MANILA - Air travel peaks during the Christmas and New Year holidays in the Philippines and if passengers are not careful, long queues and missed flights can sour their holiday mood.

Cebu Pacific Air, the country's largest airline, and AirAsia share some tips on how to brave the hordes at the airport.

BE ON TIME

AirAsia recommends that passengers to be at the airport at least 3 hours before departure to give time for security checks and formalities at the airport.

Cebu Pacific spokesperson Charo Logarta-Lagamon advises passengers to "allocate ample time for traffic to get to the airport."

CHECK-IN ONLINE

To shorten time spent at check in and bag drop counters, airlines encourage guests to check-in online, through mobile apps and in some cases, check-in kiosks.

AirAsia allows self check-in from 14 days up to one hour prior to the flight. Some "Self Bag Tag" services are also available in selected international airports.

Aside from online options Cebu Pacific deployed roving agents equipped with tablet computers to help passengers check-in digitally, Lagamon said.

Those with group bookings or have special needs are advised to allocate more time since they are required to check-in at the counter.

CHECK LUGGAGE

Passengers should make sure that the weight of both their check-in and hand-carry luggage are within allowance.

Lagamon reminded passengers to comply with the 100 ml limit for liquids and toiletries to avoid delays. 

By weighing luggage in advance, passengers have the chance to buy additional weight online, which is cheaper compared to paying the excess baggage fee at the bag drop counters.

PRE-PURCHASE MEALS ONLINE

AirAsia said passengers can save as much as 20 percent by buying on board meals in advance.

Cebu Pacific also recently revamped its in-flight menu to include Southeast Asian fare such as chicken satay and spicy bangus.