Manila Airport

NAIA-2. Philippine Airlines. Arrivals had barely functioning air conditioning and no functioning travelators. A lengthy, sweaty walk to Immigration but the queue was only a few minutes wait in the early hours of the morning. Baggage was slow in coming but I was out of the terminal within 30 minutes of landing which is reasonable and taxi queue was fairly quick at that time of the day. Departures was mid afternoon and I checked in 3 hours before departure. The terminal was busy but again a few minutes wait in check-in, no queue in Immigration and I was airside within 10 minutes of entering the terminal, which is pretty good. But with 2.5 hours to kill, the dreadful Departures Area was the worst part of the trip - massively overcrowded everywhere - eating places, toilet(s), smoking room (joke of a place) and again poorly functioning airconditioning. Reminds me more of a Bus Station than an airport terminal.

Manila Airport terminal 1 was known with it's poor infrastructure and maintenance. There are not so many airlines at this terminal. Only passenger with ticket will be allowed to go into the airport. To be in the check in hall, passengers need to go for security scan and it caused a very long wait as 3 doors opened. After all the check in process and immigration, another security scan. As the plane ready to be take off, the pilot announced that we are required to wait as the air traffic was so busy. We wait for more than an hour in side the plane. It happen like all the time when I fly from MNL.

I have used Manila many times and nothing changes. The check-in lobby does not have enough seats for those that arrive early for check-in. Queuing at check-in counters is often chaotic, not enough information where to queue as the line are overlapping one another. Some staff are rude (e.g. security personnel, immigration). After immigration not enough seats and those available are tatty and dirty. Not enough toilets and I have seen long queues both for male and female. No amusement or entertainment for passengers waiting. In my opinion the renovations should be stopped and the construction of a new airport should be considered as the current project seems to be getting nowhere.

Terminal 2 of Manila Airport is probably the best for arrivals. It is exclusive for the use of Philippine Airlines. From disembarkation to exiting the airport only takes thirty minutes on average - something that long haul travellers, like me, appreciate. Although the airport is ageing, it still is fit for purpose. Arrival duty free shops aren't that tempting. They are not that extensive. Facilities are not too bad. A fairly decent airport.

The Terminal 3 of Manila's airport is probably the best among the other 3 terminals that serve both international and domestic flights. I love how people taking you to the airport can get inside and have coffee before you depart. However, there are not much to select from. There are limited restaurants even after immigration. The terminal is spacious and probably the most modern in Manila. Airport staff are friendly and helpful.

Terminal 1 in Manila continues to be one of the worst in Asia. Superficially they have painted the terminal, done some work on the roof etc but continues to suffer. The check-in area has inadequate seating. Passport control is not too bad but staff are not friendly. Adequate food and drink options but take the worst of Philippine food, overcharge and then provide no tables and chairs and you have the worst eating experience of any airport. Terrible toilets - not enough and not too clean. Pick-up and taxis are the one area that has improved, but never take a white cab or coupon taxi.

One of the worst airport I have ever visited. On arrival it took me 1 hour 15 minutes to get a cab. Lots of illegal taxi touts, but the official airport taxi queue was very long, with very few taxis coming - people blatantly cutting queues did not help. At departure I could only find 1 toilet in the departure area for hundreds of passengers. This is the first time in my life when I witnessed a queue for men's toilet. The terminal was stuffy, no electronic boards whatsoever to display flight details, public announcements were mumbling. Food options lousy with no proper restaurants - this airport is disgraceful.

This airport seems as good as any. Arrival is easy - airport, immigration and customs staff are polite and reasonable (even helpful), and there is adequate space for baggage claiming. Departure is awkward as you get to the airport, but that's only because people must allow time for Manila traffic, so you tend to arrive early for check-in. The check-in area would have to be huge to alleviate this problem, so you can't really blame that on the facility. Once you check in, the gates are well-marked and reasonably near, yet there are some shops and food available - limited selection, but prices are not outrageous. At the gates, seating is adequate, security staff thorough but polite, and the wifi worked just fine for me. Elevators are hard to find, so passengers in wheelchairs or with children in strollers need to ask for assistance. That's really the only problem I see. The problem is fighting traffic going to or from the place. I can't complain about the airport itself.

We went to the airport on a Wednesday evening. Light trafic, took 2 hours and 20 minutes from Bulacan. Inside Terminal 1 is pretty chaotic, like always. Had to wait about 35 minutes in lane for Turkish Airlines. Customs went pretty quickly and we went to eat in the shopping area. The boarding area is just too small. People were sitting in the hallways while waiting to board their flights. Wifi was not working for me.

This airport in the newest additional to the old ones but don't expect much, prepare to be greeted with chaos and unsystematic work flow. If you are on a long lay over, there is a lounge at the 4th floor where you can lie down or have a massage for only around $200 or P1,000. I think it's worth the money having a relaxing wait at this facility. Most of the escalators or travelators were not working. If you arrived from international travel, brace yourself to be in a crowded arrival. Be careful of your belongings too.