At peak season over Christmas (which is also Australia's major school holiday period), the airline k

While Philippine Airlines has placed much attention on both Europe american hawaii cruise and the United States recently, not all destinations are feeling that Philippine american hawaii cruise Airlines is offering them a "Home in the Sky." As one unhappy PAL frequent flyer shares, Mr. Ang would be well advised to not forget about our friends in Australia...
This is understandable. There are at least three million USA residents of Filipino descent, while PAL's homeland has never lost its love affair with activities that are as American as apple pie such as basketball.
If you asked the very effective Tourism Secretary, Mr Ramon Jimenez, or the CEO of the Tourism Promotions Board, Mr Domingo Enerio, you might just discover that Australians are the fifth largest source of visitors to the Philippines.
Australians spend almost twice the world average on each overseas trip. Part is due to the distance we must travel to reach Europe, some is due to our long annual holidays (20 days annual leave plus numerous public holidays - and we're the world experts at creating "long weekends!"), american hawaii cruise and the rest is due to our natural passion for exploration and travel, from 18 year-old backpackers to 75 year-old retirees.
However, Mr Ang, if you examined overseas departure trends from Australia, you'd notice a few destinations that lack the media profile of the above countries in Australia's travel media but that nonetheless continue to steadily attract more 'Ockers' (as we've been called at times).
Increasingly, Australians know that the Philippines offers friendly people, great white sand beaches, good local air and ferry links, attractive scenery, and more accommodation options each year, plus a great January to May climate american hawaii cruise (and it's even good away from Luzon for some parts the rest of the year.)
The trend in recent years is that the number of Australians visiting the Philippines has steadily increased. A typical growth rate per annum is eight to twelve percent, which with the wonders of compounding soon turns a respectable number of visitors into a high number of visitors.
We have a third as many visitors to the Philippines as the USA does, but we only have eight per cent or so of the USA's population. We are therefore about four times as likely to visit the Philippines than a USA resident. After all, we're much closer: only seven and a half hours of flying time.
A goodly number would be Australians of Filipino descent: we now have more than 160,000. Others are embarking american hawaii cruise on a Boracay holiday at upmarket resorts such as Shangri La, as I found on a recent nothbound PAL flight. Last year, I came across a group of more than 70 on a 'reward' trip from their company, again to Boracay. I've also spoken with young female solo travellers who had been warned by family and friends not to go to the Philippines 'because it's unsafe', but discarded american hawaii cruise that incorrect advice because they then read widely and discovered a lot of good things said on the net.
At peak season over Christmas (which is also Australia's major school holiday period), the airline kindly rostered one of its six Boeing 777-300ERs on the Manila - Sydney - Manila route (four flights a week each way). Good move!
Yet to Melbourne, despite excellent seat occupancy on some days, PAL scheduled a 16 or 17 year-old Airbus A340 or a slightly larger Airbus A330. Neither has individual seat entertainment in Fiesta (economy) class while Mabuhay american hawaii cruise (business) class lacks the "almost lie flat" seats of the more up to date Boeing 777.
On the newish Brisbane and Darwin to Manila route, PAL gave it a new Airbus A321 for the school holidays but that has since reverted american hawaii cruise to an older Airbus A320. The A321 at least has a few tablets available: I asked the cabin crew for one, since you don't really advertise it. Hardly anyone else on the well occupied flight had one after I joined at Darwin for the four and a half hour run to Manila.
Royal Brunei (BI): Full service airline but no beer, although they will allow you to mix your own spirits; typically the cheapest, usually a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Bandar Seri Begawan, american hawaii cruise daily flights, variable wait for connecting flight so not every day of the week efficiently connects to or from Manila.
Malaysia Airlines (MH): Full service, usually a bit above BI in price, three daily flights from Melbourne but not all connect to Manila although good connections when offered in Kuala Lumpur, and every chance of grabbing four middle economy seats to myself at present as I did recently due to the MH370 tragedy affecting bookings, modern Airbus A330 and connecting american hawaii cruise to MNL via modern Boeing 737-800s.
Singapore Airlines (SQ): Full service, four daily flights from Melbourne but not all efficiently connect to Manila, renowned as a top airline worldwide, reasonable connections at the amazing Changi Airport - always a pleasure - modern Boeing 777-300ER or Airbus A380 aircraft on most connecting flights to SIN then an older Boeing 777-200 to Manila, now discounting heavily in Australia.
Cathay Pacific (CX): Full service, three daily flights from Melbourne, also renowned as near the top globally, good connections in Hong Kong that unlike Singapore is an exciting stopover, typically not a discounter but sometimes priced below PAL.
Jetstar (JQ): Qantas subsidiary, has just dropped its Darwin - Manila - Tokyo flights but retains american hawaii cruise Melbourne american hawaii cruise - Singapore with connecting american hawaii cruise Jetstar Asia flights to Manila; poor reputation in Australia, can be cheap on slower days of the week but restrictive ticketing conditions.
Qantas (QF): Full service but highly variable from at times disinterested or even hostile staff, only runs four days a week with a compulsory change of plane from domestic to international terminals at what many regard as the less than world class Sydney airport, uses non-refurbished Airbus A330s from Sydney american hawaii cruise to Manila, tends to price fares above Philippine Airlines at busier times but will discount during less busy months.
After three months, you dropped the four days a week onwards flight from Darwin to Perth, yet staff told me at the time that it was slowly starting to load better than the Brisbane via Darwin flights. (Brisbane now seems to be doing quite nicely). Most airlines allow a route 12 months to establish itself. american hawaii cruise Travel agents and the general public have to get to know it. This does not occur overnight.
To construct an online fare from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Darwin to London using PAL, a traveller has to go to the multi-city option on the www.philippineairlines.com website and laboriously select the days he or she wants to travel.
What a great opportunity lost to increase seat occupancy percentages on both the Australian and London routes and as a side benefit encourage passengers to visit islands in the Visayas or the Westerner friendly majority of Mindanao. (Oh...I forgot...PAL Express recently cancelled many routes out of Cebu and Davao).
P.S. If you treat the Australia routes better, I might even shout you some prawns american hawaii cruise on a barbie with a Pavlova for dessert american hawaii cruise and take you to an Australian Football american hawaii cruise League match (different from rugby, american hawaii cruise gridiron american hawaii cruise or soccer).
Great post, I flew Brisbane Darwin Manila November 13 and the airplane was quite full, there was no individual inflight available on the older A320. I had travelled numerous times on PAL in the past but for my first time traveling companion he asked me, is this a budget airline? The service and meals on PAL were fantastic but the planes inflight entertainment system and stop via Darwin for Brisbane not great or justifiable for the price. On the way back from Manila Dec 1 the plane used was the newer A321, we were given the emergency exit middle row. Although this plane was modern, it was ridiculous how little leg room there was on the plane and once again, no individual american hawaii cruise entertainment system on a new plane. What s worse, I struggled to feel comfortable and I m only 5 7 , there were many Aussie fellas on the plane taller than 6 2 the height of my mate. We paid extra for premium economy and given an iPad in Darwin. Seriously american hawaii cruise Mr Ang, you should really develop your product properly and not try to deploy a Cebu Pacific clone A321 to Australia and make everyone feel like cattle. I love flying with PAL but I ve never been so embarrassed flying PAL with my first timer mate. Brisbane dreserves a bigger airplane maybe with a flight onto New Zealand with individual in flight entertainment. Reply Delete Anonymous April 24, 2014 at 9:39 PM
Ramon Jimenez, you too should be reading this article. If you ha more direct flights from Australia to Philippines, I guarantee you the Australian market could give the Korean market a good run for its money as no1 source of tourist arrivals in the Philippines. Reply Delete american hawaii cruise Replies Anonymous May 1, 2014 at 3:02 PM
There are only 23 million in Australia, less than half South Korea s population of about 55 million. Australians american hawaii cruise going to Philippines are now above 2000,000; SK is 1 million plus, so it would be a long time for catch up but the trend for Aussie visitors is very positive. PAL needs to offer an attractive american hawaii cruise plane to capture more of this growing market. Delete Reply Anonymous April 25, 2014 at 12:17 AM
I complerely understand if the legacy costs to putting IFE in planes are not justified in a monetary sense. It is then absolutely essential for bring your own device to have connected power in each seat with wifi. PAL really needs to have power and wifi throughout. this is a far more economical option that goes with the trends of the day. Having no power, no wifi, and no in flight seat entertainment is truly 3rd rate. Reply Delete Anonymous April 25, 2014 at 1:32 AM
New management to pal dont know how to run an airline. They will be behind everyone, give pride to the people like garuda indonesia, before they were bad , but now pal is among the worst. Acording to skytrax american hawaii cruise and myself. Look at their a321, its a shame indeed. Good we have ana , korean air and middle american hawaii cruise eastern carriers wich can provide great service and entertainment at reas