TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Philippine Airlines (PAL), the flag carrier of the Republic of the Philippines, has started operating non-stop from Doha, Jeddah and Kuwait to Manila, capital of the Philippines. PAL now flies non-stop to Manila from Dubai daily and Riyadh daily.
TT Bureau
The Philippine Airlines also flies from Manila to Dammam five times weekly; Doha four times weekly; Kuwait four times weekly; Jeddah three times weekly; and Abu Dhabi three times a week. The realignment of routes is an enhancement of PAL’s product offering for its primary market in the Gulf region – the overseas Filipino workers. Beginning March 26, 2017, PAL dropped its Dubai and Abu Dhabi stop-over on the DohaManila, Jeddah-Manila, and Kuwait-Manila routes, all PAL flights to Manila from seven points in the Middle East have become non-stop.
“The non-stop service across these routes will give us a better product to offer our primary market, the nearly 800,000 Filipino contract workers. Aside from convenience, Filipinos will feel right at home upon boarding a PAL aircraft. We offer our passengers warm and caring service that comes from the Heart of the Filipino. ‘Buong pusong alaga’ (wholehearted care) is what makes Philippine Airlines a cut above the rest,” said Jaime J. Bautista, President and COO, PAL.
The devolved service – non-stop point-to-point service – translates to an increase in capacity by 47 per cent. PAL is also reconfiguring the aircraft being used on these routes. PAL is taking away more than a hundred seats on the mono-class, 414-seat Airbus A330 aircraft that has premium and regular economy sections. The reconfigured A330s will have 264 seats, set in two classes – Business Class (with lie-flat seats) and Economy (Premium and Regular), making the whole cabin more spacious and comfortable.
“The shift to bi-class service gives our passengers the flexibility to choose between regular economy and business class service. Regardless of which class of service you choose, PAL will deliver its distinct brand of Filipino service,” Bautista added.
PAL will start deploying the reconfigured A330 to Dubai on June 15; to Doha on July 15; to Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on August 15; to Dammam on September 15; and to Jeddah and Kuwait on October 15.
Passengers can also enjoy wireless inflight entertainment by downloading the myPAL Player app for free in order to stream a wide selection of movies, TV shows and music from their personal devices. The aircraft’s myPALWi- fi allows one to surf, browse and keep in touch with loved ones and friends while on board the flight. An added treat is 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. iPads will also be offered for use during the whole flight.
Full-service inflight offerings include a selection of Asian, Continental and Halal meals plus a wide selection of beverages. Each passenger is entitled to free baggage allowance of two pieces, up to 23 kilos each.
Passengers may also earn mileage points that they can exchange for free tickets under PAL’s frequent flyer mileage program, the Mabuhay Miles. With non-stop operations to Manila, travellers from the Middle East will now have a direct link to the Philippines and other destinations in the PAL network. Upon arrival in Manila, passengers may conveniently connect to 43 international and 30 Philippine destinations.
Domestic flights to Caticlan will enable passengers to visit Boracay, one of the world’s best beaches. Basco (Batanes) in the northernmost tip of the country will give visitors an unforgettable experience of rugged terrain and friendly locals. Puerto Princesa (Palawan) offers the underground river cruise at the subterranean river national park.
PAL’s Busuanga flights will bring passengers to Coron (Palawan) for exciting water sports – snorkeling and scuba diving – while enjoying lagoons and hotpsrings. They can also discover Pearl Farm or Samal Island in Davao or experience the resorts and beaches of Cebu in central Philippines.
