[PREM FARE GONE] Oman Air: MNL-NCL $1,141 RT
Jun 26, 2017, 4:21 am
#181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,209
It was hard work getting them to confirm. If you have the confirmation number then you are all set. They will contact you or the hotel in the last 24hrs with a pick up time. Got a lovely 7 series at BKK last month. ^
Jun 26, 2017, 9:26 pm
#183
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: TK - Gold, Kris - Gold, QFF - Points
Posts: 242
It's not - to your previous Q what time do you depart? i'm seeing the flight as 7.45am.
If you're staying in makati i would leave home about 4.45. the Skyway (an overpass) was completed this year... it only takes about 25 minutes(you're going against traffic in the morning) but to be sure I would give it 45 minutes to an hour.. If you're staying at one of the casinos even less.. that 4 hour pickup is pretty standard but is absolutely ridiculous. I would download uber if i were you and grab a black car (all 4WD's) for ~500pesos.
Ive been here 2 years and only once been caught in the 'dreaded 3 hour airport run'. It usually comes from a crash in the one-lane airport off ramp (which is now 2/3 lanes).
Terminal 1 pretty bland, its the old terminal, i dont know which lounge oman uses but the miacor is the PP one a lot of airlines rent out.. it's not fantastic.. The Qantas lounge also sucks but has better seating. I find that i just flash my Qantas club membership no matter who i'm flying with and usually go straight in, they don't have a computer on the door, just a lady writing down membership numbers.
We usually bring food and head to the gate and spread out over some seats and watch something on the ipad. There is a cafe and a small shop which are the only real places to eat outside of lounges.
if you're staying in manila a few nights and need some restaurant recommendations that aren't local food, feel free to pm
If you're staying in makati i would leave home about 4.45. the Skyway (an overpass) was completed this year... it only takes about 25 minutes(you're going against traffic in the morning) but to be sure I would give it 45 minutes to an hour.. If you're staying at one of the casinos even less.. that 4 hour pickup is pretty standard but is absolutely ridiculous. I would download uber if i were you and grab a black car (all 4WD's) for ~500pesos.
Ive been here 2 years and only once been caught in the 'dreaded 3 hour airport run'. It usually comes from a crash in the one-lane airport off ramp (which is now 2/3 lanes).
Terminal 1 pretty bland, its the old terminal, i dont know which lounge oman uses but the miacor is the PP one a lot of airlines rent out.. it's not fantastic.. The Qantas lounge also sucks but has better seating. I find that i just flash my Qantas club membership no matter who i'm flying with and usually go straight in, they don't have a computer on the door, just a lady writing down membership numbers.
We usually bring food and head to the gate and spread out over some seats and watch something on the ipad. There is a cafe and a small shop which are the only real places to eat outside of lounges.
if you're staying in manila a few nights and need some restaurant recommendations that aren't local food, feel free to pm
Jun 26, 2017, 9:29 pm
#184
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: TK - Gold, Kris - Gold, QFF - Points
Posts: 242
2 hours has always been plenty of time for us to clear check in (esp in business) & immigration..
Head to the ASEAN passport line if in doubt. We're allowed to use it but even when travelling with friends/family they don't really check. it's more of a 'best efforts' system in the philippines..
Head to the ASEAN passport line if in doubt. We're allowed to use it but even when travelling with friends/family they don't really check. it's more of a 'best efforts' system in the philippines..
Jun 26, 2017, 11:56 pm
#186
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: TK - Gold, Kris - Gold, QFF - Points
Posts: 242
Jun 27, 2017, 2:30 am
#187
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,173
Is there any express security at MNL? Do you reckon leaving 530am from the Sofitel is OK? Anyone else doing this route mid-July? I'm doing MCT stopover on the way and CDG on way back (saves UK duty).
Jul 14, 2017, 1:57 am
#188
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,401
An update after travelling this flight a couple days ago...
The booking itself was locked on the Oman Air site, no changes, rearranges or seat selection possible, and various error messages that 'fare information cannot be found, please contact airline'. None of this turned out to be any problem and checkin was smooth, no questions asked.
You cannot approach the business class checkin without giving your name, which must match their list.. I was in the list so all good. Bags can be checked all the way to NCL but boarding passes only as far as Paris.
Traffic to the airport was surprisingly busy at 445am, nothing to be concerned about, but the streets weren't deserted. Took 18 minutes from Pasay to the airport, so allow longer if you are staying in other parts of town (I was on Roxas boulevard).
Security to enter the departures hall was just a minute or so, as was main security and passport control. There were three or four flights leaving before WY, but these were mostly processed by the time pax were trickling through for WY.
The lounge... 1970s. But... had clean toilets, and a dedicated smoking lounge next door (the main smoking luge was crowded and very smoky). Food, not worth considering, and given that while I was using the WC one of the lounge attendants went straight from using the urinal to going outside to collect plates without washing their hands, I'd probably recommend staying away from what's on offer anyway. Oh, and forget the coffee machine... it just produced brown water. The lounge staff were however lovely, polite, and helpful. Compared to the main terminal the lounge was a bit of a haven.
Boarding was easy, just two pax on this day, with economy full. A330, 1-2-1 seats. First class cabin was not sold and was blocked for crew rest, the airline wouldn't budge to allow pax to sit there. The main difference in seats was that the Fcl seats were slightly wider.
Food was ok, but nothing special. The highlight was the warmed breakfast pastries... they were delicious. The rest of the hot food was pretty average, bordering on poor (tough, bland). Service was just ok... very casual. With such a light load the crew pretty much gave out food and then went to sleep.
IFE was good, plenty of programs, including some box-sets. Enough to keep me occupied for a couple hours before getting some sleep.
Seat comfort... not so good. The seats would have been cutting edge at one time, but now not so much. They were lumpy and hard, and quite short (for someone at 6'3). I was able to grab a couple of duvets and several pillows which made it ok for sleeping.
Arrival at MCT... long taxi, followed by bus transfer (first bus exclusively for business class). Transfer via signs, and several queues at transfer desks and at a passport check. If you have your connecting boarding passes you can skip the transfer line (this is for people needing onward passes) and show your biz class boarding pass for express service at the second (the second line was very slow).
The airport was hot! It was stinking hot outside, and not much better inside. There is a smoking lounge for anyone interested at the central junction.
The lounge... yeah... ok. The pictures look far better than it actually is. I thought the food be amazing, but sadly the mezze was disappointing. They have a single shower, but with no ventilation you pretty much ended up sweating again as soon as the water turned off. So a bit of a fail.
Lounge wifi was ok.
You are told to go down to the gate 45 minutes before departure... but this is a bit too early. You could leave about 10 minutes later. The passport check at the gate is slow, and biz pax who know the gate staff get priority.
Then there was the bus transfer... slow, painfully slow in fact, with no a/c on the bus. You are then shunted out into 40 degree heat and have to queue to board via a single set of stairs. There is no priority for business class. So you stand in the baking heat with the line inching along, the reason why is apparent when you get to the door to find a single member of cabin crew checking boarding passes. If they had two, and if they had dedicated biz class stairs, the process would have been much better.
So... hang out in the terminal as long as you can, take the last bus... that way the lines are short and you board straight away.
The flight to Paris was much better in terms of seating... the 2-2-2 enclosed suites. They are amazing... right up there with the best offered by other airlines even in first class. Amazingly long (the window suites at least, the others might be shorter) and well padded. I had about 6 inches of space to spare lengthwise lying full flat. IFE was the same as the previous leg, crystal clear screen.
Food was marginally better on this flight although still not great. Serving sizes are huge, even for the appetisers. You aren't allowed to keep the menus.
Service was fairly slow with a full cabin, maybe two hours for the lunch service. Food was slightly better, as you would expect from the home port, but not amazing. The desserts weren't up to the standard lucky described in his blogs.
On arrival in Paris there was an Oman air rep at the door with a sign for passengers for Newcastle! He had a stack... yes, a stack... of printed BPs for onward pax. I'd say there were about five people in total. I was issued a biz class printed A4 sheet, which has a bar code you use for everything. You are given a 'priority one' pass to use for security. On leaving the jet ridge make sure you look for the transfer sign... in my case transfers was the opposite direction to arrivals, and I was following everyone else until I realised.
The shuttle bus takes for ever... both to arrive (every 15 minutes) and then to get to terminal 2E.
2E itself is nice, there's a smoking lounge for those who want, and the air France lounge is great... amazing food.
The flight to NCL... arvo Rj-85... with seating in a 3-3 with the middle left empty in business. The flight was packed except for biz class, and it would have been a tight squeeze down the back.
The service was actually pretty good on this flight... better than the Oman air flights! Full bar service offered, along with menus and a cold three course meal... quinoa salad with roasted vegetables, slices of rare roast beef with herb Mayo, cheese, raspberry tart, and bread rolls. Wine, spirits and champagne all on offer, followed by tea and coffee. The food was delicious, as you would expect from French catering.
Arrival at NCL easy, with a slight delay for gate check bags to be delivered. They took everyone's rolla-bags even though they probably would have fitted I tot he overheads. Main bags were out by the time we got from the plane.
All in all, it was ok but really let down by the transit in MCT... just too hot and badly organised for a first-timer. Now that I know better it would be easier with less waiting around.
Happy to answer any other questions.
The booking itself was locked on the Oman Air site, no changes, rearranges or seat selection possible, and various error messages that 'fare information cannot be found, please contact airline'. None of this turned out to be any problem and checkin was smooth, no questions asked.
You cannot approach the business class checkin without giving your name, which must match their list.. I was in the list so all good. Bags can be checked all the way to NCL but boarding passes only as far as Paris.
Traffic to the airport was surprisingly busy at 445am, nothing to be concerned about, but the streets weren't deserted. Took 18 minutes from Pasay to the airport, so allow longer if you are staying in other parts of town (I was on Roxas boulevard).
Security to enter the departures hall was just a minute or so, as was main security and passport control. There were three or four flights leaving before WY, but these were mostly processed by the time pax were trickling through for WY.
The lounge... 1970s. But... had clean toilets, and a dedicated smoking lounge next door (the main smoking luge was crowded and very smoky). Food, not worth considering, and given that while I was using the WC one of the lounge attendants went straight from using the urinal to going outside to collect plates without washing their hands, I'd probably recommend staying away from what's on offer anyway. Oh, and forget the coffee machine... it just produced brown water. The lounge staff were however lovely, polite, and helpful. Compared to the main terminal the lounge was a bit of a haven.
Boarding was easy, just two pax on this day, with economy full. A330, 1-2-1 seats. First class cabin was not sold and was blocked for crew rest, the airline wouldn't budge to allow pax to sit there. The main difference in seats was that the Fcl seats were slightly wider.
Food was ok, but nothing special. The highlight was the warmed breakfast pastries... they were delicious. The rest of the hot food was pretty average, bordering on poor (tough, bland). Service was just ok... very casual. With such a light load the crew pretty much gave out food and then went to sleep.
IFE was good, plenty of programs, including some box-sets. Enough to keep me occupied for a couple hours before getting some sleep.
Seat comfort... not so good. The seats would have been cutting edge at one time, but now not so much. They were lumpy and hard, and quite short (for someone at 6'3). I was able to grab a couple of duvets and several pillows which made it ok for sleeping.
Arrival at MCT... long taxi, followed by bus transfer (first bus exclusively for business class). Transfer via signs, and several queues at transfer desks and at a passport check. If you have your connecting boarding passes you can skip the transfer line (this is for people needing onward passes) and show your biz class boarding pass for express service at the second (the second line was very slow).
The airport was hot! It was stinking hot outside, and not much better inside. There is a smoking lounge for anyone interested at the central junction.
The lounge... yeah... ok. The pictures look far better than it actually is. I thought the food be amazing, but sadly the mezze was disappointing. They have a single shower, but with no ventilation you pretty much ended up sweating again as soon as the water turned off. So a bit of a fail.
Lounge wifi was ok.
You are told to go down to the gate 45 minutes before departure... but this is a bit too early. You could leave about 10 minutes later. The passport check at the gate is slow, and biz pax who know the gate staff get priority.
Then there was the bus transfer... slow, painfully slow in fact, with no a/c on the bus. You are then shunted out into 40 degree heat and have to queue to board via a single set of stairs. There is no priority for business class. So you stand in the baking heat with the line inching along, the reason why is apparent when you get to the door to find a single member of cabin crew checking boarding passes. If they had two, and if they had dedicated biz class stairs, the process would have been much better.
So... hang out in the terminal as long as you can, take the last bus... that way the lines are short and you board straight away.
The flight to Paris was much better in terms of seating... the 2-2-2 enclosed suites. They are amazing... right up there with the best offered by other airlines even in first class. Amazingly long (the window suites at least, the others might be shorter) and well padded. I had about 6 inches of space to spare lengthwise lying full flat. IFE was the same as the previous leg, crystal clear screen.
Food was marginally better on this flight although still not great. Serving sizes are huge, even for the appetisers. You aren't allowed to keep the menus.
Service was fairly slow with a full cabin, maybe two hours for the lunch service. Food was slightly better, as you would expect from the home port, but not amazing. The desserts weren't up to the standard lucky described in his blogs.
On arrival in Paris there was an Oman air rep at the door with a sign for passengers for Newcastle! He had a stack... yes, a stack... of printed BPs for onward pax. I'd say there were about five people in total. I was issued a biz class printed A4 sheet, which has a bar code you use for everything. You are given a 'priority one' pass to use for security. On leaving the jet ridge make sure you look for the transfer sign... in my case transfers was the opposite direction to arrivals, and I was following everyone else until I realised.
The shuttle bus takes for ever... both to arrive (every 15 minutes) and then to get to terminal 2E.
2E itself is nice, there's a smoking lounge for those who want, and the air France lounge is great... amazing food.
The flight to NCL... arvo Rj-85... with seating in a 3-3 with the middle left empty in business. The flight was packed except for biz class, and it would have been a tight squeeze down the back.
The service was actually pretty good on this flight... better than the Oman air flights! Full bar service offered, along with menus and a cold three course meal... quinoa salad with roasted vegetables, slices of rare roast beef with herb Mayo, cheese, raspberry tart, and bread rolls. Wine, spirits and champagne all on offer, followed by tea and coffee. The food was delicious, as you would expect from French catering.
Arrival at NCL easy, with a slight delay for gate check bags to be delivered. They took everyone's rolla-bags even though they probably would have fitted I tot he overheads. Main bags were out by the time we got from the plane.
All in all, it was ok but really let down by the transit in MCT... just too hot and badly organised for a first-timer. Now that I know better it would be easier with less waiting around.
Happy to answer any other questions.
Jul 14, 2017, 2:11 am
#189
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,401
just to add... in Manila I used the Nissan rental car service for transfers. They provide a driver and it worked very well. You can book one way from the airport via the inernet and once you arrive, add the return journey. Their price was half that proposed by my hotel. The car was ok (nothing flash, but fine) and on time at 430am the next morning. The smallest car is actually the third one on the drop down list... 'unmarked Sentra GX'. The first few cars in the drop down are mini vans. They will give you two credit card receipts to sign for each way of the transfer (so four in total) which seems odd, but it appeared correctly on my statement (just one charge each way). Service was great, couldn't have been smoother.
Jul 16, 2017, 11:45 am
#190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,209
AF has moved forward their connection to NCL on one of my tickets resulting in a 1hr 25min connection. The OTA has been very good and has suggested a free date change or a full refund.
Ideally I wouldn't mind moving it to the same time next year but the schedules have not been released yet. Anyone know if a Airline is able to move the ticket to 13-14 months in advance or leave it open to be booked later?
Ideally I wouldn't mind moving it to the same time next year but the schedules have not been released yet. Anyone know if a Airline is able to move the ticket to 13-14 months in advance or leave it open to be booked later?
Jul 18, 2017, 4:10 am
#191
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,209
AF has moved forward their connection to NCL on one of my tickets resulting in a 1hr 25min connection. The OTA has been very good and has suggested a free date change or a full refund.
Ideally I wouldn't mind moving it to the same time next year but the schedules have not been released yet. Anyone know if a Airline is able to move the ticket to 13-14 months in advance or leave it open to be booked later?
Ideally I wouldn't mind moving it to the same time next year but the schedules have not been released yet. Anyone know if a Airline is able to move the ticket to 13-14 months in advance or leave it open to be booked later?
Aug 30, 2017, 7:34 pm
#192
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: BNE
Programs: QF,US,ANA
Posts: 323
CDG ?
I am flying KUL-NCL next week , I have a overnight at a airport hotel in CDG,
I have read horror stories of missing luggage at CDG , would it be worth while collecting my bags and checking them in again the next day ?
I have read horror stories of missing luggage at CDG , would it be worth while collecting my bags and checking them in again the next day ?
Aug 31, 2017, 4:05 am
#193
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,209
To be fair me and my family must have flown this route 100 times + and AF has not once lost our luggage. BA on the other hand....
