Hello, Manila! (And more surprises)

(Conclusion)

With the plane about to finally land in Manila, I asked a Cebu Pacific executive what was the official reason given for the “delay?”  But it seemed the official line was now  “there was no delay as we departed on time and the flight would be arriving as scheduled at 7:45 p.m.” Hmmm....

Of course, we were safely about to land, pick up accomplished, get back to our usual lives.

But more surprises actually awaited us. Upon arrival, we were not allowed to immediately disembark as Customs authorities wanted to board the aircraft to manually inspect the aircraft cabin where we had to load our luggage. However, we had to wait at least 10 minutes as the Customs inspectors were coming from a different location near the Park and Fly facility.

Only after the Customs officials boarded the aircraft cabin and looked around at our luggage and hand carry items were we allowed to disembark.  Mike, who admits that his job is quite stressful, was the first to get off, and I immediately rushed to do a last interview for this column...completely forgetting that I should carry my medium-sized luggage with me.

We, of course, were the first to get to the immigration counters.

Surprise number two. Apparently, due to the confusion and chaos over the “would we or won’t we be able to fly?” situation, Cebu Pacific was not able to file the necessary notification with the Bureau of Immigration with regard to the  special ferry flight, the flight number, or provide a passenger manifest and whatever necessary data needed for processing of passengers on board the flight.

The immigration official handling my passport  left the booth,  and I was, thus, left waiting quite a while for him to return to me while Mike, Alex and all my companions, one by one, started exiting, with even the flight crew – normally the last to leave the aircraft cabin – catching up with me still waiting for the immigration officer.

By the time I cleared immigration, I only then recalled that I had left my luggage in the cabin, with not even my Cebu Pacific minders aware that I had safely completed the immigration process when I was still standing in front of them behind the immigration counter when they decided to go down and leave.

Surprise number three. Only the cabin crew, specifically our lovely stewardess, Pamela, and handsome steward, Dave, offered to help me, claiming they had actually seen my luggage and had asked for help for a staff to pick it up. But I guess no one did.

Unfortunately, as we all had cleared immigration, we could not go back to the aircraft to retrieve my luggage, even though I said that I would willingly run back to get it myself if no one was available to do it.

Inefficient

The cabin crew once again tried to contact someone, but we were told that no one from Cebu Pacific was in the aircraft anymore and there was likewise no notification that a luggage had been left behind.

Apparently, part of the inherent inefficiency of the low-cost airline is that they do not have staff that immediately checks and secures any bags or belongings that may have inadvertently been left behind by passengers, and if there is, they do not report the matter immediately to the proper Cebu Pacific personnel.

Mind you, my luggage was medium-sized that weighed no more than 20 kg, had rollers, and a pretty colorful baggage cover.

With my increasing frustration at having been left behind to my own devices, I was told to go to the lost-and-found desk of Cebu Pacific, which I immediately did, only to find two staff busy scrolling on their cellphones. When I asked how to go about getting my luggage, the female staff  member told me there was no report that any luggage had been left behind...so did that mean that my luggage was “lost?”

They told me to go to a waiting room, which I declined, as I would prefer that they give me a definite time as to how long I can reasonably expect to be reunited with my forlorn baggage, or if I should just go ahead and fill out a lost baggage claim form, to which the female staff asked to see my baggage claim stub...duh???

I told her it was a special ferry flight and no baggage claim stub was given.

Steward Dave had made one last effort to assist me, but all that was turned over to him were a couple of bags of the Airbus souvenirs, but not my pining baggage.

The situation seemed to prove, without a doubt,  in spite of protestations by Cebu Pacific that they go beyond what is required of them to accommodate irate passengers, that invited guests on the ferry flight with their CEO and chief strategy officer, would immediately experience the incompetence of their ground staff and lack of concern of the Cebu Pacific minder who I even Vibered and tried calling, but who refused to answer my call, and even my husband’s message, who was already waiting for me,  to help me get back my luggage.

Long story short, a  lone member of my Cebu Pacific minders  eventually responded to my husband’s call to help us retrieve my luggage and return it, allowing me to finally leave the airport a long two hours or so after arrival and get home at almost 11 p.m.

Postscript

International news the day after we arrived was the effectivity on July 1 this year of China’s counterespionage law, which broadens the definition of spying. China has also started implementing an exit ban for foreigners, and which also covers the Special Administrative Regaions of Macau and Hong Kong.