Help!!
 

I'm taking a flight from JFK to HKG via Vancouver. Then from HKG, going to Manila. Then switch to Philippine Airlines in Manila to take a flight to Bohol, Philippines.

My question is...Would we have to go to baggage claim when we arrive in Manila and get all our bags, boxes, etc. and check in again or will CX and PAL do all that and bring it to our connecting flight to Bohol?

just curious also because isn't CX and PAL affiliated?

Most IATA member airlines have an interline agreement with each other, which allows transfer of baggage. I don't know if PAL does but it is likely to (generally LCCs do not interline, for example Southwest in the US and Ryanair in Europe). Lately some airlines have stopped interlining for separate tickets (they do interline for the same ticket); BA does this, for non-Oneworld separate tickets, for example.

The other consideration is customs clearance. Some countries require baggage to be collected and presented to customs by the passenger at the first port of entry (MNL in your example); other countries do not require this. You can check with Phillipine customs whether this is the case.

Unless they have changed their procedure, you will have to claim all your luggage at the baggage claim when you arrive in Manila from Hong Kong then you'll have to clear Philippines customs first. From there you look for the sign for the "free airport shuttle" then you (and your luggage) will take a 10-15 minute bus ride to the terminal of Philippine Airlines.

oh no, i think i better convince my parents to fly to straight to cebu instead, then take the superferry to bohol. idk, i've heard some things about ninoy aquino. my last trip to cebu was a breeze. immigration line was short and it didn't even take up 10 minutes. baggage claim was also easy.

MNL is only bad if you happen to arrive just after some other flights -- otherwise you'll clear immigration, pick up bags and go through customs within 10 minutes -- tops.

MNL has a notoriously bad immigration/customs line problem. If you're arriving in the evening (after 7pm), many international flights come in within minutes of each other. Apart from the potentially long wait, there's utter chaos. You're never sure if you're on the correct line. (There are a number of classifications, including tourist, overseas workers, residents, etc..) There are multiple lines for every classification, and you always end up on the slowest line.

Good luck.

Unless you arrive with a bunch of other flights MNL Terminal 1 is not that bad. Finding the right line is not difficult -- the big blue signs saying "Vistor" should clue you in. Baggage usually comes out very quickly and I have never in 30+ trips been stopped for more that 30 seconds at customs - I usually walk right by. The taxi queuing system is also a breeze compared to (say) BKK. Note: I do find arriving at Terminal 2 (PAL) more choatic in the baggage area than Terminal 1.

In my last 3 arrivals at MNL (on CX) I have literally gone from door L1 on the aircraft to inside the taxi in < 12 minutes -- I just checked my cell phone SMS log to confirm.