These fares are with Air China, a full-service Chinese carrier based in Beijing and a Star Alliance member, so it connects with Star Alliance carriers and the wider Air China network. Being a full-service fare, checked baggage, meals and inflight entertainment are included, which is worth factoring in when you’re comparing against a low-cost carrier fare that looks cheaper on the headline number.
Air China runs everything through its home base, so these Auckland to Manila itineraries connect via Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) — see Beijing Capital on MinimumConnectionTime.com for the airport’s connection times. Layovers on fares like these vary a lot by date, so check the routing shown at booking and make sure you’ve got enough time on the ground before you commit.
About the Destination
Manila is the gateway to the Philippines and worth a couple of days in its own right. Intramuros, the walled city the Spanish built in the 1500s, holds Fort Santiago and San Agustin Church — a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest stone church in the country. Rizal Park sits just outside the walls, Binondo is the world’s oldest Chinatown and a serious eating destination, and Makati and Bonifacio Global City cover the modern malls, bars and restaurants.
Most people use Manila as the connection point for the islands, and that’s a fair plan — Palawan, Boracay, Cebu and Bohol are all short domestic hops away. The dry season runs roughly December to May, while the typhoon season peaks between July and October, so the January to March dates in this deal line up nicely with the better weather. The official Philippine Department of Tourism site is a good place to start planning.
Air China has some sharp return pricing from Auckland to Manila, with fares from $972 return and travel dates running from September 2026 all the way through to May 2027. The cheapest seats are in the September window, though there’s a solid block of sub-$1050 fares in October and November if you’d rather have more notice.
The January to March 2027 dates sit consistently around $1106-$1109 return, which is still decent value for a long trip in the dry season — plenty of those itineraries run for six to eight weeks.
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Thanks bro for sharing Manila! How are the stop over times? I found in the past using China airlines generally gotta have like 30 hrs stopovers. Looking at like 19 March 2027 - 24 Aprilish 2027.