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Travel options - Manila to LHR (airlines / stopovers etc)

Discussion in 'Hotel and Travel reviews' started by Scotschap16, Jan 13, 2017.

  1. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Looking to get my fiancé ( @inaroiles ) and her son over following issue of settlement visa.

    When she came over last November she flew direct with PAL at a cost of around £750 return - as reported elsewhere there was no in-flight entertainment on the Airbus (She was given an I Pad.) Service was ok with the food being decidedly average.

    Anyway - we will be looking to book late-May / early-June and the single fare with PAL is well over £700 (x 2 of course.) Have looked at 1-stop alternatives and there are good deals (around £350) with both Thai & Kuwait airlines. The Thai option has a 3 hour stopover in Bangkok (18 hour total journey time) with the Kuwait option involving a longer stop in Kuwait (23 hour total).

    I'm thinking some of our more seasoned travellers will be able to offer opinions on Thai & Kuwait airlines (in flight ent / food etc) and the facilities at the respective stopover locations.

    With us going to be spending a shedload of cash this year the cheaper travel option involving 1 stopover is obviously attractive.

    Incidentally, I have been using Skyscanner but for some reason the Thai option does not appear on the UK platform - but does on Skyscanner.co..ph. Weird!

    Finally - we will not be in a position to submit the visa application until mid-February as Kris has to obtain a passport for her son (and has appointment on 20 January). As many will know the maximum stated time for processing of settlement visas is 60 days - with the majority of cases being dealt with in a shorter period. Just wondering how long others took to obtain their visas? Naturally, we are gathering all the information to be able to submit the application pretty much as soon as the boy's passport has been issued.

    You may have figured out that we (well mainly me!) are probably going to book the flights before we know the outcome of the visa application. Some may regard this as foolhardy - and I appreciate it is a bit of a calculated gamble - but I'm doing this in the knowledge that so long as we supply all the necessary information (which we shall) and meet the necessary criteria (which we do) then the UKVI have no grounds for refusal. Comments on this welcome too!

    Thanks everyone - such a super-helpful bunch!

    Gerry
  2. john jones
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    john jones Active Member

    Good luck Gerry, I really hope you get the visas. Will be following with interest.
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  3. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Thank you sir! :)
  4. Brom27
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    Brom27 Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Other people I know who applied for their settlement visas are reaching the 10th week mark of waiting. Others were lucky to get it for only 6 weeks. I'm still on my 6th week of waiting but not expecting it on the 10th week, although I'm secretly hoping I'll hear from them before that. If you are going to apply by mid-Feb you might get a decision before June but of course always depends on the number of applicants at that time.

    You can take the risk on booking the flights, although the UKVI strictly say that you shouldn't, they can't stop you from booking one. No one will really know what will be the outcome of your application but as you said you are going to get every necessary document to please the ECO then it might be worth taking the risk, you just have to do your best and hope everything will go according to plan.

    Best of luck ;)
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  5. DavidAlma
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    DavidAlma Well-Known Member

    Hi Gerry
    Did you check out Emirates via Dubai?
    That is the option I will use for flying my family out from UK for holiday in the summer.
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  6. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    if you do book flights for end of may / june remember to ask for the intended travel date in the visa application--just in case it is processed quicker than you thought. otherwise the visa will be dated from the date of issue--and the applicant has to travel within 30 days.
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  7. john dillon
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    john dillon Member

    e
    I have not fly with pal yet but I intent at some stage I have had flights with Singapore ,air china and emirates if you go to Singapore it takes 19 hours if go by air china it takes 21 hours if you go by emirates it takes 17 hours to get to philppines and back to uk it coast £400
  8. Maharg
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    Maharg Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Why book the flights before you know for certain that you have the visa? You'll still get flights easy enough after and you never know for certain.

    You never know what googlies this process is going to throw up in your face.
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  9. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Hi Dave - thanks. Yes, Emirates was coming in at around the £750 mark.
  10. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Thanks @bigmac - have I missed something critical here? Hitherto I had been under the impression that the visa would be issued - and be effective for travel from that date. This of course is what happens with the visitor visa where the traveller's journey (in and out) has to take place within the 6 months. For the settlement visa I thought that the marriage had to take place within 6 months of the date of issue. In our case we were assuming we would receive the settlement visa in mid-April (allowing 60-days from a mid-Feb application) - which would (we thought) have meant that the ceremony would have to take place by mid-October i.e. 6 months. Have I misunderstood things? It would certainly be beneficial if - in essence - the visa issue date could be "post-dated" to commence from a date of our choosing - providing more flexibility.

    Grateful for clarification.

    Cheers.

    Gerry
  11. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Thanks @Maharg - I guess my thinking was cost-driven - with the ticket prices inevitably rising considerably as the summer months approaches. Not made final decision yet so still possible we'll decide to wait.
  12. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Many thanks @Brom27 - interesting comment re processing times. I just took a look at the Home Office website showing processing times for settlement visas at Manila:-

    Settlement Visas
    Settlement
    Most applications are processed within 60 days.

    Number of days to process application 2 days 3 days 5 days 10 days 15 days 30 days 60 days

    % of applications decided 1% 3% 5% 21% 28% 77% 100%

    Note: actual processing times may vary depending on a range of factors.

    The above data is for all decisions made in November 2016

    As you'll see the stats suggest that 100% of visas are processed within 60 days - although I appreciate that there is always scope for delay should there be something in the application that the authorities need to query.
  13. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    with settlement visas the applicant has to travel within 30 days of the start date on the visa. so--if you intend to travel--say--1st of june--ask for a travel date just before then. if its a settlement-marriage ( fiancee ) visa--the applicant has a six month timeframe to get married---and apply for the first FLR.. but--do take note it takes a few weeks from arrival in the UK till the wedding can take place.
  14. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I would definitely use Emirates as opposed to Thai (which is reasonable) and Kuwait Air (not so good).

    Splash out man :)
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  15. Brom27
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    Brom27 Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Yeah all applications are decided already on the 60th day but I never really heard Filipinos who applied and reached the 60th day usually only until 50 days.. :)
  16. Brom27
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    Brom27 Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    You are applying for fiance visa right? You don't need to wait for October for your marriage to take place. Let's say your visa is valid from April to October then your marriage can take place within that time, not after 6 months of issue which is October. If your marriage is on October then time is really getting tight for you to apply for the next visa.
  17. DavidAlma
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    DavidAlma Well-Known Member

    That seems bit high Gerry. I am seeing return fares with Emirates for about £600
  18. Maley
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    Maley Well-Known Member

    I agree. Looking at emirates fare for May only £500 with 3 day stopover to dubai but destination cebu- i dont mind cebu since im headed to davao anyway.
  19. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Thanks all - decided to wait until settlement visa issued.

    I head down to The Smoke from Auld Reekie tomorrow ahead of flying out to Manila tomorrow evening.

    First leg to Doha is with BA on Boeing 777. Looking forward to decent food and a couple of large g & t's! Talking about matters alcohol the second leg to Manila is with Quatar Airlines. What's the policy on alcohol on flights operated by Middle East Moslem countries?

    I'm certainly no sauce merchant these days and can happily exist without a snifter - but I do enjoy a small libation (especially if free) whilst flying!
  20. graham59
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    graham59 Banned

    No probs (alcohol) on Qatar (I flew with them less than a year ago)... nor with Emirates or Etihad.

    Enjoy your flight. Nowt wrong with Qatar... and the airport in Doha is ok too. You can download a map / app of Doha airport on to your phone or tablet, incidentally. There will be free wif-fi while you're waiting for your connecting flight. :)

    Come to think of it there are 'apps' now for most of the airlines. Handy to have. :)
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2017
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