Cebu Pacific Advisory Peak Travel Reminders

After two years of stop-and-go travel due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, we are now ready to re-embrace Christmas and New Year with our families and friends. It’s time to meet them and celebrate the holidays with cheers. But air travel should not be chaotic. 

Here are a few friendly reminders to make the travel experience for everyJuan less stressful this holiday season:

1.     Be On Time at the Airport, Beat the Road Traffic 

 

Cebu Pacific and Cebgo passengers must allot time for traffic going to the airport. Passengers must be at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 and 4 at least three (2) hours before departure for domestic flights, and three (3) hours for international flights. Passengers traveling to Dubai are allowed to check in as early as seven (7) hours before departure. 

 

2.     Check in Online 

 

Long lines may be avoided at the airport by checking in via the official CEB mobile app or via the Manage Booking section of the CEB website. Both options are available from seven (7) days up to one (1) hour before scheduled time of departure for domestic flights; and up to four (4) hours before scheduled departure for international fliers. 

3.     Check Flight Information 

 

All check-in counters close one (1) hour before the scheduled time of departure to ensure there is ample time for all necessary pre-flight procedures. We encourage passengers to immediately proceed to their respective boarding gates. Boarding commences 45 minutes before the scheduled departure.

 

Updated flight information may be viewed at https://www.cebupacificair.com/flight-status

 

4.     Self-Tag Luggage for Select Domestic Destinations 

 

Guests flying out of select domestic destinations (Manila, Davao, Clark, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Bohol, Iloilo, and Zamboanga) are reminded to self-tag their check-in luggage prior to proceeding to counters for bag drops, in line with the airline’s contactless flight procedures. 

 

5.     Single Hand Carry and Exemptions
 

Passengers must bring only one carry-on bag for a more convenient flight experience. The carry-on bag must not exceed 7kg in weight and can fit in the overhead bins or under the seat. 

CEB has exempted items that are allowed to be carried aside of the single handcarried bag: 

       Gadgets or food items that cannot be checked-in; 

       Items purchased inside the airport (requires proof of receipt); 

       Assistive or medical items such as walking canes, foldable walkers; 

       Baby food and necessities for passengers traveling with infants; 

       Or a small bag that can fit under the seat 

 

6.     Checked Baggage Policy 

 

Passengers are encouraged to purchase prepaid baggage with their tickets during initial booking on the CEB website and mobile app. CEB has implemented a per piece baggage policy which applies to all passengers with checked baggage. A passenger may choose either a 20kg or a 32kg check-in baggage, or a maximum of the (2) two options. 

 

Any excess in size, weight and pieces are subject to oversized baggage fee, excess baggage fee and/or extra Bag Fee. 

 

7.     Check The Airport Terminal Assignment of Your Flight 

 

Passengers must check their itineraries and boarding passes before proceeding to their designated airport terminal. Cebu Pacific’s 5J flights arrive at and depart from the NAIA Terminal 3, while Cebgo (DG) flights to and from Manila operate from the NAIA Terminal 4 at Domestic Road, Pasay City. 

 

8.     Bring a copy of your LGU vaccination card for domestic, and VaxCertPH for international travel 

 

Travel documents requirements may change from time to time, without prior notice.  We recommend all guests to continue checking relevant travel advisories to prepare for their flight. Passengers may also refer to http://bit.ly/CEBTravelRequirements for more information. 

 

Guests must also update contact details on their bookings so they will be notified of pre-flight reminders and flight changes. 

 

9.     Pack your patience and keep your cool.

It is frustrating when hassles happen at the airport or on your flight. Stay calm and have a positive perspective. It’s Christmas, after all! Keep your stress response under control and maintain that joyful attitude. Cebu Pacific on-ground personnel will assist you. CEB continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety while it operates with a 100% fully vaccinated crew, 95% of whom have been boosted – all to ensure everyJuan flies safely and conveniently on Cebu Pacific. Visit www.cebupacificair.com for more information. 

  

Cebu Pacific prepares for travel recovery with A330neo delivery

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ leading airline, is prepared to meet higher travel demand in 2022 with the addition of six new aircraft this year to its fleet and is confident that the aviation and tourism industries are on the way to further recovery and growth after the pandemic lockdowns grounded various business sectors. 

 

CEB is receiving a total of six aircraft in 2021: two A321neo (new engine option), one A320neo, two A330neo, and one ATR 72-600.  

 

The airline received on November 28 its first A330neo which paves the way for it to become the greenest airline in Asia. The airline’s newest aircraft features 459 lightweight Recaro seats which allows more travelers to be carried in a single flight, resulting in lowest carbon footprint per passenger, making CEB the greenest airline in Asia. With the A330neo’s latest technologies, this eco-plane consumes 25% less fuel than previous generation aircraft and is eco-efficient -- able to consume as little as 1.4 liters per seat per 100 kilometers.  

 

“We've already taken deliveries of the two A321neos, the A330 and the A320. Another A330neo, along with the ATR 72-600, are expected to arrive. We are among the few airlines in the world and the only one in the Philippines to take deliveries during a pandemic, which is a testament to CEB’s resilience, liquidity, and expected recovery as we enter 2022,” said Alex Reyes, Cebu Pacific’s Head of Strategy.

CEB, which is now operating above 60% of its pre-COVID domestic network and capacity, has been ramping up its domestic and international networks. It has added more flights to key domestic destinations, namely, Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and General Santos, following the easing of travel restrictions.  

 

This month, CEB has raised its daily flights from Manila to Boracay to eleven (11) times daily from nine (9) times daily. Operations between Cebu and Manila will increase to eleven (11) times daily from nine (9) times daily. Flights to Cagayan de Oro will ramp up to seven (7) times daily from five (5) times daily. Manila to Davao flights will go up to five (5) times daily from three (3) times daily in December.  

 

For international destinations, Cebu Pacific will also resume its operations to Fukuoka every Tuesday starting today, December 7; to Bangkok every Thursday and Saturday, starting Dec 11; and to Taiwan every Wednesday, starting December 15.  

 

“We continue to rebuild our domestic and international network to support tourism growth in 2022 while continuing to promote safe and responsible travel. This is the only way to regain trust and confidence in travel, paving the way towards economic recovery,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience at Cebu Pacific.   

 

The Philippines – famous for its diving destinations, beaches, and thousands of tropical islands – saw an 84% drop in foreign arrivals in 2020, receiving 1.32 million visitors, compared to 8.26 million in 2019. Japan, South Korea, and China are its biggest tourism markets. 

 

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who gave the closing remarks at the Cebu Pacific Stakeholder Event, expressed gratitude to the airline for being a partner of the Department of Tourism in inspiring Filipinos to travel locally amidst the pandemic. 

 

“We, in the Department of Tourism, believe that our days of despair are over as we’ve seen many encouraging signs in the last few weeks. This includes the continually dropping COVID case numbers, easing of alert levels and restrictions on mobility, and even the lessening of quarantine days for fully vaccinated Filipinos returning from overseas,” Romulo-Puyat said. 

 

“I would like to thank Cebu Pacific for being a staunch partner of the Department of Tourism. Your signature ‘Piso Fare’ promos have been a tremendous help to keeping Filipinos inspired to travel locally amidst the pandemic, which formed the backbone of our recovery strategy. And even before this crisis, 5J was a solid partner in promoting greater sustainability in our industry.” 

 

CEB now operates with 100% vaccinated active flying crew. It has also been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members, and contactless flight procedures. Its jet fleet is equipped with hospital grade HEPA (High Efficiency Particular Arrestor) air filters, keeping viruses at bay.  

 

CEB operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines covering 33 destinations on top of its 12 international destinations, and has one of the youngest fleets in the world, with 74 aircraft and an average fleet age of 5.94 years as of December 1, 2021.   

  

Cebu Pacific starts Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and Osaka flights

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ leading carrier, gradually rebuilds its international flight network with the restart of flights between Manila and key Asian destinations in August. This is on top of its once-a-week flights between Manila and Dubai which re-started in mid-July. 

Beginning August 1, 2020, CEB will be flying twice weekly from Tokyo (Narita) to Manila (Wednesday and Saturday). On August 6, CEB will be flying two times weekly (Thursday and Saturday) between Manila and Singapore; and every Thursday from Seoul (Incheon) to Manila.  

 

Twice weekly flights (Wednesday and Friday) between Taipei and Manila are scheduled to begin on August 7. One-way flights to Manila from Osaka (Kansai) are also scheduled to begin on August 7. 

 

“We are taking a conservative and agile approach to rebuilding our international network. While demand remains soft, there is latent demand for travel, particularly from stranded individuals and those who are eager to come home to visit their families,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience of Cebu Pacific. 

 

Travel regulations issued by the governments of the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will be implemented as necessary. These include a requirement to secure a negative RT-PCR test prior to departure, mandatory COVID screening or tests and a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival. 

 

“We have taken extra precautions and assure travelers that preventive measures are in place so we can start rebuilding the trust and confidence in air travel,” Iyog added. 

 

CEB has intensified preventive measures across its operations, in accordance with global safety standards. Aligned with the rest of the aviation industry, travelers can expect layers of bio-security measures that begin at the point of checking-in for a flight online. Contactless flight procedures are implemented using scanners and physical distancing, to minimize physical contact of passengers among each other and with personnel. 

 

From ground facilities to aircraft, CEB has a cleaning and disinfection protocol in place. All CEB aircraft undergo extensive daily disinfection before, during and after flights. Jet aircraft are equipped with High Efficiency Particular Arrestor (HEPA) filters similar to those in hospital operating rooms. These trap all contaminants in the air, including the Novel Coronavirus, with 99.99% efficiency.  

 

CEB has also adjusted its policies—allowing for increased flexibility and added peace of mind given the developing situation for air travel. These options include unlimited rebooking and extension of the Travel Fund validity to two years. For passengers with cancelled flights, or those who want to voluntarily alter travel plans, they may manage their bookings through the “Manage Booking” portal in the Cebu Pacific website (http://bit.ly/CEBmanageflight). 

 

 For more information, FAQs may be found here: https://bit.ly/CEBfaqs  

Cebu Pacific supports Katutubo Exchange Program

More than the thrill of riding high up the clouds and reaching a destination, travel has the transformative power to introduce someone to the life outside the world he lives in, which leaves him with a new perspective and fresh approach in life. This was how travel opened the eyes of Dr. Edwin Antonio to the rich and often overlooked culture of the Philippines’ Indigenous Peoples. Working for an arts and culture agency, he traveled frequently to different parts of the country and immersed himself in varied communities. He once conducted a photography workshop for the children of an indigenous community and saw how much impact that activity made on them.

“I took a group to take photos of a local festival celebration and observed how they felt like real journalists covering an event. I realized that they just needed some exposure to build their confidence and dream of the future,” Antonio said. This experience led Antonio to put up Katutubo Exchange Philippines, a volunteer group of cultural workers and youth that advocate the promotion of indigenous culture. And part of their efforts is the Katutubo Exchange Program (KEP) which promotes cross-cultural understanding and traditional arts, and heightens awareness on indigenous cultures.

Every year, a group of children and youth from various ethnic tribes are given the opportunity to participate in the KEP. Here, they go on an educational tour around the city and share the beauty of their culture through a showcase of talents. This year, in celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and International Youth Day, the KEP brought to Manila 30 talented youths from the participating ethnic tribes Mamanwa of Surigao, T’boli of South Cotabato, Manobo/Bagobo of Davao, Panay Bukidnon of Iloilo, Ifugao of Ifugao, Kalinga of Kalinga, Ibaloi of Benguet, and Kankanaey/Yapayao of Ilocos Norte. Here, they exhibited the beauty of their culture to city residents by performing traditional songs and dances. This integration program provides an opportunity for all participants to learn about the indigenous community’s experiences and culture, and vice-versa. And in the short span of time since KEP was launched, Antonio has noticed a growing appreciation and understanding for these communities. It has also made significant change in the lives of these underprivileged children, as seen in their enthusiasm to participate and involve themselves in efforts to establish cross-cultural understanding.

“The opportunity provided by this Katutubo Exchange made a tremendous impact in the lives of the chosen participants. They are able to develop pride in being indigenous people, and they get to meet and make friends with kids from other tribes,” Antonio said. “Through the program, they not only help the indigenous children and youth, but also help the nation in developing, preserving, and promoting the indigenous communities’ arts and culture”. One key factor in the program’s success is the support that KEP receives from companies and institutions that identify with its cause like Cebu Pacific Air, which has been supporting the KEP advocacy. The airline had been bringing these children to Manila since the program started. This seemingly simple gesture contributes greatly to the expansion of these children’s horizons. “We are forever grateful to Cebu Pacific for giving these children the chance to experience what it’s like to ride an airplane and set foot in different places. This is the second year and Cebu Pacific continues to inspire us all by being good Samaritans to future leaders of this country”.  Antonio added. For more information on the program, visit the Katutubo Exchange Philippines Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kxphilippines).