(04 May 2021) -- The Philippine Consulate General in Istanbul advises all Filipinos planning to transit via Istanbul International Airport to be mindful of the following to avoid being stranded in the airport especially during the pandemic:
- Purchase a single-ticket itinerary (one ticket reference number for the whole trip) from the point of origin to their final point of destination instead of holding broken tickets (i.e., a ticket for each flight sector). With a single-ticket itinerary, the baggage should be checked through from the point of origin until the final point of destination (e.g. until the Philippines)
- Before travelling, know the transit regulations (including the need for RT-PCR tests) of each point or country of transit since they may change suddenly due to the pandemic. In most transit points, passengers without a single-ticket itinerary and checked-through luggage are not allowed.
Passengers are also encouraged to purchase travel insurance which is very useful in purchasing daily meals, hotel accommodations or even medical expenses if and when stranded at the airport.
The Consulate General requests everyone to take heed of the above advice especially in light of the present daily cap on passenger arrivals in the Philippines.
