PAL Express Flight Review: Manila to Batanes (Round-Trip)

It was my first time to fly PAL Express as well as to fly out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Philippine Airlines so it was kind of disorienting for me. I am used to using the Centennial Terminal for the national carrier and Terminal 3 for its arch-rival, Cebu Pacific. I was glad to be at Terminal 3 though because it is perhaps the only good airport among the four sister terminals. It is bigger with functioning air-conditioning and best of all, it has a lot of restaurants and kiosks to help pass the time away.

Check-in and security took only 20 minutes and our 7:30 a.m. flight departed on time.

Although I have flown to a few provincial destinations, it was my first time to ride the DHC-8-400 so I was surprised to see how small our plane was.

Anybody suffering from claustrophobia will probably have the longest flight of his life on this aircraft. It was so small and narrow that you could hold hands with the person seated across the aisle.

The lavatory would prove to be a challenge to anyone the size of a wrestler. It was as cramped as an elevator shaft that I could not take a decent photo to show how small it was. One has to do it from the outside with the door open but that would draw far too much unwanted attention so I decided to not pursue it.

The plane was so petite that I actually hit my head against the overhead bin. In fact, when it happened, I was more amused than hurt as I always had to tiptoe to open and store my stuff in the bin. I let out a giggle as I looked inside the bin thinking, “So this is what it actually looks like.”

The overhead bin was so small that my regular hand-carry would not fit in so I was told to stow it under the seat in front of me. It was a good thing that no one was seated beside me so I used the space in front of the vacant seat to free up my legs. I think the check-in staff should have advised me to check in my hand-carry knowing how cramped the plane was.

Minutes after a smooth departure, we were served with a small pack of Iligan greaseless peanuts and a cup of mineral water. There was the “La Isla” magazine to help keep us busy throughout the 80-minute flight.

Usually when I fly, I want all the air-conditoining blazing at my direction but this time, I wanted to wear thick socks as the floor area was so cold and breezy.

Landing was bumpy. It felt like the plane was running faster than it should be. As soon as the plane stopped, it started pouring. Naturally, we were given individual umbrellas to walk to the airport which was a few meters away.

The Basco Airport was as small as it can get. It did not reek of airport ambience but more like an expensive hotel in the province. As soon as I entered it, I found myself already outside after walking a few steps. There was no carousel to speak of. However, to their credit, all the checked-in baggage were already waiting upon disembarkation. Take that, NAIA!

The smallness and ruralness of the Batanes Airport did not turn me off actually. I found the airport to be quaint and one could see that the employees were trying their best to do with what they have. They have photos of idyllic Batanes and welcome tarpaulins all over to satisfy the selfie in us. The airport even provides the trademark vakul hats to use for photographs.

This is their beautiful ceiling made from a type of grass that people with no green thumbs (like myself) can mistake for bamboo.

And these are their seats in the lounge.

This is the souvenir shop located outside the airport premises.

And their canteen.

This is the flight announcement board.

What I like about the Batanes airport is there is no air of pretension and they are not apologetic. Some people might regard all this as backward but I think they add to that Batanes appeal.

As the Batanes airport management is in the midst of improving their airport, I hope they retain the quaintness. I hope they still incorporate their heritage into their renovation and resist the urge to look like a clone of other airports.

This is the departure area where the initial security check and check-in counters are inches from each other.

We were told to arrive two hours earlier which is the usual lead time, right? Well, it seems they have a different reason: the hotel told us that we need to be early even though the airport was just ten minutes away because everything was done manually. The airport uses paper documents for verification. But before you start scoffing, take note that the clearance was faster than NAIA.

As the airport was small, it was natural to expect to be bored waiting for one’s boarding. But not this passenger. From where I sat, I could see the whole action outside the window. I was thrilled to have a front seat as I watched the planes come and go as well as passengers disembarking with excitement or embarking with sheer satisfaction reflected on their faces. I was fascinated at seeing the ground personnel clean and prepare the plane for the next flight that I hardly had time to be impatient for my turn to embark.

And then it came for us to board our flight back to Manila. It was the same small plane that brought us back to reality. Once again, we were served with the Iligan greasless peanuts and a cup of water. The flight was more relaxing and the landing was smoother unlike our earlier trip although it was still freezing for my feet. I did not bother with the lavatory this time around.

We landed on time and walked a lot longer than we did at the Batanes airport to look for the carousel. My pet peeve with NAIA is their baggage system so I was already prepared to wait for a long time for my luggage to come out. Lo and behold, it took only a few minutes and mine was one of the first. I guess there is hope for NAIA, after all.

-The Paranoid Traveler

3 comments:

Ian | GoingRoamingWanderingJune 5, 2014 at 7:41 PM
Nice review... 'hope the Basco flights will flourish with passengers to make it a daily flight...
AnonymousJune 5, 2014 at 9:01 PM
Your report has me wanting to visit the quaint facilities at Basco airport
ashleyNovember 24, 2023 at 2:38 AM
Pilots are like conductors, orchestrating a smooth and safe flight for everyone. AV8 Prep Flight trainings

PAL Express Flight Review: Manila to Batanes (Round-Trip)

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