Nearly one million passengers are expected to fly in and out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on All Souls’ Day, with local carriers now seeing a surge in flight bookings for the said period.
In a statement on Tuesday, low-cost carrier Cebu Air Inc. said it was expecting nearly a million passengers to fly across Cebu Pacific flights to both domestic and international destinations on All Souls’ Day.
"Cebu Pacific is projecting nearly 1 million passengers who are flying with 5J for Undas peak travel period. With the addition of new routes and enhanced capacity, we expect a significant increase in passenger numbers this year,” the company said, adding that the most popular destinations for the said period are Hong Kong, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, and Boracay.
At the same time, the company expects the number of passengers to increase during the Christmas season due to increased capacity on the recently added routes.
Last month, Cebu Pacific said it will launch additional routes to Hong Kong, Davao, and Puerto Princesa this October.
Meanwhile, Philippines AirAsia Inc. said it has seen an uptick in bookings for both domestic and international flights.
From Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, the company already recorded more than 50,000 seats sold, with numbers expected to rise further in the coming week.
Its top destinations include a mix of domestic and international locations such as Boracay, Cebu, Taipei, Bohol, Tacloban, Puerto Princesa, Incheon, Narita, IloIlo, and Bangkok.
“While the season is traditionally observed to commemorate departed loved ones, we’ve seen that some guests visit early, allowing them to use the All Saints’ and All Souls' Day holidays for leisure travel. Based on our top 10 routes, beach destinations remain a favorite for domestic travelers, while countries that offer a mix of shopping, food, and cultural experiences continue to excite our international guests,” AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Head First Officer Steve Dailisan said.
With most trips during this period lasting only three to five days, AirAsia advised travelers to pack and travel smart to help them maximize their holiday travel.
These include purchasing baggage allowance based on their needs; booking “red eye flights” which are much cheaper than usual; and avoiding flights on the same dates where everyone else is expected to fly in and out.
“To accommodate the influx of holiday travelers, we have also increased our manpower at NAIA Terminals 2 and 3. We will always be committed to fulfill our brand promise of reaching guests safely and on time,” Dailisan added.