I have just been through my first 'visa run' and used Cebu Pacific as they were miles cheaper than any other carrier I could find. My main problem was that they offered cheap flights online but then it was impossible to proceed all the way through the booking process - it got stuck at various points each time I started from scratch again. It could have been web problems but I just got a hunch they were 'offering' cheap fares but preventing me obtaining them. I then went to travel agents in Dumaguete (btw, one small agency could not find their computer password, then said there were no flights from Dumaguete that day (incorrect) and then, in a moment of brilliance, told us there is no airport at HCMC/Saigon!) and found my P34,000 flight was now P48,000. I went back home and rescheduled the whole journey, only to find again that the P36,ooo online fare (which again I was unable to book) was now P44,000. Eventually I bought my ticket at the airport for P38,000 (should have gone there first!). For my throwaway I used flyonwards.com (renting a ticket for $9.99) but as others have found, it never arrived in my e-mail. I have contacted them to reclaim. I then visited a couple of travel agents in HCMC and was quoted $133 and $245 for a one way Manila to Kota Kinabalu; eventually I bought from the airport in HCMC for $45. Btw, apart from the ticket hassle, I really liked HCMC but if anyone else is going there then contact me about a very prevalent scam taking place at the airport. Finally, if anyone thinks crossing the road in The Philippines is dangerous, just try it in HCMC!

 

As we left the airport a man asked if we wanted a taxi and took us to one. As we started to drive off the driver said we need exactly 0.5 USD or local currency equivalent for parking exit fee. Unknown to me, my wife (in the rear seat, I was in the front) took her USD out of her bag and the man snatched it from her hand. I saw him counting it rapidly and knew something was awry and so immediately asked her why she had given him the money and to take it back at once. He gave it to her and then said as she did not have the correct amount he would take us back to where he picked us up. I was very concerned at that point that he would wait until we left the taxi and then drive off with our luggage and so concentrated on making sure it did not happen. When we found another taxi and asked about the 'parking exit fee' we were told there was none. When we were on the way to our hotel, I asked my wife to check her cash and USD 100 was missing. The original thieving 'taxi driver' had probably intentionally dropped it on the floor as he was counting it. Later I checked the internet and found it is a very common scam. I wonder why the police don't sort it out (as Dueterte did with the bullet scam in Manila) with the words "bullet"and "head" coming to mind. It gives tourists a very bad taste of the country but it made us very very cautious with our money for the remainder of our trip and possibly saved us a bigger loss; although we have nothing to thank the thief for. I have a way of dealing with this the next time I am there; science is a marvellous thing!

 

Different prices.

 

Having had problems with Cebupacificair.com recently on my visa run to Saigon, I noticed yesterday a P1880 ticket to Taiwan and, with my wife having relatives there, decided to book it and make it a DGT > TPE > SGN > DGT trip at Christmas. But once again I was unable to book online. Using windows 10 and Opera browser, it sticks just before payment is made (same as the last time) and with Safari browser it enters a loop when asking about booking meals and paying exit tax (again, same as the last time!). When I went to the Cebu Pacific office at the airport (btw, anyone know why you have to stand outside like you do when buying a lottery ticket and not be able to converse due to constant loudspeaker announcements instead of being able to sit within an office and close the doors?) and the fare quoted was now P3880! I went back home to check the internet and indeed it was now higher, but only P2880. Anyone any idea (apart from the fact that this is The Philippines) why I am unable to book online - is it due to the browsers I use as I have no problems with any site other than cebupacificair, or are they playing a game of offering very cheap tickets to get people interested but then having no intention of selling them? The last time, I visited different agents in Dumaguete and had such a wide range of prices for the same tickets that my brain started to hurt! Some said it is because of the 'system' they use (either true or total cr*p).

 

It sounds that the site was programmed to work in one specific (but unknown) webbrowser very well. A quite common issue in the past with websites designed for the MS Internet Explorer.

Try to use Mozilla Firefox or Chrome to get your tickets on the Cebu Pacific website.

 

After my past experiences with online Tickets, now I would prefer to just go and sit in Air-con comfort at the Dreamland Travel Agency beside the Dumaguete BOI and deal with pleasant smiling friendly Staff and just "Git'er done" knowing when I walk out the door everything is ready-set-go!