Routes
One way, per person. Fares other travellers found recently; prices change and are confirmed only when you book.
We track flights to the Philippines, currently the Dubai to Manila route, where Cebu Pacific, Emirates and Philippine Airlines fly nonstop. The Philippines is 4 hours ahead of the UAE and 8 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 7 in British Summer Time. Fares rise around Christmas and New Year, Holy Week and Easter, and the UAE school summer holidays, so book well ahead for those weeks.
Last checked: October 2026
Routes we track to the Philippines
We currently track one route to the Philippines: Dubai to Manila. Three airlines fly it nonstop, Cebu Pacific, Emirates and Philippine Airlines. If you are flying from the UK, you will connect through a Gulf hub, and Dubai is the hub we cover. The live fare calendar on this page shows this month's lowest fares for the route we track.
Filipino workers in the Gulf often fly home on this nonstop route, and families in the UK usually join it through a connection in Dubai. The time difference matters when you book and when you call home. The Philippines is 4 hours ahead of the UAE and 8 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 7 hours in British Summer Time.
To follow fares on the route we track:
- Open the live fare calendar on this page and look at this month's lowest fares.
- Pick the weeks you could travel, allowing for the festivals and school holidays listed below.
- Set a price alert for your route so you are told when fares move.
- Check the official entry rules for your passport before you fly.
- Add an eSIM or mobile top up for Globe or Smart before you land.
If you build a journey from separate tickets, for example a UK flight connecting to a low cost carrier, treat it as a self transfer. Separate tickets carry risk: if the first flight is late, the second airline owes you nothing, so leave a long gap between flights.
When fares to the Philippines are lowest
Fares to the Philippines are lowest outside the busy weeks. The live fare calendar on this page shows this month's lowest fares, month by month across the year. Use it to compare quiet weeks with the festival and school holiday periods below before you commit.
The calendar covers 12 months, so you can see how fares shift across the year rather than guessing. For Filipino workers in the Gulf, the pattern is driven by leave dates and school terms. For families in the UK, it is driven by the same festivals plus the British school year.
Fares are not the only cost of a busy week. Airport queues, full flights and higher demand for seats all add pressure, so book early if your dates are fixed by an employer or a school. If your dates are flexible, move your trip a week away from a peak and watch the calendar for the change.
Festivals and busy weeks
The busiest weeks for flights to the Philippines are Christmas and New Year, Holy Week and Easter, and the UAE school summer holidays. Holy Week and Easter fall in late March 2027. Fares and demand rise in these weeks, so book well ahead if you must travel then.
Christmas and New Year is the big one for Filipino families, and many workers in the Gulf want the same dates. Holy Week and Easter is a major period at home, and in late March 2027 it will pull in travellers from the UK as well. The UAE school summer holidays push families onto the Dubai to Manila route at the same time.
If you can travel outside these weeks, you will usually find lower fares and more choice of seats. If you cannot, set a price alert early and be ready to book when the calendar shows a fare you can accept. Do not wait for the busy week to book, because the seats that remain get more limited as the date gets closer.
Arriving in the Philippines: phone, data and entry
Globe and Smart are the main mobile networks in the Philippines, with coverage up to 5G. Buy an eSIM or a mobile top up before you fly so you are online when you land in Manila. Check the official entry rules for your passport before you travel, as they depend on your nationality.
A data connection on arrival helps with ride hailing, messages to family and checking your onward plans. An eSIM means you can set up your line before departure and switch it on when you land, without hunting for a shop in the terminal. A top up keeps an existing Globe or Smart number active if that is how you stay reachable at home.
Entry rules are set by the Philippine authorities and depend on your passport, so read the official rules for your nationality before you fly. Do not rely on what worked for a friend last year. Have your documents ready at check in, and keep your phone charged for the arrival process.
Free price alerts for your trip
Set a free price alert on the route we track and we will tell you when fares move. The live fare calendar on this page shows this month's lowest fares, so start there, then let alerts do the watching. This suits Filipino workers in the Gulf booking around leave and families in the UK booking around school terms.
Alerts help most when your dates are fixed and you need to book early, such as Christmas and New Year or the UAE school summer holidays. They also help if you are flexible and want to see a quiet week appear at a lower fare.
Before you book, confirm the time difference for your call home, check the official entry rules for your passport, and sort your Globe or Smart eSIM or top up so you land connected.