How to buy a plane ticket for two in the Philippines? Cebu to MNL

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

1 hour ago, nelmagriffin said:

Greetings!

That is so true! I will never buy a ticket that has no ample time between flights. Especially, International connecting flights. Just in case something happens ex. weather wise etc.The above sample flight is just perfect because the OP wanted to be ahead in Manila way before medical and interview. Plus, I always consider extra days ahead just to relax and have extra time to do anything.

I used Cathay Pacific direct flight from Cebu to Dubai and back every time, I used to work in Dubai back in the days for 6 years.

Thanks,

Nelma

But you would have to fly to HK first and then on to Dubai right? I used to work in Afghanistan for a number of years and I would have to fly into Dubai, and then catch a flight from Dubai to Kandahar the next day on a chartered flight. So I would fly from Davao to Manila, Manila to Dubai using Qatat Airways(The best in my opinion), and then from Dubai to Kandahar on FlyDubai airlines.

[Talako 781]

Something that was mentioned earlier that really should be noted again, it is the use of a US credit card when paying for airfare in the Philippines.  I'm not sure if it is bank/credit union policy or Visa's policy, but sometimes it requires a call to the bank or CU for airfare preapproval or a note to your account for fraud protection.  This is separate from getting a travel notice for the country you are traveling to.

 

I got stuck in GSC, Mindanao a few years ago, trying to purchase Cebu Pacific airfare when my card was rejected when I already had a travel notice.  With a call to NFCU (an awesome CU btw), I was told that foreign airfare purchases are separate from country travel notices due to high fraud rates.

 

This was several years ago, so I am unsure if this is still an issue.  May be I was just unlucky, or this was just only my CU.  However, I'd just to point this out should you run into any problems or have any issues.     

[Kevo 69]

2 hours ago, Talako said:

Something that was mentioned earlier that really should be noted again, it is the use of a US credit card when paying for airfare in the Philippines.  I'm not sure if it is bank/credit union policy or Visa's policy, but sometimes it requires a call to the bank or CU for airfare preapproval or a note to your account for fraud protection.  This is separate from getting a travel notice for the country you are traveling to.

 

I got stuck in GSC, Mindanao a few years ago, trying to purchase Cebu Pacific airfare when my card was rejected when I already had a travel notice.  With a call to NFCU (an awesome CU btw), I was told that foreign airfare purchases are separate from country travel notices due to high fraud rates.

 

This was several years ago, so I am unsure if this is still an issue.  May be I was just unlucky, or this was just only my CU.  However, I'd just to point this out should you run into any problems or have any issues.     

Last year when using a visa cc for Cebu Pacific I was redirected to a cc verification page where I had to put in personal information to verify my identity.  Name, SS#, DOB, maybe address and phone # too.  It was pretty simple.  

[Talako 781]

1 hour ago, Kevo said:

Last year when using a visa cc for Cebu Pacific I was redirected to a cc verification page where I had to put in personal information to verify my identity.  Name, SS#, DOB, maybe address and phone # too.  It was pretty simple.  

 

I've never had to do that myself.  I bought tickets in December from Cebu Pacific, but I called my CU first.  Maybe it is an either/or.  While probably secure, I'd be leery about giving my SS# over the net, so I'd just call it in to avoid it.  That's just me. 

YMMV 

[The-Journey 21]

Don't buy the ticket online. It is tried and true that you will get a better deal going to a local travel agency.

[Balamban 113]

29 minutes ago, The-Journey said:

Don't buy the ticket online. It is tried and true that you will get a better deal going to a local travel agency.

That may be true where you live, and it was true about 6 years ago but here, where I live, most travel agencies have closed and the few that are open are really only interested in $1000+ Itineraries.  My opinion only.

 

I did buy two ticket from Cebu to MNL directly from cebu pacific air and they cost, all in, US$ 268- for both round trip.  I checked out the second recommended airline and actually found a great price, but unfortunately for us, we had to change the date and on that date Cebe Pacific was better priced.  Orbit and Expedia where "ON SALE" at about double the price--yikes.

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

34 minutes ago, The-Journey said:

Don't buy the ticket online. It is tried and true that you will get a better deal going to a local travel agency.

Travel agency like the ones in the malls where you buy the airline tickets and you usually have to pay cash and they don't take Credit Cards?

[Balamban 113]

Just now, Chris Duffy said:

Travel agency like the ones in the malls where you buy the airline tickets and you usually have to pay cash and they don't take Credit Cards?

I do know that in Boston there are local "travel agents" who are lumpers...they essentially buy an entire flight and then fill them.   I've heard really + stories and really negative stories.    Cash might be nice, my card nicked me for 3% foreign transaction though it give me 2% back.

[nelmagriffin 145]

6 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

But you would have to fly to HK first and then on to Dubai right? I used to work in Afghanistan for a number of years and I would have to fly into Dubai, and then catch a flight from Dubai to Kandahar the next day on a chartered flight. So I would fly from Davao to Manila, Manila to Dubai using Qatat Airways(The best in my opinion), and then from Dubai to Kandahar on FlyDubai airlines.

YES! I meant not a direct flight from Dubai to Cebu and you are right, my apology, Most of the time I just hated to have to stop to Manila. I always used Cathay Pacific to Cebu. There were times that I used Dubai-->India-->Thailand--Cebu just to see other places. I love traveling and I do miss Dubai. And usually Dubai --Hongkong--Cebu.

Edited February 23, 2018 by nelmagriffin

[Balamban 113]

1 hour ago, Talako said:

 

I've never had to do that myself.  I bought tickets in December from Cebu Pacific, but I called my CU first.  Maybe it is an either/or.  While probably secure, I'd be leery about giving my SS# over the net, so I'd just call it in to avoid it.  That's just me. 

YMMV 

I agree strongly.  I used a Commence Card (Barclaycard) and it requested confirmation but it simply said: "Shall we send an email to xxxxxx.xxxx@gmail.com with security code, or send a text to 603.xxx.xxxx?  I opted for the phone, and 15 seconds had a code, entered it and done.  I would not ever enter too much data.  But I will respond and enter the security code.

 

Hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars have been stolen recently, mostly by Africans who call up one of the Bitcoin repositories.  They study common errors and set up fake websites for instance the person thinks they are going to coinbase.com and do not notice it's actually coin-base.com.  The websites will even connect with https://  and the fake website is the same exact setup that they are used to seeing, so they give out the info to move Bitcoin and *poof* account gone with zero way of ever getting it back.  Millions....yikes.  Of course much of it (may) be corrupt money that is being hidden, but still--yikes.

 

[Talako 781]

12 minutes ago, Balamban said:

I agree strongly.  I used a Commence Card (Barclaycard) and it requested confirmation but it simply said: "Shall we send an email to xxxxxx.xxxx@gmail.com with security code, or send a text to 603.xxx.xxxx?  I opted for the phone, and 15 seconds had a code, entered it and done.  I would not ever enter too much data.  But I will respond and enter the security code.

 

The good news is that they appear to be evolving.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

1 hour ago, Talako said:

 

I've never had to do that myself.  I bought tickets in December from Cebu Pacific, but I called my CU first.  Maybe it is an either/or.  While probably secure, I'd be leery about giving my SS# over the net, so I'd just call it in to avoid it.  That's just me. 

YMMV 

I have had to do that multiple times I just got used to doing it.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

43 minutes ago, nelmagriffin said:

YES! I meant not a direct flight from Dubai to Cebu and you are right, my apology, Most of the time I just hated to have to stop to Manila. I always used Cathay Pacific to Cebu. There were times that I used Dubai-->India-->Thailand--Cebu just to see other places. I love traveling and I do miss Dubai. And usually Dubai --Hongkong--Cebu.

I hate going through Manila as well. But Qatar airways only flies to Manila or Clark, they stopped the direct Cebu flight a couple years back.

[Kevo 69]

6 hours ago, Talako said:

 

I've never had to do that myself.  I bought tickets in December from Cebu Pacific, but I called my CU first.  Maybe it is an either/or.  While probably secure, I'd be leery about giving my SS# over the net, so I'd just call it in to avoid it.  That's just me. 

YMMV 

To clarify; it was directed to my bank's secure website to verify with them, not through a Cebu Pacific website.