Cebu Pacific

Cebu Pacific started operating flights in 1996 and the operator is one of the country’s largest airlines based on the number of passengers carried each year. The airline is based in in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and is regarded as one of the fastest growing airlines in Asia.

Domestic Destinations

There are plenty of destinations across the Philippines that are serviced by Cebu Pacific on a daily basis. There are approximately 20 flights each day from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Cebu each day with competitively-priced fares at around PHP1,800 for the hour flight.

There are also around 15 departures each day from Manila to Caticlan, popular for its close proximity to the stunning beaches at Boracay which are hugely popular with visitors, with tickets usually costing around PHP3,000.

Regional Destinations

Cebu Pacific also offers a wide range of departures to some of the most popular destinations across Asia. There is one daily flight each day to both Jakarta and Bali’s Denpasar, with the four hour flight costing PHP4,000 and PHP3,500 respectively.

It is possible to reach some of the most well-connected transport hubs in Asia using Cebu Pacific with one flight each day to Kuala Lumpur and three departures to Singapore. Both flights are scheduled to last four hours and tickets to both destinations are often priced at around PHP4,000.

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is one of Asia’s busiest airports and a key transport hub in the region so Cebu Pacific’s service between Manila and Bangkok is a popular route. There is one daily departure along this route with the four hour trip priced at PHP4,000.

Visitors looking to travel to Cambodia or Vietnam can fly with Cebu Pacific on the daily services to Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City. Both flights are scheduled to last around three hours and tickets are available for approximately PHP3,500.

You can head further afield with Cebu Pacific with plenty of departures each day from Manila. There are five departures per day to Hong Kong, a three hour journey that is priced at PHP4,000 as well as one daily service to Taipei . You can also visit mainland China, with one flight each day to Beijing and Shanghai which are scheduled to last five and four hours respectively. Fares are usually priced at PHP4,500 to Shanghai and PHP10,000 for tickets to Beijing.

Cebu Pacific offer several daily flights to Japan, with two departures each day to Tokyo and one to Osaka. Both services are four hours long and tickets are often priced at PHP4,300 to Tokyo and PHP6,000 to reach Osaka. There is also one departure each day to Seoul for just PHP3,500, one of the lowest fares you will find on this route.

There is a good range of deals available when booking tickets with Cebu Pacific, especially if you have a flexible schedule.
Cebu Pacific offers some of the lowest fares on many of the routes in this region so are very popular with those travelling on a budget.
If you have a large amount of luggage to check into the hold you can secure a good deal when booking online as Cebu Pacific offers combination tickets that include luggage and meals if required.
This is far cheaper than paying for luggage at a later date or once you arrive at the airport.

There is also a very wide choice of domestic departures with some of the most frequent services on the most popular routes in the country.
With around 20 daily flights to Cebu and 15 to Caticlan, the operator is an excellent option for those flying domestically.

The biggest disadvantage with travelling with Cebu Pacific is the fact that luggage is not included and this can sometimes amount to a similar cost as the actual air fare, so deals may not always be as good as they may seem at first. Unfortunately, this is the case with most budget airlines and you may want to consider only travelling with hand luggage if possible to keep the cost down. If this is not possible then ensure that you pay for additional baggage when you are purchasing your ticket, rather than paying at the airport as you will save a considerable amount.

There is a fairly limited range of direct international services when compared to other airlines in the region. If you want to fly to slightly less popular destinations then you will probably have to fly to one of the region’s major transport hubs, such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, before catching a separate connecting flight. This can be inconvenient for those on a tight schedule as well as proving more expensive in some cases so some passengers may find it preferable to pay a little extra to travel with another airline.

In 2016, Cebu Pacific became one of the founding members of Value Alliance, the world’s largest low-cost carrier alliance, along with other airlines across Asia including Thailand’s Nok Air as well as Scoot and TigerAir, both based in Singapore.

Cebu Pacific is one of the most popular airlines in the region with some of the cheapest fares available on many of these routes. Travellers on a budget often do not mind the fairly limited amount of international departures as the tickets are regarded as offering good value. In terms of domestic services, many passengers rate Cebu Pacific as one of the best options in the Philippines as there really is a huge range of potential services each day, all available at a very competitive price. The biggest issue many have with travelling with Cebu Pacific is the fact that they are required to pay additional fees for luggage which can see the overall cost of travel soar.

Another issue many have with Cebu Pacific services is the lack of inflight entertainment available. Although, this will not be a problem when flying domestically it be a little annoying for those flying on longer services such as from Manila to Shanghai or Tokyo.