Philippine Airlines Customer Reviews and Philippine Airlines Trip Reports

PR512, SIN-MNL. After a rather lacklustre MNL-SIN leg (an early morning flight marred by dismal FA service and attitude), I was optimistic that the outbound leg was merely a fluke. Check in at Changi and the ground staff messed up seat assignments (I traveled with 3 children and we were separated on the flight - good thing we were able to switch with a friendly lady so we can sit together). Flight delayed an hour out of Singapore and FA attitude was exactly the same as our outbound flight. Service was hurried, cold and distant. Food was inedible. Good thing we had dinner at Changi before the flight. I really wish PAL would pay more attention to the people skills of their staff.

Our family of 5 went to Boracay for vacation last week (starting May 16). Manila-Kalibo on May 16, Kalibo-Manila on May 19, 5.15pm. Trip going to Kalibo was ok, however, I was shocked to receive an email advisory from PAL, on Saturday night at 6.35pm, that we have been re-booked from our May 20 5.15pm flight to May 20, 6.30am instead! It is impossible to get from Boracay island to Kalibo by that hour. CS agent and supervisor were insisting we either take the 6.30am May 20 flight, or do a "go-show" for their 8pm or 10pm or 12.15am flights. I had to stay on the line with their CS Supervisor until he finally got us confirmed seats on May 20 4.15pm flight. In all of this, all PAL could say was "sorry for the inconvenience". I will avoid this airline from now on.

Flew PR 511, MNL-SIN on 19 May 2013 in coach. PAL doesn't have online check in for international flights. Fortunately, flight was fairly empty and an early morning flight and check in meant that the airport was not as crowded as usual. Painless going through check in with a full compliment of baggage from the family (wife and 3 kids). Immigration and security was a breeze. Because of the few number of passengers on this 6am flight, boarding was easy. In fact, the plane was fully loaded a good 20 mins before scheduled push back from the terminal. The good part of the flight ended there. I knew beforehand that there was no personal entertainment on PAL's A330 so I loaded the kids' gadgets with entertainment to keep them occupied for the 3 plus hour flight (an eternity in kids' clocks). What ruined the flight for me was the FAs attitudes of just going through the motions of completing the cabin service. It was rushed and no effort was made to accommodate passengers' requests. My wife's aisle cart ran out of the beef option but mine was stocked with it. When she requested for the beef, she was merely told they ran out. I had to point out to the FA in her aisle to get the selection from the other cart. The food was pretty tasty for airline food, though. Twice requested for coffee and it never came. No after meal drink run and the FAs were just in the galley chatting away. I recall the time when the saving grace of Philippine Airlines was the friendly and efficient service of the staff. Now they seem to even be losing that. I never thought I'd live long enough to see the day when I had better service from American FAs (was on Delta a few months ago) than from Philippine Airlines' FAs.

Have flown PAL twice now from Melbourne to Manila, first time was so so, plane was late taking off but on board service was fine. Flew again in April and was pleasantly surprised by the improvement in the airline, flight on time, cabin crew were very friendly and welcoming. Am a bit disappointed they are cutting out the direct Melbourne to Manila flight. All in all no complaints though their terminal is a bit small and stuffy.

Recently flew from Toronto to Manila Flit# 119 and returned Flit# 118 with Philippine Airlines. The crew onboard the flight were very professional, courteous and made sure everyone was comfortable through the entire journey. The seats though not first class were comfortable, leg room was sufficient, food was good, no complaints here. If I am ever to return to the Philippines for another vacation, I will once again choose PAL.

Had a fairly pleasant flight but the plane (A330 Singapore to Manila in economy) was very old and rickety. A small number of common TVs down the centreline that skipped and lost sound constantly. Old seats, aggressive aircon and everything just didn't seem very well put together. Good food and staff though.

New B777-300ER from Manila to Toronto. They were excellent and for the price, their product is hard beat. Staff were excellent, and service was outstanding. The wine selection leaves something to be desired but their food was creative although portions were small. The aircraft was clean, and seats were comfortable. They are not fully horizontal but for me they were comfortable.

Hong Kong - Manila return, service has improved since I last flew them. A340 out and 747 on return were comfortable with excellent seat pitch in economy. B747 had good AVOD. A hot meal is provided, which is a welcome return to service and cabin crew are polite and efficient. The first leg was on time, but the flight from Manila was dreadful as we were boarded 45 minutes late (terminal 2 is far inferior to terminal 3 - hot, crowded, noisy and like a greenhouse), but then sat on the stifling plane to sweat for a further 2 hours. Looking at the flight, I may stick with Cebu Pacific in future as the PAL terminal building is awful and the very long, hot delay was not at all acceptable.

MNL-YVR. Airbus A340-300. The seat was ok. It has quite a big legroom for a tall man like me. The food was delicious, the cabin was clean, the Flight attendants have great service. In flight Entertainment is poor.

MNL-YVR on a Boeing 777. Service was good and the food and beverages were tasty. My seat was a window seat and was comfortable. The seat was reclining and the cabin was clean, we were given blankets. Enjoyed the inflight entertainment.

On line booking is a challenge and needs an upgrade. I didn't get the seat I booked online for an additional fee. The staff member behind the counter did not speak English nor Filipino. On our way back same thing happened, the seat I booked was not given to us. This time the staff member admitted their lack of upgrades in the computer system and worked on changing our seats fast and was apologetic. Never had an on time flight with PAL. The only thing good about it is the cabin crews. They are very nice. Mine and my husband's TV did not work.

GUM-MNL-LAO and back. Mediocre Airline. No inflight entertainment, No Lounge access at GUM and LAO. Nothing that makes this airline stand-out from the rest.

Nice flight from Manila to Cebu. Plane was very new and the staff very friendly. All in all a perfect flight for this short distance!

Great service from Manila to Toronto. Meals are tasty, lounge is not that elegant but it is clean. Onboard, seats are relaxing. Would definitely fly again.

Manila - Puerto Princesa - Manila (domestic travel). 5 day trip: delayed 3 hours on both legs. Poor communication, lack of explanations and terrible customer service. The standard of this is airline is far below that of a budget airline and I will avoid flying with PR in future. A highly disorganised domestic carrier to be avoided.

Hong Kong to Manila in January 2013 on an A330. Upon arrival in Hong Kong the plane was delayed so we went out of Hong Kong approx 30 mins late. The Service was slow and my selection of food was not available. Also, they apparently didn't have any Coke available. Upon arrival in Manila I couldn't help notice that the cabin staff were still cleaning up in the galley just a few minutes before our touch down in Manila. As a European I'm used to that the cabin is usually ready for arrival at least 15 minutes before touch down. There was no personal monitors, however, for a 2 hour flight that's not an issue for me. They did show some entertainment on a common screen but I didn't watch it. The messages from the captain were good and easy to understand.

Return Vancouver - Manila return on Boeing777. Online booking got me a good seat in the front - not what I call the second class business class back one compartment same as on the Airbus 340. The 777 is not as new as I expected but much better than the tired old 340s. Seats are a bit complicated to figure out with all the controls. Pitch is excellent with lots of room and I had nobody beside me on both legs. This was good as there are no seat pockets to store books or any items. The 777 is better configured and has a nice AVOD system although the choices were somewhat limited in music and TV shows. On the return leg the system crashed at the half way point and never came back on. The 777 is about one hour faster than the 340 and makes the trip a bit faster which is a bonus. Food was okay and service very good and attentive. My last 340 flight last year the cabin crew disappeared after dinner service but on this flight they were always around. On time flights and spacious. Will travel again next year on the 777 for sure - good value.

BKK-MLA. Nice flight with good service. The food was good and the flight attendants delightful. Not much inflight entertainment.

MNL-YVR-LAS return. The flight attendants were generally pleasant and accommodating, but slow. The food was good - 4 meals plus one snack for a 14-hour flight so more than sufficient. The seats are not very comfortable, they do not support the back or neck well. Fine for short flights, but not good for long trips. The seats in the middle rows have ample leg room, though the seats by the windows are quite cramped. As for the in-flight entertainment - there is no provision for personal entertainment, only a large LCD screen with poor image quality. The same movie was shown twice. Interior of the cabin is not very well-maintained. There were scuff marks, the seat covers were not pristine, the passenger pamphlets tattered and there was some rubbish left behind by the previous passengers. 3 of the 6 restrooms in Economy had clogged toilets and sinks.

Nov 15, MNL to SIN, economy class. The seats are okay and comfortable. The food is excellent and tasty. The cabin crew as always, serve with a smile. Aircraft used was A320 and the seats were quite empty at the back of the plane (where I was seated). As to Inflight entertainment, this is where I hope they can still further improve. The monitors are shared among the passengers so if you are seated above the monitor or too far, then you might find it hard to watch. But at any rate, overall the service is okay.

Booked a one-way ticket from Manila to Melbourne. The last time I flew PAL was 4 years ago and I can say that there is a big improvement in terms of service. I only wish they'd start online check-ins. The in-flight entertainment as well as food and beverages were adequate.

I was forewarned about glitches at check-in due to a computer system upgrade, so was prepared for the worst. An agent assisted passengers, it was no consolation because check-in seemed to take forever, with my frequent flyer number missing and likewise, my pre-reserved seat. Commendation however, should be given to the in-flight crew who did a superb job with their pleasant service attitude. Food was ample and delicious, but where it lacked was in presentation. Midnight snacks offered after dinner which helped quell my hunger due to the long flight (flight skipped the Guam technical stop and so it became a long 14 hour non-stop flight LAX-MNL). Since I flew on a similar aircraft MNL-LAX 19 days earlier, I was disappointed however, that the legroom on this 747-400 was shorter than the aircraft I flew on earlier. Having been a regular flyer of Philippine Airlines, I was pleasantly surprised at the enhancements experienced on over-all service on these flights.

Flew SFO-MNL-BKK. Aircraft 747 was adequate. Compared to top tier carriers, Philippine Airlines Business Cabin is cheaper with enough legroom and great food. Staff friendly and attentive. Generally, I fly Thai or Singapore to BKK but Philippine Airlines offered the best quality of service for Business travelers for the cheapest fares in Business Class. Would recommend for those who want to save but still have a quality of service.

MNL-BKK-MNL. Wouldn't normally fly Business Class but found a bargain fare. Was assigned a seat in the former First Class cabin of an old A340, with seats and legroom a couple of notches better than the regular Business Class cabins. Seat showed its age, but well maintained and comfortable; was able to lower it into an almost flat position and managed to have a very good nap. Staff attentive, and their enthusiasm seemed quite genuine. Nothing fancy in the meal service, but the food was tasty and plenty of it - ask for the excellent mango smoothie! Inflight entertainment was sub-par, not even as good as economy in the top-tier airlines. Overall, very satisfied and will gladly fly with them again.

Trip Rating :  10/10

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Trip Rating :  10/10

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Trip Rating :  8/10

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Trip Rating :  3/10

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Trip Rating :  8/10

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Trip Rating :  8/10

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Trip Rating :  3/10

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Trip Rating :  1/10

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Trip Rating :  2/10

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Trip Rating :  9/10

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Trip Rating :  1/10

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Trip Rating :  2/10

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Trip Rating :  8/10

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Trip Rating :  9/10

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