Category Archives: Travel

Airport Guide: NAIA (MNL) Terminal 2, International Departures – Landside

This Airport Guide covers the landside departures zone – i.e., the area before outbound immigration – in the international wing at Terminal 2 (T2) of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL).

Japan Rail Pass Guide: How to reserve Shinkansen seats with oversized baggage space on a ticket machine

In this guide, we’ll go through the process of reserving seats with oversized baggage space on a ticket machine. Such reservations are now mandatory for Shinkansen services covered by the new rules on large luggage that took effect in 2020. The information presented here is meant to be used in conjunction with my detailed step-by-stepContinue reading “Japan Rail Pass Guide: How to reserve Shinkansen seats with oversized baggage space on a ticket machine”

Oversized baggage on the Tōkaidō, San’yō, and Kyūshū Shinkansen: A summary of the current rules

In this post, we’ll go over the regulations around oversized luggage that were introduced in 2020 for some of Japan’s Shinkansen lines. The key element of these new rules: seat reservations are now required to use the extra space at the back of each train car.

Connecting between flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)

IMPORTANT: ON 16 JUNE 2023, MNL TERMINAL 2 BECAME FULLY DOMESTIC. ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AT MNL NOW OPERATE OUT OF TERMINALS 1 AND 3 ONLY. PLEASE BEAR THIS IN MIND WHEN REFERRING TO INFORMATION PUBLISHED BEFORE THAT DATE. Due to red tape and poorly designed infrastructure, transferring between flights at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International AirportContinue reading “Connecting between flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)”

Flight Report: NRT-MNL on Japan Airlines Flight JL 745 (07 December 2022)

Having just enjoyed a fantastic month-long holiday in newly reopened, post-coronapanic Japan, I now had to face the reality of a homeward journey into the world of same-old, same-old. Then again, given that I’d booked a flight on the Japanese flag carrier, there was the small consolation that the high standards of service I’d experiencedContinue reading “Flight Report: NRT-MNL on Japan Airlines Flight JL 745 (07 December 2022)”

Terminal Report: My First Post-Coronapanic Look at Narita International Airport (NRT) T2, Japan

I’ve used Terminal 2 (T2) at Narita International Airport (NRT) a number of times in the past, but my November and December 2022 flights into and out of this major transport hub were the first since the pandemic began more than two years ago. Let’s see how much things have changed since the last timeContinue reading “Terminal Report: My First Post-Coronapanic Look at Narita International Airport (NRT) T2, Japan”

Flight Report: MNL-NRT on Japan Airlines Flight JL 746 (08 November 2022)

When Japan announced a significant relaxation of its pandemic-era border controls – effective early October 2022 – I swiftly discarded my plans for a European holiday and arranged a one-month adventure in my favourite destination country. Needless to say, that also involved choosing an airline to take me there and back again… …and what betterContinue reading “Flight Report: MNL-NRT on Japan Airlines Flight JL 746 (08 November 2022)”

Airport Guide: Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (MNL T1)

This Airport Guide sets out what passengers can expect to see and do at Terminal 1 (T1) of Greater Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA: MNL / ICAO: RPLL / Abbrev.: NAIA)