Philippine Airlines Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

A333 RP-C8782 operated PR209, the 2110 hours redeye on Sunday 22 January from MNL to MEL that did not take off until 0133 on Monday 23, arriving at gate at 1205 hours, 210 minutes late. PR210 (the 1020 hours) was up up and away at 1409, arriving MNL at 1855, 200 minutes behind schedule. The aircraft then formed another PR209 (which on a couple of days a week has an earlier departure) with the scheduled 1640 hours ex MNL in the sky at 2053, arriving MEL on Tuesday 24 at 0723 hours, 193 late. The 0555 hours PR210 to MNL has yet to depart.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 29 January, PR211, the redeye from MNL to SYD, was cancelled, so PR212 ex SYD today also gets the boot.

This is the second time in the last month that these daily flights have received the chop.

 

[Melburnian1]

PR has one of its six A333s (RP-C8781) with 1-2-1 in J inoperable plus possibly a B773ER.

PR212 (daily 1030 hours SYD-MNL) was cancelled on Friday 28 April and is to be cancelled tomorrow (Tuesday 2 May).

PR210 (five times a week MEL-MNL at varying times) is also cancelled tomorrow and had suffered the same fate on Wednesday 26 April.

One of the modern interior A333s seems to be operating trips to LAX via ICN.

It's been a long time since PR has had a raft of cancellations like this on the two main Australia routes. Unusual, but not good. I gather some are being rebooked on other airlines which means an indirect journey to MNL if it's not QFi ex SYD or 5J ex SYD/MEL.

 

[KXB]

PR210 didn't fly Sat 29 Apr either. (because PR209 MNL-MEL was cancelled on Thurs night 28 Apr)

 

[Melburnian1]

PR210 didn't fly Sat 29 Apr either. (because PR209 MNL-MEL was cancelled on Thurs night 28 Apr)

PR209/PR21) MNL-MEL-MNL were cancelled respectively on 16 and Wednesday 17 May 2023.

Tonight, PR211, the MNL-SYD redeye and 18 May's 1130 AEST (normally '1030') SYD-MNL PR212 are also cancelled.

One of the two refurbished A333s remains out of service. There are only six in the fleet. From what I can deduce, PR no longer flies its four unrefurbished A333s on the two main Australian routes. These aircraft have a shocking J class and constricted Y, the latter only marginally better than 5J's cattle class. In contrast, the refurbished A333s are excellent in both classes, and also have W class (but PE is a waste of money given the fixed armrests that mean if the seat next to one is vacant, one cannot stretch out across two seats).

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 18 May 2023, PR223 (RP-C9938, A321), the 0005 hours redeye from MNL down to PER diverted to DVO. It took off at 0210 hours, arriving PER at 0802 hours, 47 late.

The 2010 hours redeye PR209 from MNL to MEL was cancelled on Thursday 18, so today's PR210 back also has the axe.

 

[Melburnian1]

PR211, the Monday 5 June 2225 hours redeye from MNL down to SYD has been cancelled, as has PR212 (Tuesday 6 1030 hours SYD-MNL).

 

[Melburnian1]

It looks as if PR has had two or three A333s out of service for some weeks: the searches I can do only go back a fortnight.

PR210 from MEL to MNL was cancelled on Wednesday 7 June 2023 and also today, Saturday 10. It is usually a 5x/weekly frequency.

PR212 from SYD to MNL was cancelled yesterday and today. This is supposed to operate daily.

Not good.

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 RP-C8766, an unrefurbished older style seating aircraft looks to have been again placed on an Australian route given the fleet troubles of PR as above.

Saturday 10 June 2023's PR211, the 2225 hours MNL down to SYD redeye, was airborne at 0100 hours so arrival should be 1028, 103 minutes late, slightly better than competitor 5J.

PR212 returning is timetabled for an 1115 hours pushback but this won't occur until at least noon today.

PR221 from MNL to BNE is normally on time or early but today, A321 with its relatively unusual for a single aisle aircraft 12 lie flat J seats is expected to arrive at 1123 hours, 113 minutes late with RP-C9934.

A333 RP-C8789 (a refurbished bird, so much more comfortable in seating) is on PR209, the 2010 hours Saturday evening MNL down to MEL that wssn't in the sky until 0156 hours, with suggested arrival at 1121 hours, 236 minutes late.

It is most unusual for the three PR east coast flights to be all delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

PR209 MNL-MEL was cancelled on consecutive nights of Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 June 2023.

Presumably some A333s remain out of service. I don't know why, but one hasn't operated since 26 April 2023, a long time unless it's having major work such as what at one stage was some proposal to cram an extra 50 economy class seats in the cabin.

But it's not just one of the A333s out of service.

 

[Melburnian1]

The PR209 arrival in MEL (ex MNL) is supposedly arriving at 1700 hours on Friday 16 June instead of 0630, so at least 630 minutes late.

UPDATE: that PR209 as well as PR211 to SYD from last night have been cancelled.

There seem to be three A333s with the better configuation out of service: one of them sine mid to Late April, a second from May and the last one from 2 June. I do not know if PR is rebooking passengers on other airlines.

 

[KXB]

The PR209 arrival in MEL (ex MNL) is supposedly arriving at 1700 hours on Friday 16 June instead of 0630, so at least 630 minutes late.

UPDATE: that PR209 as well as PR211 to SYD from last night have been cancelled.

There seem to be three A333s with the better configuation out of service: one of them sine mid to Late April, a second from May and the last one from 2 June. I do not know if PR is rebooking passengers on other airlines.

209 and 211 are sneaking in very late today using aliases.
PR5209 (A330) dep MNL 0711 16 JUN - eta MEL ~1630
PR5211 (A330) dep MNL 0504 16 JUN - eta SYD ~1430

 

[Melburnian1]

209 and 211 are sneaking in very late today using aliases.
PR5209 (A330) dep MNL 0711 16 JUN - eta MEL ~1630
PR5211 (A330) dep MNL 0504 16 JUN - eta SYD ~1430

My mistake for not looking those up, as PR has a habit of inserting a '5' in such circumstances.

PR209 from MNL down to MEL arrived at gate at 1646 hours with refurbished bird RP-C8789. PR5210 took off at 1850 hours with MNL arrival suggested as 0102 hours on Saturday 17 June.

PR5211 from MNL to SYD arrived at its gate at 1431 hours, also with 'good configuration' aircraft RP-C8783. PR5212 back to MNL took off at 1844 with a very similar expected arrival in MNL at 0104 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

PR211 from MNL to SYD was cancelled on Friday night, 16 June 2023, but replacement PR5211 is again operating. RP-C8789 (A333) took off from MNL on 17 June at 0436 hours so arrival should be at 1406 this afternoon in Sydney.

PR209, the 1850 hours MNL-MEL Friday service (RP-C8783) was airborne at 0313 on Saturday 17 so MEL gate arrival is predicted for 1240 hours, 400 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 18 June 2023, PR209 took off from MNL (A333 RP-C8771) at 0403 hours, a shocking time, arriving MEL at 1326 hours, 196 minutes late on an amended timetable that supposedly saw it timetabled in at 1010 hours.

Until PR has its missing A333s return to service, the two major Australian runs (MEL and SYD) may well continue to be adversely affected.

 

[Melburnian1]

PR221 from MNL to BNE continues to usually be punctual but the 2345 hours timetabled departure on Wednesday 21 June for A321 RP-C9934 became takeoff at 0059 on Thurday 22. Hence, at gate arrival in often sunny BNE should be about 1000 hours, half an hour behind.

 

[sogai]

I'm starting to get nervous about an upcoming trip on PR210 in about 10 weeks time. I have a separate ticket on JL78 departing MNL same day. Considering there aren't many options to get to MNL do you know what flight(s) PAL have been rebooking passengers on?

 

[Melburnian1]

I'm starting to get nervous about an upcoming trip on PR210 in about 10 weeks time. I have a separate ticket on JL78 departing MNL same day. Considering there aren't many options to get to MNL do you know what flight(s) PAL have been rebooking passengers on?

I rang to try to establish that, as someone I know also has a flight in a few weeks.

The girl said 'sometimes we rebook on PR, sometimes on other airlines'. The last bit was what I wanted to hear, as given as my friend knows, its timetable is daily to SYD, 5x/weekly to MEL, if the latter's cancelled, you may wait two or more days. And what if the next flight has insufficient seating?

She didn't specify 'which other airlines'. I hope it isn't 5J.

Unfortunately I don't know anyone who could answer why the two or three A333s remain sitting in Philippines. If they were operating, there wouldn't be the problems we're seeing.

It's up to you but I would never try a same day international connection unless booked on the same PNR. PR's international flights have just switched to Terminal 1; I thgink JL uses that one as well, so in theory that makes transfers easier.

 

[sogai]

I rang to try to establish that, as someone I know also has a flight in a few weeks.

The girl said 'sometimes we rebook on PR, sometimes on other airlines'. The last bit was what I wanted to hear, as given as my friend knows, its timetable is daily to SYD, 5x/weekly to MEL, if the latter's cancelled, you may wait two or more days. And what if the next flight has insufficient seating?

She didn't specify 'which other airlines'. I hope it isn't 5J.

Unfortunately I don't know anyone who could answer why the two or three A333s remain sitting in Philippines. If they were operating, there wouldn't be the problems we're seeing.

It's up to you but I would never try a same day international connection unless booked on the same PNR. PR's international flights have just switched to Terminal 1; I thgink JL uses that one as well, so in theory that makes transfers easier.

Yeah probably won't be doing this again in the near future, but with a ~8 hour connection time I really didn't think this could be a problem until I saw how the frequent cancellations

 

[Melburnian1]

The 2225 hours redeye, PR211, from MNL down to SYD on Thursday night 28 June has RP-C8789 that was not in the sky until 0226 hours on Thursday 29. Gate arrival looks to be 1151 hours, 186 late, so the 1030 hours SYD-MNL will be at least 150 minutes late pushing back (PR212).