Best Airports for Flight Connections

[Voyager39 20]

I am looking to start a PI trip on Palawan and am posting to get advice as to the best place / strategy for making flight connections in the PI, for someone flying into the PI on Eva airlines.

My online searching thus far has informed me that connecting in Manila is made complicated due to there being four airports in one large complex.  If there's a way to avoid having to rush around and exhaust myself after a long flight, it would be worth knowing about.

So, would MCIA be a better place to connect?  It's a little more expensive to fly to Cebu than to Manila, so I'd like to ensure it's worth the added price before taking this approach.

[oztony 36,106]

Much better to avoid Manila altogether..I actually fly through Hong Kong to get to Cebu so as to avoid Manila altogether....

[the.lone.gunman 3,027]

I definitely avoid Manila. Cebu Mactan is much easier for me. If using EVA air I fly Taipei to Cebu.

[TequilaSunset 2,726]

25 minutes ago, the.lone.gunman said:

I definitely avoid Manila. Cebu Mactan is much easier for me. If using EVA air I fly Taipei to Cebu.

 

^^This... even Inchon would be better 

[SkyMan 20,518]

You might look at other airlines going to Cebu.  I usually find Cebu flights about the same or a little cheaper but I'm leaving Cebu, not coming, so no telling.  Be warned that baggage is very restrictive on domestic flights so you may have a big bill for baggage. An agent may be able to get the whole trip on one itinerary so you should be get the full international allowance all the way.  I  said should. 

[the.lone.gunman 3,027]

12 minutes ago, TequilaSunset said:

 

^^This... even Inchon would be better 

I agree. Incheon is my favorite. But EVA usually flies out of Taipei.

[Jester 3,453]

I pay extra money to fly directly into Cebu and avoid Manila.  

 

[Jim Sibbick 1,036]

There isn't 4 airports in manila. It is 4 terminals for the one airport. 

The issue is, unlike other airports with multiple terminals, such as Changi, there is no connection between the terminal except for a free shuttle.  And I think it is 6 kilometres or so between some of the terminals by road if you want to walk. 

No idea what terminal EVA air flies into but if it is terminal 3 in Manila, that makes transferring to Cebu Pacific very easy. . Cebu Pacific use terminal 3 for domestic and international flights and they fly to Puerto Princesa or Coron on Palawan.

Mactan Cebu is easy. An international terminal and a domestic terminal close to each other. 

 

[Woolf 8,278]

29 minutes ago, Jim Sibbick said:

No idea what terminal EVA air flies into but if it is terminal 3 in Manila

Looks like it is terminal 1

https://www.manila-airport.net/naia-arrivals-airline-eva-air

[Voyager39 20]

21 hours ago, SkyMan said:

You might look at other airlines going to Cebu.  I usually find Cebu flights about the same or a little cheaper but I'm leaving Cebu, not coming, so no telling.  Be warned that baggage is very restrictive on domestic flights so you may have a big bill for baggage. An agent may be able to get the whole trip on one itinerary so you should be get the full international allowance all the way.  I  said should. 

You refer to an agent being able to help.  Are there web sites that can arrange this type of thing (perhaps EVA itself, though I saw no provision for doing that on the site).

I admit that I wouldn't like the feeling of having to rush to make a connection or risk having to wait and pay for a replacement flight if I missed it.  I mention this concern because after landing at MCIA last August, it took about 90 minutes to get through Immigration.

[SkyMan 20,518]

If you're set on Eva, I'd call them directly and for me, I would tell them Cebu and not Manila.  They may have a partner for the domestic part and can do the complete itinerary.  Online there are many options. Travelocity, Cheapoair, Expedia, etc.

[Jim Sibbick 1,036]

46 minutes ago, Voyager39 said:

  I mention this concern because after landing at MCIA last August, it took about 90 minutes to get through Immigration.

It obviously depends very much on what other planes have landed at or near the same time.

When i landed at Terminal 2 on Mactan in November, it took 50 minutes from the plane opening the doors at 10.45pm to me walking through the door of my hotel in Downtown Cebu City.  That is 50 minutes to exit the plane, pass immigration, get my bags, find my driver, drive from airport to Downtown Cebu City, say good bye and enter the hotel.  The longest wait was for the luggage. I didn't time it but it felt like about 10 minutes. 

[SkyMan 20,518]

1 hour ago, Jim Sibbick said:

It obviously depends very much on what other planes have landed at or near the same time.

When i landed at Terminal 2 on Mactan in November, it took 50 minutes from the plane opening the doors at 10.45pm to me walking through the door of my hotel in Downtown Cebu City.  That is 50 minutes to exit the plane, pass immigration, get my bags, find my driver, drive from airport to Downtown Cebu City, say good bye and enter the hotel.  The longest wait was for the luggage. I didn't time it but it felt like about 10 minutes. 

Might actually take longer to transition to a domestic flight.  I believe CP has 45 minute preflight checkin requirement.

[liquido 1,426]

16 hours ago, Jim Sibbick said:

There isn't 4 airports in manila. It is 4 terminals for the one airport. 

I think he was being sarcastic about that statement,rightfully so...Like everyone here says AVOID MNL at all costs...

[Voyager39 20]

7 hours ago, SkyMan said:

If you're set on Eva, I'd call them directly and for me, I would tell them Cebu and not Manila.  They may have a partner for the domestic part and can do the complete itinerary.  Online there are many options. Travelocity, Cheapoair, Expedia, etc.

The advantage of having the whole trip on a single itinerary, as I understand it, is to have some party (other than the traveler) be responsible for ensuring that connections are made.  This prompts a question.  If a connection is missed, who does the traveler call to provide a substitute flight?  Travelocity?  the connecting airline?

I will call Eva at some point.  However, in my experience, they're very hard to get a hold of.  State-side, I have only been able to get through if I call first thing in the morning and wait for several minutes for a live person.  In Cebu, I couldn't reach them at all from my hotel.  My hotel concierge told me that I'd have to travel to MCIA just to speak to them.  So I took a taxi to MCIA just for the purpose of speaking to Eva scheduling agents.  When I arrived at the airport, the security people wouldn't let me enter the terminal.  Instead, they gave me a different phone number that I could call while out on the second floor level (a balcony of sorts).  

I have searched online to see if Eva has a Philippine airline partner, and couldn't find one.