⌛ Buying Cebu Pacific tickets online

A ticket Brussels - Cebu - Brussels with departure in September and return in March will cost me 1,409 US$ on the website of Kayak. or 1,002 Euro.
I can buy the same ticket but valid only for 1 month for 635 Euro in Belgium with Singapore airlines/Silkair
The difference is a ticket with validity for maximum 1 year

 

Part of the problem is that you are feeding it piecemeal. You did not state that you were already locked in to a BRU- HKG itinerary and were searching for a HKG-CEB add on.

Obviously, the fare changes for different validity periods. You still have other options for that leg. In no fan of Cathay Pacific either.

 

I hope I can help you...I am a travel consultant based in dumaguete city, negros oriental...:-)

 

One possibility to avoid the useless ticketrule that you must have a return- or onwardticket upon arrival in the Philippines is to buy a fullfare refundable ticket out of the Philippines.
For instance a ticket Cebu - Hong Kong from Cathay Pacific and ones in the Philippines you bring the ticket back to a Cathay Pacific-office and ask for a refund on your creditcard of wich u bought the ticket.
There is an administrative expence of around 15 Euro (150 HK$)
Pay attention to ask for a fullfare refundable ticket and tell them that you will not use this ticket at all then they give you an open ticket without date of departure.
You can do this with any IATA-airline and the rules are the same.
With lowcost-airlines you may read the fineprint and find out that it is better to trow away the ticket at all.
This can be usefull for peaple who stay longer than 12 months in the Philippines since no roundtripticket is ever valid for more than one year.
Airlines are aware of this possibility and will not ask questions either in issuing the ticket as when you ask for a refund.
Make sure that you pay with a creditcard where the refund can be send to because airlines in the Filippines will not pay cash back for a ticket that you bought outside of the Philippines.

 

ok travelhomebusiness, what is the solution?

 

Travelhomebusiness, I would like to know as well. I did exactly as firefly suggested. Cathay made me go to their office by Ayala Mall in Cebu to redeem the ticket and after they deducted their fees and the credit card processing charges I would have been better off just throwing it away and staying in Dumaguete.
Kenny

 

Kenny,
I don't understand your experience with Cathay Pacific but if you buy a full fare refundable ticket, you just loose 15 Euro or about 20 US$ and then you may wait if you can buy a cheaper ticket from Cebu Pacific during promotiontime.
The point is that a reduced fare ticket is mostly not refundable or charges are almost as high as the refund.
Keep in mind: a full fare refundablde ticket from an IATA airline.

 

Firefly,
I don't remember all the details and I might have done something wrong but I bought the ticket online directly from Cathay Pacific and checked the full fare refundable option. I do remember that in Cebu Cathay charged me $50 to start and there were other deductions as well. The only way to get the refund was at there office next to Ayala. I do remember that at the time I figured that with the cost of the trip, wife myself and granddaughter, and the hotel for one night, what I got back wasn't worth it to me.. Your experience may be different.

 

Kenny,
I have only good experience with the fullfare ticket.
Some years ago i bought a Cebu Pacific ticket Hong Kong - Cebu in the Cityoffice in Kowloon.
Upon checkin at the airport Cebu Pacific refused me my boarding pass unless i bought a returnticket Cebu (or Manila) - Hong Kong.
I was not amused with the way they treated me and i bought a fullfare ticket from Cathay Pacific instead of a ticket from Cebu Pacific.
I must say that at the Cebu Pacific checkin-counter they were not amused too when i showed them the ticket of the competition but i could board the plane.
In Cebu i went imediatly to the Cathay Pacific office near Ayala and without asking further questions they aranged the refund. It took 6 weeks to get my refund and there was a deduction of 15 Euro.
I think it is better to buy the ticket directly in an airline-office and telling them that you want the ticket refunded later.

 

Firefly,
We definitely agree on one thing and that is Cathay Pacific is one of the best. It would still be interesting to find out what travelhomebusiness has to offer in the way of a suggestion.
Kenny