Tourists traveling to the Philippines most likely arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Metro Manila. The airport is the main gateway to the Philippine islands, welcoming and sending off numerous domestic and international flights daily. By western standards, traveling to the Philippines’ capital city is cheap but those who are looking to save some cash on airfare would not be disappointed.
Tips on Finding the Cheapest Airfare
Getting the best deal on tickets to any destination is more a matter of skill than luck. That is, knowing when, where and how to find discounted prices on airfare is much more important than just waiting for the right deal to appear. Certainly, there are times when an unexpected promotion provides you with a fare at an unbelievable price. Having the right knowledge, however, will allow you to get the best deals at any time.
The first tip is to purchase your ticket as early as possible, preferably a month or more in advance. While last minute deals can sometimes be found, the lowest fares are almost always found the moment fares are made available for a particular flight. The cheapest fares usually go first.
Another important tip to take into consideration is the time that new fares are posted. According to one insider, the best time to find discounted prices is on Tuesday afternoon. Airlines usually post promotional fares on Monday evening. Other carriers start dropping fares to try and match or beat the competition. By Tuesday afternoon, you can usually find the best deal.
A third and final tip deals with the day of departure. Tourists tend to depart near the weekend while business travelers usually leave at the beginning of the week. Wednesday is the day that the fewest number choose to travel, it is traditionally the day that the cheapest fares are offered. If possible, choose this as the day you depart and you are likely to get a lower price on your ticket.
The tips above were extracted from Tony Morrison’s ebook, Save on Airfare Secrets. Tony worked in the travel industry for 16 years. His secrets have saved travelers thousands of dollars on airfare, hotels, car rental and other travel services. We keep a copy handy and review it every time we need to purchase airfare. An international trip to Manila can cost thousands of dollars. The tips from the book could very well help you shave hundreds off the total cost. The book is no longer available for download but you may find similar tips and tricks through Henry Rustkirk’s Insider Secrets to Cheap Flights.
Cheapest International Flights to Manila
Direct flights to Manila are a lot more expensive than those that include layovers. For one thing, air traffic is much higher in many of these places which makes it easier to find a cheap flight to Manila. Also, there’s a lot of competition among airlines so there is a good chance you will find the cheapest airfare to Manila through any one of them.
There are numerous online flight booking services. However, they all make use of just 2 or 3 major booking systems. For this reason, you will find that the prices on most are very similar. The small differences are usually based on the service fees that each one charges. The cheapest flights to Manila will be found by following the tips we listed above and not spending a lot of time searching numerous online booking agents.
The one exception to this was the price of fares through the national carrier, Philippine Airlines. PA travels from most major cities from all over the globe. However, the cost of a roundtrip flight from DFW airport in Dallas-Fort Worth to Manila was 21-33% more expensive than the fares found through other online services.
Some of the online airfare booking services we searched included
Fare Buzz
,
Expedia,
CheapOAir.com,
Flight Network and
One Travel,
Vayama. The most expensive fares which also happened to have the greatest number of stops was found at Flight Network. While the fare at Airfare.com initially looked to be nearly $180 cheaper than Vayama, a closer investigation revealed that the air carrier used by Airfare.com charges a second checked bag fee of $70 which the carrier through Vayama does not do. Also, the flight through Airfare.com went Dallas-San Francisco-Hawaii-Guam-Manila while the one on Vayama went Dallas-Seoul-Manila. So, for about $100 more, you have 2 less stops. You would have to decide which is the better savings: $100 or your time and energy. Personally, I would buy airfare at Vayama and use the extra time and energy to explore Manila.
Cheapest Domestic Flights to Manila
When it comes to domestic travel, finding the cheapest airfare to Manila can be quite a breeze. Most domestic carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Philippines Express, Zest Airways and even the national airline Philippines Airlines hold seat sales quite often. These sales, while limited, give huge savings of up to 70% off of the regular airfare. At such low prices, travelers snatch up the tickets very quickly. So, you need to keep watch if you want to grab a discounted seat.
That said, regular year-round airfares to Manila and other domestic destinations for that matter are generally affordable. But here are some tips on how to find the cheapest airfare to Manila:
- Subscribe to updates from airline websites.
- Regularly check websites to see if there are any discounted seats available.
- Plan your vacation during low season.
Manila is an interesting place to visit all year but careful consideration should also be done on when to visit. While the cheapest airfare to Manila usually comes during the low season, this is also when rains and possibly, typhoons affect the city. The weather aside, visitors would be happy to know that the city opens its doors to all sorts of travelers. Budget and luxury travelers alike are sure to have the time of their lives exploring what the city has to offer.
The city is a melting pot of art, culture, history and commerce. It is a modern, cosmopolitan city influenced by many cultures from all over the world. The Spanish colonizers have left an indelible mark on Manila in the form of architecture, the best example of which is the Walled City of Intramuros. The city is a destination for the old and the young, it boasts of many and varied attractions that interest every one of all ages.
Finding the cheapest airfare to Manila will allow you more financial resources for better lodging and visiting the many popular tourist attractions.
