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Transit Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3
While waiting for the wife to arrive at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), I decided to go around the terminal again. It had been a while since I had explored the terminal and the delayed arrival of the plane meant I had a lot of time to burn. It seemed too lazy an option to just sit down and have some food and drink at a cafe or restaurant when you can exercise by taking a walk around the terminal.
At the fringes of Level 4 where most of the shops, cafes and restaurants are located, I stumbled upon a newly opened transit lounge. The Wings Transit Lounge is dubbed as the Philippines’ first airport lounge. It opened last May and offers travelers and even well-wishers facilities similar to that of hotels. It is actually a hotel within the airport that gives people the option of a more comfortable rest or sleeping area (accommodations). This can be a good option for people in between flights (transfer passengers) especially those arriving late at night and with long layovers before their connecting flights at the same airport terminal or the other terminals of NAIA.
The Wings Transit Lounge opened last May at NAIA Terminal 3
Dining or work area
Pantry and dining area – the bright lights in the background is from the area across the corridor from the transit lounge that has a great view of the tarmac and runway; parts of NAIA Terminal 3 that have yet to be occupied (and which are prime areas for restaurants or cafes).
Lounge chairs for napping, waiting, a massage or a manicure/pedicure
Double deck beds at the family room – note also the personal reading lights for each bed.
Another photo of the double deck beds at a family room. I wasn’t able to get photos of their twin and bunk rooms as these were occupied when I went around the transit lounge.
Common toilets and showers for those wanting to freshen up before or after a flight.
Capsules include blinds for some privacy
Here’s one capsule unit with a safety deposit box and reading light.
Room and lounge rates plus rates for other services offered by Wings Transit Lounge
The rates appear to be expensive at first glance but should be considered in the context of convenience. The transit lounge provides services (mainly accommodations) that, although hotels in the area can also provide, are offered right there at the terminal itself. You can google the airport hotels to compare rates. The nearest ones to NAIA Terminal 3 are the Marriott Hotel, Maxim’s Hotel and Remington Hotel.
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Tom Bradley International Airport
Before our trip back to Manila, we passed by Los Angeles to visit with family and meet up with friends. We haven’t seen them for some time including cousins who live outside of LA but drove hours just to meet up. Needless to say, we had a great time meeting up with relatives and friends whom we only communicated with via internet. nd we also managed to squeeze in some touristy stuff like going to see the space shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center.
On the day of our flight back home our cousin drove us to Tom Bradley International Airport. We normally booked an airport van or limousine but he was free that noontime so we had a free (and more comfortable) ride to the airport. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get photos of the check-in area as it was already crowded when we arrived and we had to split up as I was flying Economy while the wife was flying on Business Class. Here are a few photos I took at the airport:
Traffic congestion at the airport driveway
Upon clearing immigration and completing security checks, passengers are greeted by shops along the corridor to the boarding gates.
Duty Free shops at LAX
Giant video screens show the time and landmarks in other cities around the world
As in many international terminals, there are many high end shops at LAX
More shops, directions to boarding gates and other information are strategically located in the terminal.
Passengers can lounge around the airport as there are many seating areas in the terminal.
Passengers walking around or seated at the terminal
Passengers can walk around the terminal to get the blood flowing if they prefer not to just sit and wait for their flights to board.
Boarding gate for our flight
Passengers waiting near the boarding gate catch up on conversation, read or do whatever they prefer to while waiting for their boarding call.
Another look at the information board on flights as well as the advertising screen at the terminal.
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Arrival at LAX
This is a follow-up to the last post on the San Diego Commuter Air Terminal. I incorrectly stated that the info about the commuter terminal is current but it turned out that its already closed and flights have been transferred to the main terminal. Thanks to a comment from one of my readers who pointed that out! Anyhow, from San Diego, our SkyWest plane landed at LAX and taxied to Terminal 8. I took the following photos at LAX upon arrival from San Diego.
Instead of a bridge or stairs, the airport was equipped with these combinations of covered stairs and walkways to the terminal building.
These seem to be especially fabricated for small aircraft and allowed for passengers to walk between aircraft and terminal for all weather conditions.
A look inside this ‘tube’ of sorts connecting the aircraft and the terminal
Inside Terminal 8 are passengers waiting for their boarding calls.
Another look around Terminal 8’s pre-departure lounge
Information about departures and arrivals are shown on the screens at the lounge
Long line for the shuttle to Terminal 4
Our shuttle care of American Eagle airlines
I was able to get a photo of an American Eagle airlines plane docked at one of the contraptions for enplaning/ deplaning passengers.
Buses wait their turns to drop-off and/or pick-up passengers at Terminal 4.
While waiting for our turn to alight from our bus, I took this photo of an American Airliner being serviced for luggage/freight.
Moving walkway from the arrival gate of the terminal to the baggage claim area
Information on arrivals served by a particular carousel are displayed on an LED screen. There is also information on the weather.
Passengers crowd around carousel 3 while waiting for their luggage to come out.
Busy driveway at LAX Terminal 4
Crosswalk between the airport terminal and the multi-level parking building
Long line of vehicles whose drivers are fetching arrivals
Parking shuttle and other airport shuttle buses passing through Terminal 4. There are vast parking lots located some distance away from the airport terminals that are used by travellers parking for long periods (i.e., park and fly for vacations or business trips).
Inside the airport parking building across from Terminal 4
Exit from the airport parking facility with the air traffic control tower in the background
The iconic central structure of LAX features modern architecture
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San Diego Commuter Air Terminal
I’m starting July with a post I started writing after our trip to the US last May but which I only finished recently. The info won’t likely become stale for quite some time so its still pretty much informative for those traveling from San Diego by plane. [Correction: The terminal closed in early June with flights transferred to the main terminal or replaced by larger aircraft. For more info, you can check out this link.]
We mistakenly went to San Diego Airport’s main terminal. It turned out that our flight to Los Angeles would be via the smaller commuter terminal. It’s a good thing that they had an airport shuttle for the convenience of passengers traveling from one terminal to another. The commuter terminal sort of reminded me of the old low cost carrier terminal at Singapore’s Changi Airport but San Diego’s I think is much better in terms of amenities and design.
The counter at our boarding gate
The cafe/restaurant at the commuter terminal had a relaxed and comfortably feel about it
There was also a bar for those wanting to grab a quick drink, alcoholic or not, prior to their flights
Passengers waiting for their flights relax by conversing with their company, having a drink, listening to music or reading or just plain sitting and looking around.
There’s a news stand at the terminal for those who want to grab something to read for the short flight or for later.
The path to the plane was clearly marked. We were fortunate that the rains stopped prior to our boarding the aircraft.
Our SkyWest plane is the smallest jet aircraft I’ve ridden on. The last time I was on an airplane of this size, it was on a turboprop between Tacloban and Manila. The space above the seats was limited and could probably fit a briefcase sized bag so if you have one of those backpacks or thicker bags with your computer, you would have to place them under the seat in front of you. Of course, this can be uncomfortable to many considering the also constricted leg room in these small aircraft.
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Transfer at Narita
Our trip to the US was via Japan Airlines (JAL), which meant we had a layover at Narita International Airport where we changed planes. The stop was over three hours and so I took my time walking from our arrival gate towards our boarding gate in the satellite terminal of the airport. This was so I could get a few, ok a lot, of photos. Of course, I wasn’t able to and didn’t take photos at sensitive areas of the airport (immigration, security checks) as these areas prohibit the use of camera and cellphones.
Passengers walk towards the terminal building upon deplaning
Signs show the way for transfer passengers (Green) and those staying in Japan (Yellow).
The long corridor connecting the main Terminal 2 to the satellite is quite spacious.
There are moving walkways along one side of the connector’s right corridor.
Information screens for Terminal 2 departures
Example of a cafe inside the Narita terminal
Play or lounge area for passengers along the wide bridge connecting Terminal 2 with its satellite
Clean and elegant architecture for Narita Airport’s Terminal 2 connection with its satellite
We really liked the “modern Asian” feel of the interior of Narita Airport
Doorway to the satellite with signs clearly showing the way to the boarding gates
Information screens for departing flights at Narita’s Terminal 2
Familiar green telephones and phone card dispensers
Our boarding gate for the Narita – San Diego leg of our trip
I will be writing a few more articles on airports in future posts.
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NAIA Terminal 1 departures – some updates, Part 2
This is a continuation of the previous article providing updates on NAIA Terminal 1. The terminal is currently being renovated and what used to be the most maligned terminal in the country has improved both in terms of facilities (including the toilets!) and processes (immigration was efficient when I passed through). Here are more photos of the terminal from my recent trip.
The same Duty Free shops were there. The lighting was basically the same but area seems cleaner than before.
There are few Duty Free shops are T1 compared to other international terminals, which are like shopping malls in terms of selections (e.g., Changi, Hong Kong, etc.).
Many areas have been cordoned off for the renovation works at the terminal.
A welcome sight for many, especially those wanting to have a decent cup of coffee or tea would be the Starbucks at T1.
One of the new concessionaires at Terminal 1 is a welcome sight to passengers who before had to make do with food and drink stands that weren’t as attractive.
Another new concessionaire is this coffee shop at T1 offering what looked like fairly prices (for an airport) drinks, sandwiches and meals.
The corridor to our boarding gate has been repaired and cleaned. The carpets no longer looked filthy and were not smelly.
Japan Airlines aircraft docked at T1 sporting its original (retro) logo
Vacant slot and available airbridge at T1
Another look at the renovated and cleaned corridors to the boarding gates
A China Southern Airlines plane at NAIA Terminal 1
Passenger lounge under renovation
Shared lounges for First Class and Business Class passengers of several airlines
Stairs and escalators to the pre-departure area and boarding gates
Souvenir shop at the pre departure area
Final baggage inspection before the waiting area near the boarding gate
Boarding gate for my flight
There were plenty of available seats as passengers only started to arrive at the pre departure area. The seats were basically the same ones here when I last used T1. Though not needing to be reupholstered, these require proper and regular cleaning considering all the people who have gone through the airport.
I will post again soon on Terminal 1 but from the arrival perspective.
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NAIA Terminal 1 departures – some updates, Part 1
The long-delayed renovations to the Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was finally undertaken a few months ago. The much maligned airport terminal has been dubbed as the worst terminal in the world, with poorly maintained facilities including dirty toilets. It is certainly not the worst airport in the country but fails as a international gateway. Here are a few photo I took recently upon checking in for a flight.
The main departure lobby seems so spacious with significantly fewer passengers now using the terminal. Many major airlines have transferred to Terminal 3 including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta and Emirates.
They must have changed the lighting as the area is not as gloomy as before.
Proper illumination plus what looks like recently sanded and polished marble equals a more refined departure lobby.
Even the check-in counters have been renovated.
Other counters are vacant due to the transfer (temporary?) of other airlines to Terminal 3.
Japan Airlines counters opened just in time and the queues were orderly.
Business class counters accommodated economy passengers whenever they were available (not processing business class passengers).
More on the renovations in the next post!
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Revisiting Tacloban Airport
The last time I was in Tacloban was in the summer before Typhoon Yolanda (International: Haiyan) laid waste to the city and many others along its path. Following are photos I took upon our arrival and departure from the city.
The Daniel Romualdez Airport as seen from our taxiing aircraft. The airport was almost completely destroyed by Yolanda in 2013 and was the scene of so much grief and desperation afterwards as people made their exodus of the devastated city and surrounding areas.
Arriving passengers deplane and walk on the tarmac towards the baggage claim area
A photo of our plane and disembarking passengers – Tacloban airport was being served by turboprops as jet services were suspended because of the repairs being undertaken for th runway.
Luggage carousel at the arrival area
Passengers await their luggage
People outside included those picking up passengers and those offering transport services not just for Tacloban and Leyte but also for destinations in nearby Samar island. The two islands, of course, are connected by the San Juanico Bridge, the country’s longest.
Passengers walk towards the well-wishers’ area and the parking lot
Passengers claiming their luggage
Airport control tower
Philippine Airlines check-in counters
Cebu Pacific check-in counters
Concessionaire and passengers at the pre-departure area
There were many new seats at the pre-departure area and the space can handle about 3 planeloads of passengers without being too congested.
Another look at the relatively spacious pre-departure area
The pre-departure are as seen from the other end of the lounge
Tacloban is the regional capital of Eastern Visayas and deserves a modern airport to serve the area. Plans have been made for a new passenger terminal and the project was reportedly to be bid out before Yolanda destroyed the airport. The old terminal had to be rebuilt and the new terminal project seems to be behind schedule in terms of implementation. Hopefully, the reason for delay is that they had to re-design the terminal that was to be located in the area where Pope Francis held a Mass early this year when he visited Tacloban. The re-design is critical given the possibility of future super typhoons ravaging the area and the position of the airport along the path of most typhoons passing through the Philippines.
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On airport taxis at NAIA-Manila
Arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 from a domestic trip, we noticed the long lines of people needing to get a taxi to get to their homes or other destinations. NAIA has accredited a taxi company or companies as official airport taxis and travelers have a choice between metered and fixed rate taxis. Regular taxis were generally prohibited from picking up passengers at the airport terminals though they bring in passengers and could take passengers from the departure areas of the terminals; a common practice in other airports. I say ‘were’ because recently, in what seemed to be an effort to address the taxi supply issue, NAIA has allowed regular taxis to pick up passengers during ‘peak hours’. I say they should just assign a place for people to get regular taxis just like in Mactan Cebu and Davao.
Long lines for the metered airport taxi cabs
Long lines for the fixed rate taxis
Another looks at the long lines – not exactly the greeting you’d like when arriving in a city
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NAIA Terminal 1 Drop-off/ Hatid
I was at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 recently to drop off the wife who was going on a trip abroad. I already knew that the terminal was undergoing renovations and many airlines had already transferred to Terminal 3 including Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates and Singapore Airlines, which had a of flight between them in and out of Terminal 1. This meant that Terminal 1 would have much less people and that’s exactly what we saw from the departure level driveway.
People getting carts for their luggage – and there are a lot of carts due to the drastically reduced number of passengers at T1.
The departure level driveway had very few traffic. This area used to be so crowded with security directing drivers not to park too long so others could stop to drop-off their passengers.
Well-wishers crowd the very limited space near the entrances to the terminal. This is despite all the signs practically screaming for them to clear the area. Meanwhile, one airport security staff seems exasperated after probably telling people to leave the area so many times already. There is a waiting area just after the walled/boarded off section in the photo where people cold make their last minute face to face goodbyes.
Waiting area for passengers and accompanying persons – I don’t recall they had this area before but then I probably didn’t notice because it was too crowded outside and I usually went inside the terminal immediately.
In a few days I will try posting about the renovations being undertaken at NAIA Terminal 1. These were necessary and long overdue for a terminal that’s been called one of the worst in the world. From what I saw outside, I don’t really expect to see much inside except perhaps some facelifts here and there. It’s better to manage expectations when it comes to such limited renovations.
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Caught (up) in traffic 
