Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines eye-catching ticket promos: Compare before you buy

Whew! I’ve been busy about few hours ago purchasing promo airline tickets online from Philippine Airlines (PAL). The last remaining hours of their Independence Day promo made us quickly plan ahead regarding an upcoming trip from Manila to Cebu so we can avail of the 70% off from the base fare. The selling period ran from June 12 to 18 for travel period from July 16 to September 15. There’s also an ongoing promo from Cebu Pacific, the Merry-go-around trip which offers a discounted base fare of Php99 for one way if you book for a round trip ticket. The sale is ongoing until seats last for travel period from August 1 to September 30.

Well, the dazzling Php99 low fare really caught a lot of attention from the budget-seekers, just to be disappointed when they later realized that the discount is good for only one leg of the journey and the booking should be for a round trip ticket. In the end, after going through the initial booking process for both airlines and comparing the total fare cost, we decided on the PAL Independence Day promo for our purchase of three seats for round trip tickets Cebu-Manila-Cebu.

Whether you’re planning for a budget vacation to Cebu or some discounted Cuba holidays, don’t easily fall for eye-catching low fares. Even budget airlines are now getting smarter in their marketing strategies. Advertised promo fares are meant to lure the hearts of travelers. These published promo rates are usually base fares yet and do not include taxes, web admin fee and other add-ons.

Even Cebu Pacific’s base fare does not include baggage allowance yet, you will just be surprised that at least Php150 will be added for 15 kgs check-in baggage and a web admin fee of at least Php100 will show up in the later part of the booking. Also, be wary of additional charges for travel insurance when you book online as this option is selected as default for both PAL at Php200 and Cebu Pacific at Php250. Just be sure to uncheck these options when you book online, unless you do want to avail of travel insurance for your trip.

Have you purchased some promo airline tickets lately? Are you pleased with your purchase and have you saved a lot on the transactions? Are you comfortable with online flight booking procedures using credit cards or does it still make you nervous considering the risks involved such as internet security or failed transactions?