Airlines In The Philippines II

[XWB_flyer]

seven13 wrote

2P tried to fly DXB during SMC I think but was eventually given back to PAL. There was 1 monoclass transferred to GAP but did not last long. Also it seems like it would be too costly for GAP and the whole PAL group for 2P to operate 5 A330s should the ME routes be transferred to them. It will leave PR with a shortage of aircraft. It’s not economical for GAP to lease 5 A330s and PR to lease another set of A333 sized aircraft. Double costs.

Not this time when PR is suffering from shortage of wide-body my scanario is once PAL has found a sucessor to their  current fleet of A330-300 and had a sufficient number of them around 10-12 hence why I mention the A330neo or B787 Dramliner and that those transferred to 2P are wholly own frames rather then lease like what they did in 2013-2014 they where still brand new at the time and demand for those where pretty high it wa s also prior to the introduction of the B787-9 and the A330neo was announced the same year so the scanario is very different then compared now! However my scanario is also a bit ahead and not aligned with PAL current situations at this time.

I'm going by what Arianespace mentions somewhere between 2018-2019 about PAL transferring there ME operations to GAP which was being considered when they still had thier pre-pandemic fleet.

[Evodesire]

Oh please, I hope they won't remove the IFEs of the A350s when they reconfigure the cabins with more Y seats.

PAL has a very inconsistent product, maybe due to economic reasons. Its a step back, definitely. Here's the thing with PAL. It seems like their operations, commercial, and marketing are not in tune with each other. PAL is removing IFEs on some A330s to serve ME market, basically going back to a hybrid just like those SMC days. However, their marketing is singing a different tune, coming up with marketing campaigns as though PAL is at par with CX and SQ. Then you have these SMC-style A330s being deployed in premium routes, plus the high fares.

Perfect example are the business class ads. Not all planes have the same business class seats as the A350, A330 tri-class, and A321neos. If you will check the FB posts, you read more rants and complaints that they paid high fares just to get a business class seat that is not working.

I was hoping 8781 would just have Y+ seats removed with more Y seats but with IFEs. I wonder how much they will spend again for this retrofit.

[XWB_flyer]

Evodesire wrote

Oh please, I hope they won't remove the IFEs of the A350s when they reconfigure the cabins with more Y seats.

I  have some doubt they will be removing the IFE System on thier long-haul aircraft like the A350s and reading from a previous comment mention an updates on the IFE for the B777 is on the planned, Although their is still the small chance they will removed them in favour of adding more seats despite operating the longest network in the airlines.

I'm honestly baffled with the decision makers within PAL maybe even taking 2 steps back considering the current  state of the B777 fleet (7772 to 7777) no plans to replaced the 2-3-2 J seats with one featuring direct aisle-access or even replacing the very warn out Recaro seats and don't get me started with the PECY which only found on their select A330 and all A350. Just makes me wonder if thier better off not having them despite being a potential source of revenue not being exploited properly!

[frequentflier]

RP-C8786 is now flying as PR209 heading to Melbourne.

[Evodesire]

If 8786 is now flying, then I guess it still has the same seat configuration? As far as I know, it takes time to reconfigure a cabin, like months. Its barely weeks since 8786 arrived.

[Evodesire]

XWB_flyer wrote

Evodesire wrote

Oh please, I hope they won't remove the IFEs of the A350s when they reconfigure the cabins with more Y seats.

I'm honestly baffled with the decision makers within PAL maybe even taking 2 steps back considering the current  state of the B777 fleet (7772 to 7777) no plans to replaced the 2-3-2 J seats with one featuring direct aisle-access or even replacing the very warn out Recaro seats and don't get me started with the PECY which only found on their select A330 and all A350. Just makes me wonder if thier better off not having them despite being a potential source of revenue not being exploited properly!

Same here. It seems like there's a lack of long term planning and strategy. All they want is to "be one of the best airlines in Asia" and to be at par with Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai, Eva Air, etc.

But with their conservative ways of running things, lack of foresight, and decision making, things are just all over the place. Product is inconsistent, marketing is meh, prices are high.

With the new airport in Bulacan soon coming in how many years from now, PAL better start thinking of becoming a more global airline aside from just always catering to the Filipinos and OFWs. Manila can become a transit hub for flights between SEA and the US, Australia and Europe. Also good for our tourism.

But before anything else, they have to break away from their conservative and traditional ways. Post-pandemic is basically a new age of aviation. Things are already different. Travelers are getting younger. People are more "budget conscious", or those who really want value from what they pay for. Enough of that mindset "PAL is PAL, kahit ano mangyari, sasakyan pa ren kami."

[XWB_flyer]

I honestly feel bad for those in the company who do care for the airlines the front line staff at the airport and FA. Yeah their seems to be a disconnect between upper management (who cares about revenue) and those who interact with passengers I myself graduated from tourism management with some of my school mates aspire to be flight attendance or working in the airline like me. But is deterred by how difficult it is to run an airline, personnally  I wouldn't mind PAL (or GAP) adopting an LCC approach for domestic while mainline PAL could focus on international connections and fully embrace the "Premium Airlines" which seem to be not the course their going for though I also doubt they will embrace they Hybrid-LCC approach too and just be in the middle of Premium or Hybird-LCC.

[Evodesire]

Yes, according to some of the crew who are at the front lines, they would share the passenger feedback about the services however, upper management does not want to listen. All they say is "you can handle that". Customer feedback is very important.

One problem of PAL is they try to act like an island. It seems like they are not in touch with reality where branding, marketing, customer experience, efficiency, and product offering are very important especially with the changing profile of travelers nowadays. I think its their "too conservative" approach of running things where they don't want to break-off from being traditional.

Even if Arianespace explained the rationale as to why PAL decided to keep the old planes and get rid of the new ones, I was skeptical that things would work in their favor on the long run. And I guess everything caught up later on. Lack planes, old planes, bad feedback, passengers feeling too ripped-off after they paid exorbitant fares.

People nowadays are more budget conscious, or, they want something worth what they pay for. With PAL having a very inconsistent product, its just like playing Russian Roulette. As if passengers have a choice to select the kind of aircraft they want to be in.

I'm not being an armchair CEO here and I know there are economics to be considered, but judging at how the aviation industry is moving now, PAL has to wake up to reality. PAL's conservative ways of approaching things and management turning a blind eye to reality will all eventually get them. Even if "PAL is PAL", I am not discounting a possibility that a rival local legacy airline may enter the industry, just like Starlux of Taiwan.

[XWB_flyer]

I honestly think they could have done a better job at thier current predicament like refurbishing their B777 the once they plan to keep with the same J-seats as the A350-900 adding a small Premium Economy cabin with 24 seate and adjusting the capacity of Economy to compensate for the reduction in economy capacity like minimizing the pitch from 33-34" to 32-33" (32" being the bare minimum for long-haul), at less maintain the 364-368 seat capacity which isn't that hard. Kind of surprised no one have considered those also I think the IFE fitted on the A321neo, Tri-class A330-300, and A350-900 is lighter and cheaper compared to either Panasonic or Thales which are the most well know system in the airline industry. By Safran System (Previously Zodiac Inflight Innovations) RAVE system which is fitted on Air France triple sevens for domestic used (those flying in overseas departments)!

 
 

[XWB_flyer]

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[Evodesire]

Did PAL really refurbish the cabin of 8786? She is flying lately and I know it takes months to reconfigure a cabin. Also, PAL did come up with PR that says that the plane is in a tri-class layout. Anyone got pictures? Hope they really keep those IFEs especially if they want to brand themselves as premium and they want to justify the high fares.

[Arianespace]

Sometimes, I got a feeling the author of this article learned a thing or two from this forum.

By Mark Finlay
...
When the airline entered receivership, the foreign registered aircraft could also not be impounded or sold by the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Because of this, in 2008, the Philippines government required that all aircraft belonging to Philippine-owned airlines be registered in the Philippines.

https://simpleflying.com/philippine-airlines-aurbus-a340s-french-registrations-explanation/

If I may add, to make this article truly worth reading your while, the Philippine SEC does not have authority to impound or sell planes. This authority belongs to the courts, particularly, the Regional Trial Courts. Nowadays, they are classified to family, drugs, admiralty, commercial, among others. Before the specialization, this court which usually seats in Makati, Pasig, or Taguig just hear everything commercial.

It is true that because of these clauses on PAL lease contract before, lessors could easily remove or confiscate foreign registered aircraft. This was the reason Republic Act 9497 came into being in 2008 forcing all aircraft operating in the Philippines, including its lessors, to register and be bound by Philippine laws. No registration no business. And this was the reason leased aircraft nowadays sit idly in Clark, and LTP, while awaiting clearance by the insolvency court to be return to lessor. This is also the reason why all leased planes has RP-C prefixes.

This is the same reason why PAL simultaneously filed Receivership in Makati with their Chapter 11 filing in the US.

[chowpau]

The author forgot the A330-301s which are also French registered

Then there was also 747-400s and remaining 747-200s that were US registered

[Arianespace]

Of course. And they have also these foreign registered planes before. And they operate together with the A330 and A340s

[XWB_flyer]

 

Evodesire wrote

Did PAL really refurbish the cabin of 8786? She is flying lately and I know it takes months to reconfigure a cabin. Also, PAL did come up with PR that says that the plane is in a tri-class layout. Anyone got pictures? Hope they really keep those IFEs especially if they want to brand themselves as premium and they want to justify the high fares.

I imagine they probably just clean the cabin and check if the IFE is still working again before re-entering revenue service again with PAL I could also see more A330-300 rejoining the fleet which could also come from other airlines built between 2013-2015 which are currently in storage.

[Arianespace]

There is going to be a major corporate announcement from PAL this month. Wonder what it is?

[JNC03]

Aside from resumption of routes and approved stock related things announced, what else?

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/124967-pal-approves-exchange-ratio-for-planned-equity-swap

[XWB_flyer]

PAL  has been quitely working on improving their soft product the recent appointment of a new head of catering operations and are trial some new inflight meals for business class which will be roll-out soon

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.abs-cbn.com/amp/business/02/20/23/pal-appoints-chef-vallerie-castillo-archer-as-new-catering-head

As for bigger development could be anything really not expecting new aircraft order this year though I could expect the delivery of A321neo to be forward to 2024-2025 timeframe with the progressive retirement of the A321ceo with some being transferred to PAL Express. Inflight hardproduct is a long shot as PAL doesn't have any existing order except for the A321neo, could be changed in management or even retirement of El Kapitan from Chairman of the Board which will be the most interesting development and could mean a new chapter in the airlines, last would be changes in the board of directors to show improvement in the airline itself?

[Arianespace]

One hindrance to new aircraft orders.

The company said that its impaired creditors now own approximately a 20.1% stake in PAL.

Under the reorganization plan, PAL offered the impaired creditors a mechanism to swap their PAL shares into shares of PHI “so that they would have the ability to trade them on the PSE.”

These are unpaid debts which PAL honors to lower finance charges to new acquisitions.

[XWB_flyer]

So this could mean that PAL will need to hold on to some of thier aircraft such as A321, A333 and B77W a bit longer probably pass the decade?