Upcoming Phils trip update

[Lancer]

Yes! I thought you were going to retire there and spend the winter building a house? I must have got it wrong I guess.

[Zkribbler]

No. You got it right. It's just I have yet to get my financial ducks in a row yet, so I'm still not sure if I can financially swing an early retirement.

If I can't, I'll come back to work.

If I can

[Lancer]

Ahh well, that's life. Hope it works out for you. Either way we'll have fun in January.

[Zkribbler]

But if I buy my ticket now, I should make sure I can cash in my return ticket if need be...or else, I might have to eat it.

[snoopy369]

I hear they taste pretty bad, so I suggest getting a returnable ticket.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I hear they taste pretty bad, so I suggest getting a returnable ticket.

Not even banana catsup could help.

[Lancer]

I wasn't aware you could cash a return ticket. Did your agent say something about that Zkrib?

[Zkribbler]

No she didn't.

Different airlines have different policies. With some airlines, you have to eat a ticket you don't use. With Southwest, they give you a credit. I don't know about other airlines.

If I can't get a returnable ticket, or one for which I can get credit for a later ticket, maybe I'll just buy a one-way ticket.

[Lancer]

Huh, not as spendy as I thought...but I don't know the taxes on 1 way.


$460 * American
$490 * Star
$553 * Northwest
$632 * Delta

Please Call to Book (800) 677-2943

Departure city: Los Angeles, CA

Destination city: Manila [PH]

Departure Date: 07 Jan 2009

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
If I can't get a returnable ticket, or one for which I can get credit for a later ticket, maybe I'll just buy a one-way ticket.

Crud. My brain's not working today. I first need to determine whether I can retire or not. If yes, I buy a one-way ticket. If no, I buy a round-trip ticket. It's all very simple.

[Lancer]

Well yeah, sounds good. See if the piggy bank rattles.

[Lancer]

Good news, the Phil peso is at 46.

[Lancer]

One thing you guys might consider is calling your regional Philippine Consulate. I know there's one in San Fran. You can get a six month visa and save yourselves some trouble.

Normally they stamp a 21 day visa into your passport and then you can extend 2 months at a time once there. I've heard that can be done in Tagbilaran but it might be that you would have to go to Cebu.

Hmm, maybe I can google and find out if its Tag or Cebu.

[Lancer]

Check your passports and make sure they are up to date. They should be valid for the duration of your planned trip plus some.

You guys should read this link...
The good news is that it is Tagbilaran. This makes stopping in every 2 months really easy. There is a fee. Jot down the address and phone # and stick it in your wallets so we have it there...

Zkrib, this has to do with a one-way ticket amazingly, you should read it. I'll put it here.

They have more stuff and a feedback section for questions.

Entry Regulations
If you are a citizen of a western country and arrive without a Philippine visa at one of the international airports, carry a passport valid for 6 months beyond your planned exit from the Philippines, and have an ongoing or return airplane ticket leaving the Philippines, you will normally be granted an entry visa for free and can enter the Philippines and stay for a maximum of 21 days.

If you like to stay longer, it will take you some more trouble.

For a stay up to 59 days, you can either apply for a visa from a Philippine embassy or consulate in your home country, or apply for an extension with one of the immigration offices when already in the Philippines.

I normally advice people to get the longer visa from the embassy (or a consulate), as this saves you a couple of days hassle during your holiday. Please contact the Philippine embassy of your country about the exact requirements for a visa application and opening hours of the consular section. When you arrive with a visa, please show it to the immigration official, so that he will actually give you the 59 days, instead of the normal 21 days, on your arrival stamp.

Immigration offices can be found in Intramuros Manila, Cebu City, Angeles City, and San Fernando, La Union, and a number of other places. If you are staying away from these cities, extending your visa might require a detour of several days.

In Bohol, you can have your visa extended at the

Bohol Immigration Office
2/F Sarabia Co, Torralba Bldg. CPG Ave.,
Tagbilaran City
Tel. No.: 038-235-6084

The office is on the second floor. If you arrive here during office hours, with photocopies of your passport id page and the page with your arrival stamp (photocopies can be made in a shop a 100 metres west along the same road). Pay the various fees (a total of 2020 pesos, including express lane fee), you can be outside with a visa extension within one hour.

Longer visas and extensions can also be acquired, but require progressively more effort and fees to be paid. The maximum possible on a tourist visa is two year's stay, after that you will need to leave the country for at least one day.

If you are from a country that isn't listed in the visa-on-arrival list, such as India or China, you will have to apply for a visa for any trip, no matter how short, from the Philippine Embassy in your country of residence. A list of these can be found on the DFA website.

Balikbayans (Philippine citizens, former Philippine citizens, and, if travelling together, their foreign spouses and children) will receive a free one-year visa on entry, and can thus avoid the trip to an embassy or immigration office. Not all Philippine Embassies will tell you this. Some evidence of marriage may be required. In my case, my wife's passport carrying her married name always has been enough. Note that this privilege is only available to spouses from countries that also have the visa on arrival privilege.

Exit Regulations
Everybody, except babies without their own seat, will have to pay the airport terminal fee of 550 pesos (in Mactan International Airport, Cebu, other airports may have different rules). This fee cannot be avoided.

Philippine citizens (and foreigners with a residence permit) are also required to pay a hefty foreign travel tax. Several exemptions exists for Filipinos having permanent residence permits in a foreign country, or who have been away from the Philippines with a temporary residence permit for more than one year, in which case you will need an exemption certificate, which can be obtained in the departure area for 100 pesos upon presentation of evidence of the above facts. Some persistence and a print-out of the rules from the DFA website may be required to obtain this certificate. For details on this travel tax, visit the Philippine Tourism Authority page on travel tax.

If you've overstayed your visa, you will be made to pay a fine, based on the number of days you've overstayed, and all visa fees you've had to pay if you had extended them properly. At their discretion, custom officials may also arrest you, and prosecute you for the offense.

[Lancer]

Baggage info for China Air and most othe asain carriers...

Economy Class
Two pieces of baggage (measured together) of which the sum of the greatest outside linear dimensions does not exceed 107 inches (269cms), provided the sum of the outside linear dimensions of each bag does not exceed 62 inches (158cms), and that the weight of each does not exceed 70lbs (32kgs). < < < Its not 70 anymore, read on...


P.S1.:Effective from 15 April, 2008 the weight of free check-in baggage allowance for economy class passengers will be adjusted from 70 lbs(32kgs) to 50 lbs(23kgs), however the piece and total outside linear dimensions of that baggage will remain unchanged. In case the weight exceeding 50 lbs(23kgs) but less than 70 lb(32kgs), TWD 800 or other equivalent currency shall be paid as excess baggage charge.