PR to fly all the way to LHR soon

[yohy?!]

I'd put money on Cebu Pacific running a more successful service than PR on the kangaroo route - they are rapidly taking over their position as flag carrier.

The exploding middle class in Phillipines will be eager to take advantage of both AVV and potential LHR flights I would think.

Outside the Phils can't see many eager to take PR on a hop to the UK apart from the usual lowest fare-seeking backpackers (even then with a forced stopover making it unattractive on the outbound). Certainly not going to get a look in from Business travellers.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

status_seeker, the jury remains out as to whether PR will 'surely struggle.'

Many of the passengers may be Filipinos who live in the UK or Europe as a contractual employee and want to return home on an airline with Tagalog speaking flight stewards and hostesses. As always, price will be a key determining factor in choice of airline.

MNL is also one of the 10 largest cities in the world. It has growing business links with the UK and Australia.

PR's SYD - MNL - LHR flights (with a change in MNL, and an overnight northbound) may be on very up to date 773ERs. These are very good, especially in business class, and not old. Unlike Royal Brunei you can have alcohol served on board by the PR attendants, while MNL is a much more happening city than Brunei's tiny capital.

I agree that the lack of an alliance feed is bad for PR but perhaps in time we will see it join OneWorld (despite CX being a member if I recall) or SkyTeam. I couldn't see it ever joining Star Alliance as SQ is a member.

PR is advertising introductory fares:

Philippine Airlines :: Fly to London

introductory fare of $1800+ with a forced outbound overnight? I'd take brand new royal Brunei 787 for $1400.

business class? why take angled on PR when I can have full flat on royal Brunei? (and pick up a bottle of wine or spirits DF for $10 on the way if it want something to drink?)

PR would need to seriously undercut sq (currently offering early birds to Europe for $1489 INCLUDING a $1 all expenses stopover with accommodation in Singapore), or Qatar airways (similar price) to make PR even worthwhile considering (unless you had a specific reason for wanting to overnight in Manila)

 

[Melburnian1]

MEL_Traveller, good points, but the reason many may want to stopover in MNL is to travel by air for an hour or so to one of the other Filipino islands with their great beaches (and cheap airfares on PR, 2P, DG, 5J or the about to relocate to MNL from CRK PQ). Boracay is better than Langkawi, while lots of lesser known Filipino islands are steadily attracting tourists. I don't doubt the pull of the citystate of Singapore, but a beach stopover in Philippines has its good points (although one needs longer than just a single overnight in that country, and some travellers lack the time).

I have stopped over in Brunei and found it fairly uninspiring, but as always, each to his or her own.

 

[albatross710]

MEL_Traveller, good points, but the reason many may want to stopover in MNL is to travel by air for an hour or so to one of the other Filipino islands with their great beaches (and cheap airfares on PR, 2P, DG, 5J or the about to relocate to MNL from CRK PQ). Boracay is better than Langkawi, while lots of lesser known Filipino islands are steadily attracting tourists. I don't doubt the pull of the citystate of Singapore, but a beach stopover in Philippines has its good points (although one needs longer than just a single overnight in that country, and some travellers lack the time).

I have stopped over in Brunei and found it fairly uninspiring, but as always, each to his or her own.

This is a valid point Melburnian1 but they also need to market the other attractions as part of the offering. You know the complications of arriving into MNL on time, changing terminals, getting to the lesser known islands, then getting back, changing terminals then making the flight to LHR (along with your LHR bound luggage). If the tix was marketed with a $400 two night stay (all inclusive) with the performance risk on PR, then that would be much more marketable. Arrangement to leave the LHR cold weather luggage at MNL while we enjoy the two nights in the tropics would be good.

SQ have worked out the $1 stopover (and I'm sure most people pay more the the $1 hotels) which they include the transfers etc etc. They make it easy for the less experienced to do the stopover. I don't think Ph tourism is such that everyone would be comfortable to organise their own overnighters.

Of course, the theme song would have to be It's More Fun in the Philippines | DOT Official AVP - YouTube

Alby

 

[Melburnian1]

albatross710, SQ is the worldwide master at arranging stopover traffic. You are right: not everyone pays S$1.

PR has a very limited number of stopover holidays available but last time I checked (amazingly) they were not available from any Oz airport of the four from which PR now flies. Yet like SQ and a few others they could actually attract some stopover traffic if they put the effort into making it easy for those with limited knowledge of this nation of 100 million, largely hospitable people.

It's actually easy to arrange internal Philippines flights and accommodation via the Internet (with reasonably priced options for both usually available) but first time visitors have to carefully check from which terminal the domestic flight is leaving and arriving. The relatively early departure (roughly 0815, but changing by day of the week, and not Tuesdays or Fridays) ex MNL for LHR means that an overnight in MNL (perhaps in Makati) is necessary ex one of the other islands. I know that FIT traveller numbers ex Oz to Philippines has steadily risen over many years: the trend is continuing.

Geographical knowledge may be a problem as it's like Indonesia with numerous islands: many Australians won't know, for instance, that to get to Boracay one can use either MPH or KLO (or travel by land two hours from MNL from Batangas, Luzon and then by overnight ferry), while CEB or DGT is an option for the diving and white beach at Moalboal on the large island of Cebu.

 

[albatross710]

It's actually easy to arrange internal Philippines flights and accommodation via the Internet (with reasonably priced options for both usually available) but first time visitors have to carefully check from which terminal the domestic flight is leaving and arriving. The relatively early departure (roughly 0815, but changing by day of the week, and not Tuesdays or Fridays) ex MNL for LHR means that an overnight in MNL (perhaps in Makati) is necessary ex one of the other islands. I know that FIT traveller numbers ex Oz to Philippines has steadily risen over many years: the trend is continuing.

I'm a fan of travel in Philippines, having done 4-5 trips over the last year. I'm still not sure I would say it is easy. It just isn't at the easy stage yet. A flight gets delayed, a transfers driver is an hour late, check-in agent insists on sighting the original purchasing credit card. Individually these are minor things which might happen once in 5 years of Singapore, Cambodia or Vietnam travel...but just happens too regularly in Ph. That's why I think the extra days are needed either side of a Ph stopover.

My next trip is planned for next February when I will take the PR flight again BNE-MNL-BNE.

Alby