Having become used to non-low cost airlines and even being able to upgrade using my airmiles from time to time I was not thrilled by the prospect of having to return to low cost, nothing included flying. I tried to remember what life on RyanAir or EasyJet had been like and stock up on drinks and snacks for the flight as well as wondering if I really might have to pay to use the toilet as one of the European low cost airlines had threatened to do. At least we had been able to pre-reserve our seats, although there was possibly a charge for that. There wasn't a hierarchy of smaller and smaller seats as per Spirit, the US low cost carrier to Nicaragua, nor a free for all as everyone pushed for seats.
True to form the flight was an hour late and we had to walk out to the plane, which did not raise my expectations. However on boarding I was pleasantly surprised the plane was new and comfortable with reasonable leg room. No entertainment and yes food an drinks were purchased but at just over £2 for a hot chocolate and a rather strange cheese roll (not bad just strange, I guess it would seem less strange if I had a Nicaraguan mindset rather than the idea of a cheese sandwich) I can't really complain. But they had a nice magazine highlighting their destinations which had the good effect of making me feel more positive about the Philippines – that there are places visiting and I'm not quite at the end of the world.
Clearly the definition of turbulence worth advising us about over the South China Sea isn't the same as my expectation it constantly feels more bumpy than I'd like but everyone else doesn't seem too perturbed.
The flight crew (not the pilots I'm pleased to report!) even played a game with the passengers giving away little pouches as prizes, so as a low cost carrier goes so far I'm reasonably impressed with Cebu Pacific.
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