Bargain airfares add to charm of Manila

Manila is the top Asian destination for travelers from the United States, thanks to off-season, cheaper airfare, according to CheapOair.

The New York-based air travel agency said in a statement that Asian cities were expected to see “massive decreases” in airfares, with Manila showing the biggest bargain at “well over 32 percent,” reflecting potential savings of over $300 per traveler.

CheapOair, a unit of online travel booking firm Fareportal Inc., kicked off the lean season with a list of best fares issued last Aug. 23, also dubbed “National Cheap Flight Day” in the US.

Taking the top two overseas destinations were the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, which were tipped for price cuts of 37 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

These meant that Madrid-bound travelers can expect to save $250 while those going to Barcelona can save $200.

Other Asian destinations on the list were Ho Chi Minh City (down 31 percent for potential savings of $250); Bangkok (less 30 percent for $250 savings); and Dubai (less 24 percent, $150).

Also on the list were Rome (less 28 percent, $200) and Paris (less 24 percent, $150).

“As summer quickly comes to a close, so does the busiest time of the year for travel—kids are back at school, the weather starts to cool down and people are gearing up for the holidays,” said Sanjay Hathiramani, global senior vice president of supplier relations at CheapOair.

“As the demand for airfare decreases, so do the fares,” Hathiramani said. “Fares are going to continue to stay low until Thanksgiving.”

Hathiramani said that for those looking for deals to international destinations, the best time to book tickets would begin at the end of August.

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), the US ranked second in terms of the most number of visitor arrivals in the first half of 2017.

From January to June, the DOT counted 513,443 visitors coming from the US, accounting for 15 percent of total arrivals during the period.

In June alone, there were 84,676 visitors who arrived from the US. They were the second biggest group after those from China.

In June, arrivals from the US rang up P2.62 billion in receipts, trailing expenses made by visitors from South Korea and China.