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.
Arriving in Philippines
- If you are flying to Philippines from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport — Manila
MNL, CebuCEB, DavaoDVO, and ClarkCRK. - 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. However, the “no-frills” carrier may not provide free checked baggage allowance, complimentary food, in-flight entertainment systems, and fast customer support. You may not even get to choose your seats, unless you pay extra.
Airports of Philippines
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.
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. During this period, you should monitor airfares by setting alerts on popular flight search websites. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Why do prices fluctuate?
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
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to Philippines, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. It 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 am) 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.
Set alerts
Track flight price fluctuations for your desired routes to Philippines using email alerts on search sites like Google Flights to catch price drops. These drops will be your chance to book the flight at its best price.
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 (learn more about last-minute pricing).
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), and check the best time to fly to Philippines. If you must travel during peak times, book a bit earlier – 6 to 8 months in advance.
Low-cost flights from Philippines
Stay ahead of the game. Fly to popular destinations at a fraction of the regular fare.
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!
Flight sales and promotions to Philippines
Flight promotions, ticket sales, student discounts, and airline promo codes are your best bet for saving on airfares to Philippines. These special offers can save hundreds of dollars or give you free travel perks like seat upgrades or extra checked baggage.
OTAs miss out on most sales
Airlines flying to Philippines often use sales and promotions as key marketing tools to attract and retain customers while boosting seat occupancy. However, when you search for airfares on popular OTA websites like Expedia, Kayak, or Skyscanner, you won’t find these heavily discounted tickets there. Airlines often reserve the most aggressive or enticing promotions for their own direct sales channels — primarily their websites.
How to find Philippines promotions?
To take advantage of promotional flights to Philippines — including special codes, vouchers, student discounts, and even flights discounted by up to 50% — your best strategy is to check airline websites consistently. You can also follow their social media channels and subscribe to newsletters from leading carriers.
The catch
That being said, finding truly valuable promotions can be tricky, as the uncomfortable details are often hidden in the fine print. Many sales are limited to unpopular routes, with inconvenient layovers or blackout dates. Some promotions come with strings attached or conditions that are difficult to match.
Top promotions from 100+ airlines
That’s where our team steps in. We do all the heavy lifting for you, keeping track of all ongoing sales and promotions from more than 100 airlines! We vet each sale, discount, or promotion and ensure that only quality offers with authentic value make it onto our final list.
Philippines flight promotions can often be found among our list of best airline discounts — emailed weekly to 110,000 Air Traveler Club subscribers.
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.
Philippines flight deals. How to book the best fares?
Our go-to solution for finding and booking the best deals to Philippines is Google Flights. Whenever we send SuperDeals to 110,000 members of Air Traveler Club, we include links to Google Flights so each deal can be secured immediately.
Google Flights’ powerful engine simplifies deal hunting. It searches and compares flight prices available from airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, Orbitz, or Trip.com. However, it doesn’t sell flights directly to travelers—instead, it passes users on to the airline or OTA to book directly with them.
How to know if the Philippines deal we sent you is actually saving you money? One of Google Flights’ standout features is a color-coded bar underneath the booking options. This bar provides a visual representation of the price compared to the typical fare (for the same route, class, and airline)—indicating whether it is lower, average, or higher. If the marker falls within the green zone (“price is low”), don’t hesitate to secure this deal as it is significantly — 40% to 80% — cheaper than average and unlikely to drop further.
If you see that your flight has the marker within the orange zone (“price is typical”) or in the red zone (“price is higher”), it means that the deal has already ‘expired’. Airfare deals often ‘expire’ because airlines frequently move cheaper flights further away from the departure date. This is when the Google Flights Price Graph tool comes in handy:
Using this tool, you can experiment with various dates and trip lengths. This perfect deal to Philippines may still be available — but for different date combinations.
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.
Flights to Philippines from UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries in 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.
- These major European airports are excellent departure points for trips to Philippines: London
LHRand ManchesterMANin the United Kingdom, FrankfurtFRAand MunichMUCin Germany, ParisCDGand NiceNCEin France, AmsterdamAMSin the Netherlands, MadridMADand BarcelonaBCNin Spain, RomeFCOand MilanoMXPin Italy, BrusselsBRUin Belgium, CopenhagenOSLin Denmark, OsloOSLin Norway, StockholmARNin Sweden, ZurichZRHin Switzerland, LisbonLISin Portugal, ViennaVIEin Austria, WarsawWAWin Poland, PraguePRGin the Czech Republic, and DublinDUBin Ireland.
Best aircraft for long-haul flights to Philippines
For long-haul flights, the aircraft type can make a huge difference to your overall comfort on board — especially if you’re flying economy. The best aircraft have comfier seats with more legroom, USB charging ports, WiFi connectivity, superior entertainment systems, and a better passenger experience in every cabin.
When booking a flight to Philippines, it’s worth spending a few minutes researching the type of aircraft you’ll be flying on. Look for airlines that use wide-body planes designed for long-haul flights, such as:
- Airbus A350. Best choice. Known for its advanced air filtration and higher cabin pressure, which enhance overall passenger well-being. Operated by Air France, Finnair, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
- Airbus A380. Offers unparalleled spaciousness and amenities like onboard lounges and shower spas in premium classes. Used by airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, and Etihad Airways.
- Boeing 767. Often features a 2-3-2 seating configuration in economy, reducing the number of middle seats. The largest operators are based in the US (Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Eastern Airlines), while in Europe it is used by Austrian Airlines, Condor, and TUI Airways.
- Boeing 777. Renowned for its wide cabin, it offers a sense of spaciousness and often includes advanced in-flight entertainment options. Used by British Airways, KLM, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines.
- 787 Dreamliner. Celebrated for its larger windows and dynamic lighting, designed to help regulate passengers’ circadian rhythms and reduce jet lag. Operated by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, LOT, and Norwegian Air.
Check different departure airports
Consider neighboring cities when choosing the departure airport – especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines.
For example, if you live in West Europe, check prices for flights departing from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, or Vienna. In 9 out of 10 cases, the cheapest flight to Philippines will depart from one of these hubs, and it may be €500 less or more than your first choice. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to this hub, but low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for €50 – €100.
Use a similar tactic if you depart from the US or another region. It’s one of the best ways to save hundreds on trips.
Last-minute flights to Philippines. The real cost of convenience.
Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Philippines almost always never works out.
Based on years of research, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. To make the most money, they will sell their cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of these travelers who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.
Occasionally, airlines can offer last-minute deals to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates tend to sell out quickly.
Planning ahead is key to securing a good deal on your flight. Last-minute flight deals are hard to come by, so as soon as you have a tentative travel timeline, book your flight. The earlier you book, the more likely you are to save money. If you are looking for a good deal, the best time to book your flight to Philippines is 2-8 months before the takeoff.
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. A flight to Philippines could be significantly cheaper from Sydney than from Melbourne, depending on airline partnerships, demand, and even time of year. Compare fares from different international airports in Australia: Sydney
SYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, PerthPER, AdelaideADL, CairnsCNS, Gold CoastOOL, CanberraCBR, DarwinDRW, HobartHBA, Alice SpringsASP, and in New Zealand: AucklandAKL, WellingtonWLG, ChristchurchCHC, QueenstownZQN, DunedinDUD, and HamiltonHLZ. - 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.
Booking group flights to Philippines
Flights are cheaper when purchased in bulk rather than as individual tickets. Booking group flights to Philippines can be a cost-effective option for a school trip, family reunion, or corporate group traveling to a conference.
To qualify for the special group rate, the group must usually have at least 10 passengers. Discounts depend on the airline, group size, and travel dates, and typically range from 5% to 20% off the regular airfare.
Airlines and flight search websites typically limit automatic group bookings to 10 passengers. This limit reflects the complexity of managing larger groups, which require personalized service and more time to coordinate. To get the price quote for your group, you’ll need to contact the airline or a travel agent directly.
Most airlines have a group booking form or phone number (see examples at Emirates and Qantas). Fill out the form, and the airline will come back to you with the proposed group rate. If your group is large and a scheduled flight cannot accommodate everyone, the airline may offer you a charter flight.
Additionally, there are various perks that your group may be eligible for:
- free seats (complimentary tickets for every 10 or 20 passengers that book together)
- free checked baggage allowance
- dedicated group check-in counter at the airport
- cabin crew who speak your group’s language
- flexible booking terms (that allow changes without fees)
Booking group flights to Philippines is similar to booking individual flights. The main difference is that you’ll need to provide personal information for all passengers, and the airline may request additional details, such as meal preferences or accommodations for disabled travelers. A deposit – typically 10-50% of the total cost – may be required to secure the booking. However, some airlines offer deferred payment options where you can secure a reservation with a booking fee and pay the balance later.
If you’re open to different airlines or want more personalized service, a travel agent may be a better choice. Travel agents may have access to discounted group rates to Philippines and can help with logistics and scheduling.
“Hot seats” on long-haul flights
Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Philippines, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.
If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.
Flights to Philippines from Bali, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and other 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.
- Most major Asian airports have convenient and frequent flights to Philippines — including Changi (Singapore), Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (Seoul, South Korea), Indira Gandhi (New Delhi, India), KLIA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Narita (Tokyo, Japan), Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia), Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta, Indonesia), Ninoy Aquino (Manila, Philippines), Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok, Thailand), Taoyuan (Taipei, Taiwan), and others.
Lost luggage prevention: Essential tips
Every year, airlines handle millions of bags and a small percentage never make it to their final destinations. Avoid lost luggage nightmares on your trip to Philippines by removing old tags from previous flights on your suitcases – they can confuse baggage handlers and conveyor belt scanners. It’s also a good idea to label your luggage with your name, address, and phone number (both inside and outside the case) and attach a GPS-tracker device like Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag.
For peace of mind, consider purchasing travel insurance to cover the full value of your luggage, as airline liability usually doesn’t reflect the actual value of the baggage content.
“Book Flights Now, Pay Later” — is it worth it?
Booking a flight and paying for it later has recently become a popular trend in the travel industry, with many airlines offering delayed payment plans. They will allow you to make flight reservation to Philippines now and then pay the bill in installments. But should you take advantage?
Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans are essentially short-term personal loans. By partnering with financial companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal Credit, Fly Now Pay Later, and Uplift, airlines can offer their loan services on the checkout page. When you book the flight with the BNPL option, the company pays the airline, and you repay the loan in installments over a set period (usually up to 24 months), with a set interest rate.
BNPL providers have varying terms and fees. Some may offer interest-free loans but have fees for late payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR). There may also be transaction fees, down payment requirements, and many companies even run a credit check on the traveler.
Among the airlines that offer a “fly now, pay later” option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.
Is BNPL financing worth it? If paid off on time, interest-free delayed payment on your flight ticket to Philippines can be a great way to free up your cash flow. However, there may be safer alternatives available – such as taking advantage of an introductory 0% interest offer on a credit card or using flight price “freezing” services like Hopper.
Proof of onward travel – a simple hack
Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from Philippines to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.
The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of Philippines and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.
