TRAVEL EXPO SURVIVAL GUIDE

3:25 AM


Headed to the travel expo this weekend? 

Here are some helpful tips to make the most of your visit. 

Travel expos can be quite overwhelming with the long lines and numerous options. You can get a lot of savings by visiting them but requires a lot of patience and planning. Having a battle plan can help you tackle the day.   

  1. Decide whether you will just be doing research or be booking your travel plans. Travel expos are a good place to check out what local and international destinations offer. There are booths and displays by the different tourism departments of foreign embassies and local destinations. For instance, there are usually several booths about Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan. Here you can get numerous brochures and ask exhibitors about the best times and places to visit.
  1. If you have a destination in mind, do some research beforehand. Find out and decide where exactly and when do you want to go. This will help you target the booths you need to check and facilitate booking. It’s best to have an idea when the best times or festivals to visit a certain place to maximize your visit. For example, if you want to catch the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, you can check the Sakura forecast as blooming dates are from March to April but vary every year.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                     Also, it would be ideal to discuss your travel plans and budget with your travel buddies beforehand. I would usually meet with my travel companions at least a week before the expo to decide on our range of travel dates, final destination, check flight details, and decide our budget for the airlines. This will facilitate the decision making when at the expo especially if not everyone is at the venue. On the last expo I attended, we had specific airlines and flight times we were looking for and had a maximum budget so when we were at the booking counter it was easier to decide if we were booking the flight. 
  1. Once you have the range of travel dates and destinations, I like to check ahead of time the airline rates and flight times my specific requirement. This will allow you to have an idea which airlines would give you the best travel time, the departure or arrival time you prefer,  or the number of stops you need to take. For instance, if you would like non-stop flights you should fly with local airlines to avoid stopovers. Flights to Osaka for instance usually arrive later in the day if you prefer direct flights coming from Manila. Getting the prevailing rate would also give you an idea of how much savings you are actually getting if you book at the expo. 
  1. If you have a specific airline in mind, you can also check if they offer the same rates online or at their ticketing office so you won’t have to fall in line. There are certain airlines like Cebu Pacific and Air Asia that offer the same rates online and at the expo.  So if you’ll just be going to the expo for one particular airline, you might be better off purchasing online or going directly to their ticketing office. If you want to canvas rates though, it would be easier to see what each airline offers. The specific availability and price of the flight would depend on the what is available when you reach their counter. Sometimes you have to line up for a while to just get the rate. 
  1. Check if your bank or credit card offers free entrance or advance entry. This weekend’s expo, for example, gives free entrance to Citibank credit card holders. BDO has semi-annual expos in Metro Manila every year - January and June, but are limited to bank account & credit card holders.  

  1. If you want an all in package, there are numerous travel agencies that offer many options. Make sure to read through what exactly the inclusions are and ask questions about the package details to have clear expectations. For instance, the hotel on the flyer maybe different from the one you are eventually booked in. It is usually the same category but you might be surprised if you were expecting the specific hotel. 

      I would suggest exploring the entire expo and compare packages before booking. 

  1. If you want to do your itinerary on your own and visiting a new place, I check packaged tours to get an idea of what sights should be visited and how they are usually arranged. It would give you an idea of how long a visit to a certain sight would require and what other places are nearby. You can also get an idea of the dates of particular festivals or events of a specific destination. For instance, travel agencies would offer a certain package for a particular season.                                                                                                                        Another place to get information about it are the exhibits on that particular destinations. You can usually ask the exhibitors on how to reach the sight and what else can be visited that is nearby.                       
  2. Be early. If possible visit on the first day, early in the morning when the lines are a bit shorter and there are more availability of slots of promo rates and packages. There are expos like those in MOA SMX that have a line outside even before it opens. 
  1. Be prepared to wait. There are usually hundreds of people ahead of you in the line. For instance, in the last expo I attended, I went in 2 hours after the expo opened on the first day. It took about 6 hours before my number was called. The length of the line would depend on the particular airline or company you’re queuing for. They also have cut-offs so visiting later in the day might not be fruitful if you want to book. Sometimes they reach their daily limit by lunchtime. Bring reading materials, power bank, and a whole lot of patience. 
  1. Don’t forget to get freebies. There are many freebies like reusable totes, pens, etc given out by the different exhibitors. 
  1. Bring a copy of travel buddies and your passport. Printed copies or photos on your phone can help speed up and avoid mistakes in booking flights. Some airlines and travel agencies require copies to be able to book. Also have frequent flyer account numbers handy. For Cebu Pacific Get Go, for example, you need to input the number at booking to be able to earn the points. Other airlines allow adding this detail after booking. It varies depending on the airline.

  1. I usually book way in advance to be able to get the best rates available. You can get better deals if you're booking months in advance. Sometimes I book 10 months in advance especially if I’m planning to travel on peak dates.  
  1. Secure your belongings. Make sure to keep an eye on your valuables to avoid theft. 
  1. It can be overwhelming and you might need to take a break in between. I would suggest grabbing lunch somewhere so you can really sit down and compare the offers. If the line is really long and you have a number, you might even be able to catch a movie while waiting for your turn. 
  1. Have a route in mind. If I’m after a certain airline or company, I beeline to it and get a number as soon as I enter the expo. I then explore the other exhibits to see the other offers. If I’m there to do some research or do some comparison shopping, I start from one end of the venue and go through row by row making sure not to miss out on any exhibit
  1. If you can visit the expo with a group, you can disperse to divide and conquer. Each of you can get queue numbers and divide the venue into areas to get flyers and then meet up and compare. If you’ll be doing it alone, I would suggest having a battle plan and wishing you a lot of luck. 
  1. Tip: There are certain travel agencies that offer discounted visa processing rates to  Japan if prepaid at the expo.  
  2. Check the website of the particular expo to see if the airline or company you are interested in joining. 



This weekend’s expo: 


25th PTAA Travel Tour Expo 2018  
Feb 9-11, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City   
Entrance: Entrance ticket is Php70 and Php50 for our senior citizen participants.

Event Hours :
Feb 9 (Friday)
8:30am open to Citibank cardholders
9:30am- gates open to public
7:00pm- closing time

Feb 10 (Saturday) 
9:00am-7:00pm

Feb 11(Sunday)
9:00am-6:00pm
The next travel expo after this one is probably in June or July.


Hope this list helps you maximize your travel expo visit, get savings, and discover new places to visit. 

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