Last March, I traveled with A for a very short yet memorable trip to the “Queen City of the South” — Cebu. Everything went well except for the return flight, which I’ll tell you everything about of in a different blog post. For now I’d like to share with you some tips and useful information all about domestic flights in the Philippines, hoping that these could help you especially the first-time flyers out there.
*We traveled via Cebu Pacific hence some information I’ll be sharing are somehow aligned to their travel guidelines.*
You don’t need to have a passport
This seems unnecessary to say but for those who aren’t aware, a Filipino citizen who’s booking a domestic flight does not need a passport to travel the Philippines. You could however use it, if you have, to present it as a valid ID upon checking-in and before boarding the plane.
Check-in counters for domestic flight opens 2 hours prior your scheduled flight
It is advisable to arrive at the airport at least 3-4 hours before your flight’s take off. You won’t be allowed to board the plane if you arrived after the check-in counter closes, which is 45 minutes prior to departure. Take into consideration things like the traffic and the possible long queue at the check-in counters.
**Guidelines for international flight could differ
Baggage allowance varies between airlines
Check with your airline to know more about this.
Terminal Fee is included in the ticket price
Whether you booked a promo or regular-priced ticket, the terminal fee is already included in it.
Check-in online
I swear by this because this would make your whole flight experience better. You could check in thru your airlines’ website or mobile app. For (Cebu Pacific) domestic flight, you could check-in online 7 days up to 1 hour before your flight schedule. Checking-in online would save you time because you don’t need to line up at the check-in counter, unless you want to check in additional baggage you have missed.
Bring a valid ID and your itinerary receipt
You have to be able to present at least one valid ID and a copy of your itinerary receipt. The itinerary receipt would be sent to your email by your airline upon booking and paying for your flight successfully.
My number 1 tip is to do a web check-in. Web check-ins would provide you an online copy of your boarding pass. You could either print this or have it screenshot on your phone but I highly recommend to have it printed. Then once you arrived at the airport, you don’t have to queue at the check-in counters. You could already proceed to your designated Boarding Gate. Easy right?
Hope these things would help you on your first domestic flight! If you have any questions or want to add some tips and other useful information, comment them down below or message me! :)
