16/09/2024
Guys, have you seen the news about reshuffling of terminals at MNL airport?
It seemed like all the domestic flights will be designated at T2, and all international flights will be landing in either T1 (PAL) or T3 (all others).
As a frequent flyer of different carriers, I am slightly nervous at how the customer experience might be affected with this change. Personally, hindi ako affected. Im a resident here in Metro Manila and will never need connecting flights.
However, when this happens in the future, an international traveler from lets say, Los Angeles, who wants to see Boracay and make a connection in Manila, he or she will need to:
1. Pass immigration,
2. Collect bags (or in the case of PAL with checked through baggage, i think still collect for customs review?),
3. Use the terminal shuttle bus that runs at intervals,
4. Check in for the domestic flight.
This actually needs a lot of time. Minsan, if the foreigner isnโt careful, mamimiss niya ang domestic connection.
To which we can defend na he or she should have allotted more time. But, hindi kasi kampi sa atin ang circumstances. Our terminals are NOT near each other. Our terminals have no trains running between them. Maulan and makidlat kaya madami ang delays ng airport natin. And we don't have enough ramps so minsan may remote boarding pa.
Yes, maybe may fault ang tourist for not researching well, but an unsuspecting international tourist will very likely allot just 4 hours for connections. For some Westerners actually ay matagal ito.
If the international tourist misses a connection, ano ang pwedeng sabihin nila sa friends nila abroad? โDonโt use MNL.โ
Because I always fly abroad, I have personally observed foreigners from previous flights getting frantic inside the plane because of delays in landing or parking, causes them great anxiety because of the big possibility of missing their connections.
This situation is similarly difficult for some of our fellow Pinoys. Sa group chat namin, a doctor from Bacolod was saying, naku baka kailangan pa mag overnight if may international connection kasi minsan delayed pa ang flights to Manila.
Not sure if this is even feasible, but canโt PAL and Cebu Pacific be all at T3, international and domestic? And then all the other airlines spread out in T1 and T2?
Theyโre the ones with domestic connections and theyโre the biggest local carriers anyway, and itโs just so easy for the passengers to transfer within the same terminal.
Just in case this terminal is too big for just these two carriers, maybe add other carriers into the mix, like Qatar airways or ANA or Cathay Pacific, or even a few more if the handling capacity of T3 is adequate.
Ang hirap din ng all international ang nasa T3. Especially lately, super haba ng pila sa immigration and halo halo na ang OFW lane, Asean lane and foreign passport lanes.
Hindi din naman fault ng Immigration kasi puno lahat ng booths nila pero sobrang dami talaga ng outbound. For sure ay lalaki naman ang area ng immigration for sure but gosh, imagine all airlines in T3? Eh one Emirates flight palang, what, 350 passengers na agad? Baka best if the reshuffling is done very gradually.
Changing the terminals ng international carriers din kasi may mean flight time changes ng ibang airlines, which may not be suitable for passenger connections.
I feel kasi, passenger experience always comes first (maybe do surveys among passengers?), kasi if smooth ang connections, the likelier they will refer to their friends. Thatโs what we all want, diba?
What are your thoughts on this? :)
- TMD
