Philippine Airlines

The airline’s first flight took off in 1941 so the operator has plenty of expertise! Philippine Airlines is based in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport but other major transport hubs across the country include Clark International Airport in Angeles and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu.

Philippine Airlines service a huge range of destinations within the country as well as internationally. There are around 10 daily flights from Manila to Cebu each day with ticket prices often priced at around PHP2,200 for the hour flight. There are also approximately 10 departures each day from Manila to both Caticlan, from where you can reach the world-famous beaches at Boracay, and Clark. Fares are prices at PHP3,000 and PHP5,000 respectively.

The airline also offers a wide range of departures to international destinations across Asia as well as further afield to Australasia, Europe and North America. There is one flight each day to some of the most popular destinations in Indonesia, including Jakarta and Denpasar in Bali. Both can be reached in around four hours with fares typically costing PHP14,000.

Some of the largest transport hubs in Asia are well serviced by Philippine Airlines with four daily flights to both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The four hour flight often has tickets priced at PHP7,500 and PHP10,000 respectively.

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is one of Asia’s busiest airports and there are three flights each day from Manila with fares usually costing PHP11,200. There is also one departure per day to Ho Chi Minh City from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport with the three hour flight often priced at PHP11,200.

If you are looking to head further afield then Philippine Airlines has other options which may well suit your schedule. From Manila there are five departures each and every day to Hong Kong, a flight that will take around two and a half hours, costing approximately PHP10,500. Taiwan is another destination that is also well served by Philippine Airlines, there are four daily flights to Taipei which takes just two hours and cost around PHP9,600. Alternatively, you can visit mainland China, with one flight per day to Beijing (five hours), Shanghai (four hours) and Guangzhou (two hours) with fares priced at PHP14,700, PHP12,000 and PHP5,200 respectively.

Travellers looking to visit Japan have the choice of four daily flights to Tokyo, with tickets priced at PHP15,200 for the four hour trip. There is also one departure each day from Manila to Osaka with fares costing around PHP18,600. Those looking to head to Seoul in South Korea have the choice of two direct flights each day, with the four hour flight usually costing PHP13,000.

Philippine Airlines also offers departure to a wide range of destinations outside of Asia, including daily flights to both Doha and Riyadh costing PHP28,000 and PHP19,000 respectively, with flights to both destinations scheduled to take around 11 hours. Slightly longer is the daily flight to Istanbul in Turkey which lasts 13 hours and passengers can typically buy tickets for around PHP28,000.

Travellers wishing to visit Australia can head to either Sydney or Melbourne on the daily flight from Manila which lasts just over eight hours and tickets are usually available at around PHP30,000 to either destination.

Both direct and indirect flights are available to destinations in North America each day. There is one indirect departure to Montreal each day, which often takes around 22 hours in total, and two daily indirect flights to Toronto. Tickets for these destinations are available for around PHP40,000. Visitors can reach New York with indirect flights but there are two direct departures to Los Angeles each day, with tickets for the 13 hour flight priced at around PHP35,000.

There is a great range of domestic departures offered by Philippine Airlines that make travelling around the country easier than ever. This can give travellers a good amount of flexibility when planning their trip.

There are often good value deals on tickets available when booking with Philippine Airlines which make the operator more competitive with budget airlines in the region and may make it a more affordable option for budget travellers.

However, the biggest advantage with travelling with Philippine Airlines is the fact that 30kg of baggage is included in your ticket so in many cases the fares are excellent value. This is a generous allowance that will be more than enough for most travellers.

It may also be the case that travelling with Philippine Airlines is actually a similar cost to travelling with a budget airline as you will need to pay additional fees for your luggage, which can often cost almost the same as the ticket itself!

Compared to some other national airlines, there is a fairly limited range of departure times for international destinations which can cause some inconvenience when planning your trip. In some cases there are only one or two departures each day so this may not suit your schedule, especially if you are hoping to catch a connecting flight. In this situation, it may even be the case that you have to spend the night in a hotel to ensure you are there in time.

Philippine Airlines has been voted as one of the world’s top 100 airlines at the recent 2017 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards.

Passengers appreciate the fact that baggage is included in the cost of your ticket and often do not mind paying slightly more for this. Meals are also included which is not the case with many other airlines in the region, especially the budget carriers. When travelling with a budget airline, a seemingly great deal is often misleading once luggage is added to your booking and the overall cost can sometimes be similar when this is taken into account.

It is always worth researching fares as there are frequent deals offered by Philippine Airlines which may make it an affordable option for those on a budget. This is especially true if you will be travelling with a substantial amount of luggage to be placed in the hold as budget airlines will often charge by the kilo, so additional fees can quickly pile up.