TAT marks Cebu Pacific’s new direct flight between Manila and Chiang Mai

Cebu Pacific

New direct route enhances travel options for Filipino tourists, connecting Manila to Thailand's cultural heart in the North.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) held a welcoming ceremony at Chiang Mai International Airport to celebrate Cebu Pacific’s inaugural direct flight from Manila to Chiang Mai. More than 100 passengers were greeted with traditional flower garlands and commemorative gifts, marking the start of this new travel route.

The event to welcome the inaugural flight 5J874 on 30 October was attended by senior executives and representatives from TAT, alongside key stakeholders from public and private sector tourism organisations.

Ms. Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific, said: “This new direct service between Manila and Chiang Mai by Cebu Pacific not only strengthens the bond between the Philippines and Thailand but also offers Filipino travellers enhanced access to northern Thailand’s distinctive cultural and natural attractions. Chiang Mai is set to become a favourite destination for Filipino tourists seeking new experiences beyond the well-known cities of Bangkok and Phuket.”

Cebu Pacific now offers the most direct flights between the Philippines and Thailand, operating from Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Davao to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.

Flight details include:

• Manila to Chiang Mai: 3 flights per week (Mon/Wed/Fri) – Airbus A320
• Manila to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi): 7 flights per week – Airbus A321/A330/A320
• Clark to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi): 7 flights per week – Airbus A320
• Cebu to Bangkok (Don Mueang): 3 flights per week – Airbus A321
• Davao to Bangkok (Don Mueang): 3 flights per week – Airbus A321

To celebrate the launch of the new Manila to Chiang Mai route, Cebu Pacific is offering special promotional fares. In addition, it is collaborating with the TAT Singapore office to organise a media familiarisation trip for journalists and influencers from Manila. This initiative will allow them to explore Chiang Mai and its surrounding attractions, with coverage aimed at encouraging more Filipino tourists to visit northern Thailand.

According to data from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Philippines remains a key tourism market for Thailand, with popular destinations including Bangkok, Pattaya (Chon Buri), Ayutthaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.

In 2023, Thailand welcomed 461,251 Filipino visitors, and between January and September 2024, over 420,812 Filipino tourists have already visited, representing a 26% increase from the previous year.

This growth reflects the increasing appeal of Thailand as a holiday destination for Filipino travellers, who rank it among their top five preferred international travel spots, alongside Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
* Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1600 New Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi, Bangkok 10400, THAILAND Tel : +662 250 5500 TAT Call Centre 1672

Cebu Pacific Touches Down in Sydney After 835 Days

Cebu Pacific

The Philippines' leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), expands its Asia Pacific footprint as it resumed its direct flights to Sydney from Manila on July 2, 2022, following the easing of travel restrictions both in the Philippines and Australia.

CEB operates flights between Sydney and Manila three (3) times weekly, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 5J 40 flies out of Sydney at 11:20AM and arrives in Manila at 5:50PM (local time).

Meanwhile, its flight from Manila operates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Flight 5J 39 departs the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 11:20PM (local time) and arrives in Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport at 9:50AM the following day.

“With this route resumption, we are pleased to fly once again to and from this destination after more than two years. We know that many are excited to visit our beautiful country, boasting of its beaches, natural beauty and charm. This also enables Filipinos to reunite with friends and family. We will continue working on boosting seamless connections across our network to address demand,” said Xander Lao, Chief Commercial Officer at Cebu Pacific.

To continue enabling everyone to fly, seats to Manila are up for grabs for as low as AUD299 base fare from July 1 until July 6. Travel period is from February 1 to June 30, 2023. This is on top of the month-long seat sale for as low as AUD309 for travel period from August 1, 2022 up until January 31, 2023.

Australian nationals are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of 30 days. Boosted travellers no longer need to take a COVID test pre-departure.

Coming back to Sydney, arriving tourists need to present printed copies of their COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate upon check-in. Travelers must also complete and submit their Digital Passenger Declaration form at least 72 hours before departure.

For more information, passengers may refer to the CEB Travel Reminders page for the latest updates and complete travel guidelines to their destination.

CEB continues to offer its guaranteed low fares to stimulate travel across its flight network which covers the widest Philippine destinations. It continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, while it operates with a 100% fully vaccinated crew, 95% of whom have been boosted – all to ensure everyone flies safely and conveniently on Cebu Pacific.

Cebu Pacific Air Celebrates SYD-MNL Flight Resumption With Massive Seat Sale

Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), the Philippines’ leading airline, intends to resume the Sydney-Manila route with three times weekly frequency in July following the easing of COVID restrictions both in the Philippines and Australia.

To celebrate, CEB is offering a SYD-MNL promo fare of AUD299 for a limited time only from June 1-9. Tickets will be valid for travel from November 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

For nearer travel dates, promo seats are sold for as low as AUD309 from June 1-30, 2022. Travel period is from July 1 to October 31 this year.

CEB's direct Sydney-Manila flights will utilise the airline's high capacity A330 fleet, capable of carrying up to 436 passengers (A330ceo), or 459 passengers (A330neo) at a time.

The carrier touched down in Sydney for the first time on September 9, 2014. CEB flights to and from Australia were halted in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are happy to fly back to Australia after such a long time. The route resumption comes alongside CEB’s 100% restoration of pre-pandemic domestic capacity, enabling Australians and Filipinos residing or working in Australia to easily and safely explore the Philippines with our widest domestic network,” said Xander Lao, Chief Commercial Officer at Cebu Pacific.

The carrier is offering flights to 31 domestic destinations which tourists may also visit from Manila, namely, Bacolod, Bohol, Boracay, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Calbayog, Camiguin, Cauayan, Cebu, Coron, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Legazpi, Masbate, Naga, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, San Jose, Siargao, Surigao, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Virac, and Zamboanga.

Australian nationals are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of 30 days. After two years, leisure travellers may now visit popular attractions again in the Philippines, and enjoy its dive spots, beaches, and other outdoor activities.

Earlier this year, the Philippines reopened its borders to foreign tourists, with requirements made simpler for fully vaccinated individuals.

Travellers flying to the Philippines who have received the two-dose series or single-dose vaccine (Janssen), and at least 1 booster shot, are no longer required to present COVID-19 test results for entry, according to the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). However, those without booster shots will still need to show their negative test results prior to boarding (RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before departure or antigen test taken 24 hours before departure). For more information, passengers may refer to CEB Travel reminders page for the latest updates and complete travel guidelines to their destination.

Cebu Pacific operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines, and offers guaranteed low fares to stimulate travel across its network, covering 34 domestic, and 16 international destinations.

CEB also offers options for passengers’ peace of mind for more savings and flexibility in their travel plans. For as low as AUD50, passengers can purchase CEB Flexi, an add-on that allows passengers to store the value of their booking into Travel Fund, without paying for any cancellation fee. This may also be purchased as a bundle via GO Flexi on their initial booking at www.cebupacificair.com.

CEB continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, while it operates with a 100% fully vaccinated crew, 91% of whom have been boosted – all to ensure everyone flies safely and conveniently on Cebu Pacific.

Cebu Pacific marks 25 years of making moments happen

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ largest carrier, is proud to celebrate 25 years of making moments happen in March 2021.

“On our 25th year, we remain humbled to be part of our passengers’ stories and life journeys. We are in full support of the simplification of travel requirements and expect to welcome more guests onto our flights in the coming months,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

 

Milestones @ 25

CEB took to the skies for the first time in March 8, 1996, flying from Manila to its hometown Cebu. Since then, it has been committed to fly where Filipinos are – from its first international flight to Hong Kong in 2001, to its first low-cost long-haul flight to Dubai in 2013.

The airline also received its first ATR 72-500 in 2008, which paved way for inter-island connection and expanded its domestic network. CEB has consistently made flying accessible for everyone, owing success to of its wide network and promo fares, especially its Peso sales pioneered in 2004.

CEB has also taken part in numerous passenger moments — such as when a passenger from Dubai gave birth en route to Manila in 2016, to the surprise of its 150 millionth passenger upon arrival in Cagayan de Oro in October 2017. Its passengers have also enriched the lives of children in marginalized communities all over the Philippines as the total donations for UNICEF’s Change for Good program reached USD 1 million in 2019.

CEB operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines, offering safe, affordable, and seamless flights to and from key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. It also supports the local tourism industry with its regular flights to famous leisure spots such as Boracay, Bohol, Coron, Siargao, and Puerto Princesa.

#EveryoneWillFlyAgain

As an airline that strongly believes #EveryoneWillFlyAgain, the Philippines’ largest carrier, Cebu Pacific, will be holding a 3-day seat sale from 3 – 5 March 2021, in celebration of its anniversary.

In addition, CEB will also permanently remove change fees, allowing passengers to rebook as many times as they need. A minimal fare difference may still apply.

“In a recent survey we conducted, flexibility remains to be one of the considerations of our passengers when deciding to travel again. Because of this, we are removing our change fee effective immediately. As we work on rebuilding our network and supporting domestic tourism, we will continue to listen to our passengers so we can make it even more convenient for everyone to fly again,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

“Throughout our 25 years, we have celebrated countless wonderful moments with our guests. We look forward to #MoreSmilesAhead, as everyone flies again,” Iyog added.

Expect more surprises from CEB as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this month! For real-time updates, follow Cebu Pacific Air on its official social media accounts, and subscribe to the CEB Newsletter on the website.

Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au

Cebu Pacific permanently removes change fees

In line with its commitment to provide flexibility to restore passenger confidence in air travel, Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, has permanently removed change fees—allowing passengers, including those travelling from Dubai to Manila, to rebook as many times as they need.

“In a recent survey that we conducted, flexibility remains to be one of the considerations of our passengers when deciding to travel again. Because of this, we are permanently removing our change fee effective immediately. As we work on rebuilding our network and supporting domestic tourism, we will continue to listen to our passengers so we can make it even more convenient for everyone to fly again,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

With the removal of change fees, passengers may now rebook their flights as many times as they need at no cost. A minimal fare difference may still apply.

In addition, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recently released a new set of simplified requirements for domestic travel, which states that travel authorities and health certificates will no longer be needed. Quarantine protocols will also be only required for those showing symptoms.

“This is a timely announcement as well as we support the recent IATF announcement on the standardised travel requirements, and as we celebrate our 25th founding anniversary this month,” added Iyog.

Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au