Tips for a great getaway trip (especially during peak seasons)

Are you traveling during a long weekend (like the 2026 ASEAN Summit) or during a peak travel season (e.g., Holy Week, Undas, or Christmas)? Here are some tips from yours truly so that your getaway moves forward without disruption. I also included here some unique tips from your travel journalist on how to plan your trip as you get along!

Note: In case your travel plans are disrupted due to a flight cancellation or delay, see this link.

1. Arrive at your terminals early.

There are four remaining long weekends until the end of 2026: November 14-18 (exclusive for Metro Manila residents only), November 28 to 30 (Bonifacio Day), December 24 to 27 (Christmas), and finally, December 30 to January 3 (New Year). During these days, many travelers converge at major transport terminals, especially airports, seaports, and bus terminals. 

Plan your trips ahead. If you are commuting on a road trip (especially buses), try booking early to avoid long lines. For example, Baguio is a popular mountaintop destination which often gets fully booked during peak travel seasons, including the Panagbenga Festival every February. Provincial bus companies like Victory Liner, Solid North, and Genesis Transport offer online booking; you can reserve your trips within a two-month window.

Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the main international hub of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), as pictured in July 2024.

Airports also become crowded hotspots of travelers as well. Lines get long, especially at immigration counters. Although capacity improvements have been made and are ongoing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to accommodate seasonal passenger influxes, do not be complacent. Flying domestic? Arrive three (3) hours before departure. Going overseas? Arrive four (4) hours before. Most passengers transiting through the airport terminals are concentrated during the daytime but be early as well even if your flight departs between 11:00 pm and 4:00 am, which are usually the airport's less busy hours.

For seaports, arrive around three (3) hours before your voyage. Walk-in passengers can try using the Online Reservation Assistance System (ORAS), an in-house reservation system by the Philippine Ports Authority. As of writing, it is being implemented in the ports of Batangas City and Lucena, Quezon, for trips to select domestic destinations like, for example, Oriental Mindoro. Do note, however, that ORAS is not where you buy your ferry ticket; you can register free of charge to reserve your queuing slot at the terminal and skip the long lines. Those who already pre-reserved with your ferry lines need not use ORAS anymore.

2. Give your baggage allowance space for souvenirs.

A weighing scale for carry-on baggage at Terminal 1 of Mactan-Cebu International Airport

For tourists, especially when you are traveling by plane. Airlines offer different checked baggage plans, but for those traveling with Philippine Airlines (PAL) especially on domestic flights, take note that your baggage allowance differs between fare classes. This is unlike Cebu Pacific and AirAsia, which does have a uniform 20-kilogram allowance, that can be purchased as an add-on, with paid provisions for incremental increases of your choice.

PAL's cheapest checked baggage-included fare class, Economy Saver, only allows for 10 kilograms, while AirAsia's lowest is a little more, at 15 kg. If you need more, especially if you are souvenir-savvy, you can choose the 20 kg option, which is also marketed by PAL as Economy Value. Take note that these values only apply to DOMESTIC flights (see full list here), since there is a different system that PAL uses for international flights, which can be accessed here.

Take note that both PAL, AirAsia, and most airlines allow carry-on baggage not exceeding 7 kilograms. Cebu Pacific recently updated its carry-on guidelines in September 2026 to allow such up to 10 kg, except for its turboprop flights operated by Cebgo (DG), which are limited to 7 kg due to weight limitations of turboprops. This makes CEB at par with other regional low-cost carriers including Scoot (TR) and Jeju Air (7C), and some full-service counterparts like Korean Air (KE) and All Nippon Airways (ANA).

Remember to be mindful and stick with your weight limit to avoid paying extra at the airport.

3. Avoid stiff agendas on your flight days.

Flight information system at NAIA Terminal 3; the first flight, 5J 5054, was listed as "delayed".

In October 2026, I saw multiple posts on my social media feed about disrupted plans of many travelers due to hundreds of flights being cancelled just for NAIA to accommodate the planes of foreign dignitaries to the Manila ASEAN Summit, including US President Donald Trump. Cebu Pacific was making rounds of discussions among travelers when some of them posted emails about their flights being affected by the wave of cancellations. But the saga was far from over. My own original flight on PAL to Roxas City on November 16, initially scheduled for 4:50 am, was subsequently cancelled, and we were rebooked to the next available flight five hours later.

Do not make your agenda too rigid on your flight day, especially on your first day. Make some leeway in case delays or cancellations occur. For example, even a two-hour delay would disrupt a considerable chunk of your itinerary, like what happened three years ago on my very first flight to Japan (see here). When you have flexible itineraries, you would be able to cushion the impact of unexpected changes to your travel plans. For example, you booked a flight to Singapore that arrives at 1:00 pm, and only have two hours to catch up for a slot for an attraction you booked there at 3:00 pm. If your flight gets delayed by an hour or two, that would mean a missed opportunity to explore it. For such instances, I recommend scheduling your attractions later in the evening (around 7:00 pm), or when needed, the next day.

4. Stay healthy.

This is basically self-explanatory. Make sure that you have no medical issues. If you are having colds or cough, wear a face mask. If needed, bring your vitamins and maintenance medicine with you.

Bottomline

I hope you find these tips useful for your upcoming trips. May this guide you as well as you go on to your wonderful getaways this long weekend and in the months to come. Bon voyage!

Thank you for reading! For more updates, visit my blog site and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Enzo's Travel Journals!