Skyscanner holds 1st Blogger Kapihan

Well kiss your pillows hello! As Skyscanner takes the hassle of having to sign up for email alerts opening multiple windows, and having to do those computations to find out which is the best deal!

Skyscanner held the first-ever Bloggers Kapihan on January 23 at the M Cafe to give online media an introduction of what it can do and how it can benefit travelers.

It is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire. It offers price alerts on all routes to enable flights to be monitored by email. The Skyscanner app offers widgets for Android, Live Tiles for Windows Phone and “watch” functionality for iOS, all of which allow customers to track the latest price changes on a chosen route.

Booking at the right time

Janet Ranola, Skyscanner Philippines Manager, shared that Skyscanner did a study on the millions of flights purchased by their customers over the past three years to arrive with the best time to book.

The study shows that on average, 3-4 weeks in advance is the optimal time to book flights. This suggestion, however, depends on the type of flight you book or the airlines you book with. When traveling with a budget airline, prices are likely to go up as the day of the flight approaches. If traveling on long haul flights or for more than 5 hours, prices are likely to fluctuate as the flight day grows near, and this does not guarantee the best seats.

In the Philippines, we have always loved the idea of discounts and because of this, booking early has always been a trend. Below are the top outbound destinations in the Philippines alongside the number of weeks you need to book in advance for maximum saving:

• China. If you book 28 weeks in advance, you can save as much as PHP 7 000 per flight which means more money for shopping and buying souvenirs.
• Malaysia. Because Malaysia is relatively near, it can be a go-to destination for last minute getaways and short vacations, but booking close to your departure date can be quite expensive. Consider booking 31 weeks in advance so you will only have to pay 46% of the actual flight cost.
• Japan. Book a flight to the land of cherry blossoms 14 weeks in advance and you can save as much as PHP 6300. Like with Thailand, booking four tickets will make way for another friend or relative to tag along in your trip.
• Thailand. Save as much as PHP 2990 if you book 16 weeks ahead. The discount you will get from booking four tickets is enough to get you another flight for free!
• Singapore. This country is the most visited by Filipinos in 2013 according to a recent study by

Skyscanner. The best time to book flights going to Singapore is 25 weeks in advance. By booking this early, you can save as much as PHP 1600. This is almost 24% less than the average flight cost.
According to the Best Time to Book study, on average, it is best to book 20 weeks in advance regardless of where you want to go. The study also suggests that the cheapest month to travel is in February and it is most expensive in April. This is for the reason that less people travel on February because they are making way for their summer travels which usually happens in April.

Booking flights during these suggested time frames enables you access to loads of discounts and the best seats possible. If you book early, you can save almost 18% less than what you will have to pay for the average ticket price. Moreover, you can skip the stress of looking for available flights at the last minute which are most likely to be overpriced. Booking your flights early will not just give you these perks but it will also help you focus on the other aspects of your vacation such as relaxation and educating yourself, which is ultimately the point of traveling.

She then shared a few simple rules to bear in mind to get the best price:
1. Book smart: Avoiding peak season travel and flying at less popular hours of the day, can really help to lower costs.
2. Be flexible:  Costs to different destinations can vary significantly depending on the airlines operating that route and the Thai airports offering these flights. If you are planning your next trip but are open to destinations, running a search to ‘everywhere’ can help find the countries that offer the best value flights at any time.
3. Compare and contrast: Using a travel comparison site like Skyscanner allows you to compare the widest range of airlines and online travel agents, so you’ll be able to see where you can get the best deal.
4. Track prices Skyscanner’s analysis has found that keeping an eye on the flight prices a few months in advance of travel, is the best way to find a good value flight. Using a flight tracker price alert service, either by email or via the app can help monitor when prices drop on a chosen route.

The Bloggers Kapihan also served as the venue to announce the nominees for the SkyscannerBloscars 2014 which included several of the PH top travel bloggers such as Melo
Villareal of Outoftownblog.com

The Bloscars Travel Award 2014 is an award given by Skyscanner to travel blogs from selected countries in Europe and Asia. It recognizes the excellent work of travel bloggers in informing and inspiring travellers by sharing their adventures and first-hand experience.The competition will consist of three stages: the nomination period, the voting and selection of the Best Travel Blogs from each participating country, and the selection of the international winner.

The winners for the Best Travel Blog from each participating country will each receive Php50,000 worth of flights. They will also be invited in to the Skyscanner regional headquarters in Singapore for the awarding, where one will receive a surprise award.

The international winner will receive Php145,000 worth of free flights.

Photos taken from Fleishman-Hillard Manila Facebook Album HERE