Manila Naia Airport Taxi Question

[bows00]

I normally arrange a hotel pickup upon arriving at the NAIA airport, but this time I decided to go with a taxi to my Manila hotel (Hyatt City of Dreams).  My question is simple.  Normally, upon picking my luggage, I normally exit the door, hang a left to exchange some money, and look for the guy holding my name on a sign.  Do I go the same area to catch a metered taxi?  I ask because I have read that the metered taxi's are located elsewhere - upstairs?

 

  

[canadamale]

if you are using terminal 1 exit the terminal, turn left on the sidewalk, approx. 50 ft,  there will be a kiosk the man there will take your name and destination right it down and give a copy to you and or to the first taxi in line. You will again tell the taxi driver where you want to go and will pay the amount on the meter when you arrive. feel free to let the Christmas spirit assist you in your giving or not giving of a tip

[Huggybearman]

Just allow anything up to three hours to wait in line for the taxi!

Ken

[earthdome]

Make sure you know which Terminal you are arriving at. In the last year many international flights have been moving from the old Terminal 1 to the new Terminal 3.

 

At terminal 3 as I recall after you exit the terminal there is a queue for the white taxi's to the right and pickup for the more expensive double the meter rate yellow taxi's on the left.

[Jake]

Just allow anything up to three hours to wait in line for the taxi!

Ken

Additional 3 hours should also be considered for your final destination, just within Metro Manila.......he he.  

[canadamale]

I arrived terminal 2 yesterday. Walked outside not a taxi stand in site, a security guard says to me taxi sir. I say yes po. The guard hands me off to another guy who leads me to a little kiosk. Asks me where I would like to go? Makati I reply. Aah he replies let me show you the rates to Makati because there are 2 sir. He hands me a laminated sheet of paper with different areas of the NCO on it and different hotels in each area named. Sure enough there is  2 places with Makati, I notice the one with hotels nearest where I want to go and say this one. the reply is 2800 peso sir. I almost fell over. What 2800 peso, sir I paid 130 peso to come here from there and now you are trying to charge me 2800!!!!!! Where is the yellow metered cabs I asked. No sir they are not allowed here only we are allowed here sir. Where is the white cabs I inquire? Oh no sir you should not ride white cabs they are not allowed here. By this time my temper is starting to boil. I state again 2800 peso for a 160 peso cab ride I do not thing so sir. He replies I can give you discount sir 2400 sir. I grab my bag and started walking away. By this time I am getting mad he is vcalling after me sir sir. I feel sorry for the gf she is struggling to keep up with me pulling two bags while I just have a small bag I carry. Across the road through the pickup area to the road I flag down a white taxi, took me probably 10 min maybe 15, still fuming and cursing the guy at the airport. The cab driver must of noticed I was frustrated because he asks me what is wrong sir. I tell him the story. He says I am sorry sir that is not right for them to do that. made me feel better to get it off my chest. I do not remember what the meter said  I gave him 200 peso when I got to my destination.  Sometimes it is way too much fun in the Philippines

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

Business as usual at NAIA.  Its good to hear that you did not give in to the extortionists.  I could understand double the meter fare (as they come back empty) but almost 20 times the meter fare is robbery.

[robert k]

I paid about 4 times what it should have cost one time. The other times I just walked to the road and caught a cab dragging 50 kilos of luggage along with me.

[manofthecoldland]

   Dealing with the airport Taxi sharks and the corrupted systems that directly and indirectly support it is one of the reasons that I will try to bypass MNL and Luzon next year. As often as not, it ruins what should be a happy arrival and reunion with my wife. 

   Even when you've your counter-procedures working, they can sometimes screw you.

At terminal 1 we used to walk outside the side gate. However the taxis loitering there are also predators. Most of the time we walk a bit and flag down a cab on the move, ask them if their meter is working and if they will use it and I will pay P50 bonus.

One of their ploys is to pull out a laminated rate sheet with ridiculous rates printed on it. Some of you may have experienced this. One time my wife met me with one of her older brothers. He's a MNL motorcycle cop and was off-duty to accompany her. So like a fool, thinking he's street wise and I won't get suckered, I make the mistake of letting down my guard and when bro-law leads us to one of the outside the gate sharks, I figure that he will use his 'authority' to make sure we don't get screwed. Well... were riding down the road and bro is chatting with the driver. I see the meter is not on and get upset. The smiling, glib and chattering a**hole hands me back his 'rate sheet'. I'm being conned now and I know it. My happy reunion mood swings to anger and disgust. I now realize that Bro-law is an ignorant idiot in these matters, and I a fool to let my guard down. I really want to tell the butthole to stop the car, but we've been rolling for 15 min. and I'm still in for a fight even if I bail. So I tell the cabbie that there is no way that I am going to pay his cheat sheet rate. Just to keep my wife and her bro safe (Its late night) I tell jerkwad that I'll pay him only half... he  agrees. I got stung. If I had kept a cooler head and was not so consumed with the anger of the moment (worthless retrospect I realize) I would/should have told him that he was breaking the law and the guy sitting next to him was a MNL police officer.

   I let the sordid episode continue, but it really ruined my arrival mood totally for the next several hours. Instead of a happy reunion ride to the hotel with wife and bro, I was consumed with the dual anger at letting myself get ripped, and the greedy, predatory nature of the MNL hyenas. They grin as they come in to rip you.   

[Gratefuled]

We would always stay at The Tower Inn in Makati. I have the cell phone number of the courtesy driver from the hotel. I just need to tell him in advance what time we will arrive. He also takes us back to the airport after our stay in Manila. 

No need to hire metered taxi.