Cheap travels to Cebu

SINGAPORE, 7 June 2019 – Cebu Pacific presents a fare discount on flights to its hometown of Cebu for travel 1 July to 31 October.

The airline introduced its limited period seat sale, 7 June, saying the deal would last only until the allotment ran out while omitting to say how many seats were available for consumers to chase.

If the airline is diffident on how many tickets are up for grabs it makes up for it with a glowing description of Cebu’s holiday assets.

Boracay might be more famous thanks to the country’s president, but Cebu’s Mactan Island is dotted with luxury resorts just a short drive from the airport. The airline also connects to other holiday islands such as Palawan, Boracay and Siargao, but those flights are not in the current fare campaign.

If we already didn’t know, the airline is happy to explain that Cebu has earned “world recognition on the culinary front for its distinct dishes.

Cebu has its water sports and if you have enjoyed a swim with whales or dolphins, then Cebu might be up your street. You can swim with a school of sardines.

Cebu plays on its diverse heritage that includes Spanish colonial history evident in its churches, forts, ancestral homes and architecture.

We checked out the fares on the airline’s website that warns you the booking process cuts off after 20 minutes. The website also queues you for a few seconds, the first time we have seen this feature.

Searching for the SGD79 fare for a trip to Cebu we managed to secure a fare for SGD164 roundtrip in July, just SGD6 more than the promotion states.

The breakdown on extra charges included in the quoted fare states passengers are paying for an administration SGD24, airport tax SGD10.80, aviation tax SGD6.10, passenger service SGD32.90 and fuel surcharge SGD5.

But the bottom line shows the SGD164 roundtrip Singapore-Cebu fare, is clearly the lowest on the airline’s website.  

However, a better deal appears on the fare comparison site Skyscanner. It quotes the cheapest fare on Cebu Pacific at USD115 (SGD157) roundtrip for the three-hour 55-minute flights.  Departure times are hard on people who need to be in bed before midnight.

The flight departs at 0025 from Singapore and lands you in Cebu at 0420. The return flight is not much better as it arrives at Changi Airport at 0010.

Scoot sells a roundtrip Cebu fare for USD152 (SGD207.60) with a departure from Singapore at 0515. The return flight gets you into Changi at 1625

Certainly the best option for travellers who are not early birds, SilkAir’s flight departs at 1015 and returns you to Singapore by 1830, but the fare is the highest at USD276 (SGD377).

Price wise if you don’t mind an early bleary-eyed start to your holiday you have two options; Scoot or Cebu Pacific.