) and Sept 22 2010 and again around 12 midday (outgoing). Small yes but I liked that. Very few shops. After check in and passing customs and all that it was no problem of leaving airport building to smoke a ciggy. Plus be aware you have to pay PHP 550 on departure (airport tax?). What struck me most as odd that upon arrival there was no soul in arrivals. I've learned that in case you have no plane ticket you can not enter airport building. So those who will pick you up are outside the airport building waiting for you. On both occasions I did not experience any hassles.

This is a nice small airport and arrival and departure managed in a breeze. Arrival with luggage through immigration and my greeting party in about 20 minutes from an international flight. Leaving is a bit more problematic as you check in and then come back through security but it works ok and staff are very friendly and helpful albeit it will cost you a tip.