Home » Posts tagged 'NAIA Terminal 3'
Tag Archives: NAIA Terminal 3
Signs of the times? A COVID-19 test vending machine at the airport
I just wanted to share this photo that I took of a vending machine dispensing COVID-19 antigen self-test kits at NAIA Terminal 3. I took this photo as we exited the baggage claim area and headed for the multi-level parking of the terminal.
There are many vending machines at airports including the most typical ones for drinks and food. Some dispense souvenirs and even electronics. This was the first time I encountered this type of machine. I didn’t see one while in Changi or in NAIA Terminal 2, and even in Panglao, Mactan, Zamboanga or Laguindingan airports where I have been recently. Perhaps there are machines like this there or in there airports but I just didn’t see them. I guess these are here to stay considering COVID-19 is not yet completely out of the picture so to speak.
–
What are closed and what are open at NAIA Terminal 3 – international wing
I was able to take a few photos around the pre-departure area of NAIA Terminal 3 before our flight got cancelled. The shops, restaurants and cafes are mostly open including the Duty Free Philippines shop, Bo’s Coffee, and a variety of souvenir shops and eateries in the area. In fact, you can see from the couple of photos I am sharing that practically the whole length of the international wing has a shop or restaurant/eatery on one side. The other side would be the boarding gates and seats for departing passengers.
The travel certainly won’t have an excuse for getting hungry as I guess there will be something for everyone whether you want a drink, a snack, a light meal or a heavy one. The souvenir shops are also a mix of the usual items like delicacies, local crafts, shirts, keychains, ref magnets and the like. If you want something more fancy for souvenirs, there is a Narda’s store here. There are a couple of WHSmith stores for those looking for something to read or even some quick souvenir shopping.
–
What are closed and what are open – NAIA Terminal 3 arrival
I previously wrote about what shops and restaurants were open or closed at NAIA Terminal 3. This time, I am sharing photos of the arrival level of T3.
Exiting the baggage claim area, we come upon what looks like the same scenes at the arrival level before the pandemic – lots of people walking around, shops and banks/money changers open for business.
The crowd density was not really the same as pre-pandemic levels but perhaps this was also because we arrived during a relatively off-peak period in airport operations. There were no international flights that arrived at about the same time we landed. Otherwise, there will be a lot of well-wishers or people fetching (“sundo”) arriving passengers.
The exchange rate when we arrived hovered just above 56 pesos : 1 USD.
Most people are wearing masks, which is a good thing considering we are not yet over with the Covid-19 pandemic. I can only imagine how it was when the airports were just reopening and people were also required to wear face shields. And only those who were really traveling were allowed in the terminal.
Most shops and restaurants at the arrival level were open and many people who were mostly waiting for arriving passengers were there to have a meal or snacks.
Walking towards the covered parking areas of Terminal 3, we see familiar fast-food Jollibee and Chowking with their typical patrons/customers.
Still closed is the large Duty Free Philippines shop at the arrival level of T3.
–
What’re closed and what’re open – shops and restaurants at NAIA Terminal 3
I promised to post more photos about NAIA Terminal 3 yesterday. Prior to entering the pre-departure area, we decided to have our breakfast at the 3rd level of the terminal where most of the stores and restaurants are located. Prior to the pandemic, we ate at the area shared by Chowking, Tapa King and Army Navy Burgers. We also wanted to see which stores and restaurants were open as most of us were traveling via Terminal 3 for the first time since February 2020 (almost 2.5 years ago). Here are photos taken yesterday at the 3rd level. The scenes remind me of how friends described Haneda, Narita and Hong Kong, which also have a lot of shops, stores and restaurants still closed.
The Victoria’s Secret shop is open. So is the Bath & Body Works store across from it.
Some of the
Many of the small stores have closed. One wonders if these will eventually reopen or they will just be replaced by other stores once things get back to ‘normal’.
These used to be stores selling sports and outdoor wear including an Adidas store and a swimwear shop
What used to be a WHSmith convenience store is now boarded up. I assume there are still some items inside unlike the other closed stores where only the shelves remain.
McDonald’s is open and attracts a lot of people looking for that familiar meal.
Some stores selling chocolates and donuts are open. I saw that there are two other Krispy Kreme stores at the pre-departure area of the terminal. One is just after the final security check and the other is at the ground level near Gates 132 and 133.
Max’s is closed. Hopefully, it will reopen once the demand returns.
Chowking and Tapa King are closed. That means your options for no frills, inexpensive meals (particularly all-day breakfasts) are limited at the terminal.
Chinese restaurant Mongkok is also closed.
Army Navy is also closed at this area. They are open at the ground floor pre-departure area.
Even the kiosks are closed.
Ka Tunying’s Cafe, which was also a popular breakfast place, is closed.
Ramen Nagi is open.
What remains open is Mary Grace where you can get really good meals. However, if you’re on a budget, look elsewhere for food. Breakfast here can set you back 500+ pesos, which can cover the meals of 3 people elsewhere.
Kenny Roger’s Roasters is open along with the Jollibee at the same level.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) cafe is open as well as the Wendy’s beside it.
I have yet to see which stores and restaurants at the ground floor (arrival area) are still or already open. I hope I can take some photos when we return later this week.
–
Flying again thru T3
Its been a while since the last travel for work purposes. I used to fly at least once a month for project meetings, seminars, workshops and/or field work. My first flight during the Covid-19 pandemic was for a vacation last April. That was through NAIA Terminal 2 as we took PAL for our voyage.
This will be the first time in almost 2.5 years that I will be flying out of Terminal 3. Here are a few photos as we checked in for our flight.
I will share more photos of T3 in the next posts.
NAIA Parking Rates as of April 2022
Here’s a quick share of information about the parking rates at the NAIA airport terminals:
The infographic is from the DOTr Facebook Page and should be useful for those picking up people at the airport or who would be leaving their vehicles there as they travel again with the easing of restrictions due to the pandemic.
–
On the NAIA Terminal 3 overnight parking fees again
I’ve received a lot of views and inquiries about the parking rates at the NAIA Terminal 3. There seems to be a lot of people wanting to know about the rates and ideas about how much they might be paying if they chose to leave their vehicles while on trip abroad or within the Philippines. There are a few articles I’ve written about them and even posted some example parking receipts. We also have had someone from NAIA parking explaining how fees are computed (scroll through the comments sections of my posts, its there somewhere). In the interest of many travelers still inquiring about this topic and to have a recent example, I am posting a receipt from a very recent trip when I parked my vehicle at the multilevel parking facility of T3:
If you break down the total amount paid, 600 pesos went to the 2 overnights that I assumed to cover 48 hours of the total 56 hours and 3 minutes logged for the parked vehicle. The regular fee of 135 pesos covered the remaining 8 hours and 3 minutes. If the basic rate was 35 pesos for the first 3 hours and 20 pesos per succeeding hour, then that practically translates to the 135 pesos. I hope this helps my readers!
–
NAIA Terminal 3 departure 2019
My recent travel to Sri Lanka allowed me to take photos at 3 airports – NAIA, Changi and Bandaranaike. For NAIA, I used Terminal 3. For Changi, I had the opportunity to take photos at Terminals 2, 3 and 4. And Bandaranaike was my new airport for 2019. Here are photos I took at the departure area of NAIA Terminal 3. There were a few new items here from my last overseas trip using this terminal (I traveled onboard Emirates last year to and from Europe).
Directional signs greet you as you clear immigration
Shops at Terminal 3
Long corridor leading to the boarding gates is lined with shops at either side
Local cafe at the departure area
Chocolates for sale
I was very happy to see that the best of Philippine chocolates are being sold at the duty free shop. These include Malagos (the Davao brand, which I think is the top quality chocolate in the country), Auro (also from Davao and with high quality comparable to Malagos), and Theo & Philo (another good quality chocolate). At the bottom of the shelf are high quality liquor.
Close-up of the selection of Auto chocolates.
At the other side of the shelf are boxes of chocolate-covered dried fruit. For me, the chocolate-covered mangoes are the top picks.
Souvenir shop specialising in local delicacies from different regions of the country.
It was the first time I saw this cafe at the T3 departure area
There are also the familiar and reliable restaurants like Kenny Rogers’
Starbucks for those who prefer their drinks and food. Don’t get me wrong. I also patronise their drinks and food and they are a sure thing compared to other brands you are not familiar with.
Bo’s Coffee might be preferable to many Filipinos. This is another brand that originated in Davao.
We were amused by this somewhat novel product – portable bidet
This is the second airport where I’ve seen WHSmith. The other is Mactan Cebu International Airport.
Another local cafe at the terminal
Children’s play area and infant feeding section at the terminal
–
Airport access by bus at NAIA Terminal 3
The recent trip also afforded me some quick photos of the arrival level driveway of NAIA Terminal 3. Here are some photos including those of airport taxis and buses serving the terminal and its passengers.
The arrival level (ground level) driveway is not very crowded at 5:30 AM.
From Bay 11 there are taxis and express (e.g., P2P) buses waiting for their passengers. There are booths on the terminal side for those making inquiries or booking their rides. That’s the Runway Manila pedestrian bridge connecting Terminal 3 to the Resorts World Manila complex at the top part of the photo.
Airport P2P buses include those headed for Clark.
–
Duty free shop expansion at NAIA Terminal 3
Here’s some lighter stuff after the heavy rains that inundated much of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces. I was at NAIA Terminal 3 recently to fetch a friend arriving from Bacolod. I braved the rains and the potential flooding along my way to and from the airport as it was an early flight she was arriving on. I arrived early to discover the flight arrival was delayed so I decided to go around the terminal to see if there was something new. There was, and that’s the expansion of what was a small (compared to other international airports) duty free shop at NAIA’s largest of 4 terminals.
A peek at the expansion of the duty free shop at Terminal 3 shows people still working on the stocks and display for liquor/wines and cigarettes/tobacco.
Here’s a view from the Lacoste shop looking towards the corridor leading to/from the multi-level parking facility
The shop space now looks quite spacious though I’m not sure if it will attract as many people as other airports’ duty free shops as well as the larger Duty Free Philippines standalone store near Terminal 1. It is very convenient though for the usual p
–
Caught (up) in traffic 