Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2511 times:
I have heard that Philippine Airlines is planning to launch a new brand: Philippine Airlines Express. All the future Q300's and 400's for Philippine Airlines - and some from SAS - will be painted with the Express brand. Also, the current turboprops and the 737-200's of Air Philippines (all of its aircraft) will be repainted with the Express livery. Over time, Air Philippines will no longer be a brand and all of its remaining aircraft will be repainted with the PAL Express livery but operated by Air Philippines.
Philippine Airlines is buying a total of nine Q300's and Q400's - some from SAS.
MarcoPoloWorld From United States, joined Mar 2008, 94 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (3 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2414 times:
Thanks Jasper for the PAL update.
You know where those a/c are coming from right? Scandinavian Airlines is dumping them, after some pretty high-profile accidents in Sweden and Denmark recently. One can only hope that they will function more safely in the Philippines.
I'm surprised about what seems to become the termination of the Air Philippines brand - I always thought it was a strong brand name - and the FA uniforms on Air Philippines are superior to those on PR.
PAL route planning has always appeared to me as erratic (Las Vegas, but not Europe, two back-to-back evening flights at SFO instead of a daytime and an evening departure, and such). Boracay eight times a day? That destination is so over-hyped, especially considering how many other wonderful beach areas are available across the thousands of beautiful islands that are the Philippines.
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (3 months 21 hours ago) and read 2353 times:
Quoting MarcoPoloWorld (Reply 1): One can only hope that they will function more safely in the Philippines.
I sure hope so!
About their back-to-back evening schedule out of the mainland US, I understand that those flights usually have good load factors. Changing it to daytime and evening flights would probably not really matter to the economics of PR. It's nice to see PR growing after a decade of being under receivership. Perhaps when the B777's are in service and the FAA downgrade re-evaluated, they will improve their scheduling. I sure want to see them fly to Europe especially in London and Paris - and perhaps out of ORD and EWR.
Quoting Jasp25 (Thread starter): Air Philippines will no longer be a brand and all of its remaining aircraft will be repainted with the PAL Express livery but operated by Air Philippines
-- is it true that the 737-200's of Air Philippines (or PAL) will be phased out by 2010??
LurveBus From Philippines, joined Mar 2007, 244 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (3 months 17 hours ago) and read 2282 times:
Looks like they're consolidating everything under PAL's name in order to make PAL look bigger. I suppose it wouldn't hurt considering the rate that 5J has been growing.
Quoting MarcoPoloWorld (Reply 1): PAL route planning has always appeared to me as erratic (Las Vegas, but not Europe, two back-to-back evening flights at SFO instead of a daytime and an evening departure, and such). Boracay eight times a day? That destination is so over-hyped, especially considering how many other wonderful beach areas are available across the thousands of beautiful islands that are the Philippines.
PR doesn't have much competition on the Las Vegas route, whereas if they sent planes to Europe, they'd be slaughtered by the likes of EK, EY, CX, TG, SQ, MH, KL, and a few others. And the SFO/LAX flights are actually perfectly timed for onward connections on the domestic and Southeast Asia routes. If they fiddled with the timings on the second flight, there would only be domestic feed on the MNL end, and feed on the west coast of the USA is pretty difficult to attract considering that PR has no FF partners at all.
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2075 times:
Quoting PRFLYER (Reply 4): Las Vegas is now the 3rd city in the US with large Filipino residents. So the market is there.
That's true! I booked a client on this flight one time connecting from FAT and told her that she could play slots at the airport before boarding Philippine Airlines A343 and if lucky, could have a little more pocket money. I sure hope she won or she would have had angry relatives in the Philippines
MarcoPoloWorld From United States, joined Mar 2008, 94 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2062 times:
Quoting PRFLYER (Reply 4): Las Vegas is now the 3rd city in the US with large Filipino residents. So the market is there.
Really? My deepest sympathy goes out to them then!
Anyways, thanks for the replies guys. I'm still not convinced about the wisdom of operating back-to-back flights; connections could still be made (as with Cathay) on both ends. And there is definitely an O/D market between San Francisco and Manila!
Anyways, will wait for the CEB-SFO/LAX flights to be deployed in 2010!
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (2 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1648 times:
It's official:
Quote:
MANILA – Philippine Airlines is launching a new, low-fares unit that will operate a fleet of turbo-propeller aircraft to mostly domestic island points under the brand name “PAL Express,” PAL president Jaime J. Bautista announced today.
“PAL Express will meet the growing demand of the traveling public for a high-quality carrier offering low fares,” said Bautista.
“At the same time, it supports the Philippine government’s efforts to promote trade and tourism, particularly to our many small islands, thus providing a much-needed lift to the local economy of these communities.”
PAL will acquire nine turbo-props – three Bombardier Q300s and six Q400s – to comprise PAL Express’ initial fleet, which will be based mainly in Cebu. Some flights will also operate out of Manila.
PAL Express will primarily fly intra-regional routes in Visayas and Mindanao from its Cebu hub, as well as secondary routes to smaller airports in island provinces that are not able to accommodate PAL’s regular jet aircraft.
The launch of PAL Express is a ground-breaking step for the flag carrier, which is creating a sub-brand for the first time in its 67-year history.
“We will leverage on the strength of the PAL brand to make PAL Express the leader in the markets it serves. In turn, PAL benefits from the expansion of its network to areas it does not presently fly to, from where PAL Express aims to draw traffic to feed the main trunk routes,” said Bautista.
He added: “But the biggest beneficiary will be the traveler, who is now able to tap into PAL’s extensive route network and enjoy seamless connections between erstwhile inaccessible provincial points and 43 destinations – and counting – across the Philippines, Asia, Australia and North America.”
The structure for PAL Express is similar to the set-up found in several international airlines, where the “legacy” carrier establishes an operating division intended to serve a market niche distinct from the mainline operation.
source: Philippineairlines.com --> About PAL ---> news
Thanks, Jasp. And so the planned PR route between CEB and North America makes even more sense now, in the light of the new connection opportunities opened up by the new PAL Express operations out of Cebu.
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (2 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1262 times:
Quoting MarcoPoloWorld (Reply 13): Thanks, Jasp. And so the planned PR route between CEB and North America makes even more sense now, in the light of the new connection opportunities opened up by the new PAL Express operations out of Cebu.
Yes, totally makes more sense. That will help decongest the NAIA terminal 2 as many balikbayans who are going to Mindanao and Visayas areas would rather connect in CEB.
MarcoPoloWorld From United States, joined Mar 2008, 94 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1144 times:
Quoting Jasp25 (Reply 14): Yes, totally makes more sense. That will help decongest the NAIA terminal 2 as many balikbayans who are going to Mindanao and Visayas areas would rather connect in CEB.
-jasp
Thanks alot for keeping a close tab on what is going on in Pinas.
I hope that that US rating of the Philippine government's safety oversight will be able to be upgraded soon, so that any service frequency improvements desired by Philippine carriers to the US market can be implemented.
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (2 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1124 times:
Quoting MarcoPoloWorld (Reply 15): I hope that that US rating of the Philippine government's safety oversight will be able to be upgraded soon, so that any service frequency improvements desired by Philippine carriers to the US market can be implemented.
Jasp25 From United States, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (2 months 10 hours ago) and read 930 times:
Quote:
PAL Express, the new, low-fares brand of Philippine Airlines, completed its inaugural flight to Caticlan today (May 5, 2008).
PAL Express, the new, low-fares brand of Philippine Airlines, will serve 22 inter-island routes at the outset, including some provincial points currently without air service or underserved by other players, PAL president Jaime J. Bautista announced today.
By the way, if you're traveling from the US West Coast to Boracay, you can connect from PR113 to PR37 that leaves Manila at 630AM and arrives MPH (Caticlan) an hour after. The next flight to MPH departs at 8:50AM as PR45 - a perfect cxn for pax arriving on PR103 or 105. If doing a connection, that little tiny thing can also take your two 70-lb boxes all the way to Boracay (or to whatever PAL express flight you are connecting to).
All PR express flights originating/flying to Manila arrive in and depart from NAIA Terminal 2.
Leamside From United States, joined Apr 2000, 344 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (2 months 6 hours ago) and read 893 times:
Peanuts! Online, the low cost airline news website has just announced that PAL Express will initially serve 22 routes:
Bacolod
Busuanga
Butuan
Cagayan de Oro
Calbayog
Caticlan
Cauayan (Isabela)
Cebu
Davao
Dipolog
General Santos
Iloilo
Legazpi
Manila
Ozamiz
Puerto Princesa
San Fernando (La Union)
San Jose (Occidental Mindoro)
Surigao
Tacloban
Virac
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