Comments on: Moving to Philippines-Planning a Flight

By: tony

tony — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:41:33 +0000

do i have to buy a round trip ticket when i am moving to the philippines??? or can i just buy an one way ticket???

By: Dave Starr

Dave Starr — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:30:27 +0000

@ Lloyd, both Northwest (now Delta) and Continental airlines have direct flight authority from the US. (of course, all Philippine-owned airlines do).

Most stopovers are not a function of laws or flight agreements, but of physics. If you carry enough fuel to fly non-stop (as a 747 and many other airliners can), you can not then carry as many passengers per flight. It all revolves around weight, really, which is why airlines are so persnickety regarding baggage weights.

PAL tries to fly non-stop from LAX ot MNL but the westbound flights (almost always a headwind and thus less miles per gallon) almost always stop a Guam for fuel (this is called a “technical stop” and may not even show on the schedule, passengers can’t emplane or depnae at Guam). PAL alos has many flights the transit through Honnolulu too .. fuel is the reason.

Delta (Northwest) uses Tokyo as a mini-hub. Flight there to and from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and many other Asian cites, so it makes sense for them to have separate flights Tokyo to Manila. Many other airlines ‘hub’ out of Tapai or Hong Kong. So actual nonstop flights to the Philippines virtually don’t exist.

Extra stop-overs in the states are often profit-related, Example, Northwest often can’t fill their flights to LAX, so if you search for the cheapest flights, they will try to book you that way to balance out load factors. (be very careful of 20 hour layovers there … ouch)

It’s a complex game. There is seldom ever a single reason foranything.

By: dmihalia

dmihalia — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:07:59 +0000

Hi Lloyd
My normal flight was Northwest from Detroit to Japan and then either switched over to JAL or PAL for flight to NAIA. It was pretty much a direct flight. Now that direct of a flight doesn’t show up on airlines websites.

By: Lloyd

Lloyd — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:01:15 +0000

Can’t say that I have noticed what you claim. Philippine Airlines is the only airlines (that I know) that is allowed direct flight from USA. Airlines from other countries have almost always stopped in their home-based countries, then offered continuing service to the Philippines. I agree, it looks like with H1N1 and economy, flights are quite low in price. Looking at taking a trip this November with R/T in the $500 range.