These are exciting times.
So said a lady executive in a dinner amongst journalists from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and her colleagues in the travel industry.
Why can’t they be? When the company she works for – Cebu Pacific – is gung ho in mounting flights from almost all parts of the country. Not only from Manila, Cebu, Davao and Clark but in all regions and most of the provinces where there are good airports.
For Clark International Airport (CRK), it has recently announced that it is launching 13 new domestic and international routes. They were actually 15 but clearance was delayed for the two areas.
This is their biggest number of launch in one announcement. For CRK and LIPAD, it is the biggest catch. Cebu Pacific, in fact, is being modest as I have learned that the total routes for the year could reach 20 or more. It is also permanently assigning three aircraft for the Clark routes.
The 13 new routes include flights to Bacolod, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, and Narita.
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39 WEEKLY TO SG. Fast forward and only 14 days passed after that big announcement at CRK, Cebu Pacific once again is striking it hot.
It is romping up its flights to east Asian destinations as they renew an accord with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) that would mean more flights and travels. And they are not just mere flights but travel in style.
With the newly re-signed Memorandum of Agreement with STB, Cebu Pacific will be flying more frequently with its direct flights to the lion state from Manila, Cebu, Davao and Clark, with 39 weekly flights by May this year.
It flies the Manila-Singapore route 21 times per week, Cebu-Singapore with 7, Davao-Singapore with 4. Starting April 28, it will also mount daily flights out of the new Clark passenger terminal.
“The best equipment in the fleet,” Cebu Pacific will utilize, according to the beauteous Candice Iyog, chief marketing and customer service officer, said during the recent MOU signing.
And to put money where its mouth is, Cebu Pacific will be upgrading one of its aircraft for Singapore flights, using an A330 Neo that is Cebu-themed and will have Recaro seats.
You see, traveling in style does not only mean convenient flights like what Cebu Pacific offers.
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CRK COMFORT. Well-worth travels start from the check-in and wait at a comfortable airport where CRK more than fits the bill.
It has that electronic self-check in kiosks for contact-less check-ins. In fact, Cebu Pacific makes use of those in self bag drop as you enter the terminal building.
CRK has wide and well-utilized spaces, cozy restaurants and coffee shops, pasalubong center and souvenir stores. What you look for in an airport, the CRK has it.
Not to mention also its courteous staff, particularly those from LIPAD, the company that runs it now.
Lounges are more than good, especially that one for OFWs where that feeling of leaving one’s family behind can be easily soothed with such a comforting facility.
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STB IS GRATEFUL. For STB’s, Juliana Kua, Assistant Chief Executive for International Group thanked Cebu Pacific, citing it for its “great contributions” in exceeding targets for tourism arrival in Singapore for 2022.
“Last year, we had initially forecasted at most six million visitors. We exceeded that at 6.3 million. 382,000 Filipinos visited Singapore in 2022,” Kua said.
“Philippines was number five in our top source markets, higher than the pre-covid of number seven. We are delighted to renew our partnership with Cebu Pacific this year so that we can continue our effort to attract more Filipino travelers to Singapore,” she added.
Kua also announced that STB has launched its Singapore Rewards, a program that will provide international visitors opportunity “to try one of nearly 40 off the beaten path experience for free.”