Hi all
Planning to do a tour through a remote part of the Phillippines just after Christmas next year. Need to be in Manila or Cebu around 27 December 2014 ex-MEL or ADL returning around 4 January. I realise this is absolute peak season and nothing will be cheap, but wondering what is the best way to do it given we can likely book flights 333 days out if necessary. Have plenty of VA and USDM points and can buy Lifemiles points if necessary. Airline and class not important, though would obviously like to get there comfortably and fairly quickly.
My questions:
1. As part of my VA WP status I can get guaranteed reward seats on any partner airline flights once a year. This means I could go SQ MEL/ADL-SIN-MNL in Y for 110,000 VA points per person. I recognise this is not great value.
2. Do airlines release some normal prices fares for Christmas/NY peak 330 days out and prices then rise very quickly closer to the date or are they very expensive from when they are released?
3. What would be a standard peak price to say MNL? If a sale fare is, say, $900, would $1500 be a standard price for Y on a mid-tier airline if booked 6 months out?
4. Do *A carriers release seats 330 days out for every day of the year or are some periods (like boxing day) blocked completely because it is such a peak period? If $1500 would be a standard price for Y then if I could get a J redemption for that price it would be a no brainer.
5. Anything else I should know? When is the best time to book? I'm expecting flights to be expensive, I'm just trying to minimise the damage.
Thanks for your help
Planning to do a tour through a remote part of the Phillippines just after Christmas next year. Need to be in Manila or Cebu around 27 December 2014 ex-MEL or ADL returning around 4 January. I realise this is absolute peak season and nothing will be cheap, but wondering what is the best way to do it given we can likely book flights 333 days out if necessary. Have plenty of VA and USDM points and can buy Lifemiles points if necessary. Airline and class not important, though would obviously like to get there comfortably and fairly quickly.
My questions:
1. As part of my VA WP status I can get guaranteed reward seats on any partner airline flights once a year. This means I could go SQ MEL/ADL-SIN-MNL in Y for 110,000 VA points per person. I recognise this is not great value.
2. Do airlines release some normal prices fares for Christmas/NY peak 330 days out and prices then rise very quickly closer to the date or are they very expensive from when they are released?
3. What would be a standard peak price to say MNL? If a sale fare is, say, $900, would $1500 be a standard price for Y on a mid-tier airline if booked 6 months out?
4. Do *A carriers release seats 330 days out for every day of the year or are some periods (like boxing day) blocked completely because it is such a peak period? If $1500 would be a standard price for Y then if I could get a J redemption for that price it would be a no brainer.
5. Anything else I should know? When is the best time to book? I'm expecting flights to be expensive, I'm just trying to minimise the damage.
Thanks for your help
