Flights to the Philippines from the US: Routes, Carriers, and Timing
Nonstops to Manila, the cheapest connections, baggage rules that matter for balikbayan travel, and when to book.
By WarBird Flight editors · Updated September 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Nonstops and connections
Philippine Airlines flies nonstop to Manila from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Seattle, and United flies from San Francisco. From elsewhere, connections through Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, or Hong Kong on Japan Airlines, ANA, Korean Air, EVA, and Cathay Pacific are often cheaper than the nonstop.
Cheapest months
Late January to March and September to early November. Christmas is the peak and should be booked by August; summer is the second peak.
Baggage
Two checked bags are standard on most transpacific fares to Manila, and Philippine Airlines has offered extra allowances for balikbayan travelers. Confirm the allowance on the specific fare before booking.
Why the connecting point changes the price
The transpacific leg is the expensive part, so the airline you connect on — and where — moves the fare more than the nonstop-versus-one-stop choice does. Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong each have different levels of competition, and the cheapest hub shifts week to week. A connection also lets you split a very long trip and, on some routings, add a free stopover in the connecting city. The catch is a self-transfer: if the two legs are on separate tickets, you re-check bags and clear security again, and a missed connection is yours to fix. A single through-ticket is worth paying a little more for on a trip this long.
Give the return trip room to breathe
Christmas and summer flights to Manila sell out months ahead in both directions, and the return is the leg travelers most often leave too tight. Book the round trip together for the holidays rather than waiting on the return, and if you are connecting to a province, leave a generous buffer in Manila — domestic flights there run late in bad weather, and a two-hour layover on a separate ticket is not enough. An agent can build the international and domestic legs on one itinerary so a delay is the airline's problem to rebook, not yours.
Onward to the provinces
Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Clark can be booked on one ticket with a domestic connection in Manila or Cebu. Call (708) 866-8751; agents build the full itinerary and check passport validity.
Cheapest recent flights to Philippines
From our fare snapshot: the lowest recorded fare on each route into Philippines, cheapest first.
- Fri, Feb 26 – Sat, Mar 6Los Angeles to ManilaLAX → MNL · UnitedCall(708) 866-8751$386round trip · recorded low
- Fri, Jan 1 – Fri, Feb 12San Francisco to ManilaSFO → MNLCall(708) 866-8751$429round trip · recorded low
- Mon, Feb 8 – Wed, Feb 17Chicago to ManilaCHI → MNL · UnitedCall(708) 866-8751$494round trip · recorded low
- Tue, Nov 10 – Mon, Dec 7Washington, D.C. to ManilaWAS → MNL · AmericanCall(708) 866-8751$584round trip · recorded low
Recorded fares from cached search data, not live quotes. An agent confirms availability and today's price on the call.
All routes, airports, and monthly history: flights to Philippines.
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