Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!
Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.
More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!
Asian Spirit is now ZestAir (Quite Old News Actually)
Last december, Tutubi received a box of goodies from his contacts from Philippine Business Bank that contained mostly juice products from Zest-O, but knowing that the same company is behing ZestAir jokingly looked for a free plane ticket to his choice destination (of course, his business contacts still don't know he's the blogger behind this travel blog)
An Asian Spirit flight to Boracay in 2008
Lately, some of Tutubi's friends asked him about ZestAir, the newest kid on the block of the booming airline industry, and simply told them it's Asian Spirit bought by the juice magnate Alfredo Yao, that's why it was renamed Zest Airways or ZestAir for short.
ZestAir check-in counter at Legazpi Airport
As of posting time, ZestAir services the following routes:
Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) Manila to Bacolod (Negros Occidental) Manila to Busuanga (coron, Northern Palawan) Manila to Calbayog (Samar) Manila to Catarman (Northern Samar) Manila to Cebu Manila to Davao Manila to Iloilo Manila to Kalibo, Aklan Manila to Legaspi City, Albay (Bicol) Manila to Marinduque Manila to Naga, camarines Sur (Bicol) Manila to Puerto Princesa (Palawan) Manila to San Jose, Romblon Manila to Tacloban, Leyte Manila to Tagbilaran, Bohol Manila to virac, Catanduanes (Bicol)
ZestAir's Manila to Basco flights were cancelled lately and no information is available on the resumption to Batanes. Please visit their official website for flight schedules and routes.
Zest Airways aircraft are Airbus A320 (same as those used by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines), Xian MA60, turboprop (propeller) aircraft made by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) with capacity of 60 passengers and De Havilland Dash-7 aircraft (those small planes used by the former Asian Spirit)
ZestAir MA60 airplane
With the acquisition of the Airbus A320, ZestAir left behind SeAir and can now challenge Cebu Pacific in the price wars on domestic and soon international destinations.
For reservation, call ZestAir hotline +63.2.855.3333
ZestAir Baggage allowance is 15kgs (A320) or 10 kgs (MA60) depending on route and aircraft used.
ZestAir excess baggage charges is at PhP80/kilogram + 12% VAT.
They currently offer promo fares on sale competing with Cebu Pacific's own promotional airfare offering!
As of posting time, Tutubi has not experienced flying ZestAir so can't give feedback on customer service. Should you have reviews of ZestAir, negative feedback, bad experiences, even safety/accident records of Xian MA60 aircraft, please don't hesitate to leave comments.
your closing statement just answered my question. haha been reading a lot of bad reviews, hope they can settle the safety issues, their fares are damn cheap!
you, i think it's the chinese-made MA-60 planes that met an accident in Boracay sometime ago. the other routes use Airbus A320. i'll give them a try soon. Take note that Cebu Pacific was in that kind of mess some years back too but look at them now. time will tell
my friend booked a zestair flight for us this coming Friday (May 13, 2011). been reading a lot of bad reviews eg, delayed flights, bad customer service, etc. so right now, I'll just take the flight this Friday with my friend and wish us luck! will post comments here after our weekend trip!
anonymous, i have a pending zestair review to be posted soon as i flew zestair flight to puerto princesa recently. everything went well as i'm still alive hehe
could you please correct the san jose romblon..i dont there is airport in romblon.look for the proper province it's not romblon but is really san jose.
taga san jose, i don't understand what you're saying. there's a town in roblon called san jose. there's carabao island, near boracay, part of san jose romblon. you may be from san jose but there are lots of san joses in the philippines :(
An Asian Spirit flight to Boracay in 2008
ZestAir check-in counter at Legazpi Airport
ZestAir MA60 airplane
wanderlass said...
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