Airport Woes - What's so special about this siopao?!

Have you ever felt hungy while waiting for your flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)? I have. But the food at NAIA is "golden" when it comes to price. Imagine paying P110 for a pork jumbo special siopao - I mean, in Chinese restos where the siopaos are really good, you won't pay more than P50 for a jumbo (e.g. Jade Valley-Timog siopao is only P38 - and it's one of the good tasting ones). Or what about the "mami" - P120 per bowl, and we are talking about a styro-bowl, pour hot-water type of mami! Or a triangle-shaped sandwich overflowing with mayo, or a burger that looks too dry that just looking at them turns you off. Or a 3-in-one coffee for P50.

I would not complain if the quality is good - but these are microwave-heated food. The shops seem to be capitalizing on the fact that passengers have no choice. Compare NAIA with other airports - Bangkok airport have fastfood joints or sit-down type restos, so does Singapore, or Narita, or Schipol, or Hongkong .... the list is long actually. These airports have McDonalds, Burger King, and other fastfood joints with the same prices, or maybe just a little bit higher than their stores outside the airport (but definitely not twice the amount, like the "golden" siopaos at NAIA). If you want to eat a fancier dish and willing to pay more, there are choices in these airports.

Now going back to NAIA's siopao and mami... I really wonder what's so special about those siopao and mami. Maybe they taste good... but, despite my hunger, I can't make myself buy those food and patronize the food shops - it's a matter of principle!! I may pay P100.oo for the cup noodle at a Cebu Pacific flight- at least the stewardess can justify the price; "Hey, isn't it cool, you're eating cup noodles on air!".

(NAIA, as we all know, is named after the modern-day hero, Ninoy Aquino. He probably would turn in his grave if he learns about the pitiful state of his namesake.)

Airport Woes - Money Exchange & Tourist Maps

You will know if a country is tourist friendly or not based on the services it provides in its airports, and from my experience, Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is very tourist friendly. One indicator of a tourist freindly airport is the availability of money exchange centers. Money exchange centers abound at the Bangkok airport. The money exchange centers sell and buy notes in different denominations - US dollar, Japanese Yen, Euro and even Philippine Peso. I usually exchange my dollar, yen or peso to baht when I arrive at Bangkok and then exchange my unused baht money to peso or dollar.

Another indicator of a tourist friendly airport is the availability of tourist maps to guide the visitors during their stay in the country. In Bangkok, I was able to get four different types of tourist maps. Imagine that! - 4 maps in one airport - all free!

The Philippines, if it is really serious in promoting tourism should provide similar services at the international airports. It should ask the support of private institutions and companies to improve the services at the airport. Why doesn't NAIA request a bank to set-up a money exchange in the airport? As for the tourist maps, this can easily be funded through advertisements that can be printed in the maps - similar to the Bangkok tourist maps. I know there are WOW Philippines maps printed by the Department of Tourism - so why not distribute them at our airports (for free, that is).

Airport Woes at NAIA - Security & Terminal Fee

Traveling abroad makes you compare the facilities and services provided at international airports. At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila, the airport terminal fee was increased from P550.00 to P750.00. The increase, according to the NAIA, will not only improve the services, much more, it will be used to improve the public safety security measures to prevent terrorist attacks. After the increase, have you observed any changes in security measures and services in the airport? Ahh.. yes! ... they now ask us to remove our shoes and belts... and they ask us to leave behind liquids weighing more than 100 ml ... What else? ... toilets still don't have tissue papers (and when will they ever renovate the toilets - have you seen the toilet doors - whew!) ... the food price (very expensive) is not comensurate with its so-so quality (read another blog about airport food) ... and the immigration line, oh wow (just look at the picture - it's very chaotic) - it's too crowded that occassionally a special lane needs to be created for those whose plane is already boarding and some VIPs.

I observed in the airports at Tokyo and Bangkok about 10 years ago, there used to be an airport terminal fee (I'm not sure anymore of the fee then but maybe about 2000 yen at Narita and 500 baht at Bangkok). Today the airports of Tokyo and Bangkok are new and beautiful. The facilities have improved. The service is superb. The security is tight. And ironically and very suprising, these airports do not anymore collect terminal fees! In Bangkok, each immigration booth has a camera taking a photo of every tourist. Money exhange booths are everywhere. In Narita, fore finger print scanners and cameras are installed in all booths. The queue is very organized. There are many immigration booths. Internet is free at Narita's Yahoo! Station.

Comparing these two airports with NAIA, you will realize that Philippine airport users are short changed with the airport terminal fee they pay and the type of service they receive. Our rating for the NAIA security and service - UNSATISFACTORY AND NEEDS IMPROVEMENT!