Mactan Cebu International Airport Arrival Hall

Arriving in Cebu, a traveler is ushered into this relatively laidback metropolis through the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) located in Mactan Island which is a mere 20 minute ride to Cebu City center, barring traffic. But traffic has engulfed the byways that take you to the city center so expect a plodding, snail-paced ride as you get to and away from the airport. My trip to the city center (Fuente Osmena area) took 40 minutes; and a bit faster - 30 minutes getting back to the airport from the centro.

Arrival is pretty much a straight forward experience. You deplane and head straight to a common hall (above) for your baggage claim. This hall also leads straight to the exit doors. Within the same hall, you find a helpful information counter that will suggest hotels for you (they'll ask what your budget is) and has information on several other concerns.

If you require left luggage facility, head leftwards to find Ibales Baggage Depository (see below for rates) just beside the entrance for passengers with connecting flights. There's not much here in terms of shops which are mostly found at the Departure Hall located at the other end of the building.

TAXIS

Once outside Arrival Hall, there's a narrow facade where you can meet people - if you're expecting someone to fetch you. Just in front of this is a small street with a single lane diagonal parking aisle (a rather limited park area for an airport with international flights).

There are a couple of counters for taxis: one for those White Metered Taxis (public taxis in Cebu are mostly white colored); another counter for the Yellow Airport Taxis which starts its flag-down rate at Ph70 then an additional P4 for every 300 kilometers to your destination. You're given a complaints coupon bearing your taxi number just in case there's a reportable incident. Possible infractions are enumerated on that piece of paper: rude driver, no meter, overcharging, etc.

If budget is a concern, stay away from those yellow airport taxis. Expect P250 to 350 for your ride to the city center since you have to traverse Lapu Lapu City and Mandaue City to get to Cebu City. If you're heading to Talisay or Danao, then taxi would be an expensive option. When I asked my downtown hotel how much their hotel taxi service is worth to get to the airport, it's a whooping P600. Have them call a taxi for you instead for a cheaper metered fare. It won't take them 2 minutes to do that.

The airport is the Philippines' second primary gateway after the NAIA airports in Luzon. The terminal building incorporates both international and domestic flights with a combined capacity for almost 5 million passengers. However, with such estimates, MCIA feels small, and hallways have low ceilings. Plans are underway for expansion and and the construction of two more boarding bridges or jetways to complement the existing four. A new cargo terminal has also been proposed.

The more exciting news is, MCIAA General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete also proposes to establish a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, not dissimilar to Malaysia's Rapid Transit system, to transport airport passengers to and from MCIAA from different parts of Cebu. This will complement and maybe integrated into the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System being planned in Cebu City.

CARRIERS

Airlines flying into MCIA are as follows: Air Busan, AirPhil Express, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Korean Air, Mid-Sea Express, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, SilkAir, Tiger Airways, and Zest Airways. We do hope Air Asia gets added to this rooster very soon. Before we forget, the airport has a terminal fee of P200 ($4.60) payable in local currency.

This feature is another of this blog's "travel survival posts" to help fellow travelers orient themselves with their gateways to holiday destinations.

Have a safe journey.

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Alegre Beach Resort booth.

Ibales Luggage Depository is the airport's Left Luggage service. It is located at the same hall as the baggage claim hall (at the far end, left of the conveyors). To leave a baggage here, you have to submit your baggage at the security check first. Once done, take your bags at Ibales, complete a "Deposit Form", remove any cash or jewelry from them.

The rate is as follows: 0 to 2 hours - P75; 2 to 4 hours - P150; 4 to 10 hours - P250; 10 to 24 hours - P300. For over-sized baggage (bikes and surfboards) - 0 to 2 hours - P200, 2 to 4 hours - P300; 4 to 10 hours - P400; 10 to 24 hours - P500. Baggage not claimed 45 days from depositing them becomes Ibales' property.

Diagonal Parking just outside the arrival hall.

Airport Taxi counter - yellow taxis to transport you to your destination. Nearby is the queue for the cheaper white metered taxis.