Air Asia answers some frequently asked questions regarding the precautionary measures when flying with the carrier, as it restarts some services in the Philippines.
AirAsia is set to gradually resume services in the Philippines on 3 June following the Philippine government’s directive of easing community quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila and several parts of the country.
The resumption of services will initially be for key domestic routes and will gradually increase to include international destinations by 1 July.
AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “During the hibernation of our fleet, we took the time to step up our handling procedures to ensure that our guests have a swift and safe journey with us. Needless to say, we are well prepared to welcome everyone onboard. As we resume our services around our network, AirAsia is determined to help rebuild our economy and country.”
Select flights are open for booking via the airasia.com website and our mobile app. Guests may use their credit accounts to redeem these flights. Additional routes and flight schedules will be on the AirAsia website and mobile app, subject to approval from the authorities.
1. What do I need to do before making travel plans?
Guests are advised to ensure their eligibility for travel, whether international or domestic, before booking a flight. Please refer here to check travel restrictions and special requirements.
2. What flights are available for booking in the Philippines?
AirAsia has four hubs in the Philippines, namely Manila (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), Clark (Clark International Airport), Cebu (Mactan-Cebu International Airport), and Kalibo (Kalibo International Airport).
The resumption of services will initially be for key selected domestic routes, which will increase gradually to include international destinations around the network, once the situation improves and governments lift borders and travel restrictions.
Guests may check airasia.com for available flights as well as airasia.com/flightstatus for an updated status of flights.
3. What relevant guidelines by the Philippine government should I know regarding passenger flights?
Only passengers with valid travel documents (i.e., boarding documents) will be allowed to enter the airport.
Local regulation also requires all departing and arriving passengers to complete Health Declaration and Passenger Locator forms.
Other guidelines by the Philippines’ Department of Transportation covering the aviation sector may be found here.
4.What do I need to know about COVID-19 quarantine and testing policies in the Philippines?
The Department of Health (DOH) issued on 1 May 2020 interim guidelines for quarantine and testing procedures for all arriving international passengers (i.e., Filipino and foreign nationals) in the Philippines.
All arriving international passengers will undergo testing at the airport or designated facility. They will then be required to be quarantined at approved facilities while waiting for test results. Those who yield a negative test result will be made to undergo another 14 days of home quarantine.
More information may be found in Section III-A of DOH’s omnibus interim guidelines covering arriving international passengers.
For domestic travellers, quarantine and testing policies of local government units may be applicable. Guests travelling on domestic routes are advised to check local travel guidelines.
5. Who will shoulder the cost of accommodation at approved quarantine facilities?
Arriving international passengers in the Philippines are informed that shouldering the cost of accommodation at approved quarantine facilities will be as follows, according to government guidelines:
- For returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the cost of quarantine accommodation shall be shouldered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for land-based OFWs, and by the local manning agency and/or Maritime Industry Authority for sea-based OFWs;
- For non-OFWs, including Overseas Filipinos (OFs) returning home, they can choose from among the approved quarantine facilities at their own cost.
6. Do I need to wear a mask when traveling?
All AirAsia guests will be required to bring their own mask (preferably three-ply surgical or N95 masks) and wear it properly before, during and after the flight, including during check-in and bag collection. Please bring along extra masks in case it gets soiled and needs to be changed.
7. Do I need to go through temperature checks during my travel journey?
Yes, temperature screening will take place at different checkpoints including at boarding gates, as well as before arrival into destinations where temperature screening is mandatory.
8. Can I check-in for my flight at the airport counter of the airport kiosk?
AirAsia strongly advises all guests to perform web check-in via the airasia.com website and have your boarding pass printed before coming to the airport. You can also use an e-boarding pass by checking-in via the AirAsia mobile app. Otherwise please proceed to the manual check-in counters. AirAsia is currently developing more contactless options for self check-in and baggage drop at the airport.
9. What are my cabin baggage limits?
To facilitate social distancing and minimise physical contact when boarding and disembarkation, only ONE piece of cabin baggage is allowed for each guest. More details are available here. All other baggage aside from handbags or laptop bags will need to be checked-in. Please proceed to the check-in counter if you have any enquiry.
10. How about inflight meals? Can I still purchase them on board and how safe will it be?
All inflight meals will need to be pre-booked at least 24 hours before your scheduled departure. All meals are produced and packaged hygienically following strict food safety requirements. All food production staff are regularly monitored on COVID-19 guidelines and all cabin crew handling food will be wearing disposable gloves.
11. How much time should I allocate at the airport given the various new safety measures?
We would advise all our guests to arrive early at the airport - preferably 3 hours before departure. This is to ensure there is enough time for all the necessary processes to take place.
12. Any other measures are taken by AirAsia to ensure the safety of passengers?
AirAsia is committed to stepping up all precautionary measures to ensure that you have a safe journey with us. We will be implementing all recommendations and guidelines from regulators, local governments, civil aviation and health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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