How Do You Solve the 'Air Ticket Out' Conundrum for Entering the Philippines?
I appreciate there are 'Throwaway Reservation / Ticket' outfits online, who will very-cheaply furnish 'evidence' of a ticket out -- to show airline check-in & immigration on the outward leg. However, these have dubious legal standing and can be rejected -- forcing travellers to buy a full-fare ticket out of the PI at the last moment. There is an American on YT called 'Vagabond Dan', who travels continuously with a 6-foot, Malaysian ex-model; he uses those dodgy tickets most of the time but admits they do get caught occasionally, and have to buy full fare at the last moment to board.
Philippine embassies do offer a 59-day 'Temporary Visitors Visa', which still requires evidence of ticketing, but at least one can book the dates confidently for a 2-month trip, without the need for airline change fees.
Thought I was being clever buying an Oman Air economy 'Flex' ticket with 'No Change Fees'. So I could extend my return date, once in for the initial 30 days. I then extended for 29 days online (permitted once only, apparently), costing ₱3,030, which went through smoothly -- although I did have to email immigration for the result of my application -- the Philippines is notorious for inviting online applications for anything, then totally 'forgetting' to inform the applicant of the result, LOL.
Returning to Oman Air, they want to charge me the same as my original return ticket again ($930), for a one-month extension of the return date. A friend travelling on Emirates was charged a reasonable fee of $140 for his return-date change, partly by being flexible on the timing. Airlines especially take advantage of 'date-changers' at busy times, and charge inflated prices, plus their standard fees. It is difficult to pin them down as to the cost of date changes after departure. I am minded to take a minimal sector refund from Oman Air and book my homeward flight elsewhere. The 'Trading Standards Department' back home will be interested to hear what they are up to: playing their third-world games in the West.
Regarding my earlier point below about the morality of 'compensated dating', as the Japanese call it: if a clear, P4P arrangement is made, that's fine. My point was that most Filipinas on dating sites are willing to go out with foreigners in the conventional sense, and panty-drop after a modicum of 'treats', in prospect of an ongoing relationship. It is up to players' conscience as to whether it is fair to string well-intentioned females along in that way, with little cost or investment being expended.