November 21, 2018, we were not informed that all flights will be cancelled in the afternoon due to the no fly zone order because the Chinese president is leaving Manila , Philippines after his 2 days visit. Instead , Cebu Pacific employees just repeatedly announced that the flight will be delayed, no reason stated. We patiently waited, anyway Cebu Pacific is known for delayed flights. It is good that internet connection in NAIA is good, so we can do some work on our strama which is due 2 days later. Finally after 8 hrs in the boarding gate, we are on flight bound to Legazpi.
The flight was smooth, everything okay, we are expected to arrived a little earlier , the pilot announced we are ready for descent, my seatmate on the window seat is excitedly telling us , she is now seing the city lights in Legazpi City, Albay., then a sudden strong turbulence. Then were up again, then another try to land but turbulence is really bad. Up again, the pilot announced that we are going back to NAIA , we cannot land due to strong tail wind, and it is for our safety. So that means we have fly another 1 hr without reaching our destination. Passengers kept on grumbling , but we remain calm.
So what shall we do now, but to book another flight, but the only available is 3 days later, or refund the airfare. We decided to refund and take the bus next day which means 12 hrs ride.
From our experience this is what we do on our delayed and later cancelled flight.
- Keep your cool. Do not let the delay ruin your day. When the airline people announce that there will be a delay, we ask the airline staff how long, and when they cannot answer exactly how long it will take us to wait, that means it would not be just an hour or two. A good internet made our day productive, we were able to work on our MBA strama paper. My seatmate was also doing her office work, she has a very lucky boss.
- Stretch, walk and look for a nearby coffee shop, a cup of coffee can last for an hour with friends.
- It is tempting to have a good massage in the airport , but do not do it you do not know the exact time of departure.
- When flight is cancelled as in our case, immediately go to the airline desk in the airport and decide to re book flight or refund the ticket
- Be aware that if flight is cancelled due to weather you are not entitled to free hotel and food, so in travelling always have cash or credit card
the fatfeet 