Travellers have a new direct flight from Vancouver to Manila courtesy of Air Canada, but it isn't the cheapest option on the market.
Canada's flag carrier launched the inaugural nonstop flights connecting Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) on Thursday, April 2. It is the only direct service from Canada to the Philippine capital and represents Air Canada's third Southeast Asian destination launched in recent years (Bangkok in December 2022 and Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN) in April 2024).
Travellers can enjoy thrice-weekly service from YVR, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from April 2 to April 30 and from Manila on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Starting on May 1, the airline will increase its YVR-MNL service, with four flights weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and from Manila on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (see slide two).
Air Canada's ticket prices start at under $1,500 for return trips from YVR this spring. However, most trips cost several hundred more than this, despite the route just launching. In July, starting prices exceed $2,000.
Travellers looking for the cheapest return trips via Air Canada should wait until the late summer and early fall when prices fall to just over $1,200 at the very end of August and through September.
What is the cheapest option for a trip to the Philippines from Vancouver in the spring of 2025?
Air Canada may offer the most convenient option for travellers, but not the cheapest tickets. Travellers looking to reach Manila for a more affordable price can save several hundred dollars by adding a stopover in Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific.
The five-star airline's itineraries aren't painful, with stopovers on cheaper round-trip flights lasting under three hours.
For example, a flight departing Vancouver on Wednesday, May 7 and returning from Manila on Wednesday, May 21 costs $957 when booked through third-party company OOJO or $989 directly through Cathay (see slides two and three).
The itinerary includes a two-hour and 20 minute stop on the outbound journey and one for under two hours on the return.
This price is considered "low" for economy or $1,131 cheaper than usual, according to Google Flights.
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