New Cebu Schedules

[albatross710]

Cebu Pacific (5J) have loaded quite a few schedule changes which appear to taper in over March 2017. The interesting changes for me:

It's now possible to catch SQ or CX into Cebu and arrive in time to catch connecting 5J flights to provincial cities.

It's now possible to fly from SUR / CEB / CRK most days whereas previously this was sporadic

The 5J SIN-CRK-SIN time has changed such that it now works again with the SQ flight from BNE. For a while there the times were too tight to reliably make the connection.

The 5J HKG-CRK-HKG flight now seems to connect better with the CX HKG-BNE service. The CX / DragonAir service always requires an overnight in one direction.

I have limited requirements for being in MNL so I will often prefer to access into Philippines via either HKG or SIN from where 5J operate.

For forum fliers who travel regularly into Philippines it is worthwhile revisiting,

 

[Melburnian1]

Given that the Philippines economy is doing well, with economic growth of around 6 - 6.5 per cent having been the case for a number of years, 5J has continued to expand, although at a slower pace than it was doing three or four years ago. I'm guessing that there has (or is) some overcapacity on domestic routes so it takes a while for demand to 'catch up.'

It appears more Australians are going to this country every year for business, and tourism numbers, probably attracted by the numerous white sand beaches are also much higher (albeit off a relatively low base) than a few years ago.

PR has also expanded its domestic routes in recent times (although prior to that, it cut quite a few routes out of Cebu if I recall.)

If one doesn't have any need to be in MNL (which is almost as congested traffic-wise as Jakarta, Indonesia), it can makes great sense to enter via CEB, KLO, DVO or even CRK (although Clark is about 80 - 100 kilometres from MNL so travellers can experience the same road congestion issues at the end of the tollway or on the Manila arterial roads as if they alighted at MNL.)

Airspace around MNL can be extremely busy and unlike SYD the airport cannot handle parallel arrivals. The most it seems able to achieve is perhaps 45 movements an hour, way below say SYD's 80 an hour cap, and yet MNL as an airport in terms of passenger movements is now busier than MEL and not far behind SYD. MNL has lots more international flights than MEL.

The major Filipino airlines such as PAL (PR) and Cebu Pacific (5J) by and large have a much better safety record in recent years than Indonesia's Batik Air (ID), Citilink (QG) or Lion Air (JT) (although Garuda Indonesia is now well regarded.)

Indonesian airlines rank lowest in world for safety

I try to avoid Philippines AirAsia (Z2) given that group's alleged poor quality of pilots.

While it might be a 'motherhood' statement or made by those with lack of in-the-coughpit experience, PR pilots supposedly have a reputation for 'smooth landings.''

The growth in nonstop flights between Australia and MNL has been huge in recent years - my vague memory from looking at timetables is that 15 years ago there might have been half a dozen a week: today there are usually daily nonstops from SYD to MNL on PR, a typical five a week on each of 5J and QF, as well as four a week from DRW to MNL that start in BNE (PR) and four a week from CNS that start in AKL (also PR), plus three PR flights nonstop from MEL to MNL. Over some of December and January QF has increased its SYD - MNL offerings to six a week. So that makes at least 28 nonstops a week to MNL, but not a single one nonstop from anywhere in the Great Southern Land to CEB, CRK, KLO or DVO.

The fares between SYD and MNL seem a lot cheaper during the busy Christmas holidays than the PR nonstops from MEL to MNL. One word: competition!

 

[albatross710]

So that makes at least 28 nonstops a week to MNL, but not a single one nonstop from anywhere in the Great Southern Land to CEB, CRK, KLO or DVO.

I posted previously about the numbers that would be required for a non-stop from BNE - CRK. Perhaps the numbers might come our way now that PR is to commence operating some domestic flights out of CRK.

The PR flight BNE-MNL sets in after most of the provincial airports are closed for the night.

Still, it takes a wide bodies aircraft to go the distance BNE-CRK or BNE-CEB which is a lot of seats to fill.

I'm guessing that the next direct flight from SYD will be to CEB.

From personal experience I can vouch thar PR landings are not any smoother than any others having bounced into Butuan recently.

 

[Melburnian1]

I'm guessing that the next direct flight from SYD will be to CEB.

By 'direct' you mean 'nonstop' as in theory a 'direct' flight (with the same aircraft) can have an intermediate stop or two.

I reckon you are correct, but probably like Sydney to Surabaya in Indonesia, the various airlines - particularly the two main Filipino ones - must believe that it's either too hard to do it, or that they'd be unable to fill the seats at a sufficiently attractive yield to make a profit. Yet many millions of Filipinos do not reside on the island with Manila on it called Luzon, but in the Visayas (the middle group) or Mindanao (the southerly group closest to Malaysia.)

If one of them ran it they'd have to publicise it!

 

[albatross710]

Yes, I meant non-stop. The PR stop in DWN in the middle of the night is such a killer.

 

[albatross710]

In another related development the new PR CRK-CEB-CRK services are now available.

Following Du30's advice to start more operations from CRK instead of MNL PR have an almost daily service operating in the mornings, about 7am in one direction, returning 9am.

By combining a PR morning flight with a 5J late evening flight will allow a same day return, which is something that hasn't been available for the past few years.

In concert with my original post this will mean that it's possible to have same day connections from CRK to many provincial cities by flying CRK-CEB then connecting using 5J. It's just so much easier for me to depart from CRK (1km from my office) than the lottery of the driving time to MNL and interesting the cost of about the same.

P2500 to drive to MNL to then fly or P3000 to fly CRK-CEB then connect.

Good news for those doing business (or pleasure in Philippines.)

Alby

 

[Strategic Aviation]

While it might be a 'motherhood' statement or made by those with lack of in-the-coughpit experience, PR pilots supposedly have a reputation for 'smooth landings.''

From personal experience I can vouch thar PR landings are not any smoother than any others having bounced into Butuan recently.

"Smooth landings" could also relate to jb747's Ask The Pilot comment:-

Very smooth landings...the ones that feel like glass, are, as often as not, the result of overly long flares (i.e. floats), and aren't graded very well by us. Firm landings are most likely the result of an underdeveloped flare. I am much more interested in the aircraft being 'on the spot' than I am in how smooth the landing is.... Extended floats put runway behind you, give much more opportunity for any crosswind to move you off the centreline, and also put the tail ever closer to the ground.