making plans

[imagine]

Im making plans to visit my lovely lolita in Malaybalay, Bukidnon for a minimum of 21 days , all being well this comming november,
unfortunatly i cant book my flights yet untill im certain, at the moment klm have flights in november for around £750 aberdeen ,, amsterdam,, manila,
i think it will be september before im sure of the dates i can travel, i hope they dont go up too much by then ,
i thought i would pay klm extra to have return ticket changable date incase i want to stay longer, i think its an extra £80,

im so looking forward to this,

any advice or tips regarding my trip appreciated

[grahamw48]

Something to get excited about Stewart.

Not a bad idea getting an 'open' ticket if you can be flexible about length of stay.

That's the way I used to do things in the past.

Just ask for a 59 day visa before immigration (instructions on other thread).

If you decide to stop even longer you can get further extensions out there.

My second trip turned into 9 months. lol

[imagine]

Something to get excited about Stewart.

Not a bad idea getting an 'open' ticket if you can be flexible about length of stay.

That's the way I used to do things in the past.

Just ask for a 59 day visa before immigration (instructions on other thread).

If you decide to stop even longer you can get further extensions out there.

My second trip turned into 9 months. lol

well i dont know if its what they call an open ticket, if i change return date will have to do that before return date expires or loose my ticket,

yes the excitment is getting a grip of me now

unfortunatly i doubt i could stay 9 months lol,
but if all goes well and i have no doubts, i will be returning to uk only to prepare for my next trip a one way ticket asap

[grahamw48]

Well I haven't needed such a thing (open ticket) recently, so check with the agent/airline for the latest info on what you can and can't do with it.

Normally such tickets are valid for one year though, and as long as you come back within the year...no probs. You just get a travel agent there to book your flight out when you're ready, giving at least a weeks notice. They'll charge a few hundred pesos for the service. Also will extend your visa for you if you want.

I never book hotels in advance...never had a problem. You can then easily change if not to your liking. For a first trip (is it your first trip ? ) Probably best to book a room online for a day or two though while you find your feet.

Oh, of course you MUST have a return or onward ticket when entering the Phils.

[imagine]

i read that on their booking page,the closest thing to an open ticket as what you explain to be they cost something like another Economy Fully Flexible £355.00 on just the return ticket, making total £1,159.55

so thats quite a difference compared to their simplest method of £727.55 Total +£100 to allow change on return date

at phil end all my stay plans are taken care of

[grahamw48]

Ah yes, I thought I'd read somewhere that it's more expensive now.

Worth shopping around the airlines.

Maybe they'll do a 3 month open at a reasonable price if that would suit your purpose better.

[imagine]

i think £100 to change return date isnt so bad , but it must be changed obviously before that ticket expires, i guess if return fare has gone up the difference will also be to pay, as i found with my previous israel flight that never happened
im not sure i will be able to stay longer. so cheapest option is proberbly best, and i thought to extend visa on arrival just incase i do, as it will save running round trying to get it later,

i checked for cheaper flights but too many changes and much more travel hours and not much cheaper, perhaps klm its self is better to deal with,

[lastlid]

I have flown KLM from Aberdeen to Amsterdam and then on to various parts of the globe on quite a number of occasions. I always found KLM fine. And your ticket price seems okay (not too much Aberdeen markup).

I also always liked the airport at Amsterdam.

[Terpe]

Oooh, that's great news Stewart
I wondered when that would come along.

I have a feeling this is going to be a great trip

[grahamw48]

KLM charged £75 for date change 20 years ago, so yes £100 doesn't seem too bad now.

They never charged any extra for changes in ticket price. I doubt if they could do that anyway since you've paid a 'contracted' price already for your original return ticket.

[Ako Si Jamie]

My advice would be to take your time, shop around and be as flexible with your dates of travel as much as possible as £750 seems a bit steep. Even consider travelling from another airport such as Glasgow as prices differ. The coach journey with National Express to Glasgow from Aberdeen might seem like an extra headache but it could work out cheaper overall. National Express do some good deals and promotional offers. (bristoluni was the code to get a discount when I travelled last month but it could have changed)

Personally if I was going for three weeks or over, I'd take my time getting to the Phils (but not 12-18 hour stopovers) and try and save as much cash as I could on travel because it does mount up what with airport tax and taxi's plus your airfare to Mindanao. But you can get really good deals too travelling domestically in the Phils. Its best though to travel light as the kg's your carrying does bump the price up on those flights.

The next time I'm going over I'm leaving my suitcase at home. Ruddy thing weighs more than the stuff inside. All I'm taking is about ten t-shirts, a couple of pairs of shorts, flip flops, underwear, mens stuff & camera. The reason being is that I can get all those clothes washed, dried and ironed in the Phils for a quid or less.

As for the cost of a domestic flight, I met a German guy who paid £12 with Tiger Airways for a single flight from Clark to Kalibo. Just check all the airlines for offers that fly domestically within the Phils. Alternatively there's a bus from Manila to Davao I think but that might be pushing it.

A good site for international flights is http://www.cheapflights.co.uk but to get
the actual current prices you will need to phone them up. I usually phone around a dozen, mostly with London numbers (020) and not starting with 08.

[grahamw48]

Loads of good info there Jamie.

Have some rep.

[lastlid]

........bristoluni was the code to get a discount when I travelled last month but it could have changed....

Student discount.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Loads of good info there Jamie.

Have some rep.

Cheques in the post

Student discount.

I got a discount and I'm not a student

[imagine]

thanks jamie, great info for this ageing student
gues if im asked then i can say im a student of life

[imagine]

Oooh, that's great news Stewart
I wondered when that would come along.

I have a feeling this is going to be a great trip

it sure will be

[Nick30]

That's great imagine.

I have booked my flight to see my mahal sometime around November time
I bet you're excited

[songz777]

Yes have a super time Idid! Oh and Graham i think you have shares in Philly your well travelled and a font of information!

[grahamw48]

Yes have a super time Idid! Oh and Graham i think you have shares in Philly your well travelled and a font of information!

Hahaha.....I'm just OLD, and the ex has got all the shares.

[imagine]

thanks graham, lastlid, Nick, songz,

i cant wait , just wish i could go now, but november will be here before i know it,

the excitment buiding up now , i can feel it in my water no i didnt pee myself ,, well not yet

[Nick30]

Same with me too but yes it will come round so quick but seems to go a bit slow when you're so looking forward to this very special moment.

[Nick30]

Has she ever been to the UK before Stewart?

[Doc Alan]

Good news Stewart, I wish you all the best, you deserve a great trip .

[imagine]

Has she ever been to the UK before Stewart?

no and with all these changes too, i doubt i ever will be able to bring her to uk,

so if the mountain cant come to mohamid then mohamid must go to the mountain

[imagine]

Good news Stewart, I wish you all the best, you deserve a great trip .

thank you Doc Alan

[grahamw48]

no and with all these changes too, i doubt i ever will be able to bring her to uk,

so if the mountain cant come to mohamid then mohamid must go to the mountain

That's no way to describe your young lady Stewart.

[Nick30]

I'm sure she can come and work though on a Tier 2. If not then apply for European citizenship lol.

[imagine]

That's no way to describe your young lady Stewart.

a meterfor of course

[imagine]

I'm sure she can come and work though on a Tier 2. If not then apply for European citizenship lol.

sounds like a lot of stress and hastle, the idea is ok but for me its easier, besides i can then escape from aberdeen

[Nick30]

I would ask if she'd like to come and work here. I bet you're so excited about seeing her later this year. I just can't wait to see my mahal