Dubai: Last minute flight cancellations and no confirmation of when regular services will start – for Filipino expats in the UAE this is the constant uncertainty when planning a trip back home. The other option? Having to pay quite a bit extra for a seat on the specially designated flights to the Philippines.
When Philippines eased travel restrictions on flights from UAE in September, it was met with instant and overwhelming response from the country’s expats. But fast forward to November and the situation has not changed much – normal services are yet to commence in full and the ‘Bayanihan flights’ – special commercial flights approved by the Philippines government – are the only way to fly in and out of the country.
“Airlines do list normal flights every now and then, but they get removed within a few days,” said a UAE-based travel agent. “I believe the Philippines should want to open for good given that the high season (Christmas and New year) is coming up. We might hear something from the airlines in the next week or so.”
All this uncertainty around a return to normality is forcing Philippines expats to book seats on the special flights – despite the unrealistically high fares. A Philippines Airlines flight from Dubai to Manila costs nearly Dh9,800 on November 8, while on Emirates, passengers will have to pay around Dh11,300.
Cebu launch
Meanwhile, low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific told Gulf News that it has started operating flights on the Dubai-Manila route this month. The…