Philippine Airlines review by Leon Saiz

8 August 2005

I have flown over 60,000 miles with PAL this year and I have both good things (and some not so good things) to say about this airline. On the positive side, staff have always treated me in a friendly manner and I have been upgraded on numerous occasions. On the negative side, I have at times noticed the different service mentality when some staff apparently treat Filipinos rather harshly, especially with excess baggage penalties. I have witnessed flights delayed due to check in staff busily penalising the unfortunate overseas Filipino worker with his/her's bulky possessions. In all fairness to PAL though, with rising fuel costs and so many overseas Filipino workers on board PAL's flights, tight weight restrictions might just assist the plane in taking to the skies. On the other hand, PAL treats its most frequent flyers with a generous extra 30kg of check in baggage allowance. I do agree with the previous claims of disappearing acts after meals performed by some PAL flight attendants. The disappearance act has been known to be preceeded by a race to serve the tea and coffee almost immediately after the food tray is delivered (MNL-BKK and MNL-PVG) in order that the act of disappearance may be expedited. PAL seems to be doing ok on the catering front. However the "complimentary" drinks advertised in the after take off announcement are usually limited to 1.5 if you can get an attendant to serve you a 2nd drink after the disappearance act. Each drink is stuffed so full of ice that one standard soft drink usually equates to half a glass. Attendants are forbidden to give the passenger the full can of drink so you must wait for the magical reappeance of the FA's to get another drink. In fairness to the attendants I suspect that limiting beverage consumption might be a cost saving measure imposed by the airline and the disappearing act might well be part of the cost reduction strategy. As far as assisting passengers with baggage in the cabin, staff are always there to lend a hand and have always done so in a courteous manner. The food in the Mabuhay (business) lounge is however of a good standard - however here too the staff seem to be adept at the disappearance game. All too often they are chatting and cracking jokes back of house instead of concentrating on their guests. I agree with the three star rating for PAL imposed by Skytrax, but there are plenty of good staff from the 24 hour reservation service in Manila to the check in staff and the flight attendants (when they are on duty) to keep me as a loyal customer. There is plenty of room for improvement and I see better training for those staff able to be re trained as a key ingredient to a better service. For those staff who are not able or unwilling to be retrained there is always the space on the outer side of the emergency exit.

Philippine Airlines review by E Fitzhume

8 August 2005

LAX to MNL - Business Class. Flight was delayed/cancelled for 12 hours. Got billeted at the dump Furama hotel. Meal voucher were only good for the hotel cafe buffet! Flight finally leaves LAX at 11:50 am the next day. No In-flight entertainment in the upper deck at all. FA's were courteous but disappeared after the first meal serving. Food was okay.

Philippine Airlines review by Partha Bora

29 June 2005

Business Class on Phillipine Air from LAX to Singapore. Service was okay but equipment was run- down and had a worn out look. Toilets were equally bad with rust stains in the toilet bowl. Food was just edible. But the kicker was on the return flight back. I got bumped into First Class and thought the ride would be good this time. However, I was disappointed right way. The flight from Manila to LAX was delayed and the passengers were kept waiting at the airport lounge without any information. When I boarded the flight, I had the misfortune to occupy a seat where nothing was working. The seat couldn't be reclined. The buttons were all broken. The in-flight entertainment system was broken. When it was brought to the attention of the flight-attendant, was told that they had overlooked and will fix it next time. Now to fly such a long flight in that kind of situation is kind of tough. Since the flight was overbooked I didn't have the option to occupy another seat. So had to suffer endure the misfortune all the way back to LAX. Lesson learned, pay little extra and fly a better airline. The service and equimpent in Business/First Class for Phillipines Airlines can not be even compared to Economy Class in other major airlines flying in Asia. So next time fly another airline. The airline didn't have the courtesy to apologise for the inconvenience caused. Here is the kicker, at the end of the flight, the flight-attendants were handing out survey forms (one of them whispered to me that this is for their promotions) to fill out. I guess they are pretty oblivious to their level of services and yet asking for good review in their surveys.

Philippine Airlines review by Steve Harmer

21 February 2005

Vancouver to Manila - First Class. My wife and I travelled to Manila with Philippine airlines. The flight was on time from Vancouver, there was only 4 people in the first class cabin. Food was OK not to the same level as Singapore Airlines. It was a night flight so meal was served quickly, my seat did not recline to the 180 degrees and the attendant suggested a different one , this also did not work the third seat was OK. No special care was offered as a first class passenger at Manila. The journey back was woeful, we stood outside the airport in 108 degrees for 2 and a half hours. When inside the terminal first class and business class check in was unmanned (staff shortages). The lounge had no food and all 3 computers available were out of order. Seat on the way back was also defective so ended up in yet another seat!. Staff were very courteous on all flights younger staff were very friendly, older staff were not too interested. Philippine air charges very low prices for their first class travel and is comparable to Singapore business class fare but having been with Singapore Airlines business from LAX to SIN there is no similarity in service. Sent letter of complaint never heard back, never fly with them again.

Philippine Airlines review by George Langdon

18 February 2005

LAX to MNL in Economy. Departing Jan 3, 2005 and returning Feb 3, 2005. Plane both fights was a very old 747, and full both ways. Seating was very cramped. But my main disappoint was the poor service and food. Unlike my flights on Malaysian and Singapore, both Economy, PAL offered nothing extra. No hot towels on departure, no drink service, only one hot meal, a minimal box snack, and a hot breakfast. No sandwiches or other food during the long night. The food on the outbound flight was OK. On the return it was terrible. Only advantage to PAL is the short flights, particularly the non-stop return to LAX. But in my opinion, it is worth paying more for the enjoyment offered by the other big Asian carriers.

Philippine Airlines review by E Mallari

15 February 2005

Domestic flight from Manila to Cebu on Jan. 19. My wife and I bought Economy tickets but we decided to pay extra for Business Class seats upon check-in. The ticket agent was very courteous and helpful. Our noon flight was late so they put us on an earlier flight. We were greeted politely by a Flight Attendant by our last names and were each offered a glass of orange juice as soon as we were seated. Before take off we were asked to select the meal from their menu. The A330-200 was clean. The business class seats were comfortable, lunch was O.K. although no alcoholic beverage was available on this domestic flight. An episode of "Friends" was shown in their individual IFE's. On our return flight to Manila on Jan. 21 we decided to pay extra for Business Class once again. The ticket agent in Cebu seemed pre-occupied and left me waiting on the Business Class line. I was the only one on the Business Class line but he did a very good job of ignoring me. Two free ticket agents were just sitting and did not call me. I only found out that their counter was open only after I asked them. The Business Class lounge in Cebu airport was comfortable. The snacks were tasty especially the congee. The flight to Manila was also on an Airbus A330-200. Business Class section was full on this flight. The IFE showed the same episode of "Friends" on the return leg. The food was very terrible on this flight. I noticed the two caucasian passengers in front of us did not also eat their meal. I told the F.A. about the terrible food that they served but she did not say a word. The entertainment outside the window was better than their I.F.E. as the Philippines is comprised of more than 7,000 islands. Another F.A. remembered my last name when she addressed me by my last name before whe landed.

Philippine Airlines review by Marty Hall

14 August 2004

SFO-MNL business class service. Not up to the standards of business class on other Asian airlines, but considering PAL business class is about half the price, very good. Good lounge in both SFO and MNL, decent food, VERY short lines (a real boon in Manila!), and priority-checked bags means you beat the crowds to immigration.

Philippine Airlines review by Robert Luff

25 June 2004

I flew PAL HKG - MNL, TAC-MNL and MNL-HKG and was impressed by the friendly cabin crew and the food was outstanding each time, even on the domestic flight. All the flights left early as well, in fact the TAC-MNL flight left 10 minutes early (is this a habit of PAL?!, not that I'm complaining!!). Given a choice of Cebu Pacific or PAL, the latter wins each time easily.

Philippine Airlines review by Ales Struna

13 May 2004

Flew PR in April from Vancouver to Manila in First and a few days later Manila to Bangkok in Economy. First Class is a good product on this Airbus 340-300. Seats are fully reclinable and are very comfortable on this 14 hour flight. Got a good 6 hour sleep. Food was very good with different choices from the trolley. Too bad they use all plastic knives, forks and spoons. Inflight Entertainment is not very good, only 3 extra movies on personal entertainment system compared to Economy Class main screen. MNL-BKK flight in economy was good, friendly service, and good food. Did same flights in November last year. Again, very good value for ticket price but not up to other Asian airlines standard like Thai, Cathay etc.

Philippine Airlines review by Christian G Villegas

7 May 2004

LAX-MNL-LAX on PR113/PR102 respectively. Check in at Mabuhay Class counter was a breeze. The lounge, however, was a very far walk from the gate but was small and cozy with a good selection of snacks and beverages. FA's very helpful upon boarding, and a round of drinks were given (choice of orange juice and - orange juice). Being in J class I was hoping they would have more selection of drinks. Meal service started soon after take off. In short food was excellent, service was impeccable at meal times but FA's then disappeared never to be seen again until descent. Seats are fairly comfortable however Philippine Airline's highly touted A340 is showing its age. PTV had very limited selections of movies and are not AVOD. Seats are tatty and worn - and honestly, it looked like a pair of large cats had a melee with the way the upholstery looked prior to my boarding. In fairness, I had a 6hr sleep on a 17hr flight so not much to complain about. Outbound flight to LAX was on a B747 was at the least very, very old. Same recline as Y class, no leg rest, a metal footrest or a cushion if you happen to sit by emergency exit like Idid. No PTV's this time, same entertainment as Y class.

Philippine Airlines review by E Visenio

29 March 2004

I flew with PAL from SFO to MNL and back last month. Overall, it was a very pleasant trip both ways. The F/As were nice and made you feel at home. Some seem to enjoy their job more than the others. Case in point, the F/A assigned to our section on the Manila flight made you feel you were imposing on her whenever you asked something while those in the section nearby seem to be more ready to help and always smiling. They do disappear after meal service probably to put things away and to eat their meals. It would be nice if someone would make the rounds to check on the passengers and offer water. I had at least one call light for water that never got answered. The SFO flight crew was a notch better. Not only is our F/A more approachable, a Flight Purser made the rounds to make sure everything was in order. She even offered to fix my wobbly tray without even asking. The B747 used between SFO and MNL is showing its age and should be retired. Although kept clean by the crew, some the equipment are worn out. I was not able to watch any movie on the return flight because the monitor was not working right. The music channels were barely audible. The food were simple but good. The Filipino breakfast was a familiar comfort that made you feel at home. I will definitely fly PAL again on my next trip to Manila.

Philippine Airlines review by Allan Joseph

19 March 2004

The only reason why I fly PAL is because they are the only airline that flies directly from the Philippines to mainland USA . Their treatment to some of their fellow Filipinos is terrible which I cannot understand. I observed that from the check in counters in MNL, the attendants are rude to economy class Filipinos but not with foreigners however FA's were subtle in their rudeness. I definitely agree that PAL's FAs seemingly disapear after meal time. I always take the MNL-LAX-MNL route and this kind of treatment NEVER fails. Anyway, food though is great and the aircraft is always clean.

Philippine Airlines review by Ed Williams

14 March 2004

I took a Manila to Vancouver flight on business class last February on PAL's nonstop service and was highly impressed with service from check-in up to baggage claim, on the ground and in the air. Checking in was a breeze and I was able to get to the splendid lounge pretty quickly - although there was a bit of a build up because of extensive security checks. Lines at the gate were kept short and I was able to get on the plane around three minutes after gates opened. Two FA's were at the door to greet passengers and then another at the Business Class section to assist passengers with coats and jackets as well as overhead storage of carry-ons. Refreshments were served while waiting for boarding and take-off clearance. Food was later served at appropriate times with a good selection of great, hot food as well as dessert and apetizers plus, of course, drinks. Trays were cleared individually as each customer finished eating. The legroom was larger compared to business class on some other airlines and personal TVs were there to entertain passengers (business/first class).  A  light and tasty breakfast was served two to three hours before landing. I would never hesitate to take Philippine Airlines in the future.

Philippine Airlines review by John De La Cruz

26 February 2004

B737 flight from Manila to Singapore. The business class seating was tight but given that only 6 out of the 12 seats were occupied, each passenger had some space for himself. The doors near the forward galley needed to be re-opened and closed for several times while we were on the runway but everything turned out well after the initial jitters caused by this reopening of doors after gate departure. Juice and water were offered upon boarding and the cabin attendant immediately took our order. There was a seafood appetizer , then choices of prawns and scallop, steak and potatoes, and a pasta dish. Dessert consisted of a pudding with strawberry sauce. The usual retinue of hot drinks, wines, etc were also made available to the passengers. No inflight entertainment was offered on this 3.5 hour journey and gave me enough time to rest throughout the journey. Arrival in Singapore was fine and I was out of immigration and customs area within 15 minutes from gate opening.

Philippine Airlines review by Victor Fairweather

8 February 2004

An airline that can provide a cabin manager who calls me by name each time she attends me and, with her helpers, serves a top quality hot meal on a 45 minute flight has my vote. Big smiles, and ultra politeness, That, on a domestic flight Manila to Cebu, on a 747 packed to capacity. Flights on Airbus in Business on the same route have been excellent. Even on the 737 flights having no business class, I've been treated well.

Philippine Airlines review by Daniel Hurrell

30 January 2004

Philippine Airlines from Sydney to Manila return economy. The service was outstanding, crew were friendly and attentive to passengers. Glad that PAL flights arrive at the new Manila Centennial terminal. It is so much roomier, quicker customs and baggage collection than the old NAIA terminal. The greatest part about the new centennial terminal, is that toilets actually flush, are clean and well maintained!

Philippine Airlines review by Ales Struna

2 December 2003

YVR-MNL in First Class return and MNL-BKK in Economy. I booked both tickets on the Philippine Airline website and first class ticket was almost half of other airlines business class fare to Manila. First Class Seat on Philippine Airlines goes completely flat. Service was great, very personal, very friendly with lots of smiles. What a refreshing and in my opinion much better alternative to other especially North American carriers. 3 hour economy class flight to Bangkok had same friendly and smiling service.

Philippine Airlines review by Ram Jamasali

11 September 2003

I travelled Asia 2 years ago and I flew different airlines, but I must say Philippine Airlines is outstanding, the flight stewards are hospitable and always smiling, attentive and they are approachable.

Philippine Airlines review by Rufo Calvo

11 September 2003

Just completed a round trip Vancouver-Manila in Mabuhay Business class. Was impressed with the A340 as it was not a too noisy of an aircraft. Engines seemed to purr rather than bellow. Smiles were everywhere I noticed by all the PR crew. True that many of the senior attendants work the front of the plane as I found that out when I took a stroll around the aircraft. In the back of the plane I found the crew to be much younger. The PR crew have a knack for addressing their passengers as "sir or ma'am" regardless of what class you are traveling in. I heard it used quite often on the plane and never got tired of hearing it because as I live in the USA...I never hear US carriers addressing passengers in the same manner. One other item which actually shocked me was seeing a male flight attendant help a woman place her luggage in the overhead locker. Again, a rarity amongst most carriers. Many carriers take the "you carried it on, you store it overhead" attitude and will not help out at all. It was nice to see that. Luggage out quick in Manila and Vancouver. All in all, good flights, great Filipino food and the warmth and genuine hospitality of the Filipino people made these flights just fabulous.

Philippine Airlines review by Richard Whitehouse

9 September 2003

I have flown PAL between LAX and MNL many times. While I enjoyed the care and service during the flight, I have been very dissatisfied by the checking in procedures. Traveling from Florida to LAX requires arriving at LAX hours before the international flight.

Arriving in LAX to find no one manning the 5 LA checking stations - only 3 hours before take off, and by that time the line has grown to 300 feet. 

Philippine Airlines review by E Redulla

16 August 2003

I flew this airline on my trip to the Philippines last month. My experiences differed on each leg of the journey.  SFO-MNL they use the Airbus that doesn't provide as much leg room, and seats are cramped.  The FA's on this flight were much older and weren't as friendly. I agree with many others that cabin staff seem to disappear after mealtime. MNL-Tagbilaran was a different story - a short 1 hour flight, it was one of my better experiences in flying. The FA's were very nice and smiling all the time. I was disappointed with the very light snack, but it was only an hour flight. On my return to the US, (MNL-SFO) I was expecting the worst, but got the opposite of that. A 747 which has more leg room and space to roam around during my stretch breaks. The FA's were all younger, and pleasant.  The food seemed to taste much better on this flight, and each seat had a personal TV. Overall, I have flown this airline many times and am satisfied with it. It is the only direct flight between California and the Philippines.

Philippine Airlines review by I Danglapin

28 July 2003

I travel between HNL to MNL at least once a year or more for business or personal trip. I fly PR because it is a nonstop. I agree with other comments, that staff tend to disappear after meal. Also the flight crew attitude toward Filipino Passengers or Kababayan need a lot of improvements. They service you in a rating of 5 Star if you're good looking, you dress nice and are a foreigner. In-flight service depends on the crew that day. But, I noticed younger flight crew service better that older crew. Maybe older crew are already immune to customer service, don't care attitude and ready for retirement.

Philippine Airlines review by K Garcia

28 July 2003

Philippine Airlines SFO-MNL roundtrip. I flew on Mabuhay Class and was surprised to find that their service unlike anything else. As I stood in line to go to the restroom, a Flight Attendant hurried in to clean it every time it was used. We used a brand new Airbus A340 for our journey. I was surprised to see how attentive the Cabin Crews were to detail from food service to seat directions to clear announcements. I would definitely fly this airlines again. Philippine Airlines also has one of the most generous mileage plans. Try it for yourselves... You will be surprised as I was with the amount of service this airline has.

Philippine Airlines review by Ed Bides

16 June 2003

I agree with J Amison comments of July 31, 2002 which stated Cabin Crews will mostly disappear especially after dinner meal has been served. Unlike other Airline companies that have flight Attendants continuously going around checking if anyone needs help or serving drinks. Also, PAL is the only Airline that offers a straight flight to the Philippines, non-stop, however on most occasions they have to stop in Hawaii for a couple of hours to re-fuel. So, why then call it a non-stop?

Philippine Airlines review by Joshua Schmidt

5 May 2003

My wife and I had flown PAL  Manila to the USA for the past 3 years and I can say that I have enjoyed one of the best airline experiences every time. Check in a breeze, cabin crew first rate and the pilots great. The food and service overall excellent. Even though retreiving luggage takes a little longer than expected, for the price, PAL is an outstanding value and I would recommend them to anyone.