The Philippines is open to international travel
The Philippines are open to all foreign nationals. Fully vaccinated foreign visitors are allowed to enter the Philippines quarantine-free, while unvaccinated visitors have to quarantine for 14 days. A pre-departure PCR/RAT test is only required for unvaccinated arrivals.
Transit through Philippine airports is allowed, although some restrictions may still be in place.
Practical tips
- If you are flying to Philippines from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport—Manila
MNL, CebuCEB, DavaoDVO, and ClarkCRK.
MNL, Cebu CEB, Cagayan de Oro CGY, Boracay MPH, Davao DVO, Tacloban TAC, Iloilo ILO, Butuan BXU, Zamboanga ZAM, Angeles City CRK, General Santos GES, and Puerto Princesa PPS.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, Scoot, and Tigerair Taiwan.
Flights to Philippines
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Philippines. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Philippines, 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 Philippines. 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.
- Philippines is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Philippines 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 Philippines from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish 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.
40–80% off flights to Philippines
from North America
Get SuperDeals curated by our travel experts:
What is the best time to book flights to Philippines?
The best time to book flights to Philippines is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for Philippines flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for Philippines 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 Philippines 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 Philippines, 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 Philippines from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Philippines — 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 Philippines. 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 Philippines include Air France, ANA, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, 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 Philippines 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.
40–80% off flights to Philippines
from Europe
Get SuperDeals curated by our travel experts:
The cheapest time to fly to Philippines
The Philippines’ weather makes it a year-round travel destination. However, the best time to find the cheapest airfares to the Philippines 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, which results in lower 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 airport, head to the Red Lane to declare your goods.
Use local airlines instead of ferries
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 run sales and promotions frequently. 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, 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 to try!
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 town
Uber is no longer available in the Philippines – 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 Philippine 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 the Philippines; 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 spoof your location.
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.
Airlines of Philippines
Airlines in the Philippines range from high-end carriers to no-frills budget airlines:
Philippine Airlines is the Philippines’ flag carrier, certified by Skytrax as a 4-star full-service airline. With its fleet – nearly 80 aircraft – it connects the Philippines to the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and North America (it is the only airline that offers direct flights between US/Canada and the Philippines). Its regional subsidiary PAL Express provides domestic flights between the various islands of the Philippine Archipelago, connecting smaller airports with major destinations such as Manila and Cebu.
Cebu Pacific and Cebgo are low-cost carriers headquartered in Manila, and The Cebu Pacific Group operates both. They offer more affordable fares compared to Philippine Airlines, however, you need to pay extra for your check-in luggage. They also have the widest domestic network, covering more than 30 destinations in the Philippines.
Philippines AirAsia is a Filipino wing of AirAsia – Asia’s biggest budget carrier. The flights are one of the cheapest, however, there are several trade-offs and minor inconveniences that you will have to endure. Frequent travelers give the airline a low rating of 3/10 – pointing at the fact that the onboard facilities and customer service are minimal.
When traveling domestically in the Philippines, you may also be flying with other, smaller local airlines, such as Pan Pacific Airlines, Sunlight Air, SkyJet Airlines, AirSWIFT, and Sky Pasada. They usually don’t have any free baggage allowance and serve only free snacks and drinks instead of full meals onboard.
Flights to Philippines
from Australia and New Zealand
- Australia and New Zealand offer robust flight networks to key APAC locations, Philippines included. While domestic carriers like Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand provide solid options, several major international airlines also serve these routes. These include ANA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways — expanding your choices for travel between Australasia and Asia.
There are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Philippines. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia. - Airlines have different pricing strategies for different routes. Depending on airline partnerships, demand, and even the time of year, a flight to Philippines could be significantly cheaper from Sydney than from Melbourne.
Compare fares from main international airports in Australia: SydneySYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, PerthPER, AdelaideADL, CairnsCNS, Gold CoastOOL, CanberraCBR, DarwinDRW, and in New Zealand: AucklandAKL, WellingtonWLG, ChristchurchCHC, and QueenstownZQN. - If you’re looking to save, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a primary Asian hub, then catch a connecting flight to Philippines with a regional budget airline such as AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Jetstar Airways, Lion Air, Scoot, and Tigerair Taiwan.
For the initial leg of your trip, full-service airlines such as Qantas or Virgin Atlantic offer premium comfort and exceptional service, albeit at a premium price. However, many Asian airlines, including budget carriers, operate out of Australia and frequently feature sales and promotions. For instance, AirAsia runs deals to Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore; Cebu Pacific to Manila; Scoot to Singapore; VietJet Air to Ho Chi Minh City; Jetstar to Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo; Bamboo Airways to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing; Batik Air to Jakarta and Singapore.
40–80% off flights to Philippines
from Australasia
Get SuperDeals curated by our travel experts:
Flights to Philippines
from major hubs in Asia
- 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 Philippines 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 Philippines 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. 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.
40–80% off flights to Philippines
from Asia
Get SuperDeals curated by our travel experts:
Flights to Philippines dataset
