Philippine Airlines hasn’t ever quite made it into the ranks of the great Asian air carriers, but recently it’s been giving it a very good try. Having been considered second-rate for years, the Philippine national carrier is on a serious drive to remake itself and join the elite group occupied by the likes of its neighbors Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. That makes it a very interesting airline to watch in the coming year.
The new Philippine Airlines Airbus A350.
Much of the change at Philippine Airlines has already happened, though that will be news to most outside the country. The airline has invested in new A350 and A321neo airplanes; it now offers a business class seat that can compete with the best of them; it’s raised the bar for inflight service and food; and it’s been busy adding new destinations, especially in North America. All of this is part of a drive launched in 2016 to become a “five-star” airline. And despite some turbulence – CEO Jaime Bautista abruptly stepped down last year, and the airline continues to lose money – these investments have quietly turned PAL into an airline you might actually want to fly on.
New planes
Philippine Airlines brand new A350s feature an appealing new business class as well as a comfortable premium economy and what looks to be a very decent economy class too (with notably huge personal TV screens). The A350 itself is very comfortable to fly in, and with these new seats and high-speed WiFi, the airline is showing it’s serious about improving passenger experience. Meanwhile new narrowbody A321neo planes with lie-flat seats in business class have also been added and are flying to places like Japan and Australia.
The new business class cabin on board the Philippine Airlines A350.
The airline prides itself on offering good, friendly service, and putting that together with a world-class onboard product makes for a promising combination.
New routes
Philippine Airlines recently announced it would begin flying nonstop from Manila to Seattle, its fifth city in the US. That caps an impressive period of expansion to North America. The airline recently began nonstop service to New York JFK, the first service between the two cities in history. You can also fly Philippine Airlines from San Francisco, Honolulu and Los Angeles to Manila, and soon from Los Angeles to Cebu as well – though keep in mind that some of these are served by older 777s that don’t yet have the latest seats installed. There’s also a nonstop Toronto service (and in Europe, there’s a London flight too).
There’s just one problem
Philippine Airlines premium economy cabin, which looks quite a bit more pleasant than the Manila ... [+]
Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport: it’s chaotic and unpleasant. Anyone who’s flown through there knows it’s not at all a nice place to spend time, and this is one major disadvantage Philippine Airlines has when compared to the other great carriers of Asia, whose hubs tend to be efficient and packed with amenities. Granted, if you’re flying to or from Manila then you have little choice but to use this airport. But if PAL hopes to offer a five-star experience from end to end, this will be perhaps its most significant hurdle. And it’s one area that’s largely outside of the airline’s control. Philippine Airlines leadership have spoken of the need for better aviation infrastructure in Manila for some time, so here’s hoping the airport can eventually catch up to match the quality of its home airline. Either way, this is an airline to keep an eye on as it continues to improve.
