Category: Tuesday Tips

Tuesday Tip: 5 Steps To Easily Pass Through PH Immigration

Clearing Philippine immigration is probably the most nerve-racking part of an international trip, especially for first timers. You can’t consider your trip a go-go if you haven’t passed through immigration. Why? It’s because anything can happen in the immigration counter. Even though the ratio of people being offloaded compared to those allowed to pass is very small, it still happens. It can happen to anyone, even to frequent flyers.

These immigration officers only want to assure a few things. First, you can afford to travel to your destination of choice. Second, your documents are valid & are correct (also to save you from all the hassle in immigration of your destination). Last & probably the most important reason is that you will come back to the Philippines after your trip. There are a number of Filipinos who go to a certain places like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong & the likes to look for a job & apply their working visa there. This is primarily the reason why immigration officers are a bit strict in screening people going out of the country.

Here’s the thing – you can’t choose the immigration officer where you’ll line up. You also won’t have an idea on how lenient or how strict will he / she be during your turn. Worry not, I am here to help you. No matter how strict the immigration officer is, there will always be means on how to get away with it.

Let me give you 5 tips on how you can easily pass through Philippine immigration.

Disclaimer: These tips are only for solo travelers or those travelling with friends for leisure / tourism. There might be other requirements for people travelling under a sponsored scheme, those travelling with minors & those travelling abroad for work.

Have your passport, immigration form & boarding pass ready

Your passport, boarding pass & accomplished immigration form are the 3 main requirements for you to pass immigration. Your passport should not expire in the next 6 months (people from the check-in counters also check this) & should contain a valid visa if your destination requires one. Make sure all information written in the immigration form are all correct & valid.

Present additional travel documents

If the mentioned 3 things are not enough, the immigration officer will now ask for additional travel documents to ensure your return. These documents include round-trip air tickets & hotel accommodation bookings. You don’t need to know all the details of your flights & hotel / hostel but make sure to have an idea about your return flight date & at the very least the name of your hotel / hostel.

Bring IDs & additional documents

The immigration officer needs to know that you are financially capable of travelling. Normally they ask where you work, what your position is in your company & how long have you been working for the company. Do not forget your company ID. Immigration officers ask for this after your plane ticket & hotel bookings. Additional documents that can help are income tax return form, HMO ID, certificate of employment or student ID, credit cards & original / photocopy of bank passbook or bank certificate.

Answer questions politely & direct to the point

Rule: One question, one answer. Don’t elaborate. Immigration officers are trained to screen people. They also know when people are telling the truth or are lying. If the officer asks you where you’re going & for how long, just answer with your destination & number of days. They don’t need to know what you’ll do there, where you’ll go per day & what you’ll buy, unless they ask for those details. It will also help if you have an idea on the major tourist landmarks of your destination.

Relax, smile & be confident

As mentioned earlier, immigration officers are taught to profile travellers. Any sign of nervousness in your body language would lead them to asking more questions. The more you get nervous means the more it shows you are hiding something. Further questions are asked to let you slip up your true intention of travelling. If there is nothing to hide, just relax, sport your best smile & be confident.

The ultimate goal is to give an impression to the immigration officer that you will come back to the Philippines after your trip. Note that all immigration officers are different – sometimes you easily pass through because of pure luck, but most of the time, it’s how you project yourself in front of Mr. or Ms. Immigration officer.

Do you have any good or bad experiences with the immigration officers here in the Philippines or abroad? How did you handle these situations or perhaps how did you deal with all the questions & interrogations (sorry for the word) asked? Do you want to ask something before you jet off for your international trip?

Feel free to post the questions & stories in the comments below. You can also send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Don’t have your tickets yet? I’ve shared my practices on how I book tickets for as low as ₱1,800+ to & from Bangkok & ₱2,100+ to & from Japan. Head over to this post (and this post too) to know more.

Thank you for reading. Have a great day! 😊

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets – PART 2!

A few months ago, I gave you 5 CHAMP tips on how you can book your super duper low fare tickets. Let’s try to remember what these 5 pointers are. First, you must check & subscribe to airline newsletters. You should also book your tickets during holidays & special occasions because these airlines usually have promo fares during these days. Third, make sure to download the airline’s mobile applications. Websites become busy during these seat sales. The best way to secure your low fare ticket is by booking using the mobile applications. Fourth, make sure to sign up for airline memberships & loyalty programs. These memberships allow you to save your personal & companion details plus your credit card information thus making bookings faster. You are also given access to priority seat sales & sometimes, free flights. Lastly, you must plan your travel dates as soon as possible.

Were you able to book affordable tickets after reading the previous blog post? If yes, feel free to share in the comments below where you’re going & how much did you pay for the ticket.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who read & shared the post to their families & friends. The CHAMP post is the most visited & most read content on my website to date.

Now back to business. For those who are yet to book your tickets, I thought of additional 5 CHAMP tips which can help you secure your cheapest airline ticket. I noticed that the previous tips I gave were all for planning your next trip, meaning prior to booking your tickets. I thought it would also be nice to share some tips on how to book these affordable tickets in the airlines’ websites.

Disclaimer: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies above.

C – CHOOSE red-eye flights

Red-eye flights are flights that leave late at night & arrive in the wee hours of the morning. These flights are inconvenient for most, thus lesser people taking it. Lesser demand means cheaper fare. There is always a higher chance of you getting a low fare seat going to Bangkok if you choose the 9:30 pm flight than the 6:00 am flight.

Chose a red-eye flight to Bangkok & got my ticket for only ₱1,800++ round-trip

H – HAVE all stuff in CARRY-ON baggage

Most low cost airlines now have prepaid baggage. It means that every ticket only includes 7 kilograms carry-on baggage. If you are travelling with heavy luggage, you need to pre-book or buy baggage allowance for a fee.

If you are traveling to a city, island or country for only 3 to 5 days, you only need to bring just the right number of clothes. You also don’t need to bring all those fancy stuff & accessories. People in your destination of choice won’t bother look at your clothes anyway.

If you think you need to bring a luggage last minute, you can always pre-book it 4 hours before your flight. It is available both via phone call to the airline customer service or via manage booking section of your account. Make sure to book baggage before you go to the airport as baggage fees during check-in are expensive.

Flew to Caticlan last July 2016 for only ₱684 pesos with only carry-on baggage

Traveling with carry-on baggage also saves time. You don’t need to wait for your luggage in the baggage claiming area; just go straight to wherever you’re going upon arrival.

A – A big NO to airplane food

Another cost cutting measure practiced by low cost carriers is the removal of free in-flight food. They now offer prepaid meals as early as booking your plane ticket. They also changed the game by selling food during the flight.  The bad news is these in-flight treats are priced twice or even thrice than their regular price in the stores. Airplane food is so expensive you should avoid it. Imagine paying ₱100 for a can of fruit juice; it’s overpriced.

You can always bring a sandwich or any snack with you to avoid paying for expensive airplane food.

M – MAKE sure to SKIP seat selector

Low cost airlines offer regular & premium seats for a fee. Yes, it’s another unnecessary add-on. I advise you to skip it. You can always request for a window seat, an aisle or exit seat upon check-in.

I requested window seats (at no additional cost) for both flights during check-in. I was given a window exit seat on my way to Nagoya. Good stuff!

P – PURCHASE travel insurance.. OR NOT?

I’ll be honest with you. I am on 50/50 on this last tip. You will definitely save some money if you do not buy travel insurance; but the thing is, we do not have control of what is going to happen during the flight.

Having travel insurance will keep your mind sane if something bad happens; but bear in mind that these occurrences only happen once in a blue moon. I suggest skipping travel insurance if you are leaving for only 3 to 5 days; but if it’s a 2 weeks to 1 month trip, it’s best to get one. Make sure to read the terms & conditions of the insurance offered by the airline; sometimes it’s a lot better to buy insurance for the whole trip than only for the flight.

You can also check with your banks if they offer travel insurance. The independent travel insurance companies I know are Pacific Cross Philippines (formerly Blus Cross) & the Lonely Planet-recommended World Nomads.

The tips above will save you thousands of pesos when booking a flight. Basically the technique is to SKIP ALL ADD-ONS offered by your carrier. Please take note of these options are pre-selected most of the time, so you really need to remove all of them.

BONUS TIP: You have higher chances of getting a low-fare seat if you choose flights that leave on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.

Make sure to remember these 5 tips (plus the first 5 pointers I shared last January) in booking your next airplane ticket. You might just get your cheapest plane ticket to your dream destination / country! 😉

Do you have any questions in booking air tickets? Is there topic / content you want to see in this blog in the future? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading & have a nice day! 😎

Tuesday Tips for Filipinos / Philippine Passport Holders: 4 Easy Steps On How To Get Your Japan Visa (Tips Included!!)

Getting a Japan tourist visa is probably the most nerve-wrecking part of planning your trip. The fate of your trip will depend on the outcome of your application. Some say applying for a Japan tourist visa is a difficult process. I say it’s not – coming from someone who has already applied for tourist visas twice. It’s just like any other visa application process.

In 2015, I applied for a tourist visa with 2 friends for our 9-day Japan trip. All 3 of us were granted a single entry visa valid for a 15-day stay. Last year, I applied again for another tourist visa for my 13-day solo trip. Few days after, my passport came back with a 5-year multiple entry visa up to 2021. Good stuff, right?

My first ever Japan tourist visa!~ Of course I had to cover the visa details 😏

Let me show you how you can easily get your own Japan tourist visa. It’s simple as downloading & filling in the application form, preparing the necessary documents, applying through an accredited travel agency & getting back your passport after a few days. I will discuss these 4 easy steps in detail below (will also include some tips based on my personal experience). Allow me to also share some snaps I took in my past 2 trips to Japan.

Note: Some details below were obtained from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website. The tips below apply to people who are employed in a private company. Business owners can also use the steps below but they might need to submit a few more papers related to their businesses. 

Step 1: Download & fill in the application form

The first step is to visit the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website & check on the visa application requirements. Kick start your application by downloading the application form from the website. Make sure to print this form in an A4-size paper with proper margins. Alternatively, you can ask for application forms in the embassy entrance or in the accredited travel agencies.

Write down your details neat & clear using a black or blue pen only. The accomplished application form should not have any erasure.

Tokyo DisneySea is a must-see in Tokyo; allot 1 day for this theme park~

Step 2: Gather the necessary documents

The embassy requires certain documents to be presented in order for them to decide on your application. Why is this so? It’s because they need to see that you are a registered Filipino citizen, you are qualified to go out of the country, you are capable of supporting your trip & that you will come back to the Philippines after your trip.

So what are the documents the Embassy of Japan require? Please see the not-so-long list below:

Valid Passport – Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months during your trip. The laminated part should be in perfect condition. It must have your signature & have at least 2 blank pages.

Birth Certificate & (if married) Marriage Contract – Both documents should be obtained from the National Statistics Office & must be issued within the past 12 months. You can check lower left portion of your document (near the bar code) to see the date your document was issued. If you do not have time to go to the NSO to get these documents, you can always request from the E-Census & NSO Helpline websites & they’ll have them delivered to your doorsteps.

Note: If you have a used Japan visa in your old or valid passport, you are exempted from submitting this requirement. The embassy already has a copy of your documents when you submitted them before.

Photo – The embassy website mentions that the photo should be 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm with white background. It’s best to wear something formal when having your photo taken. You only need 1 photo that you will attach in the application form.

Don’t miss the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto! 😍

Income Tax Return / BIR Form 2316 – You need to submit a copy of your latest income tax return. The form needs to have your signature. This will show the amount you earned for the past year as well as the amount of taxes you paid to the Philippine government.

Certificate of Employment – This is not listed in the embassy’s requirements but the agencies require this. You need to ask for this certificate from your HR officer. The certificate should contain your gross annual income, position & date when you started working for your employer. It’s best to get it on the same week of the application.

Bank Certificate – The embassy won’t tell you how much money you need to have in your account when you apply for the visa. However, the agencies require that you need to have at least ₱100,000.00 in your account. I know it’s quite a big amount of money. As of June 2023, the Embassy of Japan in the Phillippine added some requirements. First, the bank certificates should now include the account’s ADB or average daily balance. Second, if the bank certificate has no ADB and the applicant has no BIR Income Tax For, then the applicant should provide the account’s bank statement for the last 3 months.

Daily Schedule in Japan / Taizai Nitteihyo – Japan is one of the very few countries that ask for the detailed itinerary of your stay. The embassy needs to see what days are you arriving & leaving Japan, where will you stay (includes physical address, email address & phone number) & which places / areas are you going to explore. The embassy DOES NOT REQUIRE confirmed airline tickets & hotel / hostel reservations; you can just indicate your intended flights & hotel accommodations in the daily schedule. If you want a sample itinerary, I can send you the one we used 2 years ago. Feel free to send me an email to request for the said copy.

Osaka’s Dōtonbori canal at night + the famous Glico Man

TIP: It is always better to apply for a visa as a tourist rather than a visitor of a friend or a relative. The latter requires additional documents (invitation letter, photo, etc) that need to be submitted together with your application.

TIP 2.0: Some people previously ask me why did I book my airline tickets without having a Japan tourist visa. I told them that I would take a risk & spend less than ₱5,000 (before) for round-trip ticket rather than spend ₱15,000 – ₱20,000 pesos on a round-trip ticket last minute. I’ve saved more which I can add up to my daily expenses in Japan. Of course, you lose ₱5,000 if you get denied. If your documents are complete, I don’t see any reason why your application will rejected.

Step 3: Apply in a Japanese Embassy accredited travel agency

Now that you already have your application form & requirements, it’s time to submit them to the relevant agency. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines does not directly accept visa applications. The office has authorized a handful of travel agencies that can accept these visa applications with, of course, a handling fee. These applications are compiled daily & are being sent to the embassy for processing.

I personally recommend Reli Tours & Travel Agency. They have one of the cheapest visa handling fees among the agencies (only ₱950) for tourist visa applications with no guarantors. They have different branches here in Metro Manila; my last 2 applications were handled by their Dusit Thani Hotel office.

All documents will be checked before your application will be accepted. After everything has been checked & accepted, they will ask for the visa handling fee. They will give you a receipt + a stub which you will present when claiming your passport. Applications usually take 3-7 working days.

TIP: If you want Reli Tours to submit your documents next day , make sure to hand over your applications before 5:00 pm in the Dusit Thani Hotel office. Any application submitted after 5:00 will still be accepted that same day; but will be submitted 2 days after. Note that other Reli branches have different cut-off times.

USJ’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter should be in everyone’s list!

Step 4: Go back to the agency & claim your passport

The agency will normally send you a text message once your passport is ready for claiming. Note that they will not inform you if you have been granted a visa or not. You will only know if you were granted a visa when you sign the passport release sheet with a check mark in the ‘Yes‘ box.

You can either be granted a single entry visa valid for 3 months from the date of issue & is valid for a 15-day stay in Japan or a multiple entry visa valid for x years (can be 1, 2 or up to 5 years) from the date of issue & is valid for a 30-day stay per entry.

TIP: Passports can only be claimed in the afternoon from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Make sure to go there on time.

The list of requirements might be a little intimidating; but I tell you, once you are done gathering all the necessary requirements, the visa application process will be as easy as these 4 steps! So what are you waiting for? Book your plane tickets, gather all the needed documents & apply for your Japan visa as soon as possible. A trip to Japan is something you won’t regret. 😉

My 5-year multiple entry Japan tourist visa issued last year 😏

Have you encountered any problem when you applied for your Japan visa? Did the agency require additional documents from you? Do you have any questions or clarifications with the things mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments – it’s always nice to hear from you guys.

Alternatively, you can also send your questions & thoughts to contact@thewkndtravel.com or via Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Thank you for reading & have a nice day!

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets

Who would say no to a ₱200+ round-trip ticket to Cebu, a ₱1,300+ round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur, a ₱1,800+ ticket to & from Bangkok & a ₱4,900+ round-trip ticket to Tokyo & from Osaka? No one. Many friends ask me how do I book affordable tickets for all of my past travels. Some think I’ve done it with luck; I say I’ve done it with a few strategic measures.

You want to know my secret? Let me teach you how you can become a CHAMP in booking cheap domestic & international tickets from Manila, Cebu or any Philippine airport.

Note: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. Also, these tips don’t include baggage allowance, seat selection & other flight add-ons. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies below. 

UPDATE (9 May 2017) – This post has a PART 2! Click HERE to know more about the additional 5 CHAMP tips! 😎

C – CHECK & subscribe to mailing lists

Airlines regularly send out emails about their upcoming & current fare offers. Air Asia announces their low-fare sale 3-5 days before & announce the travel period a day before the priority sale. Cebu Pacific Air sends out regular announcements to there subscribers while Jetstar alerts their subscribers 2-3 days before a low-fare sale or minutes before the regular 10 AM Friday Frenzy Sale.

H – HOLIDAYS & special occasions

Seat sales usually happen 1 day before or sometimes on the day of the holiday / special occasion. Cebu Pacific Air usually starts their offers 12:01 am of a day before a Philippine Holiday – true to the recent New Year sale (started 31 December 2016), Christmas Day sale (started 24 December 2016) & Bonifacio Day sale (started 29 November 2016). From memory, the only seat sale that starts 12:01 am of the same day is the Easter Sunday sale. This was the holiday where my friend & I booked our Japan tickets for less than ₱5,000 each.

A Japan round-trip ticket for 2 booked during the 2015 Easter Sunday seat sale

There are also occasions where airline companies hold special seat sales. This can range from anniversary sales (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 20th Anniversary Piso (₱1.00) base fare sale last 8 March 2016 & Philippine Airline’s 75th Anniversary (up to 75% off on fares) sale last 13 March 2016) to random calendar patterned offer fares (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 12.12 sale last December 12, 2012 & 10 peso sale last October 10, 2010). On the other hand, Jetstar holds their annual Boxing Day sale every after Christmas & their Return-For-Free promo in some selected months per year.

A super duper mega affordable round-trip ticket to Bangkok booked during Cebu Pacific Air’s 20th Anniversary Sale last March 2016

A – Airlines’ Mobile APPS

Airline websites tend to get busy minutes after every low-fare sale starts. An alternative way of securing cheap tickets is booking via the airlines’ respective mobile applications. These applications show the same fares being offered in the websites.

The Bangkok ticket above was booked at 12:38 am via the mobile app

Some applications allow you to log in & key in personal details beforehand for faster check out. Always remember only credit card is the only mode of payment accepted in booking via these mobile applications.

M – MEMBERSHIPS, Miles & Loyalty Points

Airlines offer memberships to all its patrons. These memberships let you save your personal details, family members & companion details as well as credit card details in their system. Having all the details saved online makes bookings faster, thus securing your promo seat in no time.

Air Asia provides a 24-hour priority access to their Air Asia BIG Loyalty Programme members. The members can already book tickets ahead of time (usually every 12:01 am Sunday) before they start the network-wide sale (which starts 12:01 of the next day, Monday).

A round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur I got for 20 Air Asia BIG Points & ₱1,300+

Cebu Pacific’s GetGo also send emails for upcoming seat sales; these email alerts let their members plan their trips ahead of the sale.

Most airlines also allow you to earn loyalty miles / points every time you fly with them. Air Asia allows you to earn Big points, Cebu Pacific Air lets you earn GetGo Points, Philippine Airlines allows you to earn Mabuhay Miles & so on. Make sure to register in these platforms & earn miles / points every flight you take. Keep on earning miles / points with these airlines & you’ll get eventually get privileges such as free flights, exclusive seat sales, in-flight treats & lounge access.

Flew back to Manila for free last week; Used my GetGo points for my ticket

P – PLAN Dates

The last tip I can give to everyone is to plan the dates of your trip. You might ask me, how will one know the travel period of the upcoming sales of each airline? Easy. Given I’ve been booking tickets for years, I have already noticed some patterns on the travel dates offered in the seat sales.

Cebu Pacific Air makes changes in their website a few minutes before 12 midnight. Make sure to check the website 11:58 pm – 11:59 pm before the usual holiday sale to have an idea on the offer fares as well as their respective travel period (before everyone knows about it by 12:01 am). Usually, the travel period of the low fares can range from 4 months from the current month up to 12 months.

Air Asia on the other hand announces the travel period 12 hours before the priority sale for BigShot members. They send out an email to all members to announce the travel dates for the upcoming sale.

Jetstar’s Friday Frenzy sale usually offers discounted fares for immediate travel (within the next 3 months) while their special sale offer low fares for travels 4-6 months from the day / month of booking.

Tip: If you want to travel on dates during long weekends, make sure to choose the dates 2 days before or after the holiday / long weekend for higher changes of securing a low fare seat.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to the different airline websites & subscribe to their mailing list, download the available mobile apps, join the different membership & loyalty programs, plan your next trips & wait for the next low fare sale. You might just get the most affordable ticket to your dream destination! ✈️

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.