The 4-Star carrier introduces the first of 21 all-new Airbus A321neos and 6 all-new A350s
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is in the midst of a fleet modernization program in its bid to transform itself into Asia’s airline of choice with an average fleet age of five years by the end of 2018.
The 4-Star airline’s pride is in being the first Philippine carrier to bring into the country the Airbus A321neo and the Airbus A350, both envisioned to be a gamechanger in medium and long-haul operations.
“On top of providing that trademark heartfelt service that is distinctly Filipino, our goal is make Philippine Airlines an industry game changer via network expansion, service innovation, and fleet upgrade. These initiatives form part of our roadmap towards making PAL a 5-Star world-class airline,” said PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista.
A321neo features
The new Airbus A321neos interiors showcase modern innovations in cabin layout and seat design that enable more efficient use of cabin space, thus ensuring passenger comfort. The aircraft’s new engines also generate reduced noise in and out of the cabin and contribute to the aircraft’s eco-friendliness and sustainability.
“As the country’s legacy carrier and the airline of choice of Filipino business travelers, in-flight comfort is crucial to passenger satisfaction. We are proud and excited to operate the new A321neos – a modification of the A321ceos with extended flight range – as it enables us to explore the possibility of tapping into new long-haul markets that were not previously accessible with current single-aisle aircrafts,” Bautista explained.
The 168-seater Airbus A321neo has 12 seats on Business and 156 seats on Economy. The Business class cabin with a 2-2 configuration has a total of 12 seats with a generous seat pitch of 60 inches and seat width of up to 23 inches. The Business class seat turns into a full-flat bed with a length measuring 78 inches. The Economy class cabin has a 3-3 configuration made up of 156 on seats with a seat pitch of up to 32 inches, seat width of 18 inches, and a recline of up to five inches. All seats in both Business and Economy classes also have power ports for personal electronic devices.
The Inflight Entertainment aboard the A321neo is provided by personal TV screens embedded on all seats across all cabin classes, as well as inflight Wi-Fi that is offered for free for all passengers (subject to time and volume caps) with affordable renewal plans.
A350 features
PAL flights to North America and Europe will get a major boost with the delivery of the tri-class Airbus A350-900. Its all-new design utilizes the latest technology for improved operational performance. It has a longrange capability of up to 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km) and a quieter cabin with up to four times less noise, making it the quietest twin-aisle aircraft to date The Business class cabin with 30 seats has a 1-2-1 configuration, providing direct aisle access. Seat pitch is at 44 inches and a seat width of up to 24 inches. The seat – which reclines to a full-flat bed measuring 78 inches in length – has an adjustable air cushion to adjust seat firmness, lumbar massage feature, additional storage for personal items, and power ports.
The Premium Economy class cabin has 24 seats on a 2-4-2 configuration. Seat pitch is at 38 inches and seat width is at 19 inches. Premium Economy seats – which have a recline of up to eight inches – are equipped with legrest and footrest, additional front pockets for personal items, bottle holders, reading lights and power ports.
The Economy seats total 241 on a 3-3-3 configuration. Seat pitch is at 33 inches, seat width at 18 inches and a recline of up to 6 inches. Features include a 4-way headrest and USB power ports.
All seats on the Airbus A350 have personal TV screens with dual screen functionality, which means that passengers can pair their screens with their mobile device via the myPAL Player app to select content to be displayed on the screen or track the flight’s progress through the Flight Map. High-speed Wi-Fi is offered free for all passengers (subject to time and volume caps), with affordable renewal plans.
The cabin interior of PAL’s Airbus A321neo and Airbus A350 were designed by Tokyo-based Lift Strategic Design, which also designed PAL’s Tri-Class A330. LIFT also developed the cabin mood-lighting effect onboard the A350 with multiple colors and effects that create moods ranging from relaxation to celebration, all of which are exclusively designed for PAL.
“These new planes form part of our company’s roadmap towards providing ultimate passenger comfort and delight and being at par with global airlines in terms of service standards while maintaining our distinct PAL brand of heartfelt service,” Bautista added.
New Mabuhay Lounge
Meanwhile, PAL also recently inaugurated its Mabuhay Lounge at the brand-new Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), which caters exclusively to its international passengers.
According to Bautista, the lounge may just be the most beautiful in the country, and one of the best in the entire PAL network worldwide.
Among the 190-square meter lounge’s amenities are the airline’s trademark food and beverage selections, free Wi-Fi, flight information display systems, and a sweeping view of the tarmac.
The Airbus A321neos are now flying nonstop between Manila and Brisbane. The planes will also pioneer PAL’s new Manila-Sapporo route in September.
The A350 will be deployed on the nonstop Manila-New York JFK, and Manila-London Heathrow routes by the end of October 2018. Services to other points in North America and Europe are expected to follow as more aircraft join the fleet over the next 12 months, including possible routes to Seattle, Chicago, and a point in Western Europe.
