I'm typing away now before my memory lapses and as much as possible I want to document (if not all) everything that I've done here. Too bad I was not able to do a continuation on my Shanghai escapade but I'm still hoping that I can cover some places and things I've done back there with the help from my sister.
Anyways, it's obvious that I'm not a jet setter who travels 4-5 times a year outside the country. So here are a few things that I've learned from my day in NAIA Terminal 3.
* I opted to pay first the travel tax versus to check-in my baggage. For me it's easier to just present the receipt of travel tax to the check-in counter rather than the check-in counter instruction you to go to the travel tax counter and pay the taxes. It will cost you Php 1620.
* I find the terminal fee expensive! Bye bye Php550 and I thought that it will only cost me Php200. According to my sister's boyfriend, originally the terminal fee was Php750. In short, I should be thankful that the terminal fee is lowered. For how long, I'm not sure.
* Immigration officer here are less friendly unless you're a celebrity (just my hunch). I still remembered my first encounter with the immigration officer when I'm bound to Shanghai. I felt that I'm being bullied and I'm stunned to react. Ha! At least now, I'm prepared and as my husband advise me, "speak in your slang English". Hehehehe. I'm not sure if it did the trick but it helps to be prepared and to be honest.Same thing with the immigration officer of your destination. Be honest and make sure you know what you're talking about. Be confident and look them straight in the eye.
* After passing the immigration officer, immediately removed whatever accessories your wearing and put it in your hand carry bag. That's what I did earlier and it only took me less than 5 mins to be scanned before I head off to my boarding gate. Also you need to remove your shoes, sandals, slippers, etc. If you have socks, just leave it as it is in your feet. If you have belts, you need to remove that as well.
* It's okay to bring bottled mineral water in your hand-carry so as long as you will consume it during your flight. I have 500ml bottle with me and a couple of crackers and a tube of Mentos in case I got hungry during the flight. This is applicable if you're on an economy class flight like Cebu Pacific. I'm not sure about Air Asia or Tiger Airways as I've never experienced booking a flight with them yet.
Hope this gives you an idea on what to expect when you travel out of the country. I would love to hear from your own experiences. Time to hit the sack. It's way too late for me and I need to recharge.
