Traveling in style while on budget

Hi,

It's me again and I'm finally inspired once again to write something about traveling. As you all know, I travel cheap. I always go for the cheapest alternative possible. Here are some tips I can give all travelers out there.

1.) Full Service Carriers are not always more expensive than Low Cost Carriers.

This is a common misconception among everyone that's why they always opt for low cost carriers. While it's true that low cost carriers or LCCs are way cheaper when you buy them while on promotions however, full service carriers or FCCs can also be cheaper than LCCs when they are on promo.

Last year, Cebu Pacific went on sale. My friends immediately booked a ticket to Taipei for around 4,000 Php each plus baggage totaling over 5,000Php . The next day, I decided to check EVA Air and I was able to purchase a round trip ticket for around Php 5,000. I ended up pay less than what my friends paid for. I also got the best flight times, baggage allowance and food!

Another good example was when I decided to buy a last minute ticket to Singapore during Holy Week. Cebu Pacific, Tiger and Jet Star were all selling a round trip ticket for 15,000 Php above taxes excluded. Luckily, Malaysia Airlines was on sale and I was able to get a round trip ticket to Singapore for around Php9000 taxes included.

So there you go, don't discount FCCs. You'll never know, these airlines might be cheaper than LCCs. It's been a while since I last used a local LCCs. I got used to FCCs now. I guess it's true that as you experience something good you don't settle for less.

2.) Get a credit card that gives you lounge access!

Who doesn't want waiting in style? Most of us arrive in the airport 3 hours ahead of time. We might as well wait inside a lounge, get some food, or maybe some booze. There are several credit cards out there that gives you access to lounges but what I can recommend would be Citibank PremierMiles. It's very useful for me since you can use it in all Plaza Premium Lounges all over the world.

So far, I was able to use it in Manila (Terminal 1), Taipei (Terminal 2 Zone A1), Beijing (Terminal 3), Singapore (Terminal 1), and Kuala Lumpur (KLIA). All of these lounges are really nice except for the one in Manila ehem ehem. I like the fact that they offer free shower. It's really helpful especially if you're on layover then your next flight will be a very long flight. Free booze are helpful as well. I dunno but it helps me sleep on my next flight.

3.) If possible, always board last!

I don't know why but whenever the airline calls for boarding, everyone hurries to the boarding gate. We all have assigned seats. We are not operating under a first come first serve basis. I only experienced it once with VivaAerobus wherein we don't have assigned seats and you pay extra if you want to board first. Other than that, wait until everyone goes in before going in.

Your seat will be your life for the next few hours of your life of course you would want the best seat for yourself. Boarding last will give you the opportunity to choose the best seat among the vacant seats available. If you're lucky enough, you can get a whole row for yourself! Talk about flying in class. Imagine securing a whole row for yourself and your flight is 14hrs long. I was able to get one row for me when I was flying from Beijing to Los Angeles before!

That's all for not. I'll add more if my brain cooperates.

How Traveling Keeps Me Going

My Solo Trip to Chichen Itza in Mexico

When people ask me what keeps me going? I always say that life keeps me going. Being young and single, I see it as an opportunity for me to travel and meet new people. I'm not rich like other people but I try my best to afford all my travels. Trust me traveling can be cheap. Although I do get help from my relatives especially in the US, majority of the money I'm using to fund my travels are mine.

The thought of traveling keeps me going. When I'm depressed or feeling down, I read a travel blog or watch a trip report in YouTube. These materials quickly change my mood. I also book a ticket ahead of time then look forward to it whenever I'm down. I see to it that I have an upcoming travel to look forward to.

My World Travel Map + Colombia

As of this writing, I have traveled to 3 continents and 14 countries. It's actually below my goal. My age should match the number of countries I've been to but I'm slowly catching up. I'm planning my European & Northern Africa trip and I hope this will help me catch up or even exceed my goal. For 2017, I'm looking into visiting South America again. 

Cathay Pacific Delayed Experience

Last February 2016, My friends and I were lucky enough to experience the best delayed flight experience anyone could’ve experience. Both of our flights leaving and coming back to Manila were delayed. Nobody likes flight delays but if you’re not in a hurry and the Airline good compensation for delayed flight then you can turn a delayed flight to a wonderful experience.

Drinking some of my favorite drinks in the Cathay Pacific Lounge

Our delayed started when 2 of our friends who arrived in the airport early were transferred to the earlier flight because of the 3-4 hrs delay of our flights. Majority of the people on the same flight were transferred to the earlier flight. Some even got a free upgrade including the couple who were right in front of us.  You can just imagine how pissed we were when we were that close to getting a free upgrade. What we don’t know is that we’re about to experience the best flight ever.

Dinner at Cathay Pacific Lounge

After checking in, we immediately went to the boarding gate even if we know we had to stay there for the next 5 or more hours. Cathay Pacific immediately offered free sandwiches and drinks. After an hour of waiting, I asked them if there is any pay lounge within the terminal and they endorsed me to a pay lounge but I wasn’t able to find it. Fair enough after a few minutes they invited all the passengers to go to the Cathay Pacific Lounge.

A taste of Business Class

We were so happy because the lounge was so nice. Free flowing of drinks, food, desserts, and so on. My supposed drinking session in Lan Kwai Fong was spent inside Cathay Pacific Lounge. I tried all the food offering available and tried different cocktails and hard drinks as well. It’s been a while since I experience waiting inside a lounge. I usually travel Economy. The last time I was able to travel business was when I was with my Mom way back when I was a kid. Being able to experience lounging made me a happy kid once again. We spent a good 2 hours inside the lounge before we went to the plane.

Owning the plane

Once inside the plane, we found out that there are only a little over 10 people inside a huge Cathay Pacific Plane. We owned the whole plane. We were literally roaming around trying all kinds of classes. We were free to sit anywhere. The crews were very accommodating. They are willing to give us extra food if we want. We can even request for the whole 1 liter bottle of soda. I wasn’t able to enjoy the inflight entertainment because we were busy roaming around the airplane. We were given souvenir playing cards before leaving the aeroplane.

Delayed Flight

On our way back to the Philippines, we found out that our flight was 12 hours delayed. Instead of leaving around 8pm at night, our flight was moved morning the following day. When we arrived in the check in counter, the attendants informed us that our flight was delayed. They gave us two options. The first option was to be transferred to Philippine Airlines for free. The second option to wait for the flight but we will be given free hotel and meals. We obviously picked the latter option. Who will say no to free accommodation and buffet dinner and breakfast? 

Photo Op inside the Airport Hotel.

We immediately went to the hotel to check in. We freshen up a bit then we immediately proceeded to the buffet restaurant to eat our dinner. It was so good we forgot that we were there because our flight was delayed. A supposed inconvenient event turned into a great experience. After the dinner buffet, we decided to roam around the hotel and we also went back to the airport to roam around as well. We were supposed to swim but the cold weather refrain us from doing so.

Come flight day. We weren’t able to go to the buffet restaurant for breakfast. We were given meal vouchers to be spent in side the airside area of the airport. After checking in, I went immediately to Popeyes then rushed to the boarding gate.

Overall, my experience with Cathay was amazing. I cannot thank them enough for pampering us. I don’t think I will receive the same experience if I flew budget. One thing I learned about this experience is that if the price of a full service carrier and budget airline is almost the same or there’s a small difference. Always go for full service airlines. I fly budget most of the time but given the choice I’ll fly full service.

Cathay Pacific Review

Taken from MilesMethod

Cathay Pacific (CX) is the flag carrier of Hong Kong. It is one of the best airlines in the world with a massive list of destinations available. Their service is very much comparable to Singapore Airlines. I really can’t decide which of the two are the best but every penny spent is definitely worth it for Cathay Pacific.

I have tried Cathay Pacific twice. The first one when I was a kid (1^st Plane ride). I can still remember that even if I was so young I know I was very happy with my experience. The 2^nd one was a sudden trip early 2016 when we were able to get cheap tickets to Hong Kong (7k Php all in with tax). Both of my Cathay Pacific segment this year were cancelled but it was one of the best experience ever. Cathay is indeed one of the best airlines to experience delays. I don’t like delayed flights but Cathay Pacific pampered us so much that instead of getting mad it made me love them. I’ll discuss our delayed experience in a separate post.

Why I love Cathay Pacific

1.) Price – Like other full service airline, Cathay Pacific can be a bit more expensive than low cost carrier but you will really get what you paid for. It can go really low to the point that it’s even cheaper than low cost carrier. I got mine for a little over 7,000 Php for a round trip ticket to Hong Kong. This already includes the travel tax (1,620) and the Airport Fee (550).

2.) Comfort – Luckily for me I was able to experience the Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class. The economy is very much comfortable with ample leg room. I can survive a long haul flight with their economy seat specs. Their Premium Economy is almost the same with their economy seats but it has more leg room and it has a leg rest. The business class is obviously the best of the three class types I’ve tried. If you have the budget, you should definitely go for it.

3.) Service – Cathay Pacific’s service is superb. It exceeded my expectation. Their flight attendants were so nice and even their lounge attendant were very attentive to my needs. I have no bad feedback regarding their service. They have a lot of options to give you in case your flight gets delayed.

4.) Food – In-Flight and lounge food were so good I’m glad I didn’t eat before my flight. Even way back in 1996/1997, I can still remember how much I love their food. For a short haul flights, the pie they provided can definitely fill your stomach.  Their lounge serve good dimsum and noodles.

5.) Entertainment – InFlight entertainment was really good. It will definitely keep you busy during long haul flights.

6.) Destinations – They have a good network.

My rating 9.83/10.00

Life goes on

Me and my Hong Kong Squad last February 2016

It's been more than half a year since I last updated my blog. I started working again last October 2015 and still working until now. I haven't traveled outside Asia ever since I went back from the US. There's so much realization over the past few months. I feel like I've been a great person and I've changed for the better. So what happened to me since my last post?

1. I got a job that keeps me busy. So far, I'm still happy with it.
2. I've traveled to different places in the Philippines. I'll start posting my travels locally soon.
3. I went to Hong Kong for a little less than a week.
4. I was able to have the best flight experience ever! Thanks to Cathay Pacific
5. I'm currently planing to go back the US. I already booked a ticket but I'm still working on my itinerary. I'll be in the states for a month.

I guess this will be all for now. I just felt the need to update my blog. I'll be going back to my life as a traveler again.

Air China Review

From Planespotter

Air China (CA) is China's National Carrier. It may not be one of the best airlines in the world but I still recommend using Air China primarily because their fares can be very affordable especially for Mainland US destinations. I got my round trip ticket from Manila to Houston for less than 900$. With the price as one of my main consideration for choosing an airline, I'll choose Air China anytime.

So far I've tried Air China once. I was supposed to go back to Manila through Air China but I decided to extend my stay and use a different airline on my way back to the Philippines.  The price of the ticket was way below the usual flight ticket to Houston so I immediately bought a ticket when I saw the price.

Why I love Air China.

1.) Price - Air China can either be very cheap or very expensive. Most of the time it's very expensive but cheap tickets are not elusive. Just check their website from time to time and you'll be able to get a good price. Try using Air China for flights to the west,east or central United States. Flights to New York can be as low as 700$.

2.) Comfort - As compared to other airlines, Air China's interior is simple. Older planes can have small leg room while new bigger planes have bigger leg room. It really depends on the plane you'll b be using. I couldn't complain since the price says it all but if I paid the full amount I believe I have the right to demand haha.

3.) Service - Flight attendants from my flight from Manila to Beijing barely speaks English and they even served me the wrong choice of food. I decided to just eat it since it will be hard to talk to them. On the other hand, my flight from Beijing to Los Angeles was ok. I was seated at the back and the Flight Attendant was pretty attentive to all my demands. She even remembered my eating/drinking pattern.

4.) Food - Air China's food is ok. It's not as good as Singapore Airlines. I felt like the recipe for their savory meat meal are the same.

5.) Entertainment - Older and smaller planes don't have any inflight entertainment so imagine yourself in a 5hrs flight from Manila to Beijing without any entertainment. Newer and bigger planes on the other hand have superb inflight entertainment. 

6.) Destinations - Domestic network is pretty wide. International network is ok.

My rating 8/10.00

Singapore Airlines Review

Taken from PlaneSpotter

Singapore Airlines (SQ) is one of the best airlines in the world and i consider it as the best airline I've ever tried. It's Singapore's flag carrier and it has a good network of destinations. If i won't be considering the price, I'll choose SQ in a heartbeat.

So far I've tried SQ twice. One was sponsored by Google from Manila to Singapore. The other one was from Houston to Moscow to Singapore to Manila primarily because of the price.  Airline prices can be really unpredictable. I got it for a cheap price considering it's only one way and I booked it the same day I left.

Why I love Singapore Airlines.

1.) Price - As i've said, price can be unpredictable. What I can share with you is that Singapore Airlines' prices can be so low that i can be cheaper than low cost carrier. The one way ticket I purchased before was the same price as the promotion of another airline but i booked it a month ahead.

2.) Comfort - SQ's economy class is above average in my opinion. I love the legroom as well as the recline of all the seats.

3.) Service - SQ flight attendants are nice and attentive. I'm one demanding passenger and they were able to handle all of my requests. They also come to me as quick as possible whenever I press the help button.

4.) Food - SQ's catering in my opinion is way above average. I love the food selection. The number of food service is sufficient to the duration of the flight. A big plus for me is the availability of cocktails for economy passenger.  It really helped me sleep and relax throughout the flight.

5.) Entertainment - Although some old aircraft can have an outdated entertainment system, newer planes has superb entertainment system and a good variety of movies, tv series and so on.

6.) Destinations - Do I need to explain this further? You can literally go anywhere in the world through Singapore Airlines.

My rating 9.83/10.00