First trip to Philippines, questions about NAIA airport

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

Awesome, thank you. Leaving in a couple days, fingers crossed that all goes well.

Do you know if they make you remove your belt/shoes at the x-ray machines?

It does vary at different airports, but more than likely yes. You will see that espeically in the provinces like iloilo iloilo, you will see a "Kano effect" that usually means that you will go through security a lot easier then average Filipinos UNLESS you are being an a**hole. I hope your trip goes good and be sure to have a good time and enjoy the slowed down province life. My asawa (wife) and I try to get out of Manila ASAP and go down to Mindanao because we love it.

[CLE 0]

2) I have been requested to bring chocolate. [...] The question is how much do I bring? Will it be a problem if I stuff part/half of a suitcase with chocolate?

4) Any tips on carrying more then 7kg carry-on onboard PAL?

This is probably too late to be of use to brian8024, but I'll post it anyway for posterity. :-)

#2: I schlepped a roller bag chock-full of nothing but chocolate. I said two words when the NAIA customs guy asked what was in the bag: "pasalubong ... chocolate". He smiled and waved me through.

#4: During PAL check-in, I once wore a light jacket and stuffed its zippered pockets with a couple of the heavier items from the carry-on. Once the lightened bag cleared the weigh-in, the jacket and it's pocketed contents went back into the bag. Unless they're now weighing persons at check-in, too, I don't know why it should make any difference to the airplane or the airline if a few items stay in one's pockets for the whole flight or go back into the carry-on once the weigh-in is done.

[brian8024 2]

Here is an update.

1. TSA opened my checked luggage twice, but it was never opened in the Philippines.

2. When I checked in to Philippine Airlines at LAX I requested them to check my luggage through to the destination and I checked in for my Manila to Iloilo flight and got a ticket right there in LAX. Made things much easier. They stuck domestic transfer stickers to my luggage.

3. They checkin counter at LAX weighed my luggage but did not measure it. They issued a verbal warning to make sure that my carry on was under the weight limit but that was it.

4. In the jetway at LAX they had a mobile luggage scale to weigh the carry on luggage. I had a laptop bag stuffed with everything heavy and my carry on suitcase that was pretty much empty. They seemed to be targeting all of the larger sized carry on luggages for "random" weighing. My guess is they do not have enough overhead bin room and this was a way to create some. For some reason there was a long line of Filipino's volunteering to have their carry on weighed and paying the overage charges on their carry on so myself and a few others just kept on walking right on by the scale.

5. In Manila they had a separate line for connecting flights with its own immigration desk. Got off plane, went through immigration, and was at the baggage claim in under 2-3 minutes.

6. In Manila, at the baggage claim they have a domestic transfer area that was sectioned off. They would pull all the luggage with the domestic transfer stickers into this huge pile, then you went up to the domestic transfer customs inspection and point out your luggage. They then slap a yellow customs sticker on it and put it back on the luggage belt. It was a mess and it would have actually been faster to claim the luggage and go through the normal customs but oh well, at least I didn't have to schlep it all over to the domestic checkin side. They seemed to be opening over half of the Filipino's luggage but did not open a single Kano's or anybody that was traveling with them.

7. To get from the international to domestic sides of Terminal 2 in Manila, you have to exit to the outside and come back in. It is confusing and there is no good signage. Just kept asking security guards to point me in the right direction.

8. The x-rays to get into the domestic terminal I left everything in my carry on suitcase including laptop and everything in my pockets and left my belt on. One time they waved me through once they saw my belt buckle, the other I got patted down for a firearm. They don't seem to care about anything except guns and did not even ask for me to empty my pockets.

9. There is arrival/departure board on the Terminal 2 domestic side, and they only put the information signs up right before departure. And my ticket did not have a gate on it. Find your gate ahead of time because you will not be able to hear the intercom.

10. The domestic PAL flight they could have cared less about carry ons. There were people lugging on three or more huge bags and suitcases and not a word was said.

[TheResistance 6]

Sounds like the fun I had. Although when I traveled, from USA to Tokyo to Singapore to Iloilo, I gave people the same eye I give the TSA here.... do not think about opening my stuff. Yes, it usually works for me! I do not like having to empty stuff they wish they had not seen, only for me to sanitize it all later. Bad enough I have to clean my laptop from putting it into the same bin people put their shoes. Gross! Twenty years flying and I still do my Monk methods. I will do things that make some just say, "just go through (the line)."

I am not a friendly traveler.

Go ahead, ask me what happens when I am (rarely) stuck in the middle seat! No, wait, do not.... you might have realized you met me on a flight somewhere.

It is good that you seemed to have had no serious issues though. I watched my Hobbit Trilogy on the way back from Tokyo.

[Klepley 4]

After my first time traveling to the Philippines and from there to Thailand, I was instructed by my fiance I needed to stop bringing so much stuff. My luggage is now a backpack that I cram full of clothes, medicine for myself, and a kindle, and some snacks. So much easier to travel with no worries about extra stuff. But she is extremely practical and told me that if I feel the need to get gifts we will just pick them up in Manila before we go to her city. She also has my clothes, so I pack lightly and she brings some other things. It really is a much less stress when traveling and to this day I have now learned I don't actually need all the things I was always taking. Have done that now to Vietnam as well with her and was again, much less stress worrying about extra bags. TSA and the other security people in other countries are fine and to me just doing a job. Just get ready to do as they say and don't slow down the line. Many will tell you what needs to be done before you get to the actual area. Finally if you ever come through Dubai (and I am guessing most other same type countries) make sure you are carrying no alcohol on your carry on. I made the mistake of carrying a small bottle of rice wine with a cobra inside of it and was help up by their security for quite some time until I could convince them I was not going to drink it and it was only a souvenir. Most importantly, have fun, and try to remember you will be on Filipino time and as I was told go with the flow.

[toddriegel 2]

I've been there 3 times. I brought chocolate and other items in my checked luggage. You shouldn't have a problem. Make sure you know addresses and phone numbers of where you're staying. You'll have to fill it out on the little yellow card so they can get a hold of you if there was ever an outbreak or something. lol I don't remember declaring anything at Ninoy. I did have to declare items when I came back to the usa and went through customs. Stick to the liquids rule. All security will throw things out. I seen it happen. If you need extra liquid items, you can pack them in your checked luggage.

It's not hard to navigate other airports either. I've been to south korea and japan. If you're not happy with your airline you could always try Asiana. I've used them every time and they are awesome. Hope this helps and have a safe trip.

[TheResistance 6]

I would love to go back to Philippines to visit. I could not live there. One day I hope.