Practical tips
- If you are flying to Manila from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport—Manila International Airport
MNL, also known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It is the main airport serving the metropolitan area of Manila, located approximately 7 km south of the city center. It comprises four terminals: Terminal 1 serves international flights, Terminal 2 is reserved for the country's flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, Terminal 3 serves select international flights and domestic flights operated by budget airlines, and Terminal 4 has a handful of domestic and cargo flights. Free airport shuttle buses pick up and drop off passengers in all terminals. The NAIA airport offers a range of facilities for arriving travelers, including currency exchange services, ATMs, restaurants, cafes, luggage storage, and free Wi-Fi (GlobeFreeWiFi@NAIA network, available in 30-minute sessions). There are numerous options for transport to the city center by public transportation (the Airport Loop Bus or the NAIA Express Shuttle) or via taxi.
Manila is notorious for its heavy traffic, especially during rush hours. Therefore a good option for travelers who want to avoid traffic congestion is flying into the Clark International AirportCRKlocated approximately 80 km (50 miles) north of Manila. The airport serves mostly budget airlines, and it generally imposes lower airport taxes, so flying to Clark is often cheaper than flying to Manila. CRK has quick and comfortable transport to Manila via P2P (Point-to-Point) Bus Service, operated by Genesis Transport (the bus stop is located right in front of the Arrival area). Ride-sharing service Grab is also available from Clark International Airport - the cost of a ride to Manila city is around PHP 1,000 - 1,500 (approximately USD 20 - 30).
MNL) and one international airport nearby – Clark International Airport CRK located just 80 km away from Manila.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, and Scoot.
Flights to Manila
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Manila. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Manila, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. Currently, only Philippine Airlines offers year-round direct flights from the US/Canada to Manila. It flies out from the biggest cities in North America: Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver. All scheduled flights arrive in Manila at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Expect to spend between 11 and 17 hours on a plane.
- Manila is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Manila with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. - The best airlines to fly to Manila from the US and Canada are: Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.
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What is the best time to book flights to Manila?
The best time to book flights to Manila is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for Manila flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for Manila flights fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. The airlines use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales.
Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Most airlines start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – airlines typically start by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by airlines for dates they expect to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays including holidays in Philippines. If you must travel during peak times, book your flight well in advance.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights to Manila less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as airlines are taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to Manila, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. This is the “Prime Booking Window.” After some seats have already been sold, airlines start dropping prices to stimulate demand. They may also offer promotions and sales. This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. Airlines charge higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
To save on airfare, select a late night or early morning (1–5 a.m.) flight. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand—most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Flights to Manila from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Manila — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. There's a limited choice when it comes to direct flights from Europe to Manila. Currently, only KLM offers a non-stop connection from Schiphol Airport
AMSin Amsterdam to Ninoy Aquino AirportMNLin Manila. The flight time is 15 hours and 35 minutes, and the ticket prices average around 700-900 euros (one way). - Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Manila include Air France, Emirates, Etihad Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, and Thai Airways.
- Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Manila from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
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The cheapest time to fly to Manila
The Philippines’ weather makes it a year-round travel destination. However, the best time to find the cheapest airfares to Manila is during the low season – June through October. It is when the country experiences the wet season, so the weather can be less favorable, with a higher chance of typhoons. The country sees fewer tourists from June to October and lower demand results in cheaper airfares and accommodation prices.
Duty-free rules
The Philippines is serious about the duty-free concession. There is a limit for bringing in certain items. Alcoholic drinks such as wine, spirits or beer cannot exceed one liter per person, and you can carry 2 cartons of cigarettes (or 2 tins of pipe tobacco). In addition to personal items, you may also carry items in reasonable quantity up to a value of $1,000.
Anything above those limits must be declared – at the Manila Airport, head to Red Lane to declare your goods.
Use local airlines for domestic travel in the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago so you may spend long hours (or days) moving between provinces by land and sea. Also, the Philippine inter-island ferry and passenger boat network is infamous for its poor safety record. Therefore, it’s wise to consider domestic air travel to avoid overcrowded boats and long journeys.
Cebu Pacific and AirAsia often run sales and promotions and have frequent flights from Manila. Stalk these airlines on social media or use Promo Radar to find and secure some fantastic deals.
Philippine Airlines: bid for a cabin upgrade
When booking Economy Class tickets to or from Manila, Philippine Airlines allows you to upgrade to a higher class seat – Premium Economy or Business – through a bidding procedure on their website. If you’re not willing to pay the full fare for a premium/business ticket, it may be a good way to upgrade at a discount. You can only make an offer within a pre-determined price range, and the bidding ends 36 hours before flight departure.
Once you’re successful, you can enjoy the airline perks like more comfortable seats, better meal options, priority check-in and boarding, airport lounge use, etc. It’s worth trying!
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, and others).
When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@flyPAL” for Philippine Airlines). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Use Grab to get around Manila
Uber is no longer available in Manila – it ceased business in March 2018 and has been replaced by its Asia alternative – Grab. It’s a good way for a cross-city journey: the cars are safe, secure and usually air-conditioned. Similarly to Uber, it has fixed distance-based fees, so drivers can’t overcharge you for journeys. If you don’t have Grab Taxi yet, download it for your Philippines vacation and set up your account, payment options, etc, before arriving.
In case you’re having a hard time booking a ride with Grab, there are other ride-sharing apps that you can use in Manila; among the most popular are ePickMeUp, GoLag, Hirna, Hype, and MiCab.
Set the currency to the currency of the airline’s country
Prices quoted on airline websites often vary depending on where you book from. So here’s the simple trick: if you’re booking a flight with Philippine Airlines (for example), try setting the country to Philippines and the currency to Philippine peso (PHP).
If the airline website detects your actual location by checking the IP address (and automatically applies the adequate currency), you can overcome this by using a VPN to alter your location to appear as if you are in Manila.
Avoid currency exchange kiosks at airports
Airports are infamous for making an exuberant amount of money from their currency exchanges due to the extremely high margins, and Philippine airports are no exception. Airport kiosks usually charge higher fees which are sometimes hidden within the poorer exchange rates they offer – their business is based on charging extra for being a convenient, last-minute option.
Plan ahead and exchange some money for the Philippine peso at home.
Domestic flights from Manila
Most domestic routes in Philippines are operated by local carriers. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Quezon City, Davao City, Angeles, Antipolo, Cebu City, Caloocan, and General Santos from Manila Airport , you’ll likely fly with one of these domestic airlines: Philippine Airlines,Cebu Pacific, Philippines AirAsia, Cebgo, PAL Express, Pan Pacific Airlines, and Sunlight Air.
This is often the best transportation method, providing speed, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Local airlines often offer multiple daily flights to key destinations, providing flexibility in scheduling and competitive pricing. They also serve smaller regional airports, enabling access to a wider range of Philippine destinations.
Flights to Manila
from Australia and New Zealand
- Australia and New Zealand are well-connected with popular Asian destinations, including Manila. In addition to domestic airlines – Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand – routes from Australasia to Asia are operated by large international carriers such as ANA, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.
Currently, there are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Manila. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia.
More expensive non-stop flights to Manila from Australia are around 8 hours long, and you have a choice of four departing airports: SydneySYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, and PerthPER. There are no direct flights to Manila from New Zealand. - Airfare costs can vary widely depending on the route and the airline’s pricing strategy. To find the cheapest flight to Manila, compare ticket prices from various international airports in Australia – Sydney
SYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, PerthPER, AdelaideADL, CairnsCNS, Gold CoastOOL, CanberraCBR, and in New Zealand – AucklandAKL, WellingtonWLG, ChristchurchCHC, QueenstownZQN, and DunedinDUD. - For optimal savings, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a key Asian hub, then connect to Manila via a regional low-cost carrier. Among budget airlines that fly to Manila are AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, and Scoot.
For the first leg, use the budget carriers that fly out of Australian airports, leveraging sales and promotions they run frequently: AirAsia (connects with Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore), Cebu Pacific (Manila), Jetstar (Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo), Scoot (Singapore), VietJet Air (Ho Chi Minh City), Bamboo Airways (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing), and Batik Air (Jakarta, Singapore).
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Flights to Manila
from major hubs in Asia
- Many popular tourist destinations in Asia have convenient direct flights to/from Manila: Bangkok
BKK, BaliDPS, BeijingPEK, HanoiHAN, Ho Chi MinhSGN, Hong KongHKG, JakartaCGK, Kuala LumpurKUL, SeoulICN, SingaporeSIN, TaipeiTPE, and TokyoHND. - Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Manila look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
- Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Manila will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
- Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Philippines and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet, and VietJet Air. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
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Flights to Manila dataset
