How To Book Airline Tickets Wisely

Due to the nature of my work and to my penchant for traveling and visiting new places, I am frequently riding the plane. And for this, I have learned the “secrets” and “techniques” for booking airline tickets without paying so much, without paying for the services that you do not really need. In this post, I am using as illustration, the booking process using the Cebu Pacific website.

Step 1. Choose the Origin and Destination by pointing your mouse to the drop-down arrow (red circle). Note however that some destinations (airports) are near your original destination, so you have to be familiar with geography. (For example, if you want to go to Boracay, it can be reached via Caticlan or Kalibo).

Step 2. Choose the date of departure and return. Tick the One-way option if you want no return ticket.

Step 3. Fill out the Adults and Children category for the number of passengers, then click FIND IT!

Step 4. Tick your flight option. Promo Fares and Year-Round Fares are in separate columns. Remember that Promo Fares are non-refundable and pretty much “irrevocable”. Meaning, you cannot change this booking or if you can rebook, it is with a fee which is, usually, you end up paying way much higher than the Promo fare. So be sure of the date and time of your travel.

If you have flexible dates of travel, you use the Monthly View located at the upper right hand, to view different fare options for the month.

Step 5. Then click the Continue button.

Step 6. Now, fill up the guest details. Now, if you have a CEB CLUB membership, it would be easier as your details are saved already.

Step 7. Now this is where you should be careful with, as this is the portion where you opt to pay for services you do not really need. See, most airlines already choose by default one option. In this case, 10kg baggage is by default chosen, automatically adding up Php 180 to your bill. The technique here is to remove that, by clicking the drop down button and choosing the No baggage (if you are a lite traveler) option. Now if you have baggage, remember that buying baggage allowance online is way much cheaper than buying at the airport, believe me, you will get the surprise of your life! When in the web it is Php 180 per 10kg, at the airport, reinstating baggage allowance would be around Php 300 (not sure) and excess baggage is Php 200 per kg (not updated). Then click CONTINUE.

Step 8. Reserve Seat. Now this is another payment which you can avoid actually. Airlines again put you in a default seat, which requires you to pay Php 130 (Cebu Pacific rate). Why pay for a seat when you already paid for your fare, right? Well, this is really if you want to choose the seat location (aisle, window, near doors, etc.). But when you check-in at the airport, you can request the check-in crew for an aisle or a window seat (they usually ask you, though).

Remove the reserve seat by pointing your mouse at the Seat portion (red circle), then the “remove seat” option will show. Then click the vague “remove seat” option (blue circle).

As I said, you ca also choose seats upon check-in at the airport. For other airlines, say AirAsia, there are usually two counters open for each flight. These counters are already assigned with “front (rows 1-15)” or “back (rows 16-31),” so you may ask first or you may request the crew. There is no harm in asking. However, recently, there is another option where there are self-service check-in kiosk where passengers check-in themselves. On how to operate this, just follow the instructions appearing on the touch screen. There are always staff around who are willing to help or since we Filipinos are helpful, you can ask around fellow passengers. At the kiosk, seats are randomly chosen, but there is an option to choose if you do not like the seat initially assigned randomly to you. It is better to come to the airport earlier so that more seat options will be available. Remember, at most airbus, seats A and F are window seats, B and E are middle, and C and D are aisle seats. Rows 15 and 16 will provide you a view of the wings so you might opt for Rows 1-5 and 25-31 to be near the doors and unobstructed views.

Step 9. Click Continue. Next stop is the Travel insurance option. As for me, if I am in a domestic flight, I do not usually purchase insurance. Normally, again, the airline has preselected the insurance option (another Php 325) but there is again a VAGUE option to remove this, just click the No Thanks (can you see it? Circled in red!).

Step 10. Click Continue after ticking that you have reviewed the booking summary. Reminder: it is in this part that you have to finally check everything: date, time, origin, destination, names of passengers.

Step 11. Payment processing. This is where you process payment whether via credit card, payment centers, travel fund, debit cards, etc.

See how we saved around Php 700 because we clicked the vague “no thanks” option for the baggage, seat and insurance? What if after having your itinerary, you suddenly realized that you needed those add-ons? Fret not, as you can still purchase seats, baggage, insurance and other add-ons through the “Manage Booking” option.

For other airlines, pretty much the same process is followed. Tip is just to read and have patience as this might cost you a few pesos. Have a safe trip and I hope you learned from this post. 

Meet the World, 

~S