The five days from December 28, 2024, to January 1, 2025, constitutes the longest possible "weekend" in a calendar year. Since my favorite season to travel is Christmas (and by extension, New Year), we took this opportunity to book a round-trip ticket via Cebu Pacific for my first year-end vacation outside the Philippines.
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| An Airbus A321neo of Cebu Pacific parked at its gate at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 shortly before dawn on Saturday, December 28, 2024. |
My mom joined me in this vacation to Singapore.Notes:
- This is a personal blog on our travel experience and is neither promoted nor endorsed by Cebu Pacific.
- This blog is the first of five parts of our 2024 Singapore Year-End Trip, spanning from Days 1 to 4. See these links for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.
- Exchange rates between currencies are: 1 Philippine peso = 0.017 USD and 0.023 SGD.
Booking process
The flights were booked at the start of March 2024, nine months before the actual dates, and at a time when Taylor Swift was touring in Singapore. It is best to plan your Christmas vacations more than six months in advance, because prices would rise as the months go by and the yuletide season draws near. Fortunately enough, we spent 17,302 pesos (S$397.94, US$294.13) for two passengers before prices eventually tripled and eventually made our flights fully booked.
Cebu Pacific has three booking options ranged from the cheapest to the most expensive: Go Basic, Go Easy, and Go Flexi. While passengers have a free 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance in all options, Go Basic only comes with a random seat with provisions for purchasing add-ons (baggage, pre-selected seats, inflight meals) later at a regular price. Go Easy, meanwhile, comes with a 20-kilogram free baggage allowance and a preferred seat, while Go Flexi has the same perks as Go Easy but allows for free cancellation when your plans change. For more information, visit this page.
In almost all our flights, we choose the Go Basic option, especially when we book our flights months in advance. We did just that. We then pre-selected our seats for 1,600 pesos (S$36.8, US$27.2 [for four seats, 2 seats/flight]) in September, followed by the purchase of our baggage allowance in December.
The travel tax is imposed to Filipino citizens leaving the country; the levy collected is allocated to several government programs. For economy class passengers, the full tax is 1,620 pesos (US$27.54). Due to fears of long lines on the day of our departure (since it is timed for the five-day New Year's long weekend, where a mass exodus is expected), we opted to pay it online. Cebu Pacific (and Philippine Airlines) does offer an option to do so (with an additional online fee), but for foreign airlines, they don't. But there is an online portal the government offers to avoid the hassle of lining up at the airport; see this link. Foreign tourists staying for less than one year are exempted from this levy.
Travel requirements
Aside from your passport and travel itinerary, you would also need to fulfill the following requirements to Singapore:
Philippines
- eTravel - used for departing Filipino citizens and ALL arriving international passengers. Mobile users can download the eGovPH app, while you can visit the sign-in portal here. For Filipinos, this should be filled up TWICE: for your departing flight and for your arriving flight. You can fill this up within 72 hours from the dates of your flights.
- Travel Tax - as explained earlier, economy class passengers should pay this levy of 1,620 pesos either online (for Philippine-based airlines) or at TIEZA counters at airports.
Singapore
- SG Arrival Card - arriving tourists are required to accomplish the arrival form 72 hours before arriving in Singapore. You can fill up the arrival form here.
Departing flight: Saturday, December 28, 2024
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| At NAIA Terminal 3, Cebu Pacific moved its check-in counters to aisles A and B; previously, they were at aisles C and E. |
Me and my mom left the house at 23:56 the previous evening. We soon arrived at 00:26. Checking in our two suitcases took fifteen minutes. Long lines soon formed as more travelers flocked to the airport for their flights.
My mom then went to a foreign exchange counter. Soon after, immigration took a few minutes, and by 01:15, we cleared the first (and only) security check. This seems odd, because in many international airports (especially in Japan), passengers would clear security checks before proceeding to immigration. In a Manila Bulletin report, the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation, a consortium led by San Miguel Corporation and technical partner Incheon International Airport Corporation, plans to change the current setup to align with international standards, but a fixed implementation date is yet to be determined.
I then did a bit of plane spotting before taking a short, two-hour nap.
Flight information
Boarding and takeoff
Boarding commenced at 05:26 at Gate 106.
Some gates at Terminal 3 only have one passageway access before it divides to two distinct jet bridges. Gates 102-103 and 105-106 are examples of it. Since the arriving plane arrived at Gate 105 a few moments after boarding for our flight started, the boarding process for 5J 813 stopped at 05:37 to give way for passengers arriving from another flight, 5J 502 from Kuala Lumpur, also performed by an A321neo. Some passengers were already on board our flight, but priority was given to arriving passengers instead. Boarding for 5J 813 resumed at 05:54.
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| A nice view of the engine and wing. Seats ahead of the wing are quite pricier than normal seats on CEB's flights, but we paid extra just for this trip report. |
I was seated at 8F, a window seat. Cebu Pacific’s A321neo seats are 17 inches wide and have a pitch of 28 inches. The tray table works well, and there are also two charging ports. Our plane was equipped with two for USB Type A; newer aircraft are equipped with one each for Types A and C. The seat pocket has a safety card, an airsickness bag, a magazine, and a menu for inflight meals and merchandises.
Pushback commenced at 06:19 after a short delay. We then took off at 06:43.
Onboard service
After reaching cruising altitude, the flight attendants began distributing inflight meals. However, this was interrupted by a long turbulence that also caused the pilots to keep the seatbelt sign switched on for a whopping 38 minutes! There were also minor turbulences that occurred along the way.
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| Interior of our plane while inflight. |
Since December 2024, in addition to its online meals available for pre-order, Cebu Pacific has offered the following meals that are available to buy on board all its international and select domestic flights:
- Chicken Teriyaki with Jasmine Rice
- Chicken Green Curry with Jasmine Rice
- Penne Chicken Bolognese
- Vegetarian Tom Yum with Rice and Quinoa
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| My Chicken Green Curry with Jasmine Rice meal! |
I chose their Chicken Green Curry with Jasmine Rice. The above-mentioned meals are priced at 350 pesos (S$8.05, US$5.95) each. The online meals, meanwhile, are thirty pesos cheaper than the onboard meals. I see these prices as quite expensive, as Philippine LCC rival AirAsia offers their hot meals for as low as below 200 pesos (S$4.60, US$3.40)!
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| A nice view of the engine and wing while inflight, overflying the Riau Islands of Indonesia. |
At 09:39, we started our descent to Singapore.
Arrival
We landed at Changi Airport in Singapore at 09:52, and a long taxi soon followed.
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| My group picture with the flight attendants! From left to right: Reg (purser), Lorraine, Armi |
Our aircraft parked at 10:12. Before disembarking, I mingled with flight attendants Reg (purser), Lorraine, and Armi Yap, after a group picture with them. I even went far to bring my handmade Cebu Pacific A321neo paper model. Lastly, as a sign of appreciation, I gave them letters of appreciation, followed by a group picture.
On November 2, 2017, Cebu Pacific moved its Singapore flights at Terminal 4. Opened at the end of October of the same year, it stands at the former site of the Budget Terminal. T4 temporarily closed from 2020 until September 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; CEB then moved to Terminal 1. Following T4's reopening, it moved back.
Due to T4's location far away from the three interconnected terminals, Changi operates a complimentary inter-terminal shuttle bus service for both airside and landside passengers, free of charge.
Visit here to see my Day 1 experience in Singapore.
Watch my trip report here:
Return flight: Wednesday, January 1, 2025 (New Year's Day)
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| Self-service has been a thing at Terminal 4 since its opening in 2017. |
Happy New Year! Nine hours after attending a countdown event at Marina Bay Sands, we were back at the airport. T4 offers a wide coverage of automated self-service check-in and bag drop kiosks, which I tried myself. The process was efficient, but when you will check in your bags, a security camera pictures your face when you scan your passport in the machine.
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| Terminal 4's airside area with shops, restaurants, and a rendition of Peranakan houses. |
Unlike the three terminals, what I observed at T4 is that security checks begin after automated immigration, as opposed to it being done at their respective gates. We then had a long walk to Gate G17, where our flight was stationed at.
Flight information
Boarding and takeoff
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| RP-C4126, a 2021-built Airbus A321neo, takes me on my first flight of 2025! |
Boarding commenced at 10:15 at Gate G17. I also noticed that the arrival and departure levels of T4 are stacked upon each other, something that the three original terminals do not have. T4 also has automated boarding gates, meaning that you would just scan your boarding pass instead of airport staff needing to scan it for you (although there is one lane for manual scanning if problems occur).
I was seated at 35F, a window seat. This was a result of a technical problem with the online seat selection, where my originally desired seat (25A) was blocked off guard for another passenger.
Pushback commenced at 10:58, and we took at 11:08.
Onboard service
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| My Chicken Teriyaki meal with Jasmine Rice is my first lunch of 2025! |
After taking off, serving of inflight meals began. Picking from four of Cebu Pacific’s new meals, I chose their Chicken Teriyaki for 350 pesos. I guess, this tasted better than the previous Chicken Green Curry meal I tasted in the previous trip report.
One of Cebu Pacific’s to keep its passengers entertained despite the absence of an in-flight entertainment system (the standard for low-cost carriers) is their signature Fun Games. This began at past noon. Topics vary per flight; the game on this flight was about 2025 events. The mechanics are simple: just answer correctly the question that the flight attendant says. The passenger who gets the correct answer wins a prize. Only three lucky passengers won prizes.
Among the questions asked were about (and its answers in italics):
- Pantone Color of the Year - Mocha Mousse
- Newest Cebu Pacific destination this January 2025 - Sapporo, Japan
- Next public holiday in the Philippines after New Year's Day - Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor); April 9
I seized the opportunity to participate in the second question because in the past few months, I have been very updated on CEB's new destinations since its inaugural flight to Chiang Mai in Thailand in October 2024.
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| A reward for my participation in the Fun Games: a small, yellow pouch! |
And because I answered this question correctly, I won a "freebie" from the airline: a small, yellow pouch with the text, "The Foodie Juan". I guess, this was the most appropriate tagline for my pouch because every time I travel, I would, most of the time, crave for my destination's delicacies.
After resting for an hour, I went to the lavatory. It looks clean throughout. Soon after, I talked with two flight attendants at the back galley: Paeng and Mackrein. I introduced myself as the passenger that won a prize, and they were amazed. We had a short conversation about the new year as well as surveyed them with their wishes. After a few minutes, I returned to my seat.
We soon started our descent to Manila. We landed at 14:31, nineteen minutes ahead of schedule.
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| My selfie with flight attendants Kaye (left) and Mackrein (middle) |
Before disembarking, I had a picture with some flight attendants. I first posed for a selfie with Mackrein and Kaye, followed by Niel and purser Princess, and finally, the pilots, led by a female captain. I also had my self-made paper model of CEB's A321neo with me.
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| Last picture with flight attendants Niel (middle) and purser Princess (right) |
Thank you for the wonderful service! Additionally, I gave them letters of appreciation. As we disembarked, I greeted the flight attendants and ground handlers a prosperous new year.
Before proceeding to immigration, I first kept my paper plane inside my small suitcase. While doing this, the pilots, who were passing by, noticed me and thanked me once again.
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| Me with the entire squad! We met again at the baggage reclaim area. Flight attendants from left to right: Paeng, Kaye, Niel, Mackrein, and purser Princess |
After passing by immigration, I saw the five flight attendants again; they wanted to have a group picture with me at the baggage reclaim area. We all had the same vibes for the new year: to make it happy and fun. Thank you, once again, Cebu Pacific, for such an unforgettable flight.
Watch my trip report here:
Verdict
Timing and frequency
Cebu Pacific flies thrice daily to Singapore from Manila. Departing flights are scheduled in the early morning, afternoon, and late evening, while return flights are scheduled at past midnight, in the late morning, and early evening (past 18:00).
Customers are given the flexibility to choose any of those flights; the late evening outbound/midnight return flights are usually the cheapest. However, the morning departing flight is recommended if you want to maximize your days in Singapore.
The downside of the late-morning return flight, meanwhile, is that I would miss an entire day, making my vacation only four full days. That was the cheapest option CEB offered in the booking stage, as other options were already very expensive for us to afford. However, money is more important among everything else, right?
Overall service
Cebu Pacific got me again...almost. I have no words to say, but they really indeed have a very good service. Although some are stigmatic about the bad press CEB receives, they do show up to their problems and resolve things quickly.
Positive indicators
- Very friendly crew
- Clean aircraft
- Decent seat
- Clean lavatories
- Flexible schedule for its Singapore flights
Points for improvement
- Seats in some older aircraft needs to be retrofitted with new charging ports found on newer planes. As cable ports of mobile devices transition to USB Type C, cable ports must also transition to USB-C.
- Manila's airport must have dedicated self-bag drop counters for faster processing. Cebu Pacific should roll out this system in ALL flights, whether domestic or international, in addition to the existing ones for select domestic flights. A good example is at Terminal 4 of Changi Airport, where nearly every check-in counter has self-bag drop kiosks.
- Prices of CEB's hot meals should be lowered to make it more attractive.
Ratings
Check each individual YouTube video for the overall ratings.
For more updates, visit my blog site and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Enzo's Travel Journals!
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