This is not the departure date you're looking for
My latest trip to Manila (via Dubai) went horribly wrong within seconds of arrival. Here's a picture of the departure lounge at Dubai, for no good reason whatsoever. Protip: if you arrive in Manila with a Visa, don't assume the guy on the booth knows what he's doing. I'd heard the usual horror stories of people sorting a visa out, arriving but not showing it to the immigration guy and being stamped with the standard 21 day waiver instead of the 59 day pass they'd paid for. No problem, I'll wave the visa under his nose from the getgo and that'll be the end of it. Right? Right? Nope. At the immigration gates, they want to see your passport, your immigration form and your itinerary / proof of onward journey. I knew I was in for a fun time when he looked at my flight itinerary and said "What's this?" in a confused fashion and gave it back to me without bothering to read it. Undeterred, I gave him the passport complete with visa and h...