Melburnian1
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Posts
- 24,673
San Miguel Corporation of Philippines doesn't just make great eponymous beer, but it must be a pretty smart corporate outfit (or lucky).
Recently, the European Union has removed the blacklisting of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PR) (which San Miguel owns about half of) so this expanding but like many others still unprofitable (although not to the extent of some others wordlwide) airline can now fly to Europe:
EU lifts air ban on Philippine Airlines | Inquirer Global Nation
This follows in Garuda Indonesia's footsteps. In Indonesia, other local airlines remained subject to the EU blacklist.
The EU has not removed Cebu Pacific (5J) from the blacklist.
PR used to fly to Europe with it offering cheap fares from Oz in the 1980s if I correctly recall.
Now that it's flying from MEL, SYD and DRW non stop to MNL and one stop from PER and BNE (via DRW) to MNL, it's a possible alternative. Manila and Philippines generally are steadily attracting more Australians most years due to the amazingly beautiful beaches, largely in the middle group of islands called the Visayas (Boracay, Bantayan, Malapascua, Moalboal, Siquijor, Apo - all islands - and so on) and the OK to visit majority of Mindanao (Camiguin - mostly black sand), Samal and so on.
The SYD flights use the modern B777-300ERs. MEL was using these but has just switched back to older A343s (not my favourite). The other three have modern A320s but these and the MEL flights don't have AVOD. SYD flights do. J on the B773 is very good: Y is OK on all save for the lack of AVOD where that's true. Food is better ex Oz than ex MNL.
There's no word on when flights to Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome or other destinations may commence. There's a pretty new website aimed at the Australian market Philippine Airlines Deals Australia | PAL Flights but it is sometimes not as updated as www.philippineairlines.com or the Australian version of the Facebook page.
I couldn't see the flights commencing in much less than a year given the various need for specific regulatory approvals with individual governments, finding slots (probably unavailable at LHR but presumably available at LGW, AMS and perhaps CDG), marketing and making sure that the airline has sufficient approved (accredited) planes to operate.
There are thousands of Filipino overseas contract workers in London, Italy and surprisingly (perhaps not due to the country's incredible oil generated wealth) in Norway among other possible destinations so this may be a market into which PR wishes to tap.
Recently, the European Union has removed the blacklisting of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PR) (which San Miguel owns about half of) so this expanding but like many others still unprofitable (although not to the extent of some others wordlwide) airline can now fly to Europe:
EU lifts air ban on Philippine Airlines | Inquirer Global Nation
This follows in Garuda Indonesia's footsteps. In Indonesia, other local airlines remained subject to the EU blacklist.
The EU has not removed Cebu Pacific (5J) from the blacklist.
PR used to fly to Europe with it offering cheap fares from Oz in the 1980s if I correctly recall.
Now that it's flying from MEL, SYD and DRW non stop to MNL and one stop from PER and BNE (via DRW) to MNL, it's a possible alternative. Manila and Philippines generally are steadily attracting more Australians most years due to the amazingly beautiful beaches, largely in the middle group of islands called the Visayas (Boracay, Bantayan, Malapascua, Moalboal, Siquijor, Apo - all islands - and so on) and the OK to visit majority of Mindanao (Camiguin - mostly black sand), Samal and so on.
The SYD flights use the modern B777-300ERs. MEL was using these but has just switched back to older A343s (not my favourite). The other three have modern A320s but these and the MEL flights don't have AVOD. SYD flights do. J on the B773 is very good: Y is OK on all save for the lack of AVOD where that's true. Food is better ex Oz than ex MNL.
There's no word on when flights to Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome or other destinations may commence. There's a pretty new website aimed at the Australian market Philippine Airlines Deals Australia | PAL Flights but it is sometimes not as updated as www.philippineairlines.com or the Australian version of the Facebook page.
I couldn't see the flights commencing in much less than a year given the various need for specific regulatory approvals with individual governments, finding slots (probably unavailable at LHR but presumably available at LGW, AMS and perhaps CDG), marketing and making sure that the airline has sufficient approved (accredited) planes to operate.
There are thousands of Filipino overseas contract workers in London, Italy and surprisingly (perhaps not due to the country's incredible oil generated wealth) in Norway among other possible destinations so this may be a market into which PR wishes to tap.
