PHILIPPINE AIRLINES: Non-stop route Manila to Perth starts March 2023

Back in December 2022 it was announced that the Perth/Manilla service would commence in March. In fact the first flight was yesterday, Monday 27 March. From now on flights will run between Perth and Manila three times a week:

• PR 223 – Manila-Perth – Monday, Thursday and Saturday 12:05 am, arriving Perth 7:15 am
• PR 224 – Perth-Manila – Monday, Thursday and Saturday 8:30 am, arriving Manila at 3:50 pm

All flights will use a single aisle Airbus A321ceo long-range aircraft with fully flat beds in the three-row, 2-2 business class cabin for the seven-hour flight.

Background

Philippine Airlines has flown directly to Perth before. But it’s been at least ten years since it briefly flew via Darwin before it abandoned the route.

Perth will make the airlines fourth direct Australian port. The airline currently flies to the east coast destinations of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. All are served with nonstop flights using Airbus A330 or A321ceo aircraft. Adding Perth brings PAL’s total to 20 services per week.

Unfortunately, Philippine Airlines doesn’t belong to one of the global alliances. It also has no partner Australian airline, so you need to rely on its Frequent Flyer program – Mabuhay Miles.

2PAXfly Takeout

Philippine Airlines doesn’t appear in lists of the world’s best airlines, but it consistently offers competitive fares to Europe via Manilla. Unfortunately, Manila Airport consistently gets a terrible rap for its connection experience. According to OMAAT, the terminal transfer experience is pretty horrendous. It includes the inability to make a ‘sterile’ connection meaning your bags might get screened multiple times. Transfer buses are infrequent – think 30 minutes apart. Flyers report staff rudeness, and the airline has no airline-run lounge in its central hub.

With a very tempting price point for Business class, I should put Philippine Airlines on my list to experience soon.