Philippine Airlines might have trouble connecting North American travelers to Cambodia and Vietnam. This is mostly due to the timetable of their North American flights. # more
Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country’s only 4-star airline, will be launching flights to Phnom Penh and Hanoi in time for the summer season. They are also making a comeback to India’s capital New Delhi six years after cancelling their services.
I consider myself a commuter of the Hong Kong-Manila-Hong Kong route. I fly it at least once a month, up to weekly in some months. Flying these flights gave me a chance to compare the airlines flying those routes.
Comparing these options solely on the service is unfair, as Cathay Pacific is a 5-star airline, while both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific are 3-star airlines. But don’t worry; this comparison will dig deeper than that. Keep in mind though that this review is focused on their Hong Kong-Manila and Manila-Hong Kong flights.
Since Philippine Airlines is now retiring their Boeing 747s after the Philippines got upgraded back to Category 1 (FAA), I’m doing a flight review with my first and maybe only flight with their 747.
My super awesome bosses at my previous job flew me to our office in San Francisco last February. The US Visa I had was the first thing that devirginized my passport, then the next one was the departure stamp at NAIA.
As usual, PAL’s San Francisco to Manila flight was a night flight. I arrived at the airport a little bit earlier than usual since I didn’t want to run into any trouble since it was my first time to fly outside the country.
The ‘breakfast’ in the Philippines, ‘dinner’ in San Francisco that was served to us in-flight
Dinner
Dinner
When I arrived at the airport, I immediately went to the direction of Mabuhay Class check-in counters. One of their friendly staff extended a hand and asked where I’m flying to and I told her San Francisco. She guided me to the check-in counter but I told her I’ll be checking in in the business counter. Continue reading PR104 MNL to SFO Flight Review (Philippine Airlines)→