A "meh" experience overall, but good enough for the money.
3 sectors on the new A330, one on the A321.
SYD-MNL (6am departure) delayed 2 hours due ATC fault. We were stuck on the plane during. Not a lot of info offered, and no service at all (no water). Seat is good. Nice to sit in, no topper means you can feel every lump while sleeping but I did manage to find a comfortable position. Food was awful. Service ok, but very fake. Crew needed to be called on for everything.
Transit in MNL is very easy. Down the escalator with the 5 foot clearance, through a very dodgy security (didn't pickup 2 water bottles in my bag) and back into the feral MNL terminal. Only had about 10 mins in the lounge, but it was fine. Nothing special, nothing nice, but did the job.
MNL-HKG was on the same A330. Fine overall. Food again pretty average. Crew were better, but they were not at all proactive.
HKG-MNL. A321. Bus gate at HKG (500s). HK Immigration a total mess at T1, lines snaked back to security. Should have gone through T2. Used the HK Airlines lounge which was very quiet at 7am. Buffet wasn't open so just grabbed a coffee and left. I thought it was a train to the 500 gates, but they're located close by (I guess PAL often uses the bus gates). Service was excellent on this flight with a very senior crew. Food again poor, which I had accepted was a PAL thing by this point.
MNL-SYD. 1 hour connection in MNL that slipped to 30 mins. As we walked off the HKG flight, SYD was already boarding at the next gate. Obviously directed downstairs, through security and back into the terminal. Was odd to mix with the SYD pax as we walked down the boarding area. Secondary security and doc check at the gate. Crew were good on boarding, walking through with champagne bottles. Gradually got less interested during the flight. Seat was again good. IFE doesn't offer much so I had used it all up by this point. Food was the best of the 4 on this leg, but still only matched economy standards.
I had ordered a few items from their online botique for delivery on the MNL-SYD flight. Nobody had spoken to me so an hour before landing I followed up. Of course, nothing had been loaded. The purser said "these things happen" and suggested I email PAL (and he would put in a report). PAL haven't responded, and calls have gotten me nowhere. I'll need to reverse the charges on my MC as they don't know what to do, and that adds a bit of a sour taste. Their customer service doesn't seem to be very good.
Overall they were find for $1200, but I wouldn't pay anymore than this