Opens Up Chicago, Houston, and Seattle
15 September 2017
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said that it will fly direct flights to Toronto again beginning December 16 four times a week using B777-300ER aircraft five years after flying direct on November 30, 2012.
PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista disclosed that they are also in the final planning stage for route expansion to the United States with Chicago and Houston added to its international network via Vancouver using Boeing planes. Chicago will be flown 4 times a week while Houston will have thrice a week service.
Meanwhile, direct flight from Manila to New York and Seattle will also be added to its international network beginning summer of next year with New York flown by A350-900 in June, while Seattle will be added sometime on the last quarter of next year.
“The Airbus A350 is our new ultra-long-range flagship, a 295 seater wide-body airplane that will help us link the Philippines nonstop to Toronto, New York, Chicago, and other east board points in North America,” Bautista said.
Bautista added the airline is just waiting for final regulatory approvals from the US DOT before making official announcement for the new routes.
PAL Discloses A321NEO LR Routes
PAL would also be adding international points to Australia, Japan and India says Bautista with its new Airbus A321 NEO and long-range (LR) variant aircraft slated for delivery in 2018 and 2019, respectively, with the LR version all destined for Australia and India operations.
Bautista said that they will be launching nonstop services to Brisbane, Cairns, Delhi, Perth, Mumbai, and Sapporo, while flights to Melbourne and Sydney will be increase to daily and twice daily services, respectively with the A321LRs arrival in 2019.
The Airbus A321LR NEO sits 206 passengers and has a range of 4000 nautical miles enabling it to fly as far as Melbourne in Australia with cargo payload revenue.
The airline will receive two more B777 aircraft in December 2017, six A350-900LR beginning June 2018, all for flights to North America and Europe. As to its narrow-body fleet, PAL will receive twenty one A321NEOs beginning January of 2018, while 6 LR variant is slated for delivery at the second half of 2019.
15 September 2017
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said that it will fly direct flights to Toronto again beginning December 16 four times a week using B777-300ER aircraft five years after flying direct on November 30, 2012.
PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista disclosed that they are also in the final planning stage for route expansion to the United States with Chicago and Houston added to its international network via Vancouver using Boeing planes. Chicago will be flown 4 times a week while Houston will have thrice a week service.
Meanwhile, direct flight from Manila to New York and Seattle will also be added to its international network beginning summer of next year with New York flown by A350-900 in June, while Seattle will be added sometime on the last quarter of next year.
“The Airbus A350 is our new ultra-long-range flagship, a 295 seater wide-body airplane that will help us link the Philippines nonstop to Toronto, New York, Chicago, and other east board points in North America,” Bautista said.
Bautista added the airline is just waiting for final regulatory approvals from the US DOT before making official announcement for the new routes.
PAL Discloses A321NEO LR Routes
PAL would also be adding international points to Australia, Japan and India says Bautista with its new Airbus A321 NEO and long-range (LR) variant aircraft slated for delivery in 2018 and 2019, respectively, with the LR version all destined for Australia and India operations.
Bautista said that they will be launching nonstop services to Brisbane, Cairns, Delhi, Perth, Mumbai, and Sapporo, while flights to Melbourne and Sydney will be increase to daily and twice daily services, respectively with the A321LRs arrival in 2019.
The Airbus A321LR NEO sits 206 passengers and has a range of 4000 nautical miles enabling it to fly as far as Melbourne in Australia with cargo payload revenue.
The airline will receive two more B777 aircraft in December 2017, six A350-900LR beginning June 2018, all for flights to North America and Europe. As to its narrow-body fleet, PAL will receive twenty one A321NEOs beginning January of 2018, while 6 LR variant is slated for delivery at the second half of 2019.
Intresting I wonder what will PAL do with thier other A330s will they returned some back to thier lessor ?also since SYD and MEL recently have the tri-class config A330 will and it looks liked the A321LR and its likely going to takeover flight operations from the A330 PAL will introduced a smiliar product on their A321LR ?
ReplyDeleteI have read in a different forum that PAL's a321neos/LR will be configured 1-1 in business class (with lie-flat seats, hurray!) and 3-3 in premium economy and economy, with PE with longer pitch than regular E seats. All seat will be fitted with IFE screens (presumably RAVE)
DeleteOn a similar note, THOMPSON AERO (makers of PAL's refurbished A330 business class, Vantage XL) launched the new Vantage Solo for narrow-bodies in a 1-1 configuration in a herringbone formation. Presumed launch customer is Malaysia Airlines for their B737 MAX (8 or 9?). MH's CEO disclosed long before that Thompson Aero is launching a seat with a 1-1 configuration in narrow-body business class (https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2017/06/22/mas-ceo-thompson-developing-new-direct-aisle-access-seat-for-737/), and I think Vantage Solo ticked the box. They are also "working" with an operator using A320-based family aircraft (emphasis on BASED) with the similar seats, but they cannot disclose who the operator is, YET. (https://www.ausbt.com.au/the-next-generation-in-airbus-boeing-single-aisle-business-class)
Both PR and MH have existing orders on the seat manufacturer on different variants (MH's A350 will have the same seats used in PR's A330 business class, and it is rumored that they will be the launch customer of Vantage First for their first class cabin.)
You might see a little pattern here...
Intresting Hope PAL would used the Vantage Solo when they recived thier A321LR. but dissapointed that Premium Economy will be 3-3 meaning it will be the same with regular economy !!!
DeletePAL would actually be two frames short of the A330 when the A340 retires in 2019. In fact, one A330 is heading for Auckland so the answer to the question is no. None will be returned. There is however a chance for them to get 2-5 more A330 frames for growth within the next five years.
DeleteSince PAL will need 2-5 additional A330 frame why not consider the A330-200 for used on routes in which the A330-300 can't feel and that larger then an A321LR like Manila-Auckland which could replace the A340-300 on medium-hul routes !
Deleteapart from the 2 777-300 coming do you know if they might get more 777-300
ReplyDeleteMaybe 777X in the future yet they still have 6 additional option for A350-9 order.
DeleteThe 6 additional A350-900 in option could be used to launched new routes like Chicago, Houston and Seattle. While the current A359 on order will be used on exsisting destinations like New York, London and Cebu to Los Angleas.
DeleteGood for me here in East side of canada!
ReplyDeleteAll i can say is WOW..my Grandparents upon reading this news..they are all excited to fly Toronto Manila Non Stop a big relief specially to all senior travellers..Many thanks to Mr.J.Bautista!
ReplyDeleteJust to remind you all that Manila-Toroto-Manila will become ultra long haul with a polar flight way back. YYZ-MNL clocks 16 hours 30 minutes, crossing the north pole and portions of Siberia.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible for PAL to be an all-airbus fleet by replacing the old and returning their leased Boeing 777 to replace them with the larger version of the A350, the A350-1000? It will be economical for PAL to do that especially in the pilot training, due to the commonality of the cockpit with other Airbuses, which means a shorter type certification for PAL pilots. Just curious. ��
ReplyDeleteI think the 777's are a mainstay in the PAL fleet due to its long-haul capabilities on a higher passenger count. PAL uses then on "long-haul tank flights" or long-haul flights with high yields like LA, Vancouver and Frisco (maybe soon, Chicago and Houston). As for the Toronto direct, I think the 777 is a temporary solution, like LHR. PAL has 6 A350s on order (with 6 options more, if exercised, 12 air frames) and they are intended for those routes (together with JFK non-stop, SEA non-stop, CEB-LAX resumption and a mystery European route, or two). Once the A350 takes over, the 777s could easily be deployed to LAX and SFO for trice daily and twice daily flights, respectively, and open up ORD and IAH via YVR.
DeleteAs for the A350-1000, that's a different story to tell, but PAL is not keen in acquiring these birds in the near future. From what I see, the possible replacement of the 777-300ERs will be a variant of the 777x series which will be more fuel efficient than the A350. And, for the record, the 777-9x has no real Airbus competitor if you sum-up size, capacity and range, as of the moment. But, who knows? Like in business, A market is imbalance without competition.
Does anyone knows if this is a seasonal non stop toronto-manila flight?
ReplyDeleteA shift from the newly configured A330-300 to a A321NEO for the Australia routes will be a downgrade from a wide-body to a narrow body. I guess in economics terms, the A321NEO could make sense for Perth, Cairns and Brisbane where there a lower passenger loads. Melbourne and Sydney should stay with the A330-300
ReplyDeleteMaybe its one a330-300 and one a321neoLr
DeleteDepends on Passenger Demand the A321LR will allow PAL to increased frequency to destination such as melborune which is currently utilized by the A330 3x times weekly with the A321LR it could become daily while in sydney PAL could operated 2x daily flight rather then one daily flight allowing optimized scheduled to passenger who are transiting either from london or within the philippines to allow better connection timeing but I would belived the A330 could still be operated in Australia but will now depend on season or demand !
DeleteActually makes more sense. Remember this could have been operated by B757 until Airbus made pitch about the LR version. Few of the routes down under were actually tested by the airline. Some were successful and some not so successful.
DeleteIf PAL is aiming for a high yield revenue profit per PAX & Cargo, FRA station is the right destination to choose than any other EU airports. Considering the German economy is strong and rated 4rd largest in the world. Nowadays the Germans are the most traveled people within the EU 28 member states.
DeleteJust recently flown with them to manila from mel and i agree that it should stay with A330 as the flight was almost full
DeleteI wonder what PAL plans for Europe? The A350-900 would do well for main hubs of FRA and AMS, and possibly for the lower loads of FCO and CDG.
ReplyDeleteAccording to airline sources FCO has more chance of surviving than FRA or CDG. There is more premium traffic however in FRA and a little less in CDG.
DeleteHow many A321neo did PAL order from wikipedia they stayted 30 while from CAPA fleet database its 21 also PAL has yet to converted some of the A321neo to LR converted offically yet ?
ReplyDeleteI guess, maybe 6?
DeleteThe original LOI signed in 2012 covers 34 A321ceo, 10 A321neo and 10 A330-300s. Another 10 A330-300s were added in October 2012 and changing the variant to 240t. 10 A321 orders were converted to A321neo and another A321ceo ordered for a total of 25, and 5 A330 were not taken in 2014 in exchange for the neos which is more expensive than ceos. So PAL ended with 15 A330s and 25 A321ceos. 20 A321neo expected to start arriving third quarter of 2017. In 2015, PAL amended the 20 neo orders to include 5 LR variant and another LR frame to make for 6 when its availability were announced by Airbus. In 2014 PAL wanted to operate 5 B757 to Australia and India. The desired destination is the same 5 years after except that the aircraft is new. Pretty sums all up.
DeleteYes it would be a shame if PE in the a321LRs are 3-3. With 206 pax, overall density is quite high for medium-long haul route such as MEL on a 321. A good move however to increase frequencies to daily.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the A321NEO LR variant will be 206 pax? I read from a forum before that the A321NEO will have less than 200 pax, perhaps 160-170 pax. So the A321NEO LR will have higher capacity? How is that possible?
ReplyDeleteAnd also considering their current A321CEO sits 199 pax. If the LR variant is for long-haul and have fully-flat business class seats, it needs to have less seats.
DeleteI was simply quoting from the article above which mentions 206 for the LR version. I certainly hope it is considerably less than that. PAL really needs to have an offering on routes such as MEL to compete with CX, SQ otherwise I will continue to take my business there, despite the need to connect at HKG or SIN.
DeleteThat is the maximum seats quoted by Airbus for the LR at the 4K range. Not necessarily follow with respect to the airline. PAL has not announced them yet. It could still be 199 (1 row less) or could be less. Note that this plane won't be able to carry much cargo other than checked in luggages because of the ACT. So that could also be a factor, particularly for MEL flights, its longest.
DeleteAccording to CAPA, the 6x LR a321 aircraft will have 176 seats in a two class layout (with lie flat in business).
ReplyDelete