The Founder
David Cruz Anaya
Software engineer, twelve years building distributed systems at scale. Started Paglipat solo, in London, in 2025. One laptop, no investors, no sales team.
I watched a friend find the same flight $180 cheaper on the same site, on a different account. The engines were rigged. I went to find out how, then I built one that isn't.
How the trick works
Two providers. Same flight. Same date. Different prices.
Provider A
pays the search engine 12% commission · ranked #1
$510
Provider B
pays 3% · buried at #7
$290
You paid $220 more, not because the flight was better. Because someone paid to put themselves on top.
Most large meta-search engines rank by margin, not by price. The pattern is documented. The price you see is rarely the cheapest one available.
Why the name
Paglipat
/pag-LEE-pat/
Tagalog. Verb. To move. To transfer. To go where you need to go.
Tagalog because Southeast Asia is the region this site was built around: the islands, the night markets, the temples, the visas, the eSIMs, the long bus rides. The word means going. We meant it literally. No upsells, no detours, no sponsored stops on the way.
Best price wins.
One number, one ranking rule: cheapest first. No commission kickbacks. No paid placements. No "recommended" badges sold to the highest bidder.
- 01Cheapest flight result is always #1. The ordering is published, auditable, and never bought.
- 02Hotels, transport, experiences and eSIMs are filtered by price, distance, and verified reviews. Not by who pays us most.
- 03Honest Southeast Asia guides written by travelers who actually went. No SEO templates, no AI slop, no affiliate-bait listicles.
- 04We earn a fixed affiliate fee per booking. Provider turnover, ad spend, and partner status never move a ranking.
- 05You keep the savings. We don't add markups, service fees, or "convenience" charges between you and the provider's price.
Built for travelers heading east
The Backpacker
Bangkok, Hanoi, Bali, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang. Months on the road, hostels and night buses, $40 days. Every dollar an honest engine saves you is another day before you have to fly home.
The Digital Nomad
Fast eSIM the moment you land. Reliable inter-island transfers. Cafés with power and a chair. Visa runs that don't burn a week. Stays priced for stays, not for tourists.
The Honeymooner
Two weeks. Once. The villa in El Nido needs to be the villa in the photos. The price needs to be the price. Both need to be true the day you check in, not just the day you searched.
The First-timer
First trip past Dubai. The questions are real: SIM or eSIM? Grab or taxi? Visa on arrival? What's a fair tuk-tuk fare? Honest guides, honest prices, no upgrade funnels.
Move.
Search a flight to Bangkok, a hotel in Bali, an eSIM for Vietnam. Compare the price you see here to what every other engine shows. The math is the proof.
Paglipat is operated by
Vectencia Ltd · Registered in England & Wales · Co. No. 16930574
Verify on Companies House