Airfare ouch!

what's travel insurance? Never heard anyone getting it while I was traveling. Maybe it was a cost issue with the company.

    @danfinn
Did you not have travel insurance? As long as you make reasonable arrangements to get to the airport and the missed flight is out of your control the insurance company will have to pony up.
   

    -@Lotus Eater

No I did not. Did not know that was covered due to it being normal PAL policy which I should have prepared for. Thank you for the information and I will consider that next time.

    what's travel insurance? Never heard anyone getting it while I was traveling. Maybe it was a cost issue with the company.        -@stuleer

Travel insurance will cover you for missed flights , theft of valuables abroad (within limits) lost luggage,  accidents and sickness.

I have an HSBC Pemier account which has bundled in ( i.e free) a comprehensive gold plated travel insurance policy worth about £150 ($190) per annum

Note many travel insurance companies don’t like coughing up so you have to be persistent. Keep receipts & claim evidence.

Here in the UK we have a government back up appeals agency called the financial ombudsman. It’s the ultimate ’nuclear’ option. It costs the insurer£600 to fight the claim, you nothing.

That said if you fall ill abroad or have a serious accident they wont quibble. HSBC will pay the hospital and if necessary fly you home even if it means chartering a private aircraft.

I have not read 1 good experience about travel insurance and not my experience either!   Most of them are called travel guard, travel assistance and not insurance to skate US insurance laws. 

back in the day i was working for GE and there was never any travel insurance talked about. So maybe there was or not, I don't know. Traveling for business there were plenty of missed flights for all sorts of reasons, but it was alway business first and nothing about recovering anything per the flight whether flights changed or luggage lost. I was traveling 6 months per year back then.........crazy but also got to see a lot of Asia back then.

For awhile Jack Welch made it possible for anyone traveling more than 10 hours could fly first class...........that was nice, haha. But as prices changed it went to Business class which was still very ok. Traveling on S'pore air was really nice. i got to sleep on one of the beds in the upper deck of a 747 one time. The flight attendant tucked me in too, haha. Anyway that was a  hundred years ago and every thing has changed so much since then. Now i hate flying. The only time i enjoy flying now days is with my wife. The seats are smaller, the food is lousy, but when flying with my wife, it is Aok.

I do not know what I am doing wrong every time I check Taipei for airport shuttle on Hotel.com they say "missing airport shuttle" and Kayak will not even give me the option of airport shuttle?? 

Back in the day I would spend hours looking for airfare's.  Every now and then a cheap one would pop up.  Say average fare was a $1000 then a $700 would show.  You had to book it immediately,  if you left the site for even a couple minutes the fare would disappear.

    I do not know what I am doing wrong every time I check Taipei for airport shuttle on Hotel.com they say "missing airport shuttle" and Kayak will not even give me the option of airport shuttle?? 
Back in the day I would spend hours looking for airfare's.  Every now and then a cheap one would pop up.  Say average fare was a $1000 then a $700 would show.  You had to book it immediately,  if you left the site for even a couple minutes the fare would disappear.
   

    -@Prince James

I said before go to booking.com

@danfinn  Having cut corners and bargain hunted all my life, not buying extended warranty's and such and mostly got away with it.  Even If I take a big hit now I am still waaaaay ahead.  Don't like it but still ahead.

When life hands you lemons make hard lemonade and drink your sorrows away

@Prince James

Welcome to the forum.

Been watching this thread and you like me/most people like to save money where we can so can I ask why you need a shuttle from the airport? Depending on the hotel you book many offer free or minimal fee shuttle services from Airport to their hotel.

For me I wing it as there are plenty of taxis, buses and even trains departing regularly from international airports.

An example, I have travelled a lot internationally so have an idea how to get around. My then partner and I planned a trip for 6 weeks to Europe, first stop Athens, the better half kept trying to book a shuttle service to our booked hotel that was 2 blocks from Centro (the Greek parliament house) and kept complaining that the cheapest shuttle was 140 Euros, told that stop wasting your time and we just grab a cab or bus, but I have never done this was the retort,,,,,, breathe its a big airport with millions of people coming and going.

Cleared customs and immi and walked out to the concourse and asked one of the helper staff for transport to Centro, yes taxi there but expensive or bus no 354, 100 metres in that direction they depart every half hour, 5 Euros each and a 50 odd minute drive sitting above the cars and taking in the sights on the journey. No stops until Centro.

Even most times I will book cars and flights online while travelling as sometimes things change and I dislike a rigid tightly planned schedule on a holiday.

If you use Amex and book your flight using that card you get 3 months travel insurance,,,,, not sure if it's worth the paper it is written on as I have never had to find out.

Good luck with your trip.

Cheers, Steve.

@Cherryann01   You really don't expect me to listen do you?  So this time I did and found a couple that mention airport shuttle, so thank you for the input. 

However none that I find are free and say airport shuttle for a fee or some such thing.  Are the hotels providing a shuttle at low cost or calling a taxi??  Most of my issues in Manila have been with taxi drivers and I am too old (75) for that crap now. 

   "8.1 miles from the inn, and the property offers a paid airport shuttle service" 

Or is this Taiwanese for free?  If I have to pay I will stay close to the airport.    Thanks again

@Princess James - Best to reach out to the hotel/inn. It is in their best interest to give you an accurate answer.

    @Princess James - Best to reach out to the hotel/inn. It is in their best interest to give you an accurate answer.
   

    -@Jackson4

Exactly - Just find a hotel on booking.com that offers the service and contact the hotel to confirm and find out from them if it is a free or paid service.

Or grab a cab. Sounds like money is the issue.

Cheers, Steve.

    @danfinn  Having cut corners and bargain hunted all my life, not buying extended warranty's and such and mostly got away with it.  Even If I take a big hit now I am still waaaaay ahead.  Don't like it but still ahead.
When life hands you lemons make hard lemonade and drink your sorrows away-@Prince James

I love your saying about hard lemonade 🙂.  With PAL, the possibily of losing several hundred dollars is very high; PAL doesn't simply reschedule your flight because you missed it through no fault of your own, they play hardball and make you forfeit the money and reschedule. It is very common for international flights to China and anyplace else to be delayed a little bit and PAL takes advantage of that.  In other cases where I was delayed thru no fault of my own the airline simply rescheduled my flight but those other airlines were not PAL. Now that I know their policy I will not take the risk with PAL anymore; either I will avoid putting them on my international itinerary (first preference) or insure to protect against their policies.

.

         For us, we only fly PAL nonstop JFK to Manila or vice versa.  We did fly this year nonstop  HNL to Manila.  Do not trust PAL to be involved in combo with other airlines.

PAL does not have a lot of codeshare with other airlines, so I fly from JFK to MNL. It is long drive from the midwest.

@bigpearl   Of course money is an issue and the &^%$ Taxi's  in Manila are the worst at trying to cheat people and I won't stand for it, so I like the shuttle included. You are paying for it, it is never actually free. 

Right now I am looking at driving to Ft Lauderdale FL  FLL, flying Jet Blue code share to someplace then EVA to Taiwan,  spend the night. Continue on to CEB with EVA the next day.  We usually get a room when we get to Cebu, because I am to whopped to continue on, so will sleep in Taiwan instead.

At the moment seems to be the best balance of $$$$, time spent traveling and able to book all the flights directly with the airline.  I do not know if EVA would let me book the Taiwan to Cebu leg at the same time or not?? 

From my recent  experience, March 2023, use Grab.

The cars and service in general are much better. I have used Grab, jeepney and taxi in Manila area.

             ...Do not trust PAL to be involved in combo with other airlines.
   

    -@mugteck

Totally agree.

mugteck said. . . .For us, we only fly PAL nonstop JFK to Manila or vice versa.  We did fly this year nonstop  HNL to Manila.  Do not trust PAL to be involved in combo with other airlines.

************************

When moving to the Philippines, I rented a car one way from Las Vegas to LA for three of us. With the allowance of two bags each (50 lbs) we had 300 lbs luggage. If I remember correctly the car rental was dirt cheap.

PAL has a nonstop midnight flight to the Philippines, so no running around airports, lengthy layovers, possibility of lost luggage, missed connections and exhaustion.

    @Prince James
Welcome to the forum.

Been watching this thread and you like me/most people like to save money where we can so can I ask why you need a shuttle from the airport? Depending on the hotel you book many offer free or minimal fee shuttle services from Airport to their hotel.
For me I wing it as there are plenty of taxis, buses and even trains departing regularly from international airports.
An example, I have travelled a lot internationally so have an idea how to get around. My then partner and I planned a trip for 6 weeks to Europe, first stop Athens, the better half kept trying to book a shuttle service to our booked hotel that was 2 blocks from Centro (the Greek parliament house) and kept complaining that the cheapest shuttle was 140 Euros, told that stop wasting your time and we just grab a cab or bus, but I have never done this was the retort,,,,,, breathe its a big airport with millions of people coming and going.

Cleared customs and immi and walked out to the concourse and asked one of the helper staff for transport to Centro, yes taxi there but expensive or bus no 354, 100 metres in that direction they depart every half hour, 5 Euros each and a 50 odd minute drive sitting above the cars and taking in the sights on the journey. No stops until Centro.

Even most times I will book cars and flights online while travelling as sometimes things change and I dislike a rigid tightly planned schedule on a holiday.
If you use Amex and book your flight using that card you get 3 months travel insurance,,,,, not sure if it's worth the paper it is written on as I have never had to find out.

Good luck with your trip.

Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

Not everyone on this Forum thinks 'outside the box' like you do Steve. It's a mindset. If only they had a 'common sense' exam at school

    @bigpearl   Of course money is an issue and the &^%$ Taxi's  in Manila are the worst at trying to cheat people and I won't stand for it, so I like the shuttle included. You are paying for it, it is never actually free.          -@Prince James

Take your point about Manila taxi drivers. However there is an exception when taking a taxi from NAIA (or Mactan- Cebu International). Take a yellow metered cab. Easy to spot the line when you exit the arrivals hall. You line up at a little kiosk where you very rarely have to queue to buy your ticket. Its a set price depending on your destination. The girl gives you a copy of the fare ticket with the drivers number on it. Marginally more expensive than the white taxi rip off merchants.

Like many Filipinos you seem to always want the cheapest price. The cheapest does not necessarily mean value for money.

@Lotus Eater

I have lost count of how many cabs I/we have caught over the years in NAIA and a 10/15 buck ride? Won't break the bank and is convenient, door to door.

Trains, Planes and automobiles all over the world with no worries, I think what many miss is flying into a new country thinking they will have to walk..... Airports and cities are set up with the frequent traveler and tourist in mind unless it's Antartica.

You travel, you pay.

Cheers, Steve.

   
   

Like many Filipinos you seem to always want the cheapest price. The cheapest does not necessarily mean value for money.
   

    -@Lotus Eater

I agree with the concept   but we are spending a few days in Manueva surrounded by family.  We were going to get wifi hookup today in Vigan, but our neighbors gave us their wifi info and password.  So right now I am leaning up against my bedroom wall, only place in the downstairs I can get free WiFi.  Right now I am believing that free is better than cheap.

I have stepped out of many cabs in Manila if they don't turn the meter on, tell me it's 200 pesos Sir and I know it's only a 100 peso trip, I learnt very smartly that before I set foot in a cab to ask metered, most say yes but many scammers first ask where you are going and give a price,,,,,, funny as they need to move forward and go to the back of the line and wait,,,,, sometimes greed doesn't pay well.

Being a poriner always ask for more money for any thing, that's why for the last 13 years I stand back and let the better half haggle.

Cheers, Steve.

@danfinn

PAL, enough said right there. I refuse to fly them....well, except when I have no choice. heh.

@mugteck

So right now I am leaning up against my bedroom wall

How's the backache Mugteck?

             For us, we only fly PAL nonstop JFK to Manila or vice versa.  We did fly this year nonstop  HNL to Manila.  Do not trust PAL to be involved in combo with other airlines.        -@mugteck

I could not handle that flight without a stopover even in business class and certainly not with PAL. Its brutal. Have you considered the Qatar Airways option from JFK into Manila heading east via Qatar? Qatar Airways is currently number 2 in the Skytrax customer satisfaction hot 100 league table beaten only by Singapore. Hamad International airport in Doha is highly rated and if you dont wish to exit the airport they have 'sleep pods' that you can rent by the hour waiting for your connection. My guess is that if anything the Qatar option may be even cheaper than PAL.

         We always fly economy class, I can see how people have trouble with flying 16 hours in one flight,  I get up and walk around every two hours, watch movies, since I never go to theatres or have any current movie channels.  I saw the Secret Lives of Pets Parts One and Two on consecutive flights, feel all caught up.  I just like to get it over with, no connection problems, shortest total travel time  Leaving from JFK after midnight makes for a relaxing early trip to the airport

People called me cheap, they though it was an insult.  I thought it was a compliment and still do! 

    People called me cheap, they though it was an insult.  I thought it was a compliment and still do! 
   

    -@Prince James

I would call it frugal. It is how we can stretch our hard-earned money.

I like to use SkeScanner and Google Flights when hunting for less expensive airfares especially to the Philippines. I sometimes find cheaper flights at SkyScanner but the connecting flights are on separate tickets.

Non stop flights of 16 hours hardly? 

Elapsed time is the only measure of the duration in the air. For example the distance between Los Angeles and Manila 7305 miles. A 747 flies at 600 mph. So the flying time is approximately 12 hours.

So you are flying through many time zones,  depending if you are flying east to west or vice versa, it adds or subtracts from the imaginary time.

If a 747 could fly at 1100 mph you would arrive before you left.

    I have stepped out of many cabs in Manila if they don't turn the meter on, tell me it's 200 pesos Sir and I know it's only a 100 peso trip, I learnt very smartly that before I set foot in a cab to ask metered, most say yes but many scammers first ask where you are going and give a price,,,,,, funny as they need to move forward and go to the back of the line and wait,,,,, sometimes greed doesn't pay well.
Being a poriner always ask for more money for any thing, that's why for the last 13 years I stand back and let the better half haggle.
Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

Travel by taxi from the airport is a rip off in a lot of places even here in the UK. My local airport is only 5 miles away and I can get a local firm from Bradford to take me there for about £10. Coming back is a different matter entirely.  Leeds/Bradford Airport have a deal with one taxi company which has a small office outside the airport and charges extortionate fares sometimes double the price of other companies. Cost me about £22 to get home last time. The office gives you a price for your trip and written confirmation that you hand to the driver. The airport charges for drop off and pick up and there are double pink traffic lines outside on the road to stop cars waiting there and it is well enforced.

They have you over a barrel and they know it.

    Non stop flights of 16 hours hardly? 

Time from Singapore to NYC has elapsed time of over 17 hours.  PAL overstates the time so that the elapsed time from JFK to Manila is about 15.5 hours.  That way they can say even if they took off 30 minutes late, they made it to their destination at the time they said they would.  All the airlines do that to improve their on time %.

Oh no sir that amount is for each person.  Odd they do not deal well with anger and confrontation.   

Waited till we were close to the hotel and told the driver he did not turn on the meter. He put on a big show about forgetting.  When we got to the hotel I paid him what was on the meter!

Bunch of taxi stories and most of them in Manila,  couple in Vietnam and Thailand also. 

The vast majority of forum contributers travelling back and forth to the Philippines on this site are going for pleasure and will be in the country for several weeks if not months. So why the rush to get there? What difference is a few hours on a layover or stopover going to make? I will tell you.

If I may take Mugtech as an example flying from JFK to Manila every year. The number of airmiles you will accrue with your partner on Qatar Airways will be and I quote 'discombobulating' On their frequent flyer programme  (Privelege Club) you will immediately, after the first flight jump from the entry level Burgundy to Silver. On the 2nd trip you will hit Gold. Arabian Gulf airline miles are like cash - you can use them for upgrades or as part or whole payment for subsequent flights. Moreover you can use them to shop online with Avios - high quality branded goods like Apple laptops and iPhones.

Qatar and Etihad regularly have 'stopover' deals with free hotel accommodation for 1 or 2 nights which is a very pleasurable way to break up the journey and take in Arab hospitality and of course mitigate the jetlag so you will be feeling more refreshed on arrival at NAIA. Arabic food is delicious .The in flight dining on the Gulf airlines is far superior to the Filipino inspired (yeah) food on Philippine Airlines.

Anyone who has flown a 10 hour flight can testify to the disgusting state of the toilets on touchdown. After a 17 hour flight I dread to think. The second leg will be refreshed with an airline cabin that does not smell like an Indian's armpit and there will still be a restocked supply of toilet roll in the W'c's.(yes it's those little things that matter) Gulf airline aircraft are much younger and far better kitted out with electronics than with PA.

Once you hit Silver onwards on your Qatar frequent flyer programme you will then have a much higher chance of being upgraded and trust me YOU WILL. This particularly applies to the 2nd leg out of Doha because economy will be jam packed with Filipino OFW's not to mention the overhead cabins(can you squeeze your laptop bag in?) stuffed with pasalubong. Business class is always 'light' on this leg. If you are flying economy on Philippine Airlines it will be highly unlikely you will be upgraded Stateside and even if you were you only end up in Premium economy as they have 4 classes. Arabian Gulf carriers just have three: so you go from an upright seat to a flat bed.

On arrival at NAIA you dock at Terminal 3 which has faster immigration processing times and better facilities all around which kick in on your departure. After a couple of flights with Qatar you will have priority check in and be able to use their business class lounges at any airport.

Why pay with your hard earned money for a second rate airline (yes 80 out of 100 on the Skytrax customer satisfaction table) when you can get the same bang for your buck with an airline that is rated at No 2 and with all the above benefits?  As has been stated on this thread the after sales service with PA when things go wrong is appalling. Why subsidise that inefficiency?

Airline is asking for passport # and expiry date.  Passport was recently sent in for renewal and waiting for new one in 8 weeks.  Can I make a reservation,   Tried to ask EVA and they keep hanging up on me while waiting for agent.