Flights from the European mainland back to the UK can be cheaper

[chino]

Just some info if you want to get back to the Philippines and don't mind adding 1 day / flight onto your trip.

I have flown from BUD and back to LHR and the price dropped dramatically (over a £300 drop in a standard return ticket) with no problems.

I have been playing around and if you fly from most places in Europe and back to the UK you can save a some good money. You need to find out where you can get to cheaply as sometimes the saving is not worth it, for me I collect Avios so I can fly to most places in Europe for £15.

Currently if you fly from Paris, Rome or Milan to Manila and back to london you can do this for around £450 return with Air China. If you are flying via a low cost airline you should be able to do this for less than £500...

An example is here: http://d.pr/i/rT8z

Depending on the airline and their routes depends on the price, the cheapest I have had is £160 to Hong Kong with Turkish Airlines (about 4 years ago) and £251 to Hong Kong in May 2012 with Qatar Airways. You need to play around, and also look at stop overs to get the price down... (I don't always fly to the Philippines direct, I normally stop in SIN, KUL, BKK or HKG as it's normally cheaper even with the extra flight).

I hope that some people who don't mind breaking their journey to the Philippines can save some money...

Chino

[chino]

http://d.pr/i/HhmO - £407 plus £30 for BA connection flights for me from Mancheter

I know it's a pain with the connections.. but for me i don't mind it

[joebloggs]

Chino I need to find a cheap ticket for my stepson.

[andy222]

I suppose you have to weigh your options up +1 day to your flight is 1day less in the phils.

[chino]

Or if you plan it right like i did.... then it does not add much time on at all...

I flew from Leeds to Budapest (arrived 1 hour before check in for my next flight) and then on to the Philippines

I just took a morning flight from Leeds and the early afternoon one from Budpest where i normally take the 3pm flight from Manchester

[stevewool]

wow thats great news plus you are seeing another place too

[stevie c]

It's ok if you don't mind all the haste that goes with but like Andy says I would rather have an extra day in the Phils than a cheaper flight saving

[Ako Si Jamie]

I've been looking for alternative routes too especially from Birmingham. I did see flights to Hong Kong for just over £400 with Turkish Airlines a while back but was put off by their safety record.
Also, last week I saw flights with Finnair going to Hong Kong from Birmingham for under £500 changing planes in Helsinki. Not a bad price from Birmingham especially if you can get a promo flight from HK to Phils. I could have done just that but connection times were too long coming back. Plumped for Kuwait Airways at £528 in the end, Heathrow to NAIA, 20/22 hours travel time. Could have got it for £20 less a day earlier too but I messed around looking for other deals and missed out.

Anyone know why Saudi's flights are ridiculously high now? Went to Phils for £444 in 2011 now they're about £800.

[London_Manila]

I've been looking for alternative routes too especially from Birmingham. I did see flights to Hong Kong for just over £400 with Turkish Airlines a while back but was put off by their safety record.
Also, last week I saw flights with Finnair going to Hong Kong from Birmingham for under £500 changing planes in Helsinki. Not a bad price from Birmingham especially if you can get a promo flight from HK to Phils. I could have done just that but connection times were too long coming back. Plumped for Kuwait Airways at £528 in the end, Heathrow to NAIA, 20/22 hours travel time. Could have got it for £20 less a day earlier too but I messed around looking for other deals and missed out.

Anyone know why Saudi's flights are ridiculously high now? Went to Phils for £444 in 2011 now they're about £800.

Cathay Pacific normally have a sale just after the new year

[stevie c]

I've flown with Kuwait once before but never again got to be one of the worse airlines crap food crap service & crap stopovertimes

[grahamw48]

Useful info..thanks.

[irishman12]

i got flights from ireland to hkg on airfrance website for 550euro -checked from birmingham before and the lowest available was 521 pound -now looking for promo from hkg to manila or cebu

[Ako Si Jamie]

Cathay Pacific normally have a sale just after the new year

Thanks LM. Too late for my next trip but useful to know anyhow.

I've flown with Kuwait once before but never again got to be one of the worse airlines crap food crap service & crap stopovertimes

Yup I know they're not the best but I suppose it's better than waiting around in Brunei for half a day or going with some of the Chinese Airlines.

[Ako Si Jamie]

i got flights from ireland to hkg on airfrance website for 550euro -checked from birmingham before and the lowest available was 521 pound -now looking for promo from hkg to manila or cebu

That's a good price. Try Tiger Airways (Seair planes). They always seem to have good promo's.

[RickyR]

With business class flights its even more savings. If your fly BA/Cathay Amsterdam-London-Hong Kong-Manila return its considerably cheaper then London-Hong Kong-Manila return even with the additional flights to Amsterdam.

Next year I'm flying into Bristol and will be routing Muscat-Abu Dhabi-Dublin-Gatwick-Amsterdam-Bristol all on one ticket. Yes its a bit of a killer, but its a cleverly setup and a very cheap routing which will ensure I remain a gold card holder with Etihad and retain Silver with KLM.