This is a very good-value full-service fare from Barcelona to Manila
with Air China and only one stop in Beijing each way.
Our reference itinerary is 7 September → 22 September 2026,
giving you around 14 hotel nights in the Philippines.
The fare is available through Lastminute.com or Mytrip via Skyscanner Malta,
with prices from €418 return.
A 23 kg checked bag is included, which makes the headline fare much more useful than a cabin-bag-only long-haul ticket.
The main weaknesses are the awkward Manila timings:
the outbound arrives at 00:20, while the return departs at 06:25.
Reference Mytrip fare from €418.
23 kg checked baggage included.
Air China via Beijing
BCN 21:30 → PEK 14:45 +1
Air China CA572
4h30 connection in Beijing
PEK 19:15 → MNL 00:20 +1
Air China CA179
Total journey time:
20h50.
The Barcelona departure is good for a long-haul trip,
but arriving Manila at 00:20 means a very late hotel arrival after immigration and baggage collection.
Air China via Beijing
MNL 06:25 → PEK 11:10
Air China CA180
1h20 connection in Beijing
PEK → BCN 17:30
Air China CA571
Total journey time:
17h05.
The return journey is efficient, but the 06:25 departure from Manila
probably means leaving the hotel around 02:30-03:00 depending on where you stay.
Booking is available through Mytrip via Skyscanner Malta from around €418 return.
The fare includes 23 kg checked baggage.
All seven date combinations listed below use the same Air China routing and schedule pattern.
Fare checked 13 August 2026. Prices and availability can change after publication.
The value proposition is strong:
a full-service long-haul fare from Barcelona to Southeast Asia from
€418 return, with a proper
23 kg checked bag included.
There is also only one stop in Beijing each way,
so although the total travel time is long, the routing itself is straightforward.
With around two weeks on the ground, this works much better as a wider Philippines trip
than as a Manila-only holiday.
The biggest schedule problem is on the destination side.
You arrive in Manila at 00:20, so by the time you clear immigration
and collect your baggage it will be well into the night.
The return is even less convenient:
a 06:25 departure from MNL will require an extremely early start.
September is also within the Philippines' wetter period,
so rainfall and tropical-weather disruption are more likely than during the classic dry-season months.
The updated reference search shows Mytrip from €418 return.
The fare includes 23 kg checked baggage,
and the small premium is insignificant on a long-haul ticket of this value.
As always with an OTA, verify the final payment total and baggage details before confirming.
Other sellers may appear at similar prices, but compare the final payment total before booking.
If the final payment price and fare conditions remain identical,
this is a perfectly reasonable alternative for travellers prioritising the absolute lowest price.
Seven combinations were found, all using the same Air China schedule pattern. The reference itinerary is 7-22 September 2026.
A strong-value Philippines fare with 23 kg checked baggage, one-stop routing and a very low long-haul price. The late Manila arrival, extremely early return departure and September weather prevent it from reaching the 9/10 tier.
Browse all our latest flight deals and use the filters to find something that better suits your departure point, destination, budget or travel plans.
Manila can be surprisingly good value for accommodation compared with many other major Asian capitals. Well-rated 4 and 5-star hotels can sometimes start from around €50 per room per night, so this is one destination where upgrading from a basic hotel can make sense without destroying the trip budget.
For the reference Barcelona-Manila itinerary, our pick is City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati. The attached search shows a 3-night stay from around €188 per room, or approximately €94 per person for the entire stay when two people share. It offers a rooftop pool, strong guest reviews and a central Makati location that works very well for a short first stay in Metro Manila.
The reference Air China flight arrives at Manila at 00:20 on 9 September.
By the time you clear immigration, collect your baggage and travel to Makati,
it will already be the early hours of the morning.
If you want a room guaranteed as soon as you reach the hotel,
I would book your first Manila stay from 8 September, even though you physically arrive after midnight on the 9th.
Then contact the hotel before travelling and tell them that your flight lands shortly after midnight
and that you expect to check in during the early morning.
Ask them to keep the reservation active so the room is not treated as a no-show.
City Garden Grand Hotel lists a 24-hour front desk, which makes this type of arrival more practical,
but I would still notify the hotel in advance.
For most first-time visitors on this itinerary, I would spend around 2 full days in Manila. Because of the 00:20 arrival, that translates neatly into a 3-night hotel booking from 8-11 September if you want immediate room access after landing. You can then leave for your next destination on 11 September.
Three paid nights, but effectively two proper sightseeing days because you arrive shortly after midnight on 9 September.
Enough for Intramuros and historic Manila plus a more modern Makati / BGC day without using too much of the wider Philippines trip.
Consider this only if food, museums, shopping and big-city life are major priorities. Otherwise, I would move on to the islands.
For this trip I would choose City Garden Grand Hotel, a well-reviewed upscale hotel on Makati Avenue. It gives you a much more comfortable start to the Philippines trip than trying to save a small amount on a poorly located basic property after landing in the middle of the night.
The attached Booking.com listing shows a strong 8.8/10 guest rating from more than 4,500 reviews, with the location also receiving very positive feedback. Makati is a particularly practical base for a first stay because restaurants, shopping and modern city facilities are easy to access.
The standout feature is the rooftop outdoor pool with views across the Makati skyline. The property also lists a fitness centre, spa and wellness facilities, restaurant, bar, free Wi-Fi, room service and 24-hour reception. This is exactly the type of hotel where the upgrade from a basic room can feel worthwhile after a long overnight journey.
For the sample 8-11 September stay, the lowest displayed room price was around €188 for 3 nights, including taxes and charges. That works out at roughly €63 per room per night, or approximately €94 per person for the complete stay when two people share.
A more flexible room option was displayed around €223 total, while another flexible rate appeared around €239. A breakfast-included option was shown around €300 for the room. Compare the flexibility and meal conditions rather than choosing purely by the lowest headline figure.
Most importantly for this particular flight, the hotel has a 24-hour front desk. If booking from 8 September for your after-midnight arrival on 9 September, message the hotel beforehand with your flight details and expected arrival time.
Makati Avenue
Rooftop pool + central Makati base
Metro Manila is huge and traffic can consume a surprising amount of your day. For a short stay, I would pay more attention to location than to saving a few euros on the room.
Spend part of your first full day exploring Manila's historic walled city, Fort Santiago and the surrounding heritage area.
Combine the historic core with nearby museums and Rizal Park rather than crossing the whole metro repeatedly.
Use the second part of the trip for restaurants, rooftop drinks, shopping or a relaxed evening close to the hotel.
If time permits, contrast historic Manila with the modern side of the metropolis around Bonifacio Global City.
The reference itinerary gives you enough time to leave Manila and experience a very different side of the Philippines. September is within the wetter part of the year, so I would keep the island portion somewhat flexible and avoid building a schedule with too many separate domestic flights or ferry connections.
Dino reference idea: book Manila from 8-11 September because of the after-midnight arrival, then spend around 5-6 nights in Cebu / Bohol, add another island destination if the weather forecast looks good, and return to Manila by 21 September for the 06:25 international flight the next morning.A few useful extras that can make the journey easier, particularly when travelling with restrictive cabin-bag fares, arriving late or needing mobile data as soon as you land.
A useful packing solution when you are trying to fit more clothing
into a restricted cabin bag.
Particularly relevant for travellers using airlines such as
Ryanair and Wizz Air, where baggage dimensions and
additional luggage fees can significantly change the final cost of a
cheap flight.
Compress your clothing and make better use of the space available
inside your luggage.
Arrive with mobile data ready and avoid searching for a local SIM
card or relying on airport Wi-Fi.
Use code XTRA10 for
10% off your first purchase.
Travelling for longer? Saily Ultra includes
30 GB of high-speed data plus unlimited reduced-speed data
,
together with additional travel benefits.
Pre-book your airport transfer before travelling.
Particularly useful for
late-night arrivals, families and travellers with luggage
,
or when arriving somewhere unfamiliar and you would rather have a
driver waiting than search for transport after landing.
Use promo code TPO5 for
5% off your booking.
Valid until 31 December 2026.
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