Reacquainted with the Manila Domestic Airport

Time heals all wounds. Time also makes some old things really confusingly and surprisingly new. Take for, for instance, the Manila Domestic Airport. I haven’t been here for ages and today’s “reunion” is both refreshing and weird.

There was a time when it was simply called (ahem, I heard) the Manila International Airport. Right now, after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals I, II and III terminals, I’m at a loss as to what to call the MIA. It’s catering solely to domestic air travel, so it’s only right that we drop the “International” designation. So is it now the Manila Domestic Airport? The signage says — Manila Domestic Passenger Terminal.

Second,  it’s now very spacious, as compared before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s puny compared to, say, the NAIA III. There was a time when all domestic travel used to pass through here. Now Philippine Airlines (PAL) has NAIA II (Centennial Terminal) and Cebu Pacific has NAIA III. The old domestic airport now hosts Zest Air and SEAIR.

The last time I was here, we can hardly move.  There were so many people, we were at the end of the line — and we were standing outside the terminal building, right at the terminal drop-off area. We didn’t make it to the check-in counter. Of course, we were pissed. It was the day before Christmas and the next available flight was after new year.

This time, you could actually play ice hockey at the check-in counter area. And they’d probably thank you for it, for using space which they’re paying for, anyway.

Third, I used to hate waiting at the airport lounge. This aversion has nothing to do with the condition of the airport lounge, which has vastly improved throughout the years. I just hate waiting. Waiting is a total waste of time, but most of the time we have no choice but to wait. Life is too short and a big chunk of it is probably spent on waiting. If we could drastically cut down the amount of waiting time, then we’ve probably have more time to travel.

Anyway, going back, unlike before, our civilization now have SmartBro (I’m not sure if the domestic airport has wi-fi, but at least the newer Philippine airports, including Mactan-Cebu International Terminal, has wi-fi). And that means I could wisely spend my idle time engaging in more transcendental, socially-relevant pursuits. Like writing this post.