Airlines In The Philippines II

[Arianespace]

romantic_guy08 wrote

LCC service for Full service price....

You said it right.

Eurest wrote

UA is price matching on SFO-MNL @1300usd in J with their Polaris seats

Sweet. I would love to fly them anytime soon.

this cash saving behavior is too much, their taking advantage of their customers

Well said bro.

What if DL comes back direct via SEA or LAX? They'll lose more market share.

Well, they are. Sleepless already about the timeslot.

With half of demand almost gone ie SFO, why bother for a denser NPA 35k? I'll understand if they are LCC but clearly they are FSC. And FSC have theirs at 3-3-3. So I rather stop either at ICN, or NRT on the way to the big apple. Services are way better there.

They have an opportunity but are offering subpar product just looking at the TransPacific Y market thinking they will always be loyal rather than they have no choice.

And now we have a choice. UA studied and understood the PH market very well and giving PR a dose of their own medicine. Sad to say, SFO happens to be the most profitable route for PAL. And UA is attacking PR where it hurt them most. NOw you know the apparent animosity despite the smile that they are all good.

[Arianespace]

I can't imagine a business class accommodation could be bumped to economy. Well, PAL does it, and it happened to Jose Marie Viceral, AKA "Vice Ganda". Surely, they will have this name on the "A-list" next time. The flight apparently happened on this 9 year old Avolon owned plane RP-C9914 (C12Y187). Truly he was bumped off unfortunately, and consequently resulted to a PR disaster for PAL. And that is just one example on the famed 'service' they've gone to. Now they are talking about him as their endorser to manage backslash. He declines at this time.




Why we are talking about it? Your business class accommodation is not a guarantee you could have that seat when flying PAL. You could end up in economy. What a bummer.

[romantic_guy08]

On a recent trip from TPE, I was upgraded by PAL to BC due to my MM status...

I was a little disappointed though since even if I was upgraded, the meal they served me was still ECY since they didn't have enough BC meals... it was kinda embarrassing that since I was only upgraded, they could not serve me the full BC service... and I was the only one at that, so it was really embarrasing...

[Evodesire]

Eurest wrote

Their J must at least be consistent, this cash saving behavior is too much, their taking advantage of their customers knowing CX is not really a threat.
What if DL comes back direct via SEA or LAX? They'll lose more market share.
They have an opportunity but are offering subpar product just looking at the TransPacific Y market thinking they will always be loyal rather than they have no choice.

I think the first thing they have to drop is that "PAL is PAL" mentality. I even don't know if they realize that being too conservative or being too much on save safe side has been hurting them. UA should be a wake up call. Unless at present, they have a problem with planes.

So now, I don't know if the GSM admin's decision to return too much widebodies including the more premium planes and the new ones was a wise decision. Now, its like other airlines are taking advantage of PAL's present weakness, which are old planes with an inconsistent product.

I understand that the older planes are PAL metal but now, it seems to take a hit on them given the fact that the recovery was fast and unexpected plus the parts crisis.

I see other airlines making huge improvements including 5J who is more aggressive in capturing the domestic and regional market. After PAL's A35K order, its like they are just banking on that but that's still in 2025.

And yes, that "PAL is PAL" mentality really has to end.

[Arianespace]

It was a wise decision both in hindsight and foresight. While it is CEO job to acquire planes, it is the board that approves them. Sad to say their late decision contributed to its headache. At that time though it was pretty understandable considering the dire situation they were previously at.

And then a decision was made either to refurb plane or buy new ones. PAL discarded the old one for the new.

[Evodesire]

So I think it was a very tough and hard decision.

So moving forward, when do we expect another widebody order? It looks like airlines around the world including 5J sees a huge upstick in air travel demand in the coming years plus they want better fleet redundancy. Does PAL see the same thing forward?

Also, they previously had 6 options for A350-900. Are these still up for grabs?

[Arianespace]

We should see a major orders for PAL next year. NO decision is made yet as to the type that would replace the A330. If this interest you, Airbus is no longer selling the NEO according to source. They are selling the bigger NPA sister that has the range and capacity to go across the pond and blow the baby out of the water. They definitely would want to lump the medium and long haulers together. So my previous story of a possible split order is confirmed. Although I got the pairing wrong. B781 for regional and B789 for pond hopping, versus A359 NPA for both. The latter proposition is more expensive though than the former.

[JNC03]

A359 with 10 abreast config🤔🤔

Let's see what will be the reaction of the people

[Evodesire]

I really feel that the chances of PAL getting the A330N are slim, especially if they can trim down their widebodies to just two types with 4 variants all in all, A350 and B787 families.

If those former PR A359s now in LH are to return to PR, that will mean they may arrive in 2025, hence, complementing the A35K? But a lot of people in PR say that the now-LH A359s are no longer returning. So what are the chances now? If so, is there a chance that PAL will add more A359s to complement the A35Ks?

[Arianespace]

That is what they say on this plane way back then. Who would have thought its coming back. It did.
Pretty sure its not isolated, as there was also the A330s, and then the B744s. I mean the lists goes on...

[Solblanc]

I'm still holding out for the A330neo, if only to keep 8-abreast. Also, it might be good to be a little more conservative with capacity as Chinese carriers are going back online and depressing long-haul yields to the US. So that means medium-haul just may be where the money is at, and it might be good to optimize the fleet around medium-haul.

That being said, if as you say it's out of the running, then the 787 is the better plane for the customer. A 10-abreast A359 would indeed be a CASM monster, but can we stop normalizing reducing seat width. The consuelo de bobo would be that 10-Abreast A350s are more comfy than 9-abreast A330s

[Arianespace]

You have a good idea, but it seems that is not the direction PAL is heading into the future.

It is indeed a 'consuelo de bobo' that 10-Abreast A350s are more comfortable than 9-abreast A330s. Pretty well said.  

[JNC03]

What about narrowbodies?

Will PAL extend the life of A320 and A321ceos specially amid P&W issues

[romantic_guy08]

PAL may ground two more aircraft

MANILA  -Philippine Airlines (PAL) may possibly ground two more aircraft by next year due to supply chain concerns but it is eyeing to lease additional units to prevent flight disruptions.

Stanley Ng, chief operating officer (COO) of the flag carrier, told reporters on Wednesday in Taguig that aircraft maintenance provider Pratt & Whitney (P&W) recalling some aircraft for inspection could reduce its 76-jet fleet.

Currently, four units are parked for maintenance.

The two A320neos that could be grounded service flights to Perth and other Australian destinations, Ng said.

[Evodesire]

PAL has no A320neo, but A321neo. Anyway, even IndiGo is grounding more than 20 A320neos. Turkish Airlines has grounded 10. It looks like PAL did make a good decision to suspend A321neo deliveries until 2026 but then again, their A320s are getting older.

RTX must be crying their pockets out, and CFMI is now winning the India engine orders.

[seven13]

That was quite fast. Now that UA is able to fly nonstop to MNL, PR and AA is quick to codeshare. AA is now codesharing on PR’s HNL and GUM flights, NRT and HND as well with NH. It’s surprising to see SQ codesharing on PR’s SIN flights.

[Evodesire]

PAL better start ordering planes soon. Even CX is replacing their A330s

https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/cathay-to-launch-medium-haul-fleet-renewal-campaign-in-december/

[JNC03]

Ng also told Aviation Daily during the recent AAPA Assembly of Presidents in Singapore that the delivery timetable for its remaining thirteen A321neo is still unclear, with the Filipino carrier having to, therefore, rely on its A320ceo family fleet as a backup solution as and when other neo aircraft get grounded.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/134021-philippine-airlines-expects-up-to-two-more-a321neo-grounded

[Solblanc]

JNC03 wrote

Ng also told Aviation Daily during the recent AAPA Assembly of Presidents in Singapore that the delivery timetable for its remaining thirteen A321neo is still unclear, with the Filipino carrier having to, therefore, rely on its A320ceo family fleet as a backup solution as and when other neo aircraft get grounded.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/134021-philippine-airlines-expects-up-to-two-more-a321neo-grounded

Ouch. PER and BNE services depend on those neos. BNE is mature enough to upgrade to a widebody on some days (although even widebodies are limited) and PER will need a technical stop on anything else. Maybe PAL should’ve kept their A319s. How will they keep these routes alive?

[romantic_guy08]

Was listening to the plenary debates on the 2024 budget of DOTR in the Senate, and the numerous complaints against PAL was raised...

Senators are proposing that PR loses its flag-carrier status if it does not shape-up and correct the numerous complaints against it within a specific time... Proposals were also raised to take-back/limit their slots if they cannot correct the complaints.