How to Actually Grab a Deal on Piso Fares

"Oh, the places you'll go!" as Dr Seuss writes it but also realistically speaking, oh, the money you need to actually go to those places.

Plane tickets often are the most expensive part of your travel budget especially if you are aiming for trips abroad. Sometimes, even the budget fare is just too heavy for the wallet. This is what makes Piso Fare sales really famous especially among budget travellers. 

Is it a scam?

A lot of people complain and claim that is indeed a scam. They say that they are never able to book any piso fare flights or the flights do not just cost Php 1 but quite a lot more. For example, a one-way ticket to Japan in Cebu Pacific usually costs around Php 4,000 - Php 7,000 when I last checked.

From what I know, piso fares and other ultra cheap deals are not scams, obviously. Large companies like airlines wouldn't risk it like that. We just need to understand how it usually works. The promise of one Philippine peso or any other low amount almost always just covers the base fare. You need to factor in all the taxes, other fees, terminal charges, etc. So, technically, it will not all add up to just one peso at the end.

Here's how you can possibly snag a deal or two on the next cheap airline seat sales:

Pick the right travel dates

If you want your trip to rely on the cheapest fare you can possibly get for it plan so much in advance. Cheap seat sales usually cover flights that are a few months to a year after the sale dates. Make sure your ideal travel date is way ahead in the future and make sure you have at least three date options for your trip. I found that the cheapest rates are Tuesday to Thursday. Public and national holidays are usually excluded in seat sale pricing.

Subscribe to airlines' newsletters and social media

If you want to know firsthand when these sales drop, you have to subscribe to their newsletters and social media feed. Other airlines give priority to those who are registered to their mileage program (usually free) and those that are subscribed to their newsletters.

The perfect timing

The sale usually starts either on midnight of the day that is promised or at the time that they release the announcement on social media or via email. There are times when the airline is gracious enough to let the people know exactly when the sale is going up.

From experience, the seats that are on sale are very limited so they usually are out by morning if the sale started on midnight. You have to book within approximately the first one or two hours when the sale starts.

Write down all information you need in advance

If you're slow or you had to spend a few minutes looking for your passport or asking your travel buddies, your fare might be sold out by the time you get to check out. Write down all of the information such as:

• Name of traveller
• Birthdate
• Ideal travel dates
• Passport number
• Emergency contact information

You have to have these written down before you dive into the sale so you won't get delayed.

Fast internet, fast devices

This can make or break your entire piso fare ordeal. I highly suggest you keep more than one device on the lookout because there will be times that the site will crash or it will slow down. Imagine seeing all the great deals just for your device or your internet to drag you down. You wouldn't want that, would you?

Remember, these seat sales are for the faster and more prepared folks out there. Don't get too disappointed if you don't snag one. There's always another seat sale on the way.

Hope this helps!

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