I've just ran across these cool tips on saving for plane tickets. Read this article by George Hobica from Airfarewatchdog.com:
1. Sign up for the airlines' e-mail feeds and frequent-flier programs
Yes, we know, you already get too much e-mail, but the airlines want to develop a one-on-one relationship with you, so they'll send you special deals, such as 50% off promo codes or two-fers, if you sign up. Airline sites sell much more than airfares these days (hotels, rental cars, credit cards and such), and they will entice you to deal direct rather than use a third party site such as Orbitz. Here are links to US domestic airline sign-up pages and for international sign-ups. If you're on Twitter, you might also want to follow the airlines' tweets, which they're using to promote exclusive Twitter-only deals. We signed up for Virgin America's frequent-flier program and because we haven't flown them yet we keep on getting promo code discount offers to give them a try.
2. Sign up for third-party fare alerts
Many airfare websites offer alerts, and they all have something to offer. Yapta.com lets you track your specific itinerary, down to the flight number and dates of travel, and will let you know if the airline owes you a price-drop refund. Travelocity's easy-to-use FareWatcherPlus lets you track up to ten routes and you can choose to be notified either when a fare goes down by $25 or more, or when it goes below a price you choose. Orbitz also offers alerts, as does Bing Travel, TripAdivsor.com/flights and FareCompare.com. To see how all these services differ, consult this comparison chart.
One thing to note: these sites use essentially the same airfare data provided by the airlines' computer systems or ITA Software (which has been in the news lately as a possible Google acquisition), so they won't include discounted promo code fares, and most don't include Southwest Airlines (airfarewatchdog.com does, however, include hand-picked fares on Southwest and Allegiant Airlines).
3. Search airline sites individually, but not exclusively
As noted above, many airlines have "private" sales, reserving their very best fares for their own sites. These are different from promo code fares. International airlines such as Aer Lingus, Iberia and Qantas regularly offer lower fares (i.e., $100-$400 less) on their own websites compared to what you'll find on Kayak or Orbitz. And yet, you shouldn't ignore online travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity, because these sites will tell you if it's cheaper flying out on one airline and back on another. In general, airline sites want you to fly only on their "metal."
4. Buy hotel + air packages
It's often significantly cheaper to buy an air plus hotel package rather than airfare alone, especially for last-minute travel. We often see Travelocity "TotalTrip" offerings, especially on last-minute flights, pop up with hotel plus air for half the price of air alone. Lastminute.com is also a great source for finding last-minute packages.
5. Use Priceline for last-minute trips
If you don't have a 7-, 14-, or 21-day advance purchase window to buy your fare, your best bet is the "name your own price" feature of Priceline.com. True, you won't know the exact flight times or airline you're flying until to pay for your trip, but you can save 50% or more. Hotwire.com can also be useful for last-minute trips.
6. Use consolidators, but beware of the restrictions
Especially with the economic downturn, business and first-class cabins have been emptier in 2010, and deals can be amazing. Consolidators specializing in premium cabins will have some great deals, and the airlines themselves will be heavily discounting their premium cabins, so check the specials on their websites. Sites like Vayama.com, airfare.com and Asia.com also sometimes sell consolidator fares, but read this to understand how these fares work and what the extra restrictions might be.
7. Consider the extra fees before you buy
If Southwest has a fare of $198 round-trip and United has one for $148, and you are checking three bags, then Southwest actually has the lowest fare because Southwest charges nothing for the first two checked bags, whereas United would charge you an additional $165 each way for three. You can find baggage fee charts here.
8. Combine two separate fares rather than buying one fare
If you're flying to a destination in Europe, you might save money by purchasing one fare from the U.S. to, say, Dublin, and another from Dublin onward on Ryanair.com (just beware of Ryanair's onerous fees). The same holds true for some destinations in Asia — fly into Singapore and catch a low cost carrier such as Airasia.com from there, and to some smaller Caribbean destinations via San Juan or the Bahamas. Even domestically, two fares are often less than one, such as the recent scenario where Dallas to Honolulu was selling for $350 round-trip with tax, but Houston/Honolulu was $800. As you're no doubt aware, you can fly from Houston to Dallas for a lot less than $450!
9. Buy tickets on an airline that will refund the difference if a fare goes down
Let's say you've found the lowest fare, and then the day after purchase your non-refundable fare for the same itinerary goes down. If you ask for it you can get a refund for the difference. But some airlines will charge you a costly "administrative" fee of $150 or more, wiping out any savings. Others will give you the entire fare difference without extracting a fee. Currently, the "nice" airlines are JetBlue, Southwest, and Alaska.
10. Check fares several times a day, and don't listen to airfare pundits who predict airfares
A lot of people like to pretend they're clairvoyant, and they know where airfares are headed. But airlines are unpredictable, and any airfare expert who claims he knows that airfares will be lower or higher in the coming months or the coming day is suspect. No one can accurately predict where airfares are heading, any more than we can predict the stock market, because we have no idea when the economy will approve, or how much airlines will cut back capacity or when the next flu epidemic will hit. If we could, we'd all be comfortably retired by now! And although many people swear by Bing.com/Travel's predictions, doesn't it make sense that if Bing really could predict airfare directions accurately that every other site would be out of business by now? But that hasn't happened. Fares fluctuate throughout the day, and the number of seats offered at the lowest fares also changes frequently. So if you don't like the fare at 10 a.m., check at 2 p.m., or the next day and you may be surprised.
More from here: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/experts/hobica/2010-11-23-how-to-find-airfare-deals_N.htm
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Airlines: How not to treat passengers
This is an interesting news article on some airline companies that do not take care of their customers well. Read on:
The way some airlines in the country treat passengers, who book their flights is not only unsatisfactory but also unbecoming in recent times.
Air passengers in Nigeria go through pains not only when buying ticket but also during check-in. The pain experienced by air passengers in Nigeria is more pronounced when airlines cancel flights. What should originally be more expense for the airlines, which cancel flights now shifted to passengers, who are not the cause of the cancellations.
Today, the treatment passengers get from airlines is not in line with the Standard and Recommended Practice (SRP), practised in developed aviation countries. In other part of the world, when an airline cancels its flight, it is the duty of the airline to give passengers refund or rebook or in the alternative ensure that they are well taken care of.
An air passenger by any standard is supposed to be catered to by the airline he bought his ticket from, most especially when the cancellation or fault is from the airline.
But here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case, as airlines treat their passengers without the fear that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may sanction them. Though, for some time now the regulatory body has looked the other way, as it has not been able to call airlines such as Aero to order.
There have been a series of complaints by passengers against Aero in particular and other airlines in the country. The complaints range from inability to get seats despite booking on line especially on the so-called promo seats. The ‘I-don’t –care attitude’ has been going on without the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA doing little or nothing to ensure that passengers are well treated.
This treatment has also elicited a lot of comments from passengers, who now see airlines as entities that are only concerned about selling tickets and not taking passengers to their destinations within the scheduled time.
Why is it so difficult for airlines to make refund when they are at fault? Air passengers are usually on their own any time there is what the airlines term ‘technical fault’ with a particular airplane. This practice is fast creating a bad image for airlines such as Aero, which has laboured for 50 years to build a good image for itself.
Only recently, angry Aero Owerri bound passengers, whose flight was cancelled, besieged the airline’s counters at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Terminal 2, Lagos threatening a showdown if they were not flown to Owerri or given a refund.
The passengers, who bought the airline’s tickets to fly from Lagos to Owerri were shocked when the flight was cancelled.
One of the angry and disappointed passengers, who spoke to our correspondent, said that the flight from Lagos to Owerri was not just cancelled but that before the airline cancelled the flight, they were delayed and no official of the organisation was on hand to explain why it was so.
The passengers blocked the entrance of Aero’s ticketing office at the MMA2 demanding a refund or to be rebooked, when efforts to know from the airline why the Owerri bound flight was delayed and later cancelled proved abortive.
One of the affected passengers, who narrated their ordeal on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the airline told them that the Owerri flight had been moved from 2.20 pm to 3.pm but only for the airline to tell the passengers that the flight had been cancelled without prior information as to what was going on.
At MMA2, the passengers did not only create a scene, but they were heard raining abuses on the airline officials, who were making efforts to resolve the issue.
The passenger also alleged that no reason was given for the cancellation and that the airline just told the passengers that the flight had been cancelled.
The affected Aero passengers were not only angry because the flight was cancelled but that the airline rebooked them for Port Harcourt when they bought tickets to fly from Lagos to Owerri.
Aero did this without any arrangement of how the passengers would move from Port Harcourt to Owerri. What would it cost Aero to provide transport for the passengers from Port Harcourt to Owerri? How will Aero feel if, for instance, passengers who bought tickets to fly from Lagos to Benin now force the airline to take them to Abuja? Since the delay and eventual cancellation of the Owerri flight was Aero’s fault, the airline should be responsible for transporting the passengers from Port Harcourt to Owerri.
According to one of the passengers, “I don’t know anybody in Port Harcourt. Who will pay the transport fare from Port Harcourt to Owerri”, he asked.
On that same day, the airline was also alleged to have delayed its Calabar flight to from 2pm to 5pm and this further made situation tense.
“Look, this is injustice without regard for people’s right. How can they come and tell us now that they are cancelling a 2 pm flight by some minutes before the hour of two and expect people not to be rowdy and even insult them,” one of the affected passengers lamented.
“I will collect my money and to be frank, I think almost everybody here is waiting to do the same. If they planned not to go at least they would have given us a heads up before now and then we can plan, right now I am supposed to be in Owerri but look at me,” he added.
Another passenger, who could not understand why the airline had to treat passengers this way, said that he booked the flight online and did not even understand what the airline is saying.
According to him, “I booked my flight online and the lady was just telling me to wait as if I was not supposed to be a bona fide passenger on that flight even after I showed her my ticket. I am just waiting to see what she would tell me about this breach of agreement.”
Few days after passengers of Aero went through a harrowing experience, a passenger, Mr. Adeola Osifowora, who was to fly an Air Nigeria flight 44 Abuja to Lagos, said the flight from Abuja to Lagos was scheduled to take off a 7. 25 pm but that it was delayed till 9.30 p.m.
He added that as the passengers were about to board, the airline asked them to hold on the excuse that the pilot needed to put off the plane’s engine and that 30 minutes after he put the engine, on for the passengers to board.
“We boarded after and the flight took off and t 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilot said there was cabin pressure and that the plane could not attain 25000 heights”.
According to Osifowora, “It was a terrible experience and there was no one to even attend to us. We were only rebooked for the next morning”.
One is not saying that the airline should not take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of passengers by returning to take off point as was done in flight VK 44 incident, what the passengers are saying is the treatment meted out to them when the flight was aborted was not the best the airline could offer.
According to him, though the airline rebooked them for early morning flight, the attitude of the airline officials when the airline returned to Abuja was not satisfactory.
The treatment exhibited by airlines towards passenger is not restricted to the airlines mentioned above. There are other instances where passengers simply accept what befell them and keep quiet. A time airline officials treat passengers as if they are doing the passengers on their flight a favour.
The airlines should realise that they are in existence because passengers patronise them. Even if the airlines are carrying out cargo operations, if people do not send in cargo, the airline automatically stops operations.
The NCAA Consumer Protection Unit must address this issue, to assure air passengers that it can protect their interest any day any time and equally encourage them to continue to fly.
more from here: http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=23700
The way some airlines in the country treat passengers, who book their flights is not only unsatisfactory but also unbecoming in recent times.
Air passengers in Nigeria go through pains not only when buying ticket but also during check-in. The pain experienced by air passengers in Nigeria is more pronounced when airlines cancel flights. What should originally be more expense for the airlines, which cancel flights now shifted to passengers, who are not the cause of the cancellations.
Today, the treatment passengers get from airlines is not in line with the Standard and Recommended Practice (SRP), practised in developed aviation countries. In other part of the world, when an airline cancels its flight, it is the duty of the airline to give passengers refund or rebook or in the alternative ensure that they are well taken care of.
An air passenger by any standard is supposed to be catered to by the airline he bought his ticket from, most especially when the cancellation or fault is from the airline.
But here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case, as airlines treat their passengers without the fear that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may sanction them. Though, for some time now the regulatory body has looked the other way, as it has not been able to call airlines such as Aero to order.
There have been a series of complaints by passengers against Aero in particular and other airlines in the country. The complaints range from inability to get seats despite booking on line especially on the so-called promo seats. The ‘I-don’t –care attitude’ has been going on without the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA doing little or nothing to ensure that passengers are well treated.
This treatment has also elicited a lot of comments from passengers, who now see airlines as entities that are only concerned about selling tickets and not taking passengers to their destinations within the scheduled time.
Why is it so difficult for airlines to make refund when they are at fault? Air passengers are usually on their own any time there is what the airlines term ‘technical fault’ with a particular airplane. This practice is fast creating a bad image for airlines such as Aero, which has laboured for 50 years to build a good image for itself.
Only recently, angry Aero Owerri bound passengers, whose flight was cancelled, besieged the airline’s counters at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Terminal 2, Lagos threatening a showdown if they were not flown to Owerri or given a refund.
The passengers, who bought the airline’s tickets to fly from Lagos to Owerri were shocked when the flight was cancelled.
One of the angry and disappointed passengers, who spoke to our correspondent, said that the flight from Lagos to Owerri was not just cancelled but that before the airline cancelled the flight, they were delayed and no official of the organisation was on hand to explain why it was so.
The passengers blocked the entrance of Aero’s ticketing office at the MMA2 demanding a refund or to be rebooked, when efforts to know from the airline why the Owerri bound flight was delayed and later cancelled proved abortive.
One of the affected passengers, who narrated their ordeal on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the airline told them that the Owerri flight had been moved from 2.20 pm to 3.pm but only for the airline to tell the passengers that the flight had been cancelled without prior information as to what was going on.
At MMA2, the passengers did not only create a scene, but they were heard raining abuses on the airline officials, who were making efforts to resolve the issue.
The passenger also alleged that no reason was given for the cancellation and that the airline just told the passengers that the flight had been cancelled.
The affected Aero passengers were not only angry because the flight was cancelled but that the airline rebooked them for Port Harcourt when they bought tickets to fly from Lagos to Owerri.
Aero did this without any arrangement of how the passengers would move from Port Harcourt to Owerri. What would it cost Aero to provide transport for the passengers from Port Harcourt to Owerri? How will Aero feel if, for instance, passengers who bought tickets to fly from Lagos to Benin now force the airline to take them to Abuja? Since the delay and eventual cancellation of the Owerri flight was Aero’s fault, the airline should be responsible for transporting the passengers from Port Harcourt to Owerri.
According to one of the passengers, “I don’t know anybody in Port Harcourt. Who will pay the transport fare from Port Harcourt to Owerri”, he asked.
On that same day, the airline was also alleged to have delayed its Calabar flight to from 2pm to 5pm and this further made situation tense.
“Look, this is injustice without regard for people’s right. How can they come and tell us now that they are cancelling a 2 pm flight by some minutes before the hour of two and expect people not to be rowdy and even insult them,” one of the affected passengers lamented.
“I will collect my money and to be frank, I think almost everybody here is waiting to do the same. If they planned not to go at least they would have given us a heads up before now and then we can plan, right now I am supposed to be in Owerri but look at me,” he added.
Another passenger, who could not understand why the airline had to treat passengers this way, said that he booked the flight online and did not even understand what the airline is saying.
According to him, “I booked my flight online and the lady was just telling me to wait as if I was not supposed to be a bona fide passenger on that flight even after I showed her my ticket. I am just waiting to see what she would tell me about this breach of agreement.”
Few days after passengers of Aero went through a harrowing experience, a passenger, Mr. Adeola Osifowora, who was to fly an Air Nigeria flight 44 Abuja to Lagos, said the flight from Abuja to Lagos was scheduled to take off a 7. 25 pm but that it was delayed till 9.30 p.m.
He added that as the passengers were about to board, the airline asked them to hold on the excuse that the pilot needed to put off the plane’s engine and that 30 minutes after he put the engine, on for the passengers to board.
“We boarded after and the flight took off and t 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilot said there was cabin pressure and that the plane could not attain 25000 heights”.
According to Osifowora, “It was a terrible experience and there was no one to even attend to us. We were only rebooked for the next morning”.
One is not saying that the airline should not take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of passengers by returning to take off point as was done in flight VK 44 incident, what the passengers are saying is the treatment meted out to them when the flight was aborted was not the best the airline could offer.
According to him, though the airline rebooked them for early morning flight, the attitude of the airline officials when the airline returned to Abuja was not satisfactory.
The treatment exhibited by airlines towards passenger is not restricted to the airlines mentioned above. There are other instances where passengers simply accept what befell them and keep quiet. A time airline officials treat passengers as if they are doing the passengers on their flight a favour.
The airlines should realise that they are in existence because passengers patronise them. Even if the airlines are carrying out cargo operations, if people do not send in cargo, the airline automatically stops operations.
The NCAA Consumer Protection Unit must address this issue, to assure air passengers that it can protect their interest any day any time and equally encourage them to continue to fly.
more from here: http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=23700
Sunday, November 14, 2010
What's the deal? Travel deals of the week
Got across these great air travel deals from washington post. Helpful for our fellow Filipinos in the US:
Cayman Airways will resume nonstop flights between Washington Dulles and Grand Cayman beginning Dec. 18. The seasonal service will run Wednesdays and Saturdays through April 30. Round-trip fare starts at $367, including taxes. A 14-day advance purchase is required; holiday blackout dates apply. For connecting flights, fare on other airlines starts at about $400. Info: 800-422-9626, www.caymanairways.com.
Virgin America is offering discounted fares for flights through Feb. 15. Sale fare from Washington Dulles to S an Francisco or Los Angeles starts at $109 one way, plus $11 taxes, or $240 round trip. Other airlines are matching to L.A.; for San Francisco, fare starts at about $140 each way, including taxes. Cheapest fares apply to Tuesday and Wednesday travel, and holiday blackout dates apply. Seven-day advance purchase required. Book by Nov. 15 at www.virginamerica.com, or pay $15 more by calling 877-359-8474.
more from here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111204043.html
Cayman Airways will resume nonstop flights between Washington Dulles and Grand Cayman beginning Dec. 18. The seasonal service will run Wednesdays and Saturdays through April 30. Round-trip fare starts at $367, including taxes. A 14-day advance purchase is required; holiday blackout dates apply. For connecting flights, fare on other airlines starts at about $400. Info: 800-422-9626, www.caymanairways.com.
Virgin America is offering discounted fares for flights through Feb. 15. Sale fare from Washington Dulles to S an Francisco or Los Angeles starts at $109 one way, plus $11 taxes, or $240 round trip. Other airlines are matching to L.A.; for San Francisco, fare starts at about $140 each way, including taxes. Cheapest fares apply to Tuesday and Wednesday travel, and holiday blackout dates apply. Seven-day advance purchase required. Book by Nov. 15 at www.virginamerica.com, or pay $15 more by calling 877-359-8474.
more from here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111204043.html
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Great Jab! That's why we're giving you a Knockout Seat Sale!
A Cebu Pacific promo riding on Pacquiao's fight:
CEB offers Mindanao and Clark fares as low as P499
Your fare leader and pioneer, Cebu Pacific (CEB) offers you a Knockout Seat Sale to select Mindanao destinations from now until November 15, 2010 or until seats last, for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
P499 ‘Go Lite’ seats are up for grabs from Cebu to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog, General Santos and Zamboanga, as well as from Davao to Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
You can also avail of P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Manila to Butuan, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, and Zamboanga. The same fare is available for those going from Davao to Iloilo.
We offer the most number of routes and flights to, from and within Mindanao. Take advantage of this seat sale, as it is up to 40% less than our lowest year-round fares!
We also fly the most number of seats to and from Clark, grab P499 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Cebu, and P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Macau. P1,499 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore are also available. The Knockout Seat Sale is available at www.cebupacificair.com.
Log on to http://funtours.cebupacificair.com and experience our lowest Fun Tours package from Clark to Hong Kong which start at P10,865. This is inclusive of round-trip seat sale fare, 2-night 3-day accommodation and Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) Double Fun ticket. The HKDL Double Fun Promo entitles you to two days access to Hong Kong Disneyland Park for only P2,887.
CEB offers Mindanao and Clark fares as low as P499
Your fare leader and pioneer, Cebu Pacific (CEB) offers you a Knockout Seat Sale to select Mindanao destinations from now until November 15, 2010 or until seats last, for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
P499 ‘Go Lite’ seats are up for grabs from Cebu to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog, General Santos and Zamboanga, as well as from Davao to Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
You can also avail of P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Manila to Butuan, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, and Zamboanga. The same fare is available for those going from Davao to Iloilo.
We offer the most number of routes and flights to, from and within Mindanao. Take advantage of this seat sale, as it is up to 40% less than our lowest year-round fares!
We also fly the most number of seats to and from Clark, grab P499 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Cebu, and P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Macau. P1,499 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore are also available. The Knockout Seat Sale is available at www.cebupacificair.com.
Log on to http://funtours.cebupacificair.com and experience our lowest Fun Tours package from Clark to Hong Kong which start at P10,865. This is inclusive of round-trip seat sale fare, 2-night 3-day accommodation and Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) Double Fun ticket. The HKDL Double Fun Promo entitles you to two days access to Hong Kong Disneyland Park for only P2,887.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Enjoying our low fares is S.O.P. Catch our seat sales to Surigao, Ozamiz and Pagadian!
A unique offer from Cebu Pac...
We're reducing our fares to Surigao, Ozamiz and Pagadian in a seat sale from now until November 8, 2010, or until seats last, for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
Guests traveling from Cebu to Ozamiz, Surigao and Pagadian can avail of P399 ‘Go Lite’ seats, while P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats are up for grabs for those traveling from Manila to Ozamiz and Pagadian.
We encourage guests who usually take ferries to book Cebu Pacific seats with this seat sale. With a flying time between 45-85 minutes and 15 kilos free baggage allowance for ‘Go fare’ bookings, it is definitely more convenient for guests who travel for business or leisure.
We are also increasing frequencies to select domestic destinations due to demand and the timely arrival of three brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft this last quarter of 2010!
Our Cebu-Bacolod direct flights will be twice daily starting November 24, 2010.
From December 5, 2010 onwards, our Manila-Cebu flights will be 12 times daily, and Manila-Boracay (Caticlan) flights will be 11 times daily. Flights from Cebu to Puerto Princesa will also be increased from thrice weekly to seven times weekly.
Meanwhile, flights from Cebu to Boracay (Caticlan) and General Santos will be twice daily on the same day.
Starting December 16, 2010, Manila-Kalibo flights will be 16 times weekly, and Manila-Puerto Princesa flights will be four times daily starting February 5, 2011.
Hurry, it's S.O.P. to grab your seats at www.cebupacificair.com!
We're reducing our fares to Surigao, Ozamiz and Pagadian in a seat sale from now until November 8, 2010, or until seats last, for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
Guests traveling from Cebu to Ozamiz, Surigao and Pagadian can avail of P399 ‘Go Lite’ seats, while P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats are up for grabs for those traveling from Manila to Ozamiz and Pagadian.
We encourage guests who usually take ferries to book Cebu Pacific seats with this seat sale. With a flying time between 45-85 minutes and 15 kilos free baggage allowance for ‘Go fare’ bookings, it is definitely more convenient for guests who travel for business or leisure.
We are also increasing frequencies to select domestic destinations due to demand and the timely arrival of three brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft this last quarter of 2010!
Our Cebu-Bacolod direct flights will be twice daily starting November 24, 2010.
From December 5, 2010 onwards, our Manila-Cebu flights will be 12 times daily, and Manila-Boracay (Caticlan) flights will be 11 times daily. Flights from Cebu to Puerto Princesa will also be increased from thrice weekly to seven times weekly.
Meanwhile, flights from Cebu to Boracay (Caticlan) and General Santos will be twice daily on the same day.
Starting December 16, 2010, Manila-Kalibo flights will be 16 times weekly, and Manila-Puerto Princesa flights will be four times daily starting February 5, 2011.
Hurry, it's S.O.P. to grab your seats at www.cebupacificair.com!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Shopping for airfare deals
Read this special article from Tom on how to get good deals for your air fares:
TOM PARSONS www.bestfares.com Tom Parsons is CEO of Bestfares.com.
You might wonder how you can beat the price on a Southwest airfare sale, and I have an answer for you. If you act fast, you can get a coupon for 15 percent off to use on a future fare. Customers who spend $20 or more at Cost Plus World Market through Nov. 6 can qualify for 15 percent off a Southwest flight. Flights must be purchased by Dec. 1 for travel through Jan. 25.
I made a trip to World Market, as it is known in Dallas, and made my $20 purchase. If you take advantage of this deal, note that gift cards, alcohol and kitchen electronics don't qualify toward the $20 minimum.
The receipt had a numbered bar code at the bottom, which I used to register for the offer online. Sometimes it can take days to get the airline code after you register for a promotion, but Southwest responded in three minutes. Once I got my promo code, I tested it and found I could use the discount for up to eight passengers on the same reservation. (You can book a maximum of eight tickets at a time on Southwest's website.)
If you go to World Market with a spouse or a friend and spend $40, split your purchases so you can get more promo codes. If Southwest runs a whopper of a sale in the next month, you'll be sitting pretty.
You must be one of the first 25,000 people to register for the offer online to receive the discount code from Southwest, and you have to make a World Market purchase before you can register. There are a number of blackout dates around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so don't expect to use this for a holiday flight. Visit www.cpwmswa.com for details.
more from here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/bestfares/stories/DN-parsons_1031tra.ART.State.Edition1.3385aad.html
TOM PARSONS www.bestfares.com Tom Parsons is CEO of Bestfares.com.
You might wonder how you can beat the price on a Southwest airfare sale, and I have an answer for you. If you act fast, you can get a coupon for 15 percent off to use on a future fare. Customers who spend $20 or more at Cost Plus World Market through Nov. 6 can qualify for 15 percent off a Southwest flight. Flights must be purchased by Dec. 1 for travel through Jan. 25.
I made a trip to World Market, as it is known in Dallas, and made my $20 purchase. If you take advantage of this deal, note that gift cards, alcohol and kitchen electronics don't qualify toward the $20 minimum.
The receipt had a numbered bar code at the bottom, which I used to register for the offer online. Sometimes it can take days to get the airline code after you register for a promotion, but Southwest responded in three minutes. Once I got my promo code, I tested it and found I could use the discount for up to eight passengers on the same reservation. (You can book a maximum of eight tickets at a time on Southwest's website.)
If you go to World Market with a spouse or a friend and spend $40, split your purchases so you can get more promo codes. If Southwest runs a whopper of a sale in the next month, you'll be sitting pretty.
You must be one of the first 25,000 people to register for the offer online to receive the discount code from Southwest, and you have to make a World Market purchase before you can register. There are a number of blackout dates around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so don't expect to use this for a holiday flight. Visit www.cpwmswa.com for details.
more from here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/bestfares/stories/DN-parsons_1031tra.ART.State.Edition1.3385aad.html
Monday, November 1, 2010
Offloading Issue In Manila Needs To Be Clarified
Here's an interesting article about offloading woes encountered by Filipino travellers in Brunei. Read on:
Bandar Seri Begawan - Following complaints on offloading in Manila, the Philippine Embassy reiterated it is still clarifying matters through proper channels as to what travel documents will satisfy Philippine immigration authorities to allow Filipino travellers to fly to Brunei.
The embassy said it is helping to prepare travel documents needed by Filipinos planning to visit Brunei as required by other government agencies in the Philippines.
"It is the Philippine Bureau of Immigration which requires the statutory declaration (issued by the Brunei Magistrate) and the affidavit of support and consent (issued by the Philippine Embassy) to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in Brunei," according to Atty Neil Brillantes, legal officer at the Philippine Embassy.
While the statutory declaration issued by the Brunei Magistrate costs $7, the affidavit of support and consent from the embassy costs $57.50.
The authentication of the document costs another $57.50.
It is advisable and cheaper to get the Brunei Magistrate's document and have it authenticated at the Philippine Embassy.
Original documents have to be sent to the Philippines. Scanned documents or facsimiles are not accepted and could lead to offloading.
Filipino travellers to a visa-free Asean country like Brunei have repeatedly complained the Philippine Embassy that their right to travel guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution is denied by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration whose mandate is to keep out undesirable aliens.
They said despite having valid passports, entry visas and statutory declarations, they are denied to board their air flights.
In answer to an inquiry from the Philippine Embassy on the offloading issues affecting visitors from the Philippines, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Distribution responded:
"CEB's forfeiture policy for offloaded guests due to lack of valid or required documents applies to all passengers, regardless of the fare class.
"It is the responsibility of the passenger to secure valid travel documents.
"The airline's priority is to transport the passenger from his or her point of origin to the point of destination.
"A promo fare is not re-routable, non-refundable, but re-bookable subject to penalties and charges.
"Low-cost carriers worldwide has strict rebooking policies because it discourages guests from changing their flights at the last minute.
"The closer the travel date is, the harder it is to sell that seat, and the harder for the low cost carriers to operate successfully.
"The earlier they book for their flight, the lower the fare they can avail.
Rebooking must be done more than 24 hours before the flight."
Six foreign air carriers which protested the offloading of Filipino passengers with valid passports said they are losing at least 2,000 passengers a week, at a cost of $350 per passenger for each ticket worth $800 one way to the Arab countries, according to Manila media reports.
"The Etihad, Gulf Air, Qatar, Emirates, Saudia and Kuwait Airlines said they are losing hundreds of dollars everyday due to the arbitrary decision of airport immigration officials to offload these passengers.
"The foreign air carriers said the seats reserved for the offloaded passengers could no longer be sold at such short notice.
"They added that food and beverages prepared for these booked passengers also go to waste.
"Once dozens of passengers are offloaded, the airline officials said, there is an additional loss in income in terms of additional fuel loaded to the airplane that compensates for the lost weight-and-balance requirement for every flight is looked into, and the weight of any offloaded passenger or cargo is compensated for by the fuel load.
"According to the Mideast carriers, some of those who were denied boarding were workers carrying overseas employment certificates.
"However, on their return to their worksites in the Middle East, Manila immigration authorities barred them from boarding their flights without offering any explanation.
"The Bureau of Immigration said although they have profiled a traveller as a would-be tourist, they could simply deny him or her chance to leave the country if they suspect such person could become a full-time illegal worker," according to Manila media reports. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
more from here: http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010102231773/Local-News/offloading-issue-in-manila-needs-to-be-clarified.html
Bandar Seri Begawan - Following complaints on offloading in Manila, the Philippine Embassy reiterated it is still clarifying matters through proper channels as to what travel documents will satisfy Philippine immigration authorities to allow Filipino travellers to fly to Brunei.
The embassy said it is helping to prepare travel documents needed by Filipinos planning to visit Brunei as required by other government agencies in the Philippines.
"It is the Philippine Bureau of Immigration which requires the statutory declaration (issued by the Brunei Magistrate) and the affidavit of support and consent (issued by the Philippine Embassy) to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in Brunei," according to Atty Neil Brillantes, legal officer at the Philippine Embassy.
While the statutory declaration issued by the Brunei Magistrate costs $7, the affidavit of support and consent from the embassy costs $57.50.
The authentication of the document costs another $57.50.
It is advisable and cheaper to get the Brunei Magistrate's document and have it authenticated at the Philippine Embassy.
Original documents have to be sent to the Philippines. Scanned documents or facsimiles are not accepted and could lead to offloading.
Filipino travellers to a visa-free Asean country like Brunei have repeatedly complained the Philippine Embassy that their right to travel guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution is denied by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration whose mandate is to keep out undesirable aliens.
They said despite having valid passports, entry visas and statutory declarations, they are denied to board their air flights.
In answer to an inquiry from the Philippine Embassy on the offloading issues affecting visitors from the Philippines, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Distribution responded:
"CEB's forfeiture policy for offloaded guests due to lack of valid or required documents applies to all passengers, regardless of the fare class.
"It is the responsibility of the passenger to secure valid travel documents.
"The airline's priority is to transport the passenger from his or her point of origin to the point of destination.
"A promo fare is not re-routable, non-refundable, but re-bookable subject to penalties and charges.
"Low-cost carriers worldwide has strict rebooking policies because it discourages guests from changing their flights at the last minute.
"The closer the travel date is, the harder it is to sell that seat, and the harder for the low cost carriers to operate successfully.
"The earlier they book for their flight, the lower the fare they can avail.
Rebooking must be done more than 24 hours before the flight."
Six foreign air carriers which protested the offloading of Filipino passengers with valid passports said they are losing at least 2,000 passengers a week, at a cost of $350 per passenger for each ticket worth $800 one way to the Arab countries, according to Manila media reports.
"The Etihad, Gulf Air, Qatar, Emirates, Saudia and Kuwait Airlines said they are losing hundreds of dollars everyday due to the arbitrary decision of airport immigration officials to offload these passengers.
"The foreign air carriers said the seats reserved for the offloaded passengers could no longer be sold at such short notice.
"They added that food and beverages prepared for these booked passengers also go to waste.
"Once dozens of passengers are offloaded, the airline officials said, there is an additional loss in income in terms of additional fuel loaded to the airplane that compensates for the lost weight-and-balance requirement for every flight is looked into, and the weight of any offloaded passenger or cargo is compensated for by the fuel load.
"According to the Mideast carriers, some of those who were denied boarding were workers carrying overseas employment certificates.
"However, on their return to their worksites in the Middle East, Manila immigration authorities barred them from boarding their flights without offering any explanation.
"The Bureau of Immigration said although they have profiled a traveller as a would-be tourist, they could simply deny him or her chance to leave the country if they suspect such person could become a full-time illegal worker," according to Manila media reports. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
more from here: http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010102231773/Local-News/offloading-issue-in-manila-needs-to-be-clarified.html
50% off Halloween seat sale on all domestic and international destinations!
Check this 50% off discount from CEB
More than 300,000 promo seats up for grabs
Your low fare leader Cebu Pacific (CEB) slashes 50% off our lowest year-round fares to all our international and domestic destinations, in a seat sale starting now until November 2, 2010 or until seats last. This is for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
This 50% off seat sale is available for CEB’s 33 domestic destinations including Boracay and Cebu. Discounted seats are also available on all of CEB’s 16 international destinations, namely Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Singapore, Shanghai and Taipei.
Our low fares gives you a head start in planning your trips next year. So book in advance for your business and leisure travel at www.cebupacificair.com now!
More than 300,000 promo seats up for grabs
Your low fare leader Cebu Pacific (CEB) slashes 50% off our lowest year-round fares to all our international and domestic destinations, in a seat sale starting now until November 2, 2010 or until seats last. This is for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2011.
This 50% off seat sale is available for CEB’s 33 domestic destinations including Boracay and Cebu. Discounted seats are also available on all of CEB’s 16 international destinations, namely Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Singapore, Shanghai and Taipei.
Our low fares gives you a head start in planning your trips next year. So book in advance for your business and leisure travel at www.cebupacificair.com now!
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