We traveled to Siquijor two weeks ago for the WFF Philippines Muscle Clash Governor’s Cup. When I Googled “purchase ferry tickets to Siquijor”, Bookaway came up first. So I went to the ticketing platform and after a few clicks, I purchased roundtrip Ocean Jet ferry tickets for me and my husband from Cebu to Siquijor.
Because I had heard of Bookaway before the pandemic, it was easy for me to click on it without reading the reviews first. After I paid, I got an email letting me know that it was pending. I was a little worried because I knew the price of the tickets had already been taken out of my credit card, but where is the confirmation?
I tried to wait another hour and check my email again to see if there was another confirmation, but there wasn’t one. I thought something might be wrong at this point, so I thought about calling Bookaway to find out what was going on.
This time, when I searched Bookaway, this is what I found:
After reading the reviews about Bookaway, my heart raced. I checked Tripadvisor as well, and it doesn’t get any better… So I kept my calm and messaged Bookaway’s Facebook page.
Here’s what was said:
The following day, I received confirmation. YEY! Bookaway is a legit transportation booking platform.
If Bookaway is legit, why do people talk about it being a scam online?
First of all, I can’t say anything about the experiences of people who didn’t book OceanJet or people who booked transportation or tours outside of the Philippines. But, from what I’ve seen, the transportation company doesn’t always honor the booking confirmation from Bookaway. For example, in 2021, a passenger said that the booking confirmation she showed at the port terminal for OceanJet wasn’t accepted. This is why Bookaway reminds passengers to get a confirmed ticket from OceanJet. I know it’s inconvenient that you have to have your booking confirmed at the OceanJet, especially since there’s always a long queue. BUT GOOD NEWS (I THINK FROM THIS YEAR) Bookaway App confirmation is being honored at the terminal. I didn’t have to go to the OceanJet Ferry ticket office, just showed them my phone. Thank God!
Why Book with Bookaway ?
When you travel, there are a lot of good reasons to book your tickets online, either with Bookaway or another site:
- It’s more convenient
- You don’t need to print tickets and take the risk to lose them (been there before)
- You have all the details about your itinerary accessible on your phone
- No details are lost in translation (baggage, transfers, insurance…)
- You can easily compare prices
I mean, if you’re looking for convenience, it makes sense to book everything online these days.
On the other side, it’s often cheaper to go directly with local operators to save a few bucks.
So why book your tickets with Bookaway :
- Look at the options side by side. Is it cheaper or quicker to take the bus, train, or maybe a van with other people? Bookaway makes it easy to see how each route is served by different kinds of transportation.
- Your tickets are all in the same place. You don’t have to print anything when you use Bookaway. All of the tickets are emailed to you and kept in your account. That’s a great way to save time and avoid losing things. It’s also good for the environment.
- More than 8000 routes in over 60 countries. You can probably book all of your tickets in one place, even if you’re going on a long trip that crosses several countries.
- Help is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bookaway support is available by email, phone, or messages on WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, and Facebook all day, every day.
Types of Transportation
You can book tickets for a wide variety of types of transportation for each route with Bookaway.
I love that their website has both the cheapest and the most expensive (and hopefully most comfortable) options.
So, whether you want to save money or want more comfort, Bookaway lets you book both.
People who travel a lot will like having all of their options on the same platform.
In short, with Bookaway you can book tickets for:
- Buses
- Trains
- Ferries
- Vans
- Taxis
- Airport transfers
- Hotel transfers
- and more…
In some cities, they even offer tickets for tour packages.
Is Bookaway the cheapest website to book tickets?
I did several comparisons, and the answer is no, not always.
This makes sense. You pay a small premium for their services.
The thing is, if you’re anything like me, you probably don’t mind spending a little more for the convenience and time saved.
This is especially vital if you’re going on a lengthy journey or traveling with a group.
In this instance, you should have all of your tickets online and in one place.
Otherwise, managing it is quite stressful.
Payment options
Bookaway takes all major credit/debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, and works with Stripe.
You can also pay with PayPal, which eliminates the need to share your credit/debit card information with them directly.
That is the alternative I recommend if you are booking your tickets on unsecured wifi and are not utilizing a VPN.
In this manner, you avoid the possibility of having your credit card information stolen.
How to book on Bookaway?
- Pick your phone
- Go to bookaway.com
- Enter your destination and dates
- Compare the different options
- Pick the best one for you
- Pay online (with Paypal or credit/debit card)
- Check the confirmation in your inbox
- Grab a beer and have a good time
Parting Words
Can you trust Bookaway? Indeed! Bookaway is dependable as well. They provide a safe environment for online ticket booking and give round-the-clock service. Yet unlike an operator, Bookaway is a booking platform. Hence, they are unable to 100% guarantee that local operators would offer the finest service. But if you require any assistance, you can always get in touch with Bookaway support.
