Plane tickets to get cheaper in February

Travelers can expect cheaper plane fares next month after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) downgraded its fuel surcharge for the second consecutive month, just before the celebration of the Lunar New Year.

In an advisory, CAB announced that the fuel surcharge for February would be Level 5, from the current Level 6.

The last time the regulator implemented a Level 5 fuel surcharge was in May 2023. This is also the lowest since August last year when it was at Level 4.

Under Level 5, airlines are allowed to collect fuel surcharges of P151 to P542 for domestic flights while those flying outside the country will pay an additional P498.03 to P3,703.11 each.

These prices are lower compared to Level 6 rates, which range from P185 to P665 for domestic routes and P610.37 to P4,538.40. for international flights.

Fuel surcharges are additional fees by airlines to help them recover fuel costs. These are separate from the base fare, which is the actual amount paid by the passenger for his or her seat.

Next month, passengers flying from Manila to Caticlan, Legaspi, Kalibo and Roxas will be shelling out an additional P238 while those going to Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod and Puerto Princesa will pay a fuel surcharge of P316.

The applicable surcharge for flights to Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Surigao and Siargao will be P418 while flights to Zamboanga, Cotabato and Davao, P487.

Passengers going to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam will pay an additional P498.03 while those flying to China will be charged P676.20 on top of the base fare.

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The surcharge to be collected for flights to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia will be P688.79; Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, P774.75; Australia and Middle East, P1,713.68; and New Zealand and Honolulu, 2,163.32.

The local carriers are positive on their operations this year, banking on the continued momentum for air travel demand.

“The Philippine Airlines (PAL) Group is optimistic about the long-term growth prospects for the Philippine aviation sector and the national economy. While we are aware of potential economic headwinds in global markets, we remain focused on growing our route network and our fleet progressively to meet market demand and support the tourism industry,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

AirAsia Philippines, which has already flown 520,000 guests in the first half of January, expects a bigger passenger volume on the back of projected uptick in tourist arrivals this year. INQ