Philippine Airlines

London to Manila. We booked flights for Thursday 7th June. 3 weeks before our flight date we have been told that the flight is cancelled and we either have to fly a day later and miss the wedding or a day earlier and have to take unpaid leave and deal with work complications because of it. If we had known before we would have chosen a different airline, however 3 weeks before the flight date flights have sky rocketed in price and suitable flights not available so is not an option. What’s more the flights we now were cheaper at the time of booking so we have now also overpaid for a flight we did not want. No compensation or apology from Philippines Airlines so far. Very poor service and terrible reliability.

It was my first time to fly on our flag carrier on a Manila-Singapore-Manila flight. PR511 is an Airbus A321-200 with no seat-back entertainment system so I have to be content on reading the Mabuhay Magazine for a 3 hour journey. Maybe the pilot missed the distance of lowering the plane’s altitude on our final approach to Changi Airport so the aircraft suddenly dives and it was a hair raising experience but the landing was smooth. On my return leg to Manila on PR508 they used an old Airbus A330-300 and still with no seat back entertainment. Both airplanes are equipped with on-board wifi using pre-downloaded PAL apps but I am not a fan of using mobile devices while travelling because it makes me dizzy. When we arrived at Terminal 2 there were no airbridge available so all 300+ passengers have to go down on stairs at the tarmac and transported inside by several buses. It was like arriving from a domestic flight on a budget carrier. I don’t feel that 4 star Skytrax rating in terms of equipment. Overall… it was a good experience and hoping for a better journey next time.

I flew Philippine Airlines from MNL to LHR on a Boeing 777-300ER on the first week of February after being recommended by a friend. Yes, fares were so cheap, great value for money. Although I understand the airline is undergoing improvements, I would like to point out that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on their cabin and seats—from ambience down to seat comfort. I hope they will soon opt for a total makeover of their cabins or else their great service will just be marred by a bad environment. Remember, first impressions last, for some. Honestly, I don’t like the airport in MNL but I am not traveling to see airports though. But what made my flight great were the people. They were extremely attentive and friendly, without looking orchestrated, that I even made friends with two of the staffs. And also, no offense but what sets them apart from other Asian carriers I flew before was how proficient they were in English, I did not have difficulty communicating with them. I was also surprised with how flexible their meal selections were for an economy class flight. The IFE is not that bad but still needs upgrading. It could be better if it will have screens like the ones I flew with on Emirates coupled with a responsive UX similar to SIA’s KrisWorld which I really have appreciated. All in all, I would love to recommend it to my relatives who plan to go to Palawan, the Philippines for their vacation next month.

I am a Filipino based in Riyadh, normally flies with PAL to Manila or via Manila. I have flown with PAL on business class to MNL, SYD, SFO, NRT and my experience varies as PAL uses different type of aircraft per destination. On their 10hrs Riyadh flights they are using A330 bi-class with 18 full flat business class seats with unworkable wifi and no IFE, instead they provide iPad upon request with limited selection of movies. Inflight service is good but meals not as great as US bound flights. On their 8hrs Sydney flight on an old A340 (now A330 TriClass) business class with no IFE, iPad upon request instead, seats not fully flat but comfy. On their 14hr flight to SanFrancisco they are using the new B777 with updated IFE with 3D map in every seat, meal service with attention to details. On my business class trip to Tokyo NRT on an A330TriClass, i can say this is the best product they have with all aisle access 1-2-1 seating, Wide HD IFE in every seat, but no amenity kit and no pre-arrival meal for 4hrs flying time. Other Asian carriers provide full amenity kit on business class even for 2hrs flying time. Still has alot to be improved to achieve atleast 4stars. Mode lighting should be installed as it makes a difference in cabin. Outside camera should be added. Mabuhay Lounge at T2 is pretty ordinary. T1 still no Lounge access for Elite/Business class passengers bound to Middle East but they provide voucher for Starbucks only. There should be atleast 2 toilets on A330 business class (currently only 1). B777 business class seating should be 2-2-2 or 1-2-1 like Cathay, still they have 2-3-2. Hope their A350 will be at par with other Asian carriers.

The flight to Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a okey but hoping to fly with pal with their new A330 tri class next time..delicious food and friendly flight attendants.my fare was been paid by my employer so i have no opinion for that.