PR 'Ultimate Seat Sale' to Asia/JFK/LHR/YVR from A$569 (Y), A$1109 (W) & A$1949 (J) return

[Melburnian1]

Philippine Airlines (PR) flies up to date A333s (1-2-1 in J class) from MEL and SYD - five or soon six days a week ex MEL, and daily ex SYD - and lie flat in J 2-2 A321neos from BNE to MNL.

From MNL to JFK or LHR it's the near-new A359s (1-2-1 in J) while MNL - YVR has the B773ER (2-3-2 in J, so not as good, but it's "almost" lie flat and I managed a reasonable sleep on this route.

PR has just announced its 'Ultimate Seat Sale' from BNE, MEL and SYD:

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www.philippineairlines.com

Good travel agents such as My Travel Solution (03 9314 6957) and Philippine Tours (03 9384 1844) will undercut these sale fares in many cases.

The PR website advertises return Y fares from A$539, W class (only available on a few routes) from A$1109 and J class from A$1949 return. The cheapest J class fares are MEL to PEK or PVG, but others including to Japan where PAL (now part owned, a small stake, by Japan's NH) has a far more extensive route network than QF.

Christmas holidays are a blackout period but apart from that the fares are available from 1 September 2019 to 31 May 2020.

SYD - SGN J return at A$2409 (MEL A$2399) is good value. AFAIK there's no restriction on open jaws so one could fly into one Asian destination and out of another, or alternatively fly to YVR and then depart from JFK.

With airlines like QF only offering own metal flights to YVR seasonally, and airlines like AC being 'renowned' for poor service, that's not a complaint I've ever had about PR.

PR's aircraft used from Oz to MNL and on to JFK or LHR are more modern than QF's via LAX or via SIN offerings.

The MNL transfer experience is not great - a smallish room with few if any facilities from memory and coughbersome procedures - but if there's a few hours between flights one can slip out of the airport and even (if time permits, but be sure to calculate conservatively and be back with 1.5 hours before the onwards flight) visit a major shopping centre (with heaps of restaurants) such as the Manila Bay-side located Mall of Asia, about three to four kilometres away (but beware of traffic congestion). Taxis are very cheap in MNL while there are GRAB booths at the various MNL airport terminals. GRAB bought out UBER in southeast Asia.

Nor is the PR lounge in MNL anything to write home about but the service on board aircraft from the PR staff usually makes up for this. Cruise lines and hotels worldwide often choose Filipino staff for among other things their innate sense of hospitality and warmth.

PR also flies to LAX and YYZ but these have been omitted from the advertising.

You or your travel agent needs to check the days each flight (including connections) operate as not all are daily, so one may need flexibility here and there,

A great way to experience J at a good price with cabin crew whose English (unlike many competitors) is flawless.

Like CI, PR is an airline that has an extensive route network but which many Australians don't know a lot about, but using PR can be a good experience that has the added bonus of costing less than the big name carriers like QF and SQ.

If PR do not have a same day connection to some destinations to which it flies, the airline's staff in Sydney (call centre, M-F only business hours) will usually arrange STPC (stopover at airline expense) if one calls them.

 

[Melburnian1]

One of the two Melbourne travel agents referred to above says its return fares MEL - MNL are from A$545., less than the PR website.

With about A$100 of this in the A$60 Oz departure tax plus unavoidable airport-levied charges, this is about as good as it gets in Y for a reputable airline.

Fares to 'beyond MNL' also represent good value with this PR sale in many cases and are worth ringing these agents for once prospective travellers have an idea of what dates suit and have done a comparison Internet search using the link above. This keeps the agents honest - just don't tell them you've done this.

 

[Ade]

The fares are really good. Too bad that PR isn't part of any alliance.

 

[Melburnian1]

The fares are really good. Too bad that PR isn't part of any alliance.

NH purchased less than 10 per cent of PR some months ago. NH is in *A but it's hard to see PR joining as SQ or others may object. I don't know the extent of NH's "pull" in this major airline alliance.

The former PR managing director claimed that discussions were underway re joining an unstated alliance but so far (publicly) these have come to nought. I thought an airline had to be formally invited to join though.

PR has a large number of codeshare flights with carriers such as Canadian WS, but codeshare flights are never on sale.

Given the PR fares may be BFOD, one can overlook non-membership of any alliance, useful as that might be.

 

[Ade]

I thought an airline had to be formally invited to join though.

In my understanding, Yes, an airline needs to be "sponsored" into an alliance by another airline that is already in the alliance. And there is a fee to be paid. Airlines would invite another airline if they're planning on establishing or see a huge potential in both airlines being in an alliance, so as to engage in codeshare agreements, partnering and the likes.

NH is in *A but it's hard to see PR joining as SQ or others may object.

Why would SQ object ? Is is because PR is another (Asian) airline from the same region as SQ ? And SQ operates flights in and out of MNL and if PR comes into the alliance it would mean that SQ can't operate exclusive routes, but would be expected to codeshare with PR ?

Given the PR fares may be BFOD, one can overlook non-membership of any alliance, useful as that might be.

That is true ... given the fare, I wouldn't mind flying PR. I'd though, if I'm doing a status run to get to a status tier and flights with PR wouldn't contribute But $ wise, I'm in for PR

 

[Melburnian1]

The great value of the PR fares is shown in how QF has just announced a 'sale' and for MEL to MNL return in J - older aircraft than PR, and with QF one needs to change in SYD, usually from just a B738 on the domestic sector - the QF fare is from A$2999, significantly more expensive than PR (and QF can be up to A$3774 return in J for this route.)

 

[Melburnian1]

While not as cheap as the 'starting from' fare, a search of ITA Matrix shows PR J seats available departing MEL on 10 November 2019 via MNL to BKK, and returning from BKK via the same route (in reverse) on 28 January 2020 - the latter being a peak day to return to Oz - at a PR fare of A$2962, $502 cheaper than BI via BWN (which lacks alcohol on board unless you bring your own mixers) at A$3464.

SQ is A$3842 return while the cheapest QF fare (QF two legs, JQ one and TG a BKK - SIN leg) is A$3886 return.

 

[Melburnian1]

This sale has been extended until Sunday 15 September, so still time to search its fares and then obtain an even better deal - at least A$20 off per person, but often more - by calling one of the Melbourne-based travel agents referred to above, or finding similar ones in Sydney or Brisbane.

Why pay QF's exorbitant fares when one can travel on safe airlines like PR that have more modern planes than most of QFi's?

 

[Melburnian1]

With today (Sunday 15 September) the final day of this extended sale, there are still some bagains.

For instance MEL - MNL - MEL in Y, depart 16 and return ex MNL 22 October 2019: A$568 return. The same days (albeit with lengthy stopovers in MNL) MEL - SGN - MEL: a bargain A$605 return. Note that these dates are outside school holidays, so there's often less travel demand hence fares drop.

The same days in J to SGN: A$2848 return.

Same days MEL - TPE - MEL in J A$3230 return. A good travel agent may be able to arrange an overnight stopover in MNL for little more, allowing one to see two cities not just TPE.

MEL - ICN - MEL in J, same days: A$3160 return, a saving of up to $3600 return compared to the KE or OZ return fare (that involves a domestic flight MEL - SYD, as these South Korean airlines do not call at MEL). Like Taiwan and Philippines, South Korea, to which I've been a few times is interesting to visit.

These are ITA Matrix fares so a travel agent who deals a lot with PR will be able to sell fares for less. See above for some suggestions.

PR offers full service so way above the "JQ experience." No language problems as on some mainland Chinese flights.

 

[laffer]

Thanks Melburnian1.

What is their standard pricing like? Is it pointless looking around for something competitive around Xmas?

 

[Melburnian1]

...What is their standard pricing like? Is it pointless looking around for something competitive around Xmas?

Oz - MNL is not alone at being busy over Christmas and accompanying school hols, but it has the addition of being about 80 per cent if not more Catholic, placing even more pressure on seats. There's also continuing Filipino immigration to Oz, so the pool of individuals of that ethnicity who may wish to travel then is increasing, but flight numbers rise only a little during December and January.

So fares to MNL (from a couple of quick checks I did on ITA Matrix) are sky high then at A$1750 - $1850 for departures say a week prior to the celebration of His birthday, and returning in mid January. Absolute peak time.

I searched MEL - HKG 18 December, returning ex MNL (departure) on 14 January - A$1766. But to HKG via MNL - A$1677.

I haven't checked but usually before about 8 December ex Oz, PR fares will be a lot lower.

I'm hinting above that ITA Matrix is an extremely valuable tool. It now shows Scoot (code TR) fares (not my favourite airline) but continues to omit other low cost carriers. If bound for MNL, I tend not to use 5J (Cebu Pacific) as it's a cramathon experience with no recline or IFE, while QF is slow if one isn't travelling from SYD as there are no nonstopQFs ex BNE or MEL, unlike PR. Subscribe to the PR website as it often has sales (but not normally for Christmas.)

 

[laffer]

Thanks for the tips Melburnian1.

I have in the last few years developed a penchant for getting away at Xmas and have managed to get a reward flight on SQ to LHR and a decently priced SQ J flight to SGN last year so looking for any reasonable prices this year (tend to leave it to the last minute which is risky). Prices all seem sky high at the moment (not surprising). My run may have come to an end.