Cheap flights again available to the Philippines from Sydney $199 return for the month of May only.
Sale til 18 April.
I checked and there are heaps of dates available there and back just add on a cheap domestic flights or a longer trip to Europe etc….
Good luck.
Question - has anyone who has flown CP had their flights cancelled on the SYD/MNL leg? I just got back from a trip and our flight from Palawan back to Manila was cancelled due to congestion (it seemed NAIA is in a permanent state of congestion as all three of our CP flights were delayed, plus our return MH flight). Our flight was the last one off the island so we had to hang around another night. That being said, Cebu Pacific didn't seem to have much control in the matter (no airstrip landing lights so flights into Coron have a sunset curfew, so the plane supposed to take us to Manila never got to land in Palawan), and they put us up in a hotel overnight with meals and transport included.
I doubt they would cancel an international service however MNL has become a bottleneck of an airport with no relief in sight - 100% of my several flights to/from there have been delayed, but none cancelled. Cebu Pacific domestic seem to get last priority, while international services are top of the list.
Seems to me to be a case of both absolute eneptitude and greed. Unable to manage the airport well, and the greed in trying to get as many planes to land/take off as possible to gain the most profit. I could have the financial functioning of an airport wrong, though, but I'm guessing that airlines pay an airport to land/take off.
The main issue (along with government ineptitude) is the current runway setup…there is only one main runway with a second cross runway. There have been talks of a third runway but I wouldn't hold my breath.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninoy_Aquino_International_Airp…
All my previous CP flights from and return to Syd delay for more than 2 hours. Suggest not to use them as connection flight.
Agree - I'd leave a good 24hrs if I were connecting unless booked as such with Cebu Pacific.
+1. Allow a lot of time if you have connecting flights.
Just wondering. Do (some or none?) insurance companies cover this scenario?
I've read wishy washy details for some (e.g. http://helpdesk.worldnomads.com.au/customer/portal/articles/…) but I'd prefer actual experience. I don't know if "bad airport administration" is covered. Prefer SCTI or insureandgo level insurance for reviews :)
Manila is a shithole when it comes to their main airport. Well, so is the city itself. They really need to open up Cebu or somewhere else to allow international flights elsewhere also. At the moment all internationals come to Manila first and then you spend more money in Manila (sometimes having to stay over night gah) or other flights getting out of there. I get it, they're trying to boost some more money into there, but it just leads to the airport there not being able to handle all the flights. Get on board a flight, sit in the plane for 1 hour before taking off… I do everything in my power to do as little there as possible.
Your totally right, but its not just manila. We got one of the $144 return flights and did Luzon island, Mindanao South and East coast and Siargo. Complete disappointment. Don't bother grabbing a 'cheap fare' if your a foodie or think you are going to discover some culture or anything interesting other than a few cathedrals. hundreds of thousands of fast food joints, coconut palms, grime and poverty. In cured and wouldn't take a ticket if they were giving them away. Its hilarious that Terminal 3 is taking a terminal tax of 500 peso's. Nothing works!!! Even the stair cases are closed off, the lifts where all closed off so you had to walk from one side to another to the working escalators. We were searched a record of 5 times including a very invasive and affronting complete search of cabin baggage at the boarding gate. Also be warned the CP air buses all seem to have particularly lousing heating and it seemed like they have the air con ridiculously cranked up but its actually heaters that don't work at all. There was a controversial article called 'I would rather starve than eat Philippine Street Food Again' and I went determined to prove them wrong. Now I think they did not go far enough, even the soap opera of the brit/ german and aussie expats carving up the last of the beachfront and dreaming of building resorts is too much … good luck.
What a load if crap.
What did you expect? The luxuries and convenience of home? Its not Australia….. It IS a very poor country.
There is plenty to see and do there. Lots of good food, including street food.
The aircon thing is normal. In the bus, at the movies and in some malls…its way too cold. It can be bearable but sometimes you need a jacket.
@Bugs:
+1
There are tonnes of beautiful places in the Phils, but yes, must be willing to put up with 3rd world conditions.
@Bugs: Didn't expect anything like luxuries and comforts… but expected to find something food and culture wise that somehow compared to Malaysia , Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka ie the places we have been previously. Sure we found some beautiful places and some great uncrowded surf but the overall experience and value of what you pay for and what you get compared to elsewhere in Asia was the greatest disillusionment.
You don't have to tell me about the terminal fee. Couldn't find a working ATM. was directed elsewhere. None of the directions worked. "no sir, you can't go out here go back up these stairs you just came down" No working elevators. At one point, I thought we wouldn't be able to leave, because I had like 500 pesos and required 1100 to get out of the damn country. Luckily they accepted CC payment for that, or else I have no idea what I would have done. There are nice places, but you really have to do your research and even there there's a shitload of poverty and scammers. If you're after some nice beaches and resorts, just do you research. If you're after good food and good places to visit, forget about it.
No, just delayed because they 'had to' manually inspect our carry on at the boarding gate. All of my flights in/out of the phils have been delayed.
Has been cheaper (~$140), but those sales usually require booking a number of months in advance, so this is fantastic for travel next month.
Gives me an excuse to pick up the new retina Macbook and get $147 back via TRS :)
Nice Apple promo - buy a Retina Mac and get a free return airfare to Manila :)
Be just like Apple and take advantage of a tax scam…and get a free flight to Manila
(I know its completely legit and I know I will take advantage of it but…it shouldn't exist really, especially for anyone with an Aust passport/return ticket)
It's not completely legit, you have to declare it when you bring it back in. No one ever does of course
This behaviour isn't a loophole or tax scam: it is the way TRS was intentionally structured.
The government could have easily chosen to deny TRS to Australian passport holders, but this would result in Australian travellers making purchases overseas, which results in $0 benefit to the government. TRS enables the Australian government to financially benefit from Australian passport holders making purchases in Australia: while they forgo the GST revenue, they still benefit from a tax on company profit (a smaller yet non-zero amount).
This is smart behaviour: they are taking a smaller slice of the pie rather than no slice.
IIRC, the law requires you to declare any item more expensive than $900 if you're entering Australia.
@burgerbargain: Interesting, how long does one have to travel (leave the country) after the purchase has been made and can you only do so at "duty free" stores?
@cristobaljames: You have to travel within 60 days to access duty free rates and the item must be taken with you for you to.claim it at TRS
<3 cebu pacific, keep the low prices.
Please October fly dates next time :*(
Flew with these guys several times last oct/nov. happy to use again. but yeah filo airports are terrible just cop it. i never had any delays with my 5 or 6 flights tho.. fingers crossed for future.
picked up return trip for $161 about a week ago 3 weeks in july. Might book one in may now go see my little girl.
Thanks OP! Off to Davao see the girlfriend for a few days again.
As for flight delays, well, I've never yet had Cebu flight run on time.
Nice. Just don't drink Philippine milk tea
Never heard of Cebu. Will probably feature on a future episode of Air Crash Investigation on Discovery Channel.
Good price for a last minute booking