Help - Cheap flights Manila to Sydney return departing Manila early Sept 13 and mid Dec 13

GreatWhiteHunter on 31/08/2013 - 16:44

My missus is coming over from the Philippines in the next week or so but under her visa has to fly back home within 3 months.

Therefore I need to book her two flights, one leaving Manila around 4-10 Sep and returning 3-9 Dec (has to be 1 day less than 3 months I believe).

And then flying back into Sydney around 21 Dec and again returning 1 day less than 3 months later.

Best fares I can find so far are:

$1486 return on 6 Sep - Qantas
$1685 return on 21 Dec - Qantas

Expedia Brazil hasn't come up trumps so far :(

I know its peak season, but these fares are shocking considering I flew Sydney-Manila return for $640 only a month ago.

Travel

Comments

  • peter000 on 01/09/2013 - 10:50

    Try Philippine Air….. always way cheaper than Qantas (though you get what you pay for, of course). Airfare MNL-SYD return always cost significantly less if the flights are booked/paid for in Manila in the first instance.

    • itx on 01/09/2013 - 13:46

      Peter's right-

      Philippine Air 211 Wed, Sep 4 MNL to SYD – nonstop
      8h 10m
      Take-off Wed 10:50p MNL Manila, Philippines
      Landing Thu 9:00a SYD Sydney, NSW, Australia

      Philippine Air 212 Tue, Dec 3 SYD to MNL – nonstop
      8h 10m
      Take-off Tue 11:45a SYD Sydney, NSW, Australia
      Landing Tue 4:55p MNL Manila, Philippines

      Available for US$698 through Orbitz

      Philippine Air 211 Sun, Dec 22 MNL to SYD – nonstop
      8h 10m
      Take-off Sun 10:50p MNL Manila, Philippines
      Landing Mon 10:00a SYD Sydney, NSW, Australia

      Philippine Air 212 Thu, Mar 20 SYD to MNL – nonstop
      8h 10m
      Take-off Thu 11:45a SYD Sydney, NSW, Australia
      Landing Thu 4:55p MNL Manila, Philippines

      Available for US$898 through Orbitz
      Cheaper flights available if departing on Christmas Eve or New Years Day (1 Jan to 29 Mar is US$698, for example)

      It looks like Wednesday and Sunday Departures from MNL are consistently the cheapest

  • Peck on 01/09/2013 - 12:50

    The last couple of weeks December and first couple in January are prohibitively costly, no matter where you fly to. I always make my plans with this in mind, and avoid travel then. Maybe try to research around Low Cost Carriers and fly indirect. Eg Scoot via Singapore. AirAsia via Kuala Lumpur etc. But I expect that their prices will be inflated too. Check prices for Malaysia Air, Thai Air, and Vietnam Air. Sometimes you can fluke a reasonable price with reasonable connects at their homeport.

  • OutOfComplaintForms on 01/09/2013 - 13:40

    Cheapest to MNL is normally with Jetstar via Darwin. Haven't actually flown with JQ myself, but they are generally very cost-friendly for budget travellers.

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 01/09/2013 - 17:20

    Thanks guys - looks like I better get onto Orbitz…

    Unfortunately for a Filipina you can't fly indirectly because almost every country you goto requires you to have a visa to enter..

    We Aussies don't realise how lucky we are…

    • Peck on 02/09/2013 - 12:32

      Probably stating the obvious, but no visa needed in-transit. Only if going through immigration.

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 01/09/2013 - 17:29

    Orbitz is pissing me off, every time I try to book a cheap fare it shows the fare but then says

    "As flight availability can change rapidly based on traveler demand, the flight that you have selected is no longer available. Please make another selection."

    So you cannot book it :(

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 01/09/2013 - 18:17

    I've booked a one way fare in for now, will figure out the return leg shortly…

    Some mofo has also tried to take over my 28 Degrees card so I had to pay the ripoff CBA forex fees….

  • Peck on 02/09/2013 - 16:11

    Hey there GreatWhiteHunter, I just received a Philippine Airlines sale email (although I could not read it properly) Anyway I tried some dates for you. Best that I could find were 4 Sept - 30 November USD 922.70. ($A1026)
    22 December - 18 March 2014 USD 697.70. ($A777)
    Both are 'plus Philippine airport tax'.
    Regards Peck

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 02/09/2013 - 23:46

    Thanks guys

    I've booked her a one way flight in for $324 USD - she arrives at the end of the week. No prizes for guessing what I'll be up to for a few days after that….

    Wow - 22 December - 18 March 2014 USD 697.70. ($A777)

    That was a great deal Peck!!

    I've also booked her a return flight from Sydney for $1090 USD (OUCH) but it means she will be back for Xmas and that is absolute peak time so I'll just wear it.

    Hopefully by March prices will be dropping again as that is hardly peak season and I can organise a one way back to Manila for her then.

    Thanks for the tips and particularly the heads up on Orbitz. In the past I've had a lot of luck with expedia.com.br but it wasn't great this time round, Orbitz was an excellent alternative…

    • Peck on 03/09/2013 - 00:13

      Where did you find the one-way $324US? & what Airline? I snared a one-way Syd - Mnl direct thru Qantas web a while back approx $A400 9 Dec. I like the one ways if can get one at a decent fare, because I can visit a couple of countries in a loop without backtracking.

      • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/09/2013 - 02:25

        All the flights I've booked are with Philippine Airlines via Orbitz.

        Qantas is normally by far the cheapest on Expedia Brazil, but Philippine Airlines was consistently cheaper on Orbitz…

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