Philippines Terminal Fees – a little step forward

Philippines Terminal Fees – Cebu Pacific Air made a little step forward.

Tourists and Travelers often pronounce the Philippines as Fee-lipppines. In most countries worldwide the usage of terminals and transportation facilities is included in the ticket price.  In Philippines one has almost always to pass by a booth to pay the terminal fee and other fees and taxes. See also our page “Philippines Taxes & Fees“.

2 or 3 years ago Manila-NAIA and Cebu-Mactan airports made a first step. Manila included all terminal fees in the ticket price. Cebu included only the terminal fee for domestic flights.

October 2017: CEB includes Philippines Terminal Fees

Without making a loud marketing noise, Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) started to include the terminal fees for almost all airports. Read the official statement:

Terminal Fee
International Passenger Service Charge (IPSC)

Terminal fee will be paid at the airport, except for Manila.
For guests exiting and transiting Manila, terminal fee is already included in the booking.

Domestic Passenger Servce Charge (DPSC)

Terminal fee is already included in the booking, except for Clark.
For guests exiting and transiting Clark, terminal fee will be paid at the airport.

The following are exempted from paying terminal fee :
Infants (below 2 years old on the date of travel)
Guests connecting through Philippine airports except Manila, Cebu and Caticlan (Boracay)

Did you understand?

It seems that this statement had been written by the same guys who write the  “Terms and conditions apply” … I try to make it a bit clearer.

International flights:
You have to pay the terminal fee in all airports except Manila. This is status quo!

Domestic flights:
This is new. In all airports Philippines wide, except Clark, the terminal fee is included in the booking.

Connecting flights:
Philippines Terminal Fees have only to be paid in Manila, Cebu and Caticlan

And the future?

I don’t think that there will soon be more fees to be included in fares. If all the fees and taxes were included in the tickets, the passengers and the big transportation companies would have their advantages. But small companies, which are still paper based, would have much more paperwork to do. All the ticket sellers and controllers in ports and airports would lose their jobs. These jobs are welcome because they need not much training and give the not so rich families some more pesos.

And do not forget the ‘Pilipino Kultura’! Filipinos live, think and act in small units. I warmly recommend to read “A Heritage of Smallness” an essay by Quijano de Manila. Reading this essay changed my understanding of the people with whom I live. Many, for foreigners so strange behaviors, come into an other light when reading Nick Joaquin.

[GARD]