The PAL Hiraya Travel Pass: An Industry First

 Here is how Philippine Airlines’ Hiraya Flight Pass can make your dream travel and family vacations possible.

When was the last time you flew to your favorite local island destination?

With travel restrictions gradually easing up, domestic tourism is steadily making a comeback.

Philippine Airlines has launched a new smart tool to give passengers the best deals for their travels - the PAL Hiraya Flight Pass, the first and only Customizable and Shareable flight travel pass in the domestic travel industry.

As vaccination ramps up and as safety protocols are strengthened, domestic travel is expected to lead the way in reviving Philippine tourism.

The Inter-Agency Task Force has recently allowed point-to-point interzonal travel from the National Capital Region to areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and/or Modified GCQ for individuals below 18 years of age; fully vaccinated individuals over 65 years of age; fully vaccinated individuals with health risks; and fully vaccinated pregnant women. Additionally, individuals ages 18 to 65, regardless of vaccination status, continue to be allowed to travel.

Destinations like Boracay, Siargao, Bohol, and Palawan are just some of the island destinations that are welcoming domestic travelers who are longing to revisit or experience for the first time their majestic beaches, unique culture, gastronomic offerings and more. Just bear in mind to check the latest travel requirements and safety protocols that must be followed for fun and safe travels.

As you plan for your upcoming trips, Philippine Airlines offers a new smart tool to get the best deals for your travels -- the PAL Hiraya Flight Pass, the first and only Customizable and Shareable flight travel pass in the domestic travel industry.

Through Hiraya Flight Pass, you can conveniently pre-purchase flights with open travel dates within one year to the Widest Local Destinations for one or multiple passengers.Passengers can create a personalized flight pass that best suits their needs and wants. You can customize the pass according to your desired number of flights, destinations, travel period, cabin class, travel date restrictions, fare type, booking class availability, and passengers who can book and fly. The price of the Flight Pass depends on the pass features selected by the passengers.

Through Hiraya Flight Pass, passengers can conveniently pre-purchase flights with open travel dates within one year to the Widest Local Destinations for one or multiple passengers.

Aside from the convenience and flexibility of booking flights, Hiraya Flight Pass allows you to get Bigger Savings up to 50% savings on flight costs. Passengers may pre-purchase flights for multiple destinations at a pre-set low price. Since low fares are locked in, you need not worry about fare increases. The more flights bought, the more affordable it gets.

Additionally, the Hiraya Flight Pass can be shared with family members, friends or work colleagues. At the time of purchase, there is no need to specifically input the names of your companions. You can add the names of people you want to share the pass with at a later time.

As you make plans to revisit your dream destination with your friends and family, experience the ease, convenience and flexibility the new Hiraya Flight Pass provides.

Before you fly, please make sure to check out the travel requirements of your chosen destination.

The Hiraya Flight Pass allows passengers to create a personalized flight pass that best suits their needs and wants. They can customize it based on their desired number of flights, destinations, travel period, cabin class, travel date restrictions, fare type, and booking class availability.

Visit https://hirayaflightpass.philippineairlines.com for more information about Hiraya Flight Pass.

Smart Padala brings the SENDali experience to Filipinos with its widest and most accessible network of over 60,000 agent touchpoints nationwide!

Wherever you are, sending and receiving money to and from your friends and family is guaranteed to be quick and easy as Smart Padala by PayMaya brings a "SENDali" remittance experience closer to your home with its widest and most accessible network of touchpoints nationwide.

A play between the words send and dali - SENDali promises customers a hassle-free remittance experience with Smart Padala. With this, the leading digital remittance network offers customers the quickest, most convenient, and most accessible way to send and receive padala to and from their loved ones, wherever they may be.

With Smart Padala’s over 60,000 network touchpoints all over the country, sending and receiving remittances is just as easy as heading to your kapitbahay – no need to commute to the city center and spend time in long lines. Wherever you are, you can easily find a Smart Padala agent 4-6 minutes away from you to take care of your remittance transaction - giving you a truly SENDali experience.*

Completing a Smart Padala transaction is easy and can be done in minutes. All you have to do is follow these simple steps:

1. Head to the trusted Smart Padala agent in your neighborhood.
2. Provide the recipient’s name, and mobile number, as well as the funds and transaction fee.  Get ready to take a photo as part of the quick registration process. (Available for transactions not exceeding P5,000 per month)
3. Wait to receive a text message confirmation with the claim reference number. 

Making this experience so much easier is Smart Padala’s Claim Anywhere service which allows your recipient to claim the remittance from anywhere in the country. With this new and improved process, you no longer need to provide the 16-digit Smart Padala number of the specific agent where your padala will be received. Just provide the recipient's name and mobile number, and they can already pick-up the remittance at ANY Smart Padala agent nationwide!

With this, not only is the sending experience so much easier with Smart Padala, receiving funds from their loved ones is also more convenient for the recipients as they only need to go to a Smart Padala agent, minutes away from their home.

There are so many other ways Smart Padala brings a SENDali experience to your remittance transactions! You can also opt to send money to your friends and family from your PayMaya account, to be claimed straight at a Smart Padala agent near them. If you’re abroad, your loved ones can also claim their Western Union remittance at select Smart Padala agents nationwide for a hassle-free transaction.

Smart Padala agents are present in 92% of the cities and municipalities across the country and are accessible within minutes in your barangay. With this, it's now easier than ever to send money to your friends and family, and make them feel your love, even miles away from home.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines, with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government.    

It provides more than 38 million Filipinos access to financial services through its consumer platforms. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 300,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 60,000 partner agent touchpoints serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital services. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country, including "every day" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants, as well as government agencies and units.      

To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information on Smart Padala, visit https://smartpadala.ph/  

*Based on a study conducted by Z-Lift Solutions on behalf of PayMaya on the network of Smart Padala agents nationwide. Data on the locations were provided by PayMaya and collected through external publicly available sources throughout the 1st and 2nd weeks of October 2021.

Airbnb introduces 50+ product upgrades and innovations to support Live Anywhere travel revolution

 

• YouGov polling by Airbnb reveals that 9 out of 10 Filipinos polled would work, live or travel differently, if they had more flexibility at work
• Over 70% say that home-sharing accommodation provides amenities that make it easier to integrate living with travel, as well as more unique, one-of-a-kind travel experiences
  

Manila, Philippines, 10 November 2021 - In May, Airbnb introduced the Airbnb 2021 Release, with over 100 upgrades to improve every aspect of the Airbnb service. Today, the company announces an additional 50+ upgrades that make it easier to host and support the changing needs of travelers.

From March 2020 to September 2021*, new Airbnb Hosts in the Philippines who started hosting post-pandemic collectively earned over PHP207.5 million from welcoming guests on Airbnb. The world is undergoing a revolution in how we live and work. Technologies like Zoom make it possible to work from home, and Airbnb makes it possible to work from any home. This newfound flexibility is bringing about a revolution in how Filipinos travel. In a new YouGov poll commissioned by Airbnb**, over 70% of Filipinos polled said that staying in home-sharing type accommodation provides them with amenities that make it easier to integrate living with travel, and allows them to experience more unique, one-of-a-kind travel in local communities.

The survey also revealed:

• 9 out of 10 Filipino respondents would like to work, live or travel differently if they had more flexibility at work.
• A third of Filipino respondents see travel as a way of life and want to integrate it into their lifestyle.
• 77% of Filipino respondents view post-pandemic ‘business travel’ as a way to combine leisure travel and remote work.
• 45% of Filipino respondents would rent out their homes and travel.

Airbnb is constantly improving its service to meet these new travel trends, and the new waves of guests they will bring. Today, Airbnb is introducing:

• I’m (even more) Flexible - Search for more unique homes up to 12 months in advance.
• Verified Wifi - Our new speed test tool verifies the speed of the wifi in a listing.
• Translation Engine - The most advanced translation technology ever offered to our community.
• Accessibility Review - Every accessibility feature is reviewed for 100% accuracy.
• Smarter Trips Tab - A redesigned Trips tab with all your must-have travel details.
• AirCover - Top-to-bottom protection. Free for every Host. Only on Airbnb.
• Ask a Superhost Expansion - Connects new Hosts to a Superhost in their area for 1:1 help.
  ...and 46 more upgrades.

“For Airbnb, 2021 has been a year of relentless innovation to refine our core service,” said Brian Chesky, CEO and Co-Founder of Airbnb. “This year, we’ve delivered more than 150 upgrades and innovations. Our design-driven approach means that we’re constantly improving our service to adapt to this changing world. For the first time ever, millions of people can now travel anytime, anywhere, for any length, and even live anywhere on Airbnb. This is a travel revolution.”

Making Travel even more Flexible

 Flexibility is one of the most important considerations for Filipinos when it comes to travel planning. Based on Airbnb’s YouGov polling, over a third of all Filipinos polled want to have flexibility in when, how and where they go as travel rebounds.

More are opting to go on flexible trips, including long weekend trips, off-peak travel and vacations closer to home. Notably, the most appealing destinations for respondents’ first trips are 1) a local beach destination within the Philippines, followed by 2) a destination within Asia and 3) a local city destination.

Earlier this year, Airbnb introduced I’m Flexible, a whole new way to search on Airbnb when guests are flexible about where or when they are traveling. Since then, guests have used I’m Flexible more than 500 million times. Due to the popularity of this feature, today Airbnb is making it even more flexible by expanding the date range guests can search to 12 months out (from six).

With workstations on the rise, fast and reliable wifi has also been more critical than ever before. In fact, this year guests on Airbnb have used the wifi filter more than 288 million times. Hosts can now test their listing’s internet connection from the Airbnb app and have their wifi speed verified. With this upgrade, guests can be confident that they won’t miss a Zoom or a favorite streaming show from their Airbnbs.

Improved Translations across 60 Languages 

Globally, Airbnb has seen cross-border travel increasing steadily through the year, from 20% of gross nights booked in the first quarter to 27% in the second and 33% in the third***. As cross-border travel returns, Airbnb’s new Translation Engine will provide a seamless experience for Hosts and guests in over 60 languages. Translation Engine removes the need for click-to-translate buttons by automatically translating listing descriptions and reviews. Based on results from a study across our top ten languages we commissioned by a top machine translation evaluation company, Translation Engine improves the quality of more than 99% of Airbnb listings.

Supporting more Accessible and Organised Travel

With Accessibility Review, Airbnb has developed an industry-leading approach to review the accuracy of features that make Airbnb homes more accessible for the disability community. Hosts simply submit photos of their accessibility features, which are then manually reviewed by a specialized team of Airbnb agents. To date, Airbnb agents have reviewed and confirmed the accuracy of 100,000 accessibility features in 25,000 homes around the world.

We’ve also redesigned the Trips tab to house all your must-have travel info in one convenient place. The smarter, more intuitive tab now features a handy countdown to your arrival, check-in details, current and upcoming reservations, and personalized Experiences suggestions.

Empowering Hosts more than Ever

More guests than ever before are choosing to stay in an Airbnb, which is leading to more people wanting to host to take advantage of this growing opportunity. To offer even more reassurance to our existing four million Hosts, and make it even easier for new Hosts to take that first big step, today we are introducing AirCover. Only Airbnb gives you AirCover, which provides top-to-bottom protection for every Airbnb Host with US$1 million in damage protection and US$1 million in liability coverage. AirCover also includes income loss protection, pet damage protection, deep cleaning protection, and more.

For prospective Hosts, Airbnb’s Ask a Superhost matches anyone interested in hosting with one of our most experienced Hosts for one-on-one helpSince launch, more than 60,000 prospective Hosts have used Ask a Superhost. Today, we’re expanding Ask a Superhost to over 30 languages in 196 countries, including the Philippines. Prospective Hosts can now be paired with Superhosts based on their location, language, and listing. As an added benefit, Superhosts can provide tips for completing a listing page and are there for you through your first booking.

AirCover, Accessibility Review, Verified Wifi, I’m (even more) Flexible, and Ask a Superhost Expansion are all available to everyone today. Translation Engine and Smarter Trips Tab will launch before the end of this year.

*Airbnb internal data from March 12, 2020 to September 30, 2021

**Findings from a YouGov survey of APAC Travel Trends surveying 1038 Filipinos, commissioned by Airbnb, from October 14 to 18, 2021.

***Airbnb internal data as of September 30, 2021.

 

All data in this release is for Q3 2021, and all comparisons are to Q3 2019, unless otherwise specified.

The G-Guide: Your Ultimate Guide For GLife’s Wanderful Week

 More and more merchants that fit the lifestyle you want to live; wander the world of GLife and enjoy limited time deals right in your GCash app!

Missing out on the thrill of travelling? GCash is here to show you that life can still be G, with GLife! Relive your favorite places, tastes and experiences when you shop for brands you love at discounts that will make your heart skip a beat this Wanderful Week, happening November 8-12 all inside your GCash app.

Here's the Ultimate G-Guide to help with coming out of that pandemic burnout and rediscovering your old (or new) self with a renewed sense of joy, one refreshing deal and exciting merchant at a time.

Five whole days of promos, treats, and goodies, from all the merchants that'll make you excited about life again! From food & drinks, to retail & essentials, home improvements, tech, and gaming, you can conveniently shop right in your GCash app!

GLife Wanderful Week Rundown

Day 1: Town of Feasts

Fight those Monday blues by taking a trip down the Town of Feasts with feel-good food and drinks in every corner. Kick off the brand new day and save P120 with an Exclusive Bundle of a Medium Mocha Froccino + 2 Cookies from Bo’s Coffee for only P350 or up to 20% OFF storewide from Dream Coffee. Whip up your own feast with 10% OFF on Ilocos Best and 50% OFF on the Citrus Bundle from Mayani. Treat yourself to an afternoon pick me up with up to 20% OFF on Gong Cha from Nov 8-11 and Buy 1 Get 1 of the same kind on Nov 12.

Day 2: Valley of Wellness

To be better prepared for the next normal, take bigger steps in your journey to better health in the Valley of Wellness by getting healthy from the inside with promo prices for Collection Cups and Party Sets all under P1000 from Go! Salads, up to 60% OFF and no minimum spend on Mediclick, and 10% OFF on all items on Healthmart available to all customers nationwide with no minimum spend and no maximum use. Don’t forget to take a breather once in a while. Feel relaxed and recharged while keeping your space clean and sanitized with FREE 50ML Lavender Mint Alcohol for every purchase of 5ML Lavender Mint Alcohol from Joy In A Bottle (maximum 3 per user and valid for all GCash users nationwide).

Day 3: City of Comfort

This time of coping has definitely highlighted the big role that self-care plays in keeping one’s self sane while trying to stay safe. In the City of Comfort, GLife makes sure to accommodate you with all that extra TLC. Pamper yourself and take a breather with up to P1,800 OFF on selected items from HairMNL, storewide free shipping and free shipping for orders P799 and above from Fully Booked. And for those home makeover enthusiasts out there, it’s not too late to invest in your dream home upgrades with up to 25% OFF on select services from Gawin, 15% OFF storewide with no minimum spend from Object Depot, major discounts & savings on innovative must-haves from Concepstore, and up to 80% OFF on select items plus P200 OFF with a minimum spend of P3,000 from All Home.

Day 4: Marketplace of Goodies

Stroll down the Marketplace of Goodies for all your great finds on GLife. Enjoy storewide 7.5% OFF no minimum spend on Communimart, 7% OFF on Puerto De Indias on Liquor PH, and up to 40% OFF on awesome items from Sijang Mart that A.R.M.Y. besties and samgyup stans will surely love including P158 OFF for BTS Coffee flavors, P200 OFF for BTS Lemona 20 sticks, 30% OFF on 1kg of Home Made Kimchi and 500g of USDA Beef Short Plate with no minimum spend. You can also get something for your precious fur babies to add to your goodie haul with 10% off storewide on Petmart, valid for nationwide customers with no maximum use.

Day 5: Kingdom of Games

Top off the week with a good dose of recreation courtesy of HobbyCorner with 20% OFF cashback for a min. spend of P500, 30% OFF + 5% OFF voucher plus a storewide 5% OFF on top of on top of the 40% OFF on discounted items from JBL, and up to 70% OFF on selected SKUs from Cherry.

All of these you can easily access right in your GCash app. If you don’t have the app yet, you can download it via The App Store or Google Play and easily register your number! 

Unlock your super life today with GLife.