How many hours before an international flight should you be at Manila International Airport Terminal 3?

How many hours before an international flight should you be at Manila International Airport Terminal 3?

Updated June 16, 2023, after all airlines from other terminals have completed transfer to NAIA3. 

At least 3 hours. 4 hours

Check-in time takes 35 minutes. Lines are longer at web check-in counters than at the regular check-in counters. But its still better to check in online already before arriving at the airport because it gives you both the option of checking in at the web check-in counters or at the regular counter.

Going through immigration takes 40 min.1-1.5 hours

That's 75 min 2 hours lost already. You can use the other 75 min 1 hour to take a leisurely walk to the gate and take a quick snack before boarding happens 30 min before the flight. You need to be at the 

NOTE: You might need more time if you're leaving your car for several days at NAIA overnight parking slot or if you're paying travel tax at the airport. 

MANILA: Transit Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3

MANILA: Transit Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3

For those transiting through NAIA Terminal 3, you have 3 options on where to stay, all located at Level 4:

PAID:

1. Wings Transit Lounge

+632 8869464

+632 8337299

thewings@jipang-group.com

Where you can book: https://twtl.as.me/schedule.php

2. SM Kenko Spa

Website: https://jipang-group.com/sm-kenko/naia

Where you can book: https://twtl.as.me/schedule.php

FREE:

Sitting area near Ministop, Jollibee and Pancake House

MANILA: NAIA 3 RESTAURANTS: OPEN 24 HOURS

MANILA: NAIA 3 RESTAURANTS: OPEN 24 HOURS

We arrived at 12 midnight to pick up my daughter at the airport and found these restaurants and stores open:

4TH LEVEL

 

FIRST LEVEL ARRIVAL AREA

MEZANNINE

MANILA: NAIA 3 RESTAURANTS AND OTHER FACILITIES

MANILA: NAIA 3 RESTAURANTS AND OTHER FACILITIES

Update on what restaurants and facilities are still open at Level 4 of NAIA Terminal 3 after the pandemic lockdown. 

Restaurants inside the Food Hall

- only 3 restaurants are still open at the Food Hall:

1. Mary Grace

2. Ramen Nagi

3. KFC

Restaurants outside the Food Hall

1. Tim Horton's

2. McDonald's

3. Wendy's

4. Kenny Rogers

5. Binalot

6. Grand Kitchen

7. Raku

8. Jollibee

9. Pancake House

10. Kusina Filipino cuisine

11. Unli Rice Singapore Hawker

12. Pan Coco

13. Sissy's diner

Convenience Stores

1. Mini Stop

2. 7-11

Spa

1. SM Kenko Spa

2. Siloam Spa

Transit Lounge

1. Wings Transit Lounge

2. SM Kenko

RESTAURANTS

CONVENIENCE STORES

Citylink Eastwood: New Routes and Schedule

Citylink Eastwood: New Routes and Schedule

My tip: 
Call Eastwood Mall concierge to confirm the Citylink schedule before you ride it.

• 
  
• Tel: (+632) 709-9888/(+632) 709-0888
• Mobile:(+63) 917-8380101
• eastwoodconcierge@megaworld-lifestyle.com
• Mall Hours :
  • Sunday: 10:00AM to 10:00PM
  • Monday to Thursday: 11:00AM to 10:00PM
  • Friday to Saturday: 11:00AM to 11:00PM

Beep cards can now be used at Citylink

New!!! Updated information on schedule and rates as of October 2013.

Citylink Business Class is a shuttle service that starts at Eastwood City and ends at Newport City. You can use this option to go to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 3 since this bus passes by the NAIA Terminal 3 on the way back to Eastwood City. 

My tip:

1. You must ride this bus only at any of the three loading areas: Eastwood City, McKinley Hill or Newport City.

Why? Because the bus sometimes skips the other areas in their route  if there are no passengers getting off  along the route shown below. The only sure way to ride this bus is to go to the loading area.

 2. You must inform the bus driver that you're getting off NAIA Terminal 3 because after Newport City, they can go straight to Eastwood City using another route if the driver doesn't know that there are passengers going to NAIA Terminal 3.

3.  If you want to ride this bus after you arrive at NAIA Terminal 3 and go to Eastwood City, DON'T WAIT AT THE NAIA TERMINAL 3 BUS STOP OF CITYLINK. You're not certain a bus will pass by. Go instead to the Newport City loading area.

How to go to Newport City from Terminal 3? Take the NAIA Loop shuttle and get off the next stop, which is Resorts World Manila. (Fare is 20 pesos). Then go to Citylink loading area at Newport City. (Route of the NAIA Loop shuttle: MRT Taft Station Terminal-NAIA Terminal 3 - Resort World Manila - Marriot hotel - MRT Taft Station Terminal)

Fare: 39 pesos from Eastwood City to NAIA Terminal 3, and vice versa.

Schedule: The new schedule as of September 2013 is shown in the photo below. Their current Saturday schedule used to be the daily schedule. They expanded their service for a non-stop schedule of 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM,  Monday to Friday. Saturday trips are from 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM only. There are no trips Sundays and Holidays.

Route: Eastwood City - Green Meadows - Wilcon Depot - Valle Verde - IPI - Julia Vargas - Lanuza - Green Valley - Kalayaan - 19th Avenue - Market Market - Mini Park - McKinley Hill - Palar - BCDA - Phase 1 and 2 - Housing - Centennial - Service Road - TESDA - Gate 3 - Nichols - Gate 1 - Gate 4 - Newport City then back to Eastwood.

The sign on the bus when you ride at Eastwood City says that it's headed for Newport City. So I asked the bus driver if they stop at Terminal 3, and he says that even though the sign says it's headed for Newport City, they unload passengers at Terminal 3 because that's where they pass going back to Eastwood City. I also called the NAIA Terminal 3 customer service and they verified that the Citylink bus unloads passengers at NAIA Terminal 3.

Loading Area: Eastwood City, McKinley Hill and Newport City. This means the bus stops around 5 minutes in these areas to load passengers. In between these areas, you flag down the bus or inform the driver that you are getting off along the route indicated in the sign.

This is the NEW BUS SCHEDULE
as of September 2013 (when I wrote this update)

This is the old schedule in January 2012
when I first wrote this article

Travel time from Eastwood City to Terminal 3: 1 1/2 hours (from Eastwood City, the bus passes by Libis, C5,  Bonifacio Global City, McKinley Hill, Newport City then NAIA Terminal 3)

Where bus stops within Eastwood City:

The Citylink Bus stops at the back of Eastwood City Mall, across the Mango Store.
This picture was taken while in the front entrance of Techno Plaza One buidling.
The building on the left is the Eastwood City Mall

Passenger waiting area at Eastwood City

Passenger waiting area is across the Mango Store of Eastwood City Mall

Mango Store is at the back of Eastwood Mall, 

diagonally from Techno Plaza One where Fitness First is located

Location of Eastwood City:

View Larger Map

MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Bag Wrapping by Protectabag at NAIA Terminal 3

MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:
Bag Wrapping by Protectabag at NAIA Terminal 3

Bag wrapping services at Manila International Airport are offered to give check-in luggage additional protection from damage or theft. But recently, because of the discovery of the 'tanim bala' or 'laglag bala' scheme, it became popular as one of the the methods to "avoid falling prey to 'tanim bala' scheme" (click the previous link for more details).

If you don't own a hard shell luggage with padlock, instead of zippers, this will protect you against anyone attempting to insert illegal items in your luggage. I own a canvas luggage with plenty of pockets and zippers. Instead of buying new luggage, I decided to avail of this service.

If you wish to avail of this service, here are the important information you will need:

LOCATION:

It's easy to find. 

It's located near Gate 4,  departure level of NAIA Terminal 3.
Shown at the right side of the photo is Gate 4.
The white machine is the xray scanner at the entrance of Gate 4

It's also near the Travel Tax payment counter and the OWWA counter so you won't miss it or need to look far to find it.

PRICE:

160 pesos

HOURS OPEN:

3:00 AM - 10:00 PM


HOW LONG THE WRAPPING TAKES:

Actual wrapping only takes 1 1/2 minutes as shown in the video below.

The front is sealed with a sticker

The back view

NOTE: THE PLASTIC WRAP IS SO THICK, YOU CAN'T REMOVE IT WITHOUT USING SCISSORS OR CUTTER.

When I arrived at my destination, I had no scissors or cutter and couldn't remove it by tearing it up with my hands so I slid it off in the same manner as removing socks. 

WEBSITE
http://www.protectabag.com.ph/