Transiting In Manila - What Have I Gotten Myself Into

[watermelonbrain]

Hi all,

So, I booked business reward flights with Qantas to get from SYD - HND. It involved a transit in Manila (I know!!!).

The flights are QF from SYD - MNL and then JL from MNL - HND with a 4 hr 55min hour layover. I assumed the capital airport would be similar to other major airports and transit would be relative simple until I did my research and basically found out MNL is basketcase of an airport for transiting.

QF flies into T3 @ 1830h and JL departs out of T1 @ 2325h. Does anyone know if the luggage is checked all the way through to HND from SYD given it's a single booking and both airlines are OW partners. The complication here is a change of terminal which seems to require passing through customs and then re-entering customs at the departure terminal? Anyone had experience on this route/similar route can advise?

Apparently there is now a free terminal transfer shuttle bus, but its located in the arrivals hall which requires passing through customs, what happens to the checked luggage here? Any advice on transiting from T3 to T1 in general and rough idea of time required.

 

[Spongbob]

I cannot give any useful advice, but it looks like this might be an adventure.

 

[Andz]

Big adventure coming your way.... been to NINOY AQUINO twice recently. I would call Qantas to confirm baggage transfer however try take carry on if possible.

 

[watermelonbrain]

Big adventure coming your way.... been to NINOY AQUINO twice recently. I would call Qantas to confirm baggage transfer however try take carry on if possible.

Called Qantas, and they confirm interline agreement with JAL being another OW partner means baggage goes through to Tokyo. Just have to get myself from T3 to T1. Thankfully the 5 hour layover should be more than enough.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

@whughes3 is your man - he will have the intel you require

 

[whughes3]

@whughes3 is your man - he will have the intel you require

Actually I don't think I have ever transited at MNL, desoite having gone to/from vast numbers of times. There is definitely a transfer bus between the terminals, but I believe it is landside, so you will have to clear customs/immi at both ends. Since you have plenty of time to make the transfer, it might be a good idea to wander over to "Resorts World" from T3 for a while before transferring; much more pleasant than waiting at T1.

 

[watermelonbrain]

@whughes3 is your man - he will have the intel you require

Thanks for this @whughes3 appreciate if you can impart some of your knowledge on the movement from T3 to T1. After the most efficient/quickest way to make the move.

QF confirmed that checked bags will go straight through onto JL. I hear the most efficient way to move is the shuttle which uses the airport tarmac to travel which avoids traffic. Is this located landside or airside - this part isn't so clear on the internet.

 

[watermelonbrain]

Actually I don't think I have ever transited at MNL, desoite having gone to/from vast numbers of times. There is definitely a transfer bus between the terminals, but I believe it is landside, so you will have to clear custome/immi at both ends. Since you have plenty of time to make the transfer, it might be a good idea to wander over to "Resorts World" from T3 for a while before transferring; much more pleasant than waiting at T1.

Thanks for the advice, any idea howmuch time to allow for this transfer bus between terminals? Hopefully better than going on public roads!

 

[exceladdict]

Also have to do this transit, albeit with an overnight stay in between, later this year. Currently planning to walk from T3 over to a hotel at RW then get the bus from there to T1 the next day.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks for the advice, any idea howmuch time to allow for this transfer bus between terminals? Hopefully better than going on public roads!

The transfer bus doesn't take long at all. I did it a few years ago.

 

[albatross710]

QF flies into T3 @ 1830h and JL departs out of T1 @ 2325h.

Just had a look at my MNL AFF flight tracker history 2015 (10 times), 2016 (9), 2017 (12), 2018 (10) 2019 (1).


So I think your transfer will go bit like this:

Scheduled arrival 1830 and a check of Qantas (QF) #19 ✈ FlightAware shows an arrival anywhere between 1800 and 1930 in the past week.

It's interesting that the "airside" transfer needs you to clear immigration and customs. Inter-terminal Transfers in NAIA - Transfer to another terminal - MNL Airport Guide - Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I guess at least they drive "airside" on the airport and avoid the road traffic.

So let's say walking and queue to Immi 5-15 minutes, then you are walking and out of T3 at your bus. 30 minutes max to have you through to bus as no luggage is needed for collection according to QF

Waiting for airside bus 5-25 minutes

Travel to T1 via stops T2 & T4 maybe 20-40 minutes

Security at T1, usually 5-15 minutes

So, best case it's about one hour after touch down. Worst case 3 hours.

So you will definitely make it with time to spare even on the worst case scenario. If you are comfortable with the transit then a walk through Resorts World is good. For me I would be taking a later taxi or grab from RW to T1. maybe P250-P350.

PS: Last time I transferred from T1-T3 I joined two other travellers and we booked a Grab. The landside bus transfer never materialised on that afternoon.

Enjoy. It's a pity you can't get an overnighter there.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Do you still need to pay Airport Departure tax at the window ? what if you're transiting?

 

[eastwest101]

Just had a look at my MNL AFF flight tracker history 2015 (10 times), 2016 (9), 2017 (12), 2018 (10) 2019 (1).


So I think your transfer will go bit like this:

Scheduled arrival 1830 and a check of Qantas (QF) #19 ✈ FlightAware shows an arrival anywhere between 1800 and 1930 in the past week.

It's interesting that the "airside" transfer needs you to clear immigration and customs. Inter-terminal Transfers in NAIA - Transfer to another terminal - MNL Airport Guide - Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I guess at least they drive "airside" on the airport and avoid the road traffic.

So let's say walking and queue to Immi 5-15 minutes, then you are walking and out of T3 at your bus. 30 minutes max to have you through to bus as no luggage is needed for collection according to QF

Waiting for airside bus 5-25 minutes

Travel to T1 via stops T2 & T4 maybe 20-40 minutes

Security at T1, usually 5-15 minutes

So, best case it's about one hour after touch down. Worst case 3 hours.

So you will definitely make it with time to spare even on the worst case scenario. If you are comfortable with the transit then a walk through Resorts World is good. For me I would be taking a later taxi or grab from RW to T1. maybe P250-P350.

PS: Last time I transferred from T1-T3 I joined two other travellers and we booked a Grab. The landside bus transfer never materialised on that afternoon.

Enjoy. It's a pity you can't get an overnighter there.

Obviously - you have done this before - so you know the drill, but did I understand that transit sequence correctly?

You arrive at T3, hit the transfer desk first, go through immigration and then customs and then enter the Philippines ( presumably you are now descreened), wait for a bus, that then goes and then landside again and you get dumped outside T1, then JAL checkin, then go through security before customs and immigration and you are then airside at T1? And hope that QF honoured its checked baggage transfer policy from QF to JL?

Wow - could they think of another way to make it more inconvenient?

 

[albatross710]

Wow - could they think of another way to make it more inconvenient?

Well the old tourism slogan was "it's more fun in the Philippines"

Let's disect your sequence

You arrive at T3, YEP
hit the transfer desk first, No need, you already have BP
go through immigration, YEP
and then customs - Follow the sign to Baggage collection, then just walk green channel located after the carousels.
then enter the Philippines ( presumably you are now descreened), Welcome to Philippines (this is where you could go to Resorts World)
wait for a bus, YEP, waiting is a national activity
that then goes and then landside again and Bus drives around inside the airport property, not regular roads
you get dumped outside T1, then YEP
JAL checkin, No need, you already have BP
then go through security before customs and immigration Actually Immigration first, then security.

and you are then airside at T1? Yep.



And hope that QF honoured its checked baggage transfer policy from QF to JL. Yep.

 

[Melburnian1]

The internal airport buses operate about every half hour and are reasonable.

T3 and T1 are on opposite sides of the airfield so quite a distance. You have to show your boarding pass to the staff member responsible for loading you on to the bus, and they call you (all) when it arrives. I've only ever done (using different terminals) an international to domestic transfer, not int to int.

Despite overcrowded airspace and a less than optimal runway layout (where from memory only 40 movements an hour at maximum occur), MNL now handles more annual passengers than MEL (and has a higher percentage that are international) and may soon surpass SYD.)

There's talk of the airport moving but a couple of competing proposals, one of which involves a new airfield at Bulacan (outside Metro Manila) and another that will supposedly see turboprops using the Sangley airfield near Cavite, allegedly with water transfers from near the huge Mall of Asia shopping centre (that if I recall has more square metres than any Australian example.)

Quite a few flights have already moved to Clark airfield in Pampagna (about 80 - 90kms from Metro Manila) but largely they're to smaller destinations albeit with some international flights including EK and TR. This airport will soon be handling about 2.5 million passengers in and a similar number out annually, so relatively small but growing fast.

 

[Melburnian1]

Do you still need to pay Airport Departure tax at the window ? what if you're transiting?

No, in MNL it's been included in the fare one pays for a couple of years.

 

[albatross710]

Quite a few flights have already moved to Clark airfield in Pampagna (about 80 - 90kms from Metro Manila) but largely they're to smaller destinations albeit with some international flights including EK and TR. This airport will soon be handling about 2.5 million passengers in and a similar number out annually, so relatively small but growing fast.

Just imagine the answers for the "MNL transit' question when you throw in a one hour train journey MNL-CRK (via a few SM Malls).

 

[jase05]

Just imagine the answers for the "MNL transit' question when you throw in a one hour train journey MNL-CRK (via a few SM Malls).

There was talk that QR was going to run a daily 787 from CRK aswell.
We have friends that live just outside Manila who do most of their travel via CRK and swear by it. Have only been through there a couple of times personally and it’s still pretty basic

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Grab Taxi is so cheap and I would say much more reliable than airport bus. Of course you need wifi access or local SIM (connectivity is terrible in MNL) or data roaming.

Definitely take advantage of the new bridge from T3 to Resorts World over the freeways and get some food/drink and then Grab Taxi to T1.

 

[dajop]

Quite a few flights have already moved to Clark airfield in Pampagna (about 80 - 90kms from Metro Manila) but largely they're to smaller destinations albeit with some international flights including EK and TR. This airport will soon be handling about 2.5 million passengers in and a similar number out annually, so relatively small but growing fast.

Semantics, but I don't think they've "moved" to CRK as such, more that supplementary flights (extra frequencies) have been added to CRK instead of MNL, to complement those flying to MNL. I think there's only 2 carriers (Jin Air and T'Way Airlines) that don't operate at MNL, all other carriers operating international flights from CRK operate to/from same cities at MNL.