My friends needed a break from reality so we decided to fly to
Hong Kong via
Cebu Pacific, primarily because they offered the cheapest rate for our preferred dates.
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Boarding commenced on time.
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Copyright photo: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN
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My friend commented, “There seems to be an unusually huge
number of passengers for a routine flight. How are we all going to fit?”
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The answer: Airbus A330….
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…with a 3-3-3 seat configuration.
My friend gushed, “It doesn’t feel like Cebu Pacific!”
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We took off right on schedule and the usual routine took
over….
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…except that no games were offered. Drat. Blankets were
up for sale for P350 though.
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The strangers seated beside me pre-ordered their
breakfast. I wanted to ask for their comment but their body language was almost
like a “Do Not Disturb” sign.
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The entire flight was thankfully smooth and comfortable,
made more memorable by this “aww….” scene to my right.
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We arrived 15 minutes ahead of our schedule, as our captain proudly
announced. Yey! More time to shop!
SO LONG, HONG KONG!
We arrived at the
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) an hour before the counters opened so my friends busied themselves with their
wifi while I went to shop for books. On my way back, I noticed that some people
were already lining up at the designated Cebu Pacific counters so we decided to
join them.
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I was expecting that the lines would double like Gremlins getting wet by
the time we got to the counters but lo and behold, there was hardly any. Our
group was first in queue at our counter.
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In just ten minutes, we were done!
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Even the immigration and security check were faster than usual and HKIA is
already a fast place to begin with!
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I was the first to be done with immigration so I stood outside waiting for
my friends when I noticed a couple of airport representatives asking some
passengers to help out with their survey. I expected them to approach me as I
was just standing there but none did. I guess they prefer people who were busy
so they can interrupt them which was what happened to one of my friends who was
was trying to catch up with the rest of us. At first, she turned them down but
I told her to entertain them in case they have a gift for her afterwards. I was
given a nice souvenir key ring at
Changi International
Airport
when I accommodated them once. The survey was done in just three minutes but
alas, no gift. Yuk-yuk-yuk.
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Our boarding time was scheduled to be at 7pm but thirty minutes prior
to that, there was no gate assigned to us yet. I inquired with customer service
who just snapped at me saying, “I don’t know. If it’s not on the screen, you
just wait. I don’t know anything.” Must be nice to get paid to be ignorant. I
can’t wait to see how Hong Kong
ranks
in customer service next year. They’re already the third worst in the world.
Anyway, fifteen minutes after, our gate number appeared on the screen and
naturally, it had to be the farthest, which required use of a shuttle.
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Upon arrival, the boarding announcement was made.
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After everyone had lined up, we hardly moved for twenty minutes. Ground
crew maximized the time by checking our boarding passes and passport.
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Some passengers just stared outside the glass window to fight boredom and
tired legs. I was planning to join them when we were finally allowed to get on
board via a very long and winding jet bridge, which felt like a maze.
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Unlike our experience flying out, this felt more like Cebu Pacific with their familiar Airbus A320/A319 fleet.
The flight attendants were especially friendly, oozing with that famous
Filipino hospitality with their smiles and greeting. One even engaged in small
chitchats with the kiddie passengers as they boarded. She even got one concerned
when she teased him how his stuffed toy which was as big as he was, wasn’t
allowed on the plane. Upon seeing the frightened look on his face, she laughed
that she was just kidding.
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I was seated in the front row with two others (not my friends) but after
taking off, I found myself alone because the two (senior citizens) decided they
didn’t want the responsibility of the exit door so they requested to be
transferred.
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Our departure was delayed by thirty minutes with no explanation given.
After the take-off, the food cart was rolled out and Duty Free catalogues were
distributed. Once again, there were no games so I asked one of the attendants
who explained that flights flying before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. do not have games.
Drat. I do look forward to the games especially when it’s a trivia game and I
like the prizes. I have won a T-shirt, a pouch, a travel organizer and notepads
in the past. In fact, one time, I knew all the answers to the trivia game that
I shared them with my seatmates whom I have never met before so they can win
the prizes after I had won mine. We were the happiest row on that flight with
our T-shirt prizes.
The flight was smooth until we started descending to where the turbulence was
stronger and longer than I cared for.
During the flight, I noticed
how the announcements were made in English and Mandarin which was a first in my
years of flying Cebu Pacific going to Hong Kong. As much as I see it as an
improvement in their customer service, may I suggest that they use Cantonese
instead? It is the language spoken in Hong Kong. Yes, they may understand
Mandarin but things seem to sound clearer when spoken in one’s mother
tongue.
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Upon arrival, the lines at immigration weren’t as bad
as I expected it to be but of course, it wouldn’t be a complete
NAIA experience if we didn’t have to wait
for some time for our luggage to come out.
---THE PARANOID TRAVELER---
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