International Flights & costs

David4Jesus wrote:

CDO (Cagayan de Oro City) used to have several international aircarriers who flew into it's airport.

That was in 2017 and 2018 when I was there.    That has 'dramatically been reduced' in 2019 !

Let's compare 2 cities from nearby islands to each other:   CEBU and Cagayan de Oro

1.  for 2020:   
     Cebu has 'many' different airlines who fly daily to several other nations-capitals or cities.     It is common to see flights in the $200 round-trip, same-day offerings.

For those who chose not to deposit $20,000 USD into a Filipino bank, you have to 'fly out every 59 days' in order to renew visas.  (at least, that's what I read last month)

    CDO.. or Cagayan de Oro...   I don't know what happened.. maybe it was the new airport, or ???.. but several international aircarriers who used to fly in and out of CDO.. have 'dramatically reduced' those flights.   They now, except for flights from USA in-routes....  do not offer economical flights from CDO to other places (HK, SIN, TPI, SK, etc) as they once did.

And..  the costs have risen 'very greatly'.   Back in 2017, you could sometimes gain a cheap $70 or 90 dollar flight from CDO to some other place... ... THAT's history...
.. now.. expect to pay from $320 to over $580 for a round trip from CDO, to somewhere, and back.

PAL (Phil. Air LInes).. is the #1 daily short-flight airline out of CDO... at a notably cost-premium..   Even their so-called 'cheap flights' require you to stay for 2 nights in that other nation's city...before you can come back...   at $330+.. add 2 hotel nights.. and all the ground transportation and meals.. and that so called cheap CDO flight by PAL.. . goes right back to the total being the same for their regular '$590' same-day round trip flights.

... I would welcome ANYONE... to share more info on all this.. please.

bottom line....   CDO has become 'out of reach' from what I've discovered... at least as of end of Feb 2020 and through to Summer..

CEBU....  while rent for a okay aircon western-furnished apartment may be 5,000 or more pesos more than CDO... this issue of out-flights makes Cebu VERY attractive!

Please share if you know of airlines and cheap round-trip, same-day flights out of CDO.

Thank you all!

Hi David4jesus;

This could have been 'intensified' due to the current "covid 19" virus outbreak + airlines using this to maximise revenue for pottential losses due to lack of passengers...just my take & hope things revert back to normal!

Cheers

Thanks ...  yes, could be.    Say.. do you know anything about the new 2020 policies and requirements for non-married to local.. extended stay visas?

No need to fly out every 60 days. You can extend visas almost indefinitely in the Philippines, but it can get expensive as it is 7K for a 60 day renewal, which I just did.
At some point (6 mos?) I believe they make you get an ACR card and then it is cheaper.

I haven’t heard anything about having to leave after 59 days. Like Pwncyclist said above, just renew in Country and unless it’s changed, one can do that for a total of 36 months before having to physically leave. After your first renewal, you have to apply and pay for the ACR card. Depending upon where you are, it could take months to actually receive it.  I was here for 18 months before flying out in Dec 2019 for a vacation elsewhere. Came back in late Dec 2019, renewed in January and renewed for 2 more months in Feb. no mention of having to leave every 59 days.