Airlines, Airplanes and Airports - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 19

Sinjin P.

October 18th, 2006, 05:56 AM

The Good & the Bad
Most Asian airlines are good, especially if they have long-haul flights (From Newsbreak, October 23, 2006)

By Carla Montemayor

ONE PERSON’S face jammed into another’s armpit is not a formula for world peace. This is true of buses, cities, prisons, and romantic relationships over five years long.

This occurred to me as I was about to strangle my seatmate on a recent flight to China. He would guffaw at old “Friends” episodes then suddenly fall asleep, head lolling from side to side, until it rested on my shoulder. God succor the man who sniffs my armpit without my express permission.

I know I’m very lucky to be traveling, and I love it. It’s flying I don’t enjoy, especially in these terror-laden days. For us who travel mostly for work and cannot afford to do so on our own expense, flying—and flying coach—is the only option. And that has its unique challenges. Like sitting next to a narcoleptic sitcom fan for eight hours.

RELATED STORIES:

* Fully Booked: Filipinos now travel more often thanks to budget airlines
* Niche Markets: the demographics of budget flyers
* Cheap Thrills: local carriers take on foreign competition

Flights on Garuda, the Indonesian carrier, stand out in my mind. Each time I took this airline, the pilot flew the plane like it was a ride in an amusement park. After each bouncy landing, the locals would burst into applause, probably grateful that we were still alive. Meals consisted entirely of chili. The gas subsequently released by passengers powered the plane all the way to Bali.

Air Philippines had a different problem. On a flight to Caticlan, I was seated right behind the cockpit. Inside, there were three people: the pilot, co-pilot, and some guy sitting on a plank across the doorway. This, along with mist in the cabin during take-off, gave the aircraft the aura of a Dangwa bus. I had to check if anyone was cradling baskets of sayote.

I think the gold standard for air transport is Singapore Airlines (SIA). Flight attendants are superb, seats a bit wider. You have your own video screen and a wide choice of films. In 2004, I took the Singapore-New York flight, which, at 18 hours, was then the longest non-stop commercial flight in aviation history.

There was a lounging area in the back of the plane. I watched four decent films, and slept comfortably. But those were not the crowning features. When we landed in New York, they called my name out and asked me to stand aside. I thought deportation was at hand, but no—SIA was sending someone to escort me to immigration and help me retrieve my luggage quickly, knowing I had a connecting flight in two hours.

How’s that for service? I wonder what’s in First Class. Maybe the co-pilot gives facials. Alas, I cannot fly SIA all the time as its flights are on average US$300 more expensive. Hardly a tragedy, as most Asian airlines are good, especially if they have long-haul flights. Next to SIA, the best of the lot are: Thai Airways, Emirates, and Cathay. I’ve also taken Cebu Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Malaysian Airlines, and they were generally comfortable and efficiently run.

I’ve had mixed experiences on PAL, but it’s far better compared to, say, Royal Nepal Airlines.

European airlines are a notch below Asian ones, I would say. My experiences on Air France, Al Italia, SAS, and British Airways have been positive, but not remarkable. And then we have the amazing budget airlines. I’ve only tried two so far, BMI (British Midlands) and Ryan Air. As advertised, there really are no frills: food and drinks are sold onboard, there is a fee for checked-in luggage, flights are at odd times. What do you expect for a £0.99 ticket to Barcelona? For that price, I would bring my own urinola (chamber pot).

Now I don’t want to personally enlarge the hole in the ozone layer myself so I do see the point of taxing air travel to reflect environmental costs. Trouble is, post-grad studies have thrust me into years of penury. So please don’t berate me about carbon emissions and I won’t ask you for grocery money.

The European airline I’ve found unpleasant is Lufthansa. Twice I’ve seen their flight attendants being rude to Filipino workers who were a bit excited to come home. Can’t stand cheerful people? Don’t fly to Manila. That said, they did give me an upgrade to Business Class once, Frankfurt to Manila. It was comfortable but still not impressive. It was similar to economy on SIA, but with surly flight attendants.

At the bottom of the heap are US airlines. You think PAL is bad? Delta doesn’t even serve banana bread on domestic flights. When I complained to flight attendants that there was no space in the overhead bin for my carry-on, they pointed toward the back of the plane: sign language for “take it there yourself.”

Apart from indifferent service, there are the exhausting security checks—all for our own safety, I know, but they do suck out any remaining pleasure out of air travel. US airport personnel destroyed the locked zippers on my suitcase with a bolt cutter. (You’re not supposed to lock your suitcase except with prescribed locks that they can pick open.)

In August this year, all liquids and creams were banned on all flights. Even my mascara was taken away because as you well know, desperate terrorists may curl other people’s lashes. Pretty soon, they’ll ask us to get on the plane naked. Hey terrorists, do you think it’s a victory for you that we will soon be traveling in the nude?

http://newsbreak.com.ph/newsbreak/story.asp?id=812

____________________

Cheap Thrills
Local carriers introduce strategies different from their counterparts abroad (From Newsbreak, October 23, 2006)

THE LOCAL telecommunications and aviation markets have something in common: they were dominated by one or two players for a long time. Enter the Gokongweis, the price cutters, debunking market myths of how products and services should be priced and packaged.

And they’re on a roll. Take the case of Cebu Air Inc. (brand name: Cebu Pacific), the second biggest airline in the country acquired in 1995 by JG Summit, the Gokongwei conglomerate.

At the time, it offered local airline travelers what were considered unthinkable fares, cutting into the market share of Philippine Airlines (PAL) which had virtual monopoly of the skies. The strategy worked as about 20 percent more Filipinos flew.

But eyeing the more lucrative international market (which had a natural traffic because of the throng of overseas workers), Cebu Pacific got lost along the way. “We got distracted,” Cebu Pacific chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei admitted in a previous interview.

Cebu Pacific was at the mercy of a politically connected and well-oiled protectionist lobby that sought to shield routes defined through bilateral air agreements. A good number of them were dependent on the dwindling capacity of PAL. This limited the growth of international air traffic that left the country nibbling at the edges of Asia’s air travel boom.

As the budget airlines phenomenon hit Asia by storm—there are at least 16 new budget airlines just in the past two years—Cebu Pacific snapped out of its hiatus and started to play the game it was in, in the first place. Cebu Pacific was the first in Asia to take on a budget airline model, long before Malaysia launched Air Asia, the current poster boy for the region’s budget carriers.

Thus, in November last year, Cebu Pacific introduced the revolutionary “Go” fares, a moniker for the family’s name and a way to spur air travel by cutting fares by about 67 percent.

Almost a year after, a review of Cebu Pacific’s performance shows that low fares have indeed caused a stir in a market where the traditional mode of transportation among the 7,100 islands is the sea ferry. From January to August this year, Cebu Pacific registered an average of 261,000 passengers a month, a whopping 42-percent spike compared to last year’s. This forced the other local airlines—Air Philippines (PAL’s affiliate and designated budget airline), Asian Spirit, and South East Asian Airlines—to bring down their rates, too.

They rode the crest of a wave with never-before-seen growth in the local airline industry. For example, in the first 15 days of September alone, some 306,600 passengers flew between local destinations. That’s a remarkable 43.8-percent increase in air traffic from just 213,000 in the same period last year. Airline executives attribute this to passengers flying more frequently and to passengers who have never flown before.

Of the 306,600 passengers in the first half of September, Cebu Pacific cornered 134,000 (a stunning 97-percent growth compared to last year), PAL had 138,000 (up by 15 percent), while Air Philippines had 34,000 (43 percent higher), and Asian Spirit had 600 (a 25-percent decline).

PAL remains the industry leader with a market share of 45 percent, but Cebu Pacific is hot on its heels with 38 percent as of August. Cebu Pacific offers yearround pro-rated fares where the minimum base fare ranges from P568 (for Visayas destinations) to P868 (for Mindanao). Air Philippines, the third largest local player, and Asian Spirit also offer the same minimum rates but on limited seats and on-promo basis.

Low-cost carriers employ a pricing strategy that stresses cash management. Thus, the sooner the passenger books, the cheaper the ticket, and the easier for the airline to manage its cash. Says Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific’s marketing head, “We have a team looking at how each flight throughout the year will be filled based on historical performance and timing of events in particular destinations.”

This pricing strategy guides budget carriers in their allocation of more discounted seats during the lean months of June to October so they could improve their load factor, the measure of how full an aircraft is. Iyog says they now enjoy a 77-percent load factor on lean months, up significantly from 60 percent last year.

Cebu Pacific is a clear winner. For one, it is backed by the cash horde of JG Summit, a conglomerate of highly profitable retail, real estate, banking, and food manufacturing companies. Thus, it could afford to take on the US$670-million (P21-billion) cost of refleeting with 14 Airbus jets. A modern fleet translates to fuel efficiency while homogeneity means a maintenance holiday for about eight years, reducing costs.

Other airlines have difficulty catching up and still have a mix of vintage Boeings and smaller aircrafts. PAL, for instance, still has a mix-match of different aircraft models, and because of financial distress, had to cut down on its local flights (from 44 to 19 domestic routes) and instead concentrate on the more profitable long-haul flights.

Despite the successes of budget airlines worldwide, however, Cebu Pacific cannot copy strategies from its counterparts lock, stock, and barrel. For one, low-cost airlines abroad usually utilize secondary airports for faster turnaround of aircrafts and more flying hours in a day. Nearest to the congested domestic airport in Manila, where turnaround time is about 40 minutes, is Clark (with a 25-minute turnaround time).

But the latter is an hour away from Manila, which does not make sense for Cebu Pacific to use since the longest flying time from Manila is an hour and 20 minutes to Mindanao.

Another strategy involves ticketing. Most budget carriers count on Internet bookings so they can do away with printing costs and commissions and credits to travel agents. Credit card purchases and Internet usage in the Philippines are, however, still low and most of ticket sales are still coursed through middlemen. Cebu Pacific tried to address this through its P1- and P10-flights promo in March where 150,000 passengers bought tickets online, most of them for the first time.

Being the aggressive player, Cebu Pacific is bearing the birth pains and costs of introducing the local market to a lifestyle of low-cost travel. While its bottom-line suffers for now, it may yet see a bright future.

According to Richard Pinkham, a Singapore-based consultant with the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, “If you can lure a new passenger an airplane with a super low fare, then it will be harder for that person to accept a long ferry ride in the future.”

____________________

[I]Niche Markets
(From Newsbreak, October 23, 2006)

THE DEMOGRAPHICS of budget flyers are mixed, says Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific’s marketing director. Although the airline is yet to finalize its report, Iyog says many of their passengers are flying for the first time or are flying more often. “We’ve tapped those niche markets,” she says.

Many of them are tourists who could spare several days for a vacation. With international budget airlines like Tiger Airways and Air Asia in Clark, Filipinos get to visit tourist destinations in Asia. At cheaper air fares, overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong or Singapore can come home more often, too.

No More Long Ferry Hours
CYEL MAJARUCON, 25

HOME USED to be 18 ferry hours away for Cyel Majarucon. She left Bacolod when she was 17 to study civil engineering at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

The City of Smiles is only an hour away by air but the air fare back then was at least triple the cost of a first class ferry ticket. It wasn’t student-friendly. She would wait for cheaper promotional airline tickets but they were rarely offered during the Holy Week, Christmas, semestral and summer breaks, when she could go home for a vacation. Her best option was to go home with friends to make the 18-hour ferry ride bearable. But that sometimes meant another day or so lost because she had to wait for a friend to finish a final exam.

That was when she was a freshman in college. Airfares in budget airlines have since plummetted. Ferry tickets have become more expensive, too. Today, Majarucon needs to shell out, on average, only an extra P400 for a Cebu Pacific or Air Philippines ticket.

Working doesn’t give her the luxury of time that she used to have as a student. A quality control engineer of the Philippine Investment Management Inc., she can only take a few days off for vacation. Flying on budget airlines to and from Bacolod instead of traveling in ferries allows her 34 more hours with her family. That is money well spent, she says.

Gift for No Occasion
JEANETTE JILL MANONGDO, 22

IT WAS a gift for no occasion. Generous relatives paid for the Air Asia tickets to Malaysia of Jeanette Jill Manongdo, 22, and four other relatives in October 2005. With a budget of about P20,000 each, they traveled around Malaysia and neighboring Singapore for four days.

That covered all their travel, food, and lodging expenses from Manila to Clark Airport to Malaysia and Singapore, and then back to Clark Airport and Manila. They rented a van to tour Malaysia. She saw the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Tower in Kuala Lumpur, the garden city Putrajaya, and more.

Malaysia was friendly to budget travelers. They stayed in budget hotels and food was cheap, too. Singapore was near, anyway, so they spent a day there checking out Lucky Plaza, the famous Sentosa, and taking pictures at the Esplanade. Because the Lion City was expensive, they went back to stay in a hotel in Malaysia.

After two memory sticks full of digital photos, Manongdo and her relatives went back home. It was a fun and memorable first trip out of the country, Manongdo says.

Manongdo’s next dream destination is Hong Kong—Disneyland, of course. She wants to do a side trip to neighboring China, too. There will be no more generous relatives, however. That’s why she and some high school friends are already saving up for it.

Quality Time
ELGIM CLAVECILLA, 30

ARMY 1Lt. Elgim Clavecilla, 30, was excited about his seven-day leave. Finally, he could spend more time with his wife, Grace, in Manila, he thought. He had been stationed at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija for two years and he would only see her twice a month.

However, his vacation coincided with Grace’s four-day assignment in Cebu. What now?

The last thing Elgim wanted was to spend his free time alone. “My vacation would have been a waste,” he says. So he bought budget tickets for a roundtrip ticket to Cebu. He didn’t have to worry about lodging costs anymore because he stayed in his wife’s hotel.

Knowing that it’s best to take the earliest Cebu Pacific flight to avoid delays, he arrived in Cebu earlier than Grace and waited for her at the Mactan International Airport. Grace flew with Philippine Airlines.

Elgim tagged along with his wife at work whenever it was okay. “I’m her bodyguard,” he tells Grace’s colleagues at work. When it wasn’t okay to tag along, he toured Cebu alone or killed time in the gyms. He made sure he’d meet Grace for lunch and after her work.

After four days in Cebu, Elgim and Grace flew home in separate flights. They spent the rest of Eljim’s vacation in Manila.

http://newsbreak.com.ph/newsbreak/story.asp?id=809

MarkiiBoi

October 18th, 2006, 11:19 AM

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4220/cebupacificairoa7.png (http://imageshack.us)

Cebu Pacific eyeing 10 more Airbus planes, Asian routes

XFN-Asia
Last updated 03:52pm (Mla time) 10/18/2006

LOW-COST carrier Cebu Pacific Air Inc. is considering acquiring more Airbus narrow-bodied planes as it seeks to fly to more destinations in Asia, the company's chief executive said.

"Beyond the (two) new planes that will come in January and February next year, we are considering perhaps 10 more Airbus A319s or A320s in three to four years starting October 2007. It will have to be narrow bodied," Lance Gokongwei told reporters.

"The market continues to grow very strongly and there is reason to add more planes."

He said the company had not yet decided on how the purchase of the new planes would be financed.

The two Airbus aircraft arriving early next year will complete Cebu Pacific's $670-million refleeting program.

Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific carried around 149,000 domestic passengers from October 1 to 15, representing a 45 percent share of the local market, against rival Philippine Airlines' 44 percent.

"It took us ten years to get to the number one spot. We will work our hardest to maintain being the number one domestic airline in the country," he said.

Cebu Pacific is a unit of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc.

After the launch if its Manila-Kuala Lumpur service next month, Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific would start flying to Bangkok in December.

markycrossley

October 18th, 2006, 11:19 AM

but i have a good feeling that the opening of T3 is bound to attract more carriers

me too. lol. well see though.

markycrossley

October 18th, 2006, 11:24 AM

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/mawrk/summerof2006299.jpg

frankfurt airport (summer trip july 2006). i would love to see naia like this one day.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/mawrk/summerof2006298.jpg

richard fischer

October 18th, 2006, 02:04 PM

JustHorace

October 18th, 2006, 03:21 PM

^^CebPac will start BKK-MNL flights on December 14.

xXx carlos xXx

October 18th, 2006, 03:58 PM

di kaya magkulang ang cebu pacific ng aircrafts?? kasi parang kaunti lang ang aircrafts nila tapos marami ang destination... baka maka cause ng delays yan??

MarkiiBoi

October 18th, 2006, 04:14 PM

5J will land in Bangkok's new Suvarnhabumi airport on December 14. After Bangkok, the next stop would be Jakarta.

Solblanc

October 18th, 2006, 04:21 PM

Wow. 10 more planes for Cebu Pacific. 5J is on a roll!

Bangkok service is nice, but Jakarta service would be really cool. It will be the first nonstop service between Jakarta and Manila since PAL collapsed and routed its flights via Singapore. Yay!!!

I wonder when Cebu Pacific will start to sell budget fares to incheon and mainland China instead of just charters.

Exciting news :)

Sou-jiro

October 18th, 2006, 04:46 PM

Please tell me the flight attendant was young. :hilarious :jk: :nono:
I really like the color of the Fiesta cabin of PAL's A330/340s.

Interesting set of photos, thanks for sharing! Sydney's airport is an A340/A330/B777/B767 heaven, eh? Even PAL send their A330s to Sydney.

Looking forward to seeing your other photos!

Ow she was young!:D And she was based in Sydney.there were three hotties on that A330 not the usuall older ones. infact the Aussie guy sitting across me kept looking at her.. The crew when i got got back in Sydney from melbourne that there was gonna be a crew change & that a new crew would join them from Sydney to Manila...i think PAL does have some crew based here, coz even that captain & co, change in Sydney

ryanr

October 18th, 2006, 09:59 PM

Wow. 10 more planes for Cebu Pacific. 5J is on a roll!

Bangkok service is nice, but Jakarta service would be really cool. It will be the first nonstop service between Jakarta and Manila since PAL collapsed and routed its flights via Singapore. Yay!!!

Exciting news :)

Indeed. I used to travel Jakarta-Manila regularly, and the layover in Singapore is time consuming and quite tiring. I'm glad to see a possiblity of a direct flight now. Go 5J!:)

xXx carlos xXx

October 18th, 2006, 11:58 PM

Cebu Pacific sets $600-M fleet expansion program
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star 10/19/2006

Gokongwei-owned airline company Cebu Pacific expects to spend another $600 million over the next five to six years to acquire 10 more new aircraft as part of a continuing plan to expand its service to more parts of the country and the world.

CEB president Lance Gokongwei said the amount is on top of the ongoing $670-million refleeting set to end in early 2007. Already, CEB has 12 brand-new Airbus Planes servicing 20 domestic and six regional destinations even as it is awaiting the delivery of two more in January and February next year.

link to full article:http://www.philstar.com/philstar/news200610190701.htm

bustero

October 19th, 2006, 12:46 PM

^^good for them, more planes,more alternatives for the consumer

how long would a jakarta manila flight be anyway, that would be a pretty long thin route

MarkiiBoi

October 19th, 2006, 03:15 PM

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4608/palvn5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

PAL rolls out first of 20 new Airbus jets

INQ7.net
Last updated 06:59pm (Mla time) 10/19/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines will unveil on Friday its newest aircraft, an Airbus A319-100, as it launches the modernization of the flag carrier's single-aisle fleet.

The new fleet features a 21st-century enhanced cabin that is the first for an Asian carrier, state-of-the-art passenger amenities, and a new coastal-themed interior design.

A319 is the first of 20 brand-new units belonging to the A320 family of single-aisle jets that will be delivered to PAL over the next six years.

The new fleet will be deployed mainly for domestic flights but it will also serve some Asian destinations. The new jets are expected to enable PAL to offer business-class service to all its 19 domestic points. Previously, only the major trunk routes to Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa and General Santos benefited from the service.

“PAL will be the sole carrier to offer business-class service in the domestic market. The A320s have 12 seats in Mabuhay
(Business) Class and 144 in Fiesta (Economy) Class while the A319s have 8 Mabuhay Class and 126 Fiesta Class seats,” PAL said in a statement.

The package comprises a firm order for nine A320 aircraft, as well as options for five more A320s, all from Airbus. In addition, PAL will lease two brand-new A320s and four A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world's largest aircraft lessor.

PAL expects two more A319s to be delivered before the end of 2006. For 2007, seven aircraft -- six A320s and the last A319 -- will be delivered, while five A320s are on tap for 2008. Deliveries of the five option aircraft, should PAL take them up, will start in 2009 and run until 2012.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other top government officials and private-sector guests will be at the roll out ceremonies at the main hangar of Lufthansa Technik Philippines in Pasay City, which is expected to be attended by over 700 guests from the aviation, business, travel-trade and diplomatic communities.

Sinjin P.

October 19th, 2006, 03:17 PM

^ WOW! :eek2:

xXx carlos xXx

October 19th, 2006, 03:37 PM

omg... nice business class seats..and the economy as well

kiretoce

October 19th, 2006, 03:44 PM

Good for them! :okay:

kiretoce

October 19th, 2006, 04:41 PM

Cebu Pacific takes the lead from PAL; To buy more planes, expand regional routes
By Emmie V. Abadilla

After a decade, Cebu Pacific (CEB) has edged out its competitor, Philippine Airlines, by a narrow margin to gain the number one slot in the domestic airline sector, with 45 percent market share and 149,000 passengers flown for the first half of the month.

CEB has become the country’s number one in terms of flying the most passengers, having the most number of flight frequencies, routes and destinations, CEO and President Lance Y. Gokongwei announced yesterday.

CEB beat Philippine Airlines (PAL) by just one percent, with the latter gaining 44 percent of the domestic market in the same period, according to various airport operations summary reports. Other carriers accounted for the 11 percent balance.

In addition, CEB flies to 20 domestic destinations and operates a total of 624 one-way flights per week, 26 percent more than PAL with 494 flights per week on 19 domestic destinations. CEB operates a total of 24 routes in its domestic network, against PAL’s 18.

For the first nine months of 2006, CEB has flown a total of 2.4 million passengers, averaging 267,000 passengers per month versus 185,000 passengers in 2005.

Last month alone, the airline registered a 108 percent overall increase in terms of passengers versus the same period last year.

Specifically, it posted a 97 percent growth in domestic traffic while the entire local airline market grew 39 percent. The airline registered a 74 percent load factor for its domestic flights and 79 percent, for regional flights.

"Since we launched our ‘Go’ fares last November, we have really stimulated domestic tourism," Gokongwei pointed out. "Our end-September reports showed total domestic travel went up by almost 40 percent compared to the same period last year."

With more affordable fares, Filipinos are now flying year-round. Before, the travel season only peaks from December to May.

Hence, despite the extremely high fuel prices in 2006, "We’ll do better in terms of profitability this year. I expect we’ll have high revenue growth," the CEB President remarked although he declined to cite figures.

CEB is looking at more expansion, adding at least ten more Airbus 320s in the next four years to service more routes in North Asia – which includes China, Taiwan and Korea, as well as South East Asia, Gokongwei disclosed.

Already, CEB has the newest fleet in the Philippines and in Asia, averaging 10 months for its current 12 brand new Airbus aircraft, with two more Airbuses to be delivered in early 2007 to complete it $ 670 million re-fleeting program. Its existing fleet services 20 domestic and 6 regional destinations.

As part of its regional expansion, CEB will start servicing Malaysia, its fifth regional destination, by end of next month, offering P1,499 one-way fare from Manila to Kuala Lumpur.

By December 14, 2006, it will start flights to Thailand, offering a special introductory fare of P1,999 one way for Manila to Bangkok.

Currently, the airline is in the process of getting approval for its Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia flights.

"We will have additional routes in January, 2007," according to Gokongwei.

However, at this point, CEB has no plans to service long-haul destinations such as the U.S.A., he confirmed. "The short-haul market is suited for lowcost carriers."

Over the next three to five years, CEB President projected the industry will continue grow. "The market has room for a full service airline like PAL and a low-cost airline like ourselves."

In the "next couple of years" CEB also plans to go public, "depending on the market and the progression of the business," Gokongwei noted. "We’ll have an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise capital for further expansion, to create a public market for one of the largest companies in the Philippines and to enable our employees to participate."

ashton

October 19th, 2006, 08:17 PM

^ Does it mean they are more profitable than PAL?

xXx carlos xXx

October 19th, 2006, 09:04 PM

^^ not exactly...

depende pa yun.... to calculate net profit... is revenues less cost of goods sold....

... i would say na mas malaki ung revenues nung pal kaysa ka cebu pacific dahil mas mahal ung fares nila..pero mas malaki ang expenses ng pal kaysa sa cebu pacific dahil sa services, etc.... so we dont really know who is more profitable unless cebu pacific and pal give us concrete numbers.. hehe

pero percentage wise.. siguro mas malaki ung improvement ng ceb kaysa pal..

aUen

October 20th, 2006, 02:31 AM

The new fleet features a 21st-century enhanced cabin that is the first for an Asian carrier, state-of-the-art passenger amenities, and a new coastal-themed interior design.Hmm.. This makes me more curious. Saying "first for an Asian carrier" is just like saying the new cabin is better than CX's or Singapore's. I can't wait to read articles about it tomorrow.

Competition really makes everything better. PAL found its match, in the domestic operations at least.

stephencua

October 20th, 2006, 03:16 AM

notice that most of the new international flights of cebu pacific are set to leave/land in the wee hours of the morning.. are the airport rates lower when you fly then? i wonder..

Sinjin P.

October 20th, 2006, 05:29 AM

CAB data: PAL still ahead
PASSENGER NUMBERS FROM
REGULATOR MORE RELIABLE, SAYS AIRLINE

By Lenie Lectura
Reporter

DOMESTIC passenger traffic for the first eight months of the year showed that Philippine Airlines (PAL) was ahead of rival Cebu Pacific by 14-market share points.

According to Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) data, a total of 5,571,061 passengers were carried by PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit and SEAir in various domestic destinations from January to August this year.

PAL carried 2,596,698 passengers, representing a market share of 47 percent; followed by Cebu Pacific which transported 1,855,756 passengers or 33 percent of the total number of domestic passenger traffic. Landing on third spot is Air Philippines, the low-cost carrier of Lucio Tan, with a passenger traffic of 641,499; Asian Spirit with 299,586; and SEAir with 177,522 passengers.

In the same period, the market share of Air Phil. stood at 12 percent, Asian Spirit at 5 percent and SEAir at 3 percent.

The CAB said the total number of seats fielded by the five carriers reached 7,580,132.

“The domestic air travel sector in the country is showing healthy competition in spite of external challenges, the prime challenge being the high cost of aviation fuel,” said the agency.

Cebu Pacific claimed last Wednesday that it outperformed PAL in terms of passenger traffic and market share during a two-week period from October 1 to 15.

The country’s low-fare leader said it carried more passengers traveling within the country at 149,000, representing a 45-percent market share of all domestic destinations. PAL strongly disputed this.

PAL, based on various airport summary reports cited by the airline unit of the Gokongwei group, was behind by one-market share point at 44 percent during the first 15 days of October. The balance of the pie is distributed among the small carriers.

PAL spokesman Rolando Estabillo said the CAB’s data released Thursday only proves that the flag carrier still maintains the dominant spot in the domestic air travel.

“The record now comes from an independent party which is our regulator. The other airline cannot say that they are now the No. 1 basing only on a two-week period. There is no trend there,” he said.

PAL announced the other day that it will reduce by P100 its fuel surcharge on domestic travel starting October 23 as the price of crude oil in the world market eases up.

PAL executive vice president Henry So Uy said the move is intended to pass on the benefit of lower fuel costs to the flying public.

“We are sharing with our passengers whatever benefits are due as in terms of fuel-cost savings. This is one way of giving back, however modest, to our loyal customers,” Uy said.

Oil has shed more than a quarter of its value since peaking at $78.40 per barrel in mid-July as global inventories swell and supply concerns wane. The price fell to $58.27 per barrel during Tuesday’s trading in London.

Solblanc

October 20th, 2006, 05:40 AM

^^

haha, brouhaha over numbers.

btw, Cebu Pacific adds international routes in the wee hours primarily because during the day, all the aircraft are busy plying domestic routes. There are only a handful of airports in the country that can accomodate planes at night, so when they aren't being utilized, might as well send them to another destination

ianers_ianized

October 20th, 2006, 05:50 AM

Tin Hau dishes out on PAL flights to China, Taiwan and Singapore
by Teodoro Montelibano, Mabuhay

Madarin Oriental Manila's Tin Hau with a full seating capacity of 150, the restaurant has the ambiance of a residence belonging to a gentrified Chinese family.

Aquariums housing a variety of fish and a statue ofthe Chinese sea deity, Tin Hau, greet patrons at foyer. A perfect plush interiors is its culinary offerings. New Executive Chinese Chef Chen Hann Furn, in collaboration with restaurant manager, Ernest Lau, has produced a new a la carte and set menus that include roasts, dim sums, fresh seafood, abalone, meat, poultry, and vegetarian dishes that would enliven the palate of even the most jaded of gastronomes.

A recent visit to Tin Hau has us a sampling of Dragon's Beard balls - minced cuttlefish stuffed with with salted egg yolk in fried spring roll paper, and then scallops ceviche with lemon and plum sauce. Next, we were undescored by modern Chinese dishes bearing Chef Chen's master stroke - fried king prawns with mayonnaise and sliced almonds; braised pork belly boiled the entire day until rid of most of its fat and tasting as soft as silk to the mouth with it accompaniment of delicate, petite buns. It was followed vy two-way crspiy chicken (chicken fillet kung pao stir fried with chilli in a potato basket), braised fish maw & seafod in a milky fish soup(a dish proclaimed unique by our server). For dessert we had vanilla ice cream in bread crumb-coated rice paper, blast frozen then deep fried for a few seconds in high heat oil. Served on a plate with corn cream sauce and taken with hot, exotic monkey picked tea.

Tin Hau dishes will be served on board Philippine Airlines flights to Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai, Taipei and Singapore sectors througout the month of September and October 2006.

*************************************************
The Looney Tunes Gang flies high on PAL!

They're fun. They're wacky. And they're sure to tickle your funny bones. The Looney Tunes gang kicks up the level of fun for PAL's young passengers when they travel PAL's long-haul flights.

Starting September 2006, kinds aged 2-11 years flying between Manila and San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Honoulu, Sydney and Melbourne wil delight in the crazy antics of the lovable characters from Looney Tunes when they receive activity kits featuring Bugs Bunney, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Tasmanian /devil, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the gang from Warner Bros.' popular animated series.

"We are pleased with the warm reception and of the loyal following that our Junior Jetsetter program has gained. The cast of Looney Tunes is among the world's most recognized and well-loved cartoon personalities and it is with great pleasure that we welcome them onboard," said Mr. Felix J. Cruz, PAL's Vice President for Marketing Support.

The fun-filled kits contain activity books and a camera viewer featuring the characters of Looney Tubnes as they visit famous international landmarks and familiar Philippine locals. In addtion, the kits contain a bag, magnetic memory game, tic-tac-toe games, folder, sliding puzzle, magnetic tangram and sticker sheets.

xXx carlos xXx

October 20th, 2006, 06:35 AM

'PAL borrowing $400-$600M for fleet upgrading

Inquirer
Last updated 05:02am (Mla time) 10/20/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) said Thursday it was asking for a loan of $400-$600 million from three European export credit agencies for its $840-million aircraft upgrade program.

It said it was buying four new Airbus A-319 aircraft this year and six A-320s in 2007-08 to help increase its presence in growing markets, such as China.

The airline said it was in the final phase of talks with credit agencies in Britain, France and Germany.

Company president and COO Jaime Bautista said, "In the next few years, we will be flying new routes and increasing frequencies in growing markets such as China, while making sure that we maintain our hold on destinations where we are strong -- such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and in the US."

PAL will beef up its presence, particularly in China where it has recorded its biggest percentage growth so far, he said.

"Since we began flying to Beijing in November last year, we have increased our capacity by 25 percent and with more flights to Beijing, Xiamen and Shanghai before the end of the year, we expect to raise our capacity by 67 percent," Bautista said.

Bautista said increased fuel and financing costs would cut PAL net income in the current fiscal year ending March 2007 to less than $20 million from $28.74 million in the previous year.

"Our fuel costs alone already account for 35 percent of our total costs," he said. He said PAL collected only 70 percent of the fuel cost through a surcharge on passengers and "the rest we subsidize."

Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected grace the unveiling this Friday of PAL's newest aircraft, an Airbus A319-100.

The event also launches the modernization of the carrier's fleet of single-aisle planes. With Agence France-Presse, and INQ7.net

---------------------------------------------

looks like pal is really serious of getting a 4 star rating again..

and cebu pacific expanding their routes competing with pal and other asian lcc's

xXx carlos xXx

October 20th, 2006, 02:58 PM

Philippine Airlines plans to acquire 8 wide-bodied aircraft

Xinhua Financial News Service, Reuters
Last updated 01:59pm (Mla time) 10/20/2006

(UPDATE) PHILIPPINE Airlines Inc. (PAL) is considering acquiring at least eight wide-bodied aircraft expand its routes to the United States and Canada and to return to Europe after an absence of about a decade, company officials said.
PAL may spend about $200 million for each of the additional aircraft to be acquired, company chairman Lucio Tan told reporters after PAL unveiled its newest aircraft, Airbus A319-100 which forms part of its P840-million refleeting program.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said they had not yet decided whether to order the additional aircraft from Airbus or Boeing.

"The planes will arrive between 2008 and 2009. We're looking at flying to California and we're also (looking at reviving flights) to Europe," Bautista said.

Bautista earlier said that the Philippine flag carrier was in the final phase of talks with three European export credit agencies to secure a loan of up to $600 million to fund its refleeting program.

He said PAL, Asia's first commercial airline, was considering to buy or lease either Airbus 340-600 or Boeing 777-300ER planes.
"We can get the support of the export credit agencies or US Eximbank or we can do ... an operating lease," Bautista said when asked how the company would fund the aircraft acquisition.

"We will borrow from banks," PAL Chairman Lucio Tan told reporters separately.

The expansion is on top of the 20 narrow-bodied Airbus planes that PAL is set to acquire, starting this year, for more than $840 million. On Friday, PAL unveiled the first of the 20 planes, an A319-100, which it plans to use for domestic and regional flights.

PAL officials said the list price of each wide-bodied plane was around $250 million.

The airline now has nine wide-bodied planes -- five Boeing 747-400s and four Airbus 340-300s -- flying to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the United States and Vancouver, Canada.

PAL flies to 19 domestic and 24 international destinations. It wants to expand its foreign routes to include Seattle and San Diego initially.

The airline had a fleet of 32 aircraft at the end of March.

PAL, which shut briefly in 1998 due to labor disputes before entering into a 10-year rehabilitation program, is aggressively expanding despite a projection of a global industry loss of $1.7 billion this year, volatile fuel costs and only a modest expected rise in global passenger traffic of 4.8 percent.

Related Site:

Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL)

link to article: http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=27757

pau_p1

October 20th, 2006, 04:10 PM

wow... it looks exciting to read all these expansion programs by CEB and PAL.... they show how alive the economy is... anyways.. the more routes and better fares they could offer would show benefit not only to locals flying out to neighboring countries but by attracting the Thais, Singaporeans, Malaysians and other foreigners to new routes to come over here... :D

ashton

October 20th, 2006, 04:19 PM

^ looks like PAL is gearing up for a 4 star status to at least be at par with i.e SriLankan Airlines... :)

kiretoce

October 20th, 2006, 05:09 PM

PAL should start thinking about serving the North American East Coast again, maybe with a layover in Europe enroute from the Philippines. :okay:

bustero

October 20th, 2006, 05:48 PM

In due time.

The announcement for the widebody refleeting has been left hanging for a long time. I think it's probably got something to do with their financing, specifically US EXIM. While Boeing has, what many in the industry, a better plane . Airbus probably offers the superior deal. AT this point in time US Exim is reviewing all Phil Accounts and most likely PR is waiting for the result of this review to see how this will impact it's offer from Boeing.

Solblanc

October 20th, 2006, 06:09 PM

That aside, when is PAL going to decide on its new long-haul business class product? There's no way they can go angled-lie flat if they're going to scrap first class; CX and SQ just unveiled their kickass new business class seats, while MH and TG, albeit the fact that they have previous-generation business seats, have a good first class product to boot.

I'd say that PAL's options, if they want to stay up to date, are limited to any of the following: herringbone (Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand), traditional full-flat (South African), staggered (Etihad), weird staggered (British Airways), and that strange new layout that Singapore Airlines is showing off.

bustero

October 20th, 2006, 06:16 PM

^^ very good question indeed.

We've seen from their choice of narrowbody that they've learned to differentiate themselves as a mainline product with better service (well hopefully the ptv's will have real video choices) and equipment. So their widebody would at least TRY to compete with the competition. They've already announced giving up on first class which many see as a good move. Perhaps they may want to do premium economy. I think this would be a hit.

from FI

DATE:20/10/06
SOURCE:Flightglobal.com
Philippine Airlines to order eight Airbus A340s or Boeing 777s soon

Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) president expects to decide before year-end on an order for eight long-range aircraft and is considering the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER.

Airline president Jaime Bautista plans to decide before year-end on an order for eight widebodies and is considering the A340-600 and 777-300ER, says a PAL spokesman in Manila, responding to reports quoting from Bautista.

The reports also quote Bautista as saying he wants first delivery of the widebodies in 2008 but the spokesman declines to confirm this and says 2008 “seems a bit too soon”.

PAL plans to finance such a purchase with the help of the relevant export credit agencies or it might opt to get the widebodies on operating lease, says the spokesman, citing remarks by Bautista.

PAL wants to add widebodies so it can launch new international services, particularly to North America.

The carrier’s widebody fleet currently consists of: eight Airbus A330s, four A340-300s and five Boeing 747-400s. PAL also still holds deferred orders for four 747-400s from a 1993 contract.

Bautista made his remarks earlier today at a press event promoting the introduction of the first of 13 Airbus A320-family aircraft PAL in December 2005 agreed to get.

DATE:12/09/06
SOURCE:Flight International
PAL seeks widebodies as it plots international growth
By Leithen Francis
Philippine Airlines in discussions with Airbus and Boeing as it aims to boost services

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is in talks with Airbus and Boeing about adding widebody aircraft so it can expand.

The airline says the aircraft types being evaluated comprise the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777 and a deal is likely to be consummated within the next two years.

The carrier's widebody fleet currently consists of eight Airbus A330s, four A340-300s and five Boeing 747-400s. PAL also still holds deferred orders for four 747-400s from a 1993 contract.

It has issued a press statement saying it "plans to add five aircraft to its regional widebody fleet and three to its long-range fleet in the short to medium term". However, the airline tells Flight International that an internal document says the plan is to add five long-range aircraft and two medium-range aircraft by 2010.

PAL needs to add widebodies because "our fleet is already constrained just serving the routes we have now".

It also needs to have capacity to expand its international schedule. PAL president, Jaime Bautista, has said that the airline wants to increase its four-times-weekly Manila-Vancouver service to daily and increase its Manila-Nagoya service to five-times-weekly from thrice-weekly.

It is unable to increase services to Vancouver because there are no traffic rights available under the current Canada-Philippines air services agreement although Bautista is lobbying the Philippines government to "negotiate with Canada on that", says the airline.

China and India are also a top priority. PAL hopes to increase the frequency of its Manila-Beijing service to daily from four-times-weekly as early and next month. Services to Indian points such as Bangalore and Mumbai are also being considered.

PAL's move to evaluate new widebodies comes after it decided on its future narrowbody fleet and announced in December an order for nine Airbus A320-family aircraft and leases on another four.

WawaY[625]

October 20th, 2006, 07:43 PM

saw an A340 in on its final approach to DIA kanina..:D

Skyblade

October 21st, 2006, 05:34 AM

Great to see some renditions of the new A319 interiors!

That aside, when is PAL going to decide on its new long-haul business class product? There's no way they can go angled-lie flat if they're going to scrap first class; CX and SQ just unveiled their kickass new business class seats, while MH and TG, albeit the fact that they have previous-generation business seats, have a good first class product to boot.

I'd say that PAL's options, if they want to stay up to date, are limited to any of the following: herringbone (Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand), traditional full-flat (South African), staggered (Etihad), weird staggered (British Airways), and that strange new layout that Singapore Airlines is showing off.
It's definitely not gonna be cheap either. Following the VS-pioneered concept, DL's new business class is going to be costing them around $50k a seat. I just have that awful feeling PAL is going to pull a BMI on us and go angled-flat even though the competition has true lie-flats...but I hope it's just me. I really do hope they come out with a decent C product...something that will at least wow me away from using SkyTeam to the Philippines.

Still going to echo my number one complaint to PAL...when can we see more comprehensive frequent flier mile program partners!?! A few hotels in the Bay Area, the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, and Scenic Airlines and the only mileage run opportunity being LAS-YVR really does seem like a paltry offering of accrual opportunities for us North America program members. :(

xXx carlos xXx

October 21st, 2006, 05:42 AM

niconepo

October 21st, 2006, 06:24 AM

i dont think pal will disappoint us with their future seats.. baka, as of now, cocoon palang ung plano nila but who knows, their plans may change baka mag full lie-flats pa sila.. diba 18 A320's lang ung order nila.. tapos ngayon, 20 na... tapos diba 4 wide bodies lang ung plano nila nung una... tapos ngayon 8 na... so... sana pal will not disappoint us sa seats business class seats nila....

I agree. PAL is starting to become more competitive. AT LEAST, it would be a significant improvement from their current First and Mabuhay Class product (although I'll definetely miss PAL's First Class Service, especially those Skybeds back in the day!). I just hope that their AVOD won't be a disappointment, otherwise an excellent inflight entertainment system would lure in more passengers!

I really want PAL to get either the B787 or the A380. But with the delays afflicting the A380, it would be a while before we see an A380 in PAL colors.

PAL should change its livery for its aircraft body. It has used the current livery for almost 20 years, and I think its time for a change. They should keep the tail livery as it is one of the best in the world! :)

ianers_ianized

October 21st, 2006, 06:41 AM

It really surprised me alot that PAL is planning to acquire either A346 or B773er... first the expansion was A320s now wide bodies. I'm crossing my fingers to A346 - the longest and most beautiful among airbus plane, it would be perfect PR livery but I also like B773er... 'hopefully they acquire 4 each in in the fleet.

Meanwhile, look at this pics that I found of EK's B773 ecomomies... this is what I call "A sky within a sky" The mood ligthing of the aircraft ceiling captures the natural wonders of sunset and sunrise. I hope PAL would include this features on their new planes. How I wish seating on those seats staring at those beautiful lights.

Sunset
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/EKsYClass2.jpg

Sunrise
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/EKsYClass.jpg

Now this is a perfect midnight sky. I am amazed on how EK's lighting captures natural lighting of the sky. The stars-like lights are beautiful to watch, perfect blend with the lighting
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/EKsFClass2.jpg
Photos from Airliners.net

WawaY[625]

October 21st, 2006, 07:26 AM

another 12nn and another B747 flying over Davao...

parang regular na ata ang B747/A340 sa noon flight sa Davao

question, which is more efficient ba? 1 big aircraft or say fielding an extra flight pero using smaller aircrafts, AFAIk 3x a day lang ang DVO-Manila ng PAL pero A330/A340?B747 ang ginagamit, will they save more (financially) by doing this than just using smaller A/C like A320/A319s but with 2x the number of flights?

how much bigger is the capacity of the abovementioned widebodied A/C compared to the A320/A319?

xXx carlos xXx

October 21st, 2006, 07:27 AM

i like pal's options, either 773 er or A346...

i like the A346 because seats have more access to the aisles because of the 2-4-2 seat config.

i like the 773 because im amazed with it... it can travel long ranges using 2 engines.. and the awesome interior..

so, im happy that pal is considering either of the two..

oz.fil

October 21st, 2006, 08:12 AM

I really want PAL to get either the B787 or the A380. But with the delays afflicting the A380, it would be a while before we see an A380 in PAL colors.

just do what i do and photoshop it! ;)

Monsi

October 21st, 2006, 03:54 PM

...my first, Cebu Pacific A319 (RP-C3198) landing on runway 06. Too bad it's in VGA... (originally posted in Legazpi City thread).
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/DSC02815.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/DSC02804.jpg
Airborne! PR 278, PAL's last 737-400 (EI-EVO) takes off on runway 24.

The best place to plane spot especially if you have telephoto lens is on top of Lignon Hill in Legazpi City.

WawaY[625]

October 21st, 2006, 04:16 PM

theres a hill near Legazpi Airport? how far?

Monsi

October 21st, 2006, 04:50 PM

Here, Waway, you can see the Hill behind the A319... Reckon from the control tower here and that of the post above.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/Dsc02472.jpg
High tech versus low... a private tricycle.

Here's that same PAL 737-400 pictured taking off above... see how close the hill is...
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/PAL737400Philippines.jpg
It took me just a few minutes drive on bike to be on top of the Hill with time to spare to catch her taxi for take-off on runway 24.
Note the zigzag road up the hill; it has become the city's thread mill of sort and gets crowded with joggers Sunday mornings.

oz.fil

October 22nd, 2006, 04:37 AM

im my opinion, 737s in PAL colors are ugly...

ryanr

October 22nd, 2006, 05:07 AM

sweet...Philippine aviation is taking off!:okay: (sorry for the pun) I'm so excited about all this:D

I'm glad PAL is upgrading their interiors and amenities with their new planes. Its about time they did that. I'm also looking forward to their new mabuhay class...whatever their C product will be, it will definitely be a huge improvement. Getting rid of their Y product (first class) was an excellent decision.

Imo, it is inevitable that PAL will aquire more A340-600s. It just makes more sense for them. I think the only reason why they are "considering" the B777, is to force Airbus to lower their prices.

I like PAL's new A319s better than 5J's. This is because 5J's A319s have double overwing doors. I heard they received complaints about this as it affects seating.

Elsongs

October 22nd, 2006, 06:44 AM

I've always wondered...

Why do PAL planes say "Philippines" on it? The name of the airline is not "Philippines Airlines," it's "Philippine Airlines"!
Bad grammar!

Askal82

October 22nd, 2006, 06:51 AM

I've always wondered...

Why do PAL planes say "Philippines" on it? The name of the airline is not "Philippines Airlines," it's "Philippine Airlines"!
Bad grammar!

I guess PAL is the nation's flag carrier so there is a reason why 's' is not omitted in naming their planes.

Elsongs

October 22nd, 2006, 06:51 AM

PAL should change its livery for its aircraft body. It has used the current livery for almost 20 years, and I think its time for a change. They should keep the tail livery as it is one of the best in the world! :)

Because it's cheap :) Just white paint and black lettering...I do agree the tail is nice. I'd like to see a new design where the red and blue in the tail continue down to the fuselage and morph into stripes.

MarkiiBoi

October 22nd, 2006, 06:53 AM

^^ Maybe because the word 'Airlines' is not attached to it! You wouldn't want to see 'Philippine' written in there, now would you?

Elsongs

October 22nd, 2006, 06:57 AM

I really want PAL to get either the B787 or the A380. But with the delays afflicting the A380, it would be a while before we see an A380 in PAL colors.

I don't think PAL will get the A380. Too impractical. Besides, with a plane like that, with the weight of 500 passengers and 1500 Balikbayan Boxes onboard, I doubt the plane will be able to take off :)

I think the 787 is a perfect fit for PAL, and I also believe the 787 was designed for airlines like PAL. It can have direct flights from smaller airports like Cebu to USA or Europe or the Middle East. It can cover a long range of flight with a lower fuel consumption and without the bloated passenger capacity. Besides, to justify costs, if PAL owned an A380, it would have to reduce the frequency of its Manila - Los Angeles flights, for example. Lower frequencies mean less flexibility for customers, and people would just fly Cathay or China Airlines instead.

Elsongs

October 22nd, 2006, 06:59 AM

^^ Maybe because the word 'Airlines' is not attached to it! You wouldn't want to see 'Philippine' written in there, now would you?

Why not? What's wrong with "Philippine"? That's the name of the airline, after all.
Besides, that method doesn't seem to bother this particular airline:

http://www.voyana.com/Thailand/images/airlines/Thai_Airways/Large/Thai_Airways_5.jpg

And this carrier seems to do just fine without the word "Airlines" attached to it!

http://pictures.flightnews.net/data/media/33/american_airlines_757.jpg

WawaY[625]

October 22nd, 2006, 07:06 AM

Because it's cheap :) Just white paint and black lettering...I do agree the tail is nice. I'd like to see a new design where the red and blue in the tail continue down to the fuselage and morph into stripes.

i like the pal livery as it is..simple yet dignified, most "brashly" designed liveries are by LCC anyway..

MarkiiBoi

October 22nd, 2006, 07:06 AM

LordCarnal

October 22nd, 2006, 07:07 AM

I guess PAL is the nation's flag carrier so there is a reason why 's' is not omitted in naming their planes.

I'm quite confused, what's the difference between "Philippine" and "Philippines"?

Why also is there a "the" before Philippines, as in "The Philippines." I haven't heard yet of "The Italy" or "The Spain." Hehehehehehe..

LordCarnal

October 22nd, 2006, 07:09 AM

MarkiiBoi

October 22nd, 2006, 07:13 AM

^^ because IMO its awkward to say 'I wanna go to Philippines'. The same with 'The Bahamas' or 'The Carribean'.

Re United States: I didn't say that. I am only referring to the Philippines. :D

xXx carlos xXx

October 22nd, 2006, 07:15 AM

I'm still confused Mark. For example, United States, would it also mean United State Airlines, United State Dollar, or United State Flag? It sounds a bit awkward, hehehehehehe..

they usually use "american"... like American Airlines, or american dollar/ US dollar or american flag..

JustHorace

October 22nd, 2006, 07:18 AM

I'm quite confused, what's the difference between "Philippine" and "Philippines"?

Why also is there a "the" before Philippines, as in "The Philippines." I haven't heard yet of "The Italy" or "The Spain." Hehehehehehe..

That's because the Philippines is used to refer to a collective noun...in this case, a group of islands.

Philippine is an adjective, as Philippines is a noun.

Anyway, I'm excited for PAL!

kunoL8

October 22nd, 2006, 07:20 AM

;10188316']i like the pal livery as it is..simple yet dignified, most "brashly" designed liveries are by LCC anyway..

i like its livery too. although, i remember seeing someone (i think it was bondurant) posting a photoshopped PAL plane with the same white livery with a faint mabuhay written across. i think that was very modern but still very classy and not flamboyant at all.

Elsongs

October 22nd, 2006, 07:31 AM

^ bacause as far as i know, you can only use 'Philippine' if you follow it with the subject being referred to, in this case the "Airlines'' (e.g. Philippine Peso, Philippine Flag). You can't use it as a stand-alone word.

And as to Thai, our counterpart for it is 'Filipino', not 'Philippine'. SO if they change it to Filipino Airlines, then 'Filipino' sure can be used.

But hey, no point arguing :)

Is there a law against using the word "Philippine?" It describes the country, the people, the airline. I don't see anything wrong with it.

There are some Filipinos who like to use the word "Pilipino" because they argue it's "less colonial" because the Spanish introduced the letter "F." I laugh at that reasoning because the Spanish language genderizes nouns, whereas the indigenous languages do not have generized nouns. So having the word "Pilipino" end with the letter "o" is therefore genderized, and is no less "colonial" than "Filipino." If people wanted to use a less-colonial, non-genderized word to describe something from the Philippines, it should be "Philippine" - that would also minimize the foreigners' spelling of words like "Philippino" or "Fillippino" etc.

aUen

October 22nd, 2006, 08:54 AM

Is there a law against using the word "Philippine?" It describes the country, the people, the airline. I don't see anything wrong with it.

There are some Filipinos who like to use the word "Pilipino" because they argue it's "less colonial" because the Spanish introduced the letter "F." I laugh at that reasoning because the Spanish language genderizes nouns, whereas the indigenous languages do not have generized nouns. So having the word "Pilipino" end with the letter "o" is therefore genderized, and is no less "colonial" than "Filipino." If people wanted to use a less-colonial, non-genderized word to describe something from the Philippines, it should be "Philippine" - that would also minimize the foreigners' spelling of words like "Philippino" or "Fillippino" etc.There is no law against the use of the word Philippine. Every language has rules and most airlines use English names; Philippine Airlines is one of them. If you want to use the word Philippine, go ahead but you're going to want use it right or you'll sound illiterate.

i like its livery too. although, i remember seeing someone (i think it was bondurant) posting a photoshopped PAL plane with the same white livery with a faint mabuhay written across. i think that was very modern but still very classy and not flamboyant at all.Yes, it was Bondurant. I agree, that was very classy. Can anyone repost it? I haven't seen Bondurant post in a while.

It'd be cool if they have at least one of their aircrafts painted in special paint scheme when they launch their new products or acquire new aircrafts. These are things that should be celebrated. :yes:

ryanr

October 22nd, 2006, 09:26 AM

Elsongs - They use "Philippines" because they are referring to our country. Our country is not called Philippine, its Philippines..right?;) Why are they referring to our country, you might ask? Well, its our flag carrier therefore it (it being the lettering on our planes) is representing the country, not the name of the airline "Philippine Airlines". Get it?

OT: Also, we put the "the" in "The Philippines" because as cosmo mentioned it describes our country as a group of islands. Its just like "The United States" because it is a group of well...united states (50 of them).;)
You might then ask, why is Indonesia not "Indonesias" because its also a group of islands...this is because Indonesia is singular and plural.

Lets now go back to topic. Is it true that before PAL went bankrupt in 1998, they were planning on launching a new livery? I thought i heard that somewhere.

ewh1

October 22nd, 2006, 09:42 AM

Skyblade

October 22nd, 2006, 09:49 AM

i dont think pal will disappoint us with their future seats.. baka, as of now, cocoon palang ung plano nila but who knows, their plans may change baka mag full lie-flats pa sila.. diba 18 A320's lang ung order nila.. tapos ngayon, 20 na... tapos diba 4 wide bodies lang ung plano nila nung una... tapos ngayon 8 na... so... sana pal will not disappoint us sa seats business class seats nila....

Well I hope that they won't disappoint us! It's just the cost of NG seats that bugs me if PAL's willing to commit such a large investment and that it seems the angled-lie flat concept seems to be the cheapest out of what's out there...but then again they've been doing some amazing stuff lately esp. beginning to pull off PTVs in narrowbodies so hopefully they'll be ambitious enough to step it up to be on par in long-haul offerings.

ianers_ianized

October 22nd, 2006, 11:40 AM

Thats what i heard to from some people too. They were planning on a new livery as well as new uniforms.

I found it one time on the internet. Sorta a fuscia looking uniform with a "Jackie O" style hat. Kinda elegant.

unfortunately i cant find it anymore.

im curious what the new livery would have looked like.

Below were the supposed new uniform of PAL and introduced in June of 1998 or 97... It was already launched to the public when suddenly it was not used as a formal uniform. This was already posted in the past thread here. As for the new livery, no news about it. But I like the sumple current livery of PAL, just add few styles and colors to make it more classier... just like the photoshopped photo of bondurant... posted in the past threads here.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/Stewardess7.jpg
The launching night.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/Stewardess6.jpg

The current uniforms
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/Stewardess8.jpg

demented_pigeon

October 22nd, 2006, 01:39 PM

so let me get this straight, if i happen to take a PAL domestic flight and chance upon riding one of these new planes... i can watch movies...right? but will i pay more?

oz.fil

October 22nd, 2006, 03:00 PM

Because it's cheap :) Just white paint and black lettering...I do agree the tail is nice. I'd like to see a new design where the red and blue in the tail continue down to the fuselage and morph into stripes.

i read something about if you have more paint on the aircraft you use up more fuel, and more fuel means you need more money!

Sou-jiro

October 22nd, 2006, 05:11 PM

Still,..i do hope that PAL will have a special paint scheme on one of its Wide Body's regardless wether(A346, B773 or B787)that can represent the Philippines...personally i wish PAL would have something like a "WOW Philippines paint scheme on it and give the Plane a name that would make it famous around the world to represent the country & the carrier. It make sense to do it now specially that they are upgrading they're product.

eg like the one's below from airlliners.net

wunala dreaming
http://eu.airliners.net/photos/photos/1/1/3/1122311.jpg

nalanji
http://eu.airliners.net/photos/photos/2/6/4/0805462.jpg

Hibiscus
http://eu.airliners.net/photos/photos/4/5/3/1127354.jpg
freedom of space
http://eu.airliners.net/photos/photos/7/5/1/1126157.jpg

ryanr

October 22nd, 2006, 11:38 PM

i read something about if you have more paint on the aircraft you use up more fuel, and more fuel means you need more money!

That is true. Also, black and red paint are heavier because they have denser pigmentation. Hence, very few airlines use these colors. I learnt this from Boeing when i took a tour in their manufacturing plant.

@ someguy - pics dont work because a.net doesnt allow hotlinking.

aUen

October 23rd, 2006, 12:24 AM

Still,..i do hope that PAL will have a special paint scheme on one of its Wide Body's regardless wether(A346, B773 or B787)that can represent the Philippines...personally i wish PAL would have something like a "WOW Philippines paint scheme on it and give the Plane a name that would make it famous around the world to represent the country & the carrier. It make sense to do it now specially that they are upgrading they're product.Let's not forget that Cebu Pacific had most of their aircrafts painted in colorful paint schemes. I don't think Cebu Pacific will dress their Airbus fleet with those schemes though. They have to use their "CebuPacificAir.com" livery to promote their website.

xDieselJockx

October 23rd, 2006, 12:38 AM

That QANTAS livery/design or whatever you call it, doesn't look good to me, a bit funky if you are to ask me..

The current PAL paint work looks good to me, maybe a little less lively but it looks clean to me... maybe they can add a bit more attitude on it's body but not too wild like those pics above on Qantas and Malaysia airlines...

I like the Cebu Pacific new livery as opposed to first one, that one has a bit more character and is not too wild looking..

You guys worry too much about little things here.. y'all will go "wacko" in no time ...LOL

xXx carlos xXx

October 23rd, 2006, 01:53 AM

Cebu Pacific loses Japan entitlements to PAL

By Riza T. Olchondra
Inquirer
Last updated 11:18pm (Mla time) 10/22/2006

Published on page B1 of the October 23, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

CEBU PACIFIC HAS LOST ITS remaining 4.5 flight entitlements to Japan to rival Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Under the Philippine-Japan air service agreement, Cebu Pacific had seven flight entitlements to Japan.

The same agreement said frequency entitlements are measured by coefficients, with one roundtrip flight equivalent to one coefficient using a Boeing 575 aircraft, which has a seating capacity of 228; 1.5 coefficients for an Airbus 330, which can carry 250 to 293 passengers, and two coefficients for Boeing 747, which has a seating capacity of 347 to 490.

However, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) recalled Cebu Pacific’s seven entitlements to Japan last month when the budget carrier failed to serve its seven roundtrip flight entitlements at a pre-agreed date.

“They (Cebu Pacific) were not able to operate (flights to Japan) by Sept. 15,” CAB deputy executive director Carmelo L. Arcilla said in an interview.

The regulator first transferred 2.5 of the seven coefficients to Pacific East Asia Cargo last month.

PAL applied for the remaining 4.5 and the regulator approved the application only last week.

Earlier this year, PAL and Cebu Pacific expressed interest in flying to Nagoya, Japan, citing market expectations of an uptick in demand.

Japan is the Philippines’ second-biggest source of foreign arrivals, next to the United States. An estimated 300,000 Japanese fly to the Philippines each year, while some 170,000 overseas Filipino workers fly to Japan.

However, Cebu Pacific “voluntarily returned the seven coefficients to CAB,” a CAB official said via text message.

Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Gokongwei confirmed to reporters that the budget carrier had given up its Japan entitlements, saying the airline had other priority destinations.

aUen

October 23rd, 2006, 03:02 AM

Philippine Air[lines] to expand fleet, international routes
Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:26 PM IST

By Rosemarie Francisco

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL) said on Friday it wanted to add eight wide-bodied planes to its fleet and would decide by the end of the year whether to buy them from Boeing or Airbus, for delivery from 2008.

The Philippine flag carrier will use the new aircraft to expand its routes to the United States and Canada and to return to Europe after an absence of about a decade.

"We are still evaluating whether Airbus or Boeing," PAL President Jaime Bautista told reporters. "We are still negotiating."

He said PAL, Asia's first commercial airline, was considering to buy or lease either Airbus 340-600 or Boeing 777-300ER planes.

"We can get the support of the export credit agencies or U.S. Eximbank or we can do ... an operating lease," Bautista said when asked how the company would fund the aircraft acquisition.

"We will borrow from banks," PAL Chairman Lucio Tan told reporters separately.

The expansion is on top of the 20 narrow-bodied Airbus planes that PAL is set to acquire, starting this year, for more than $840 million. On Friday PAL unveiled the first of the 20 planes, an A319-100, which it plans to use for domestic and regional flights.

PAL officials said the list price of each wide-bodied plane was around $250 million.

The airline now has nine wide-bodied planes -- five Boeing 747-400s and four Airbus 340-300s -- flying to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the United States and Vancouver, Canada.

PAL flies to 19 domestic and 24 international destinations. It wants to expand its foreign routes to include Seattle and San Diego initially.

The airline had a fleet of 32 aircraft at the end of March.

PAL, which shut briefly in 1998 due to labour disputes before entering into a 10-year rehabilitation programme, is aggressively expanding despite a projection of a global industry loss of $1.7 billion this year, volatile fuel costs and only a modest expected rise in global passenger traffic of 4.8 percent.

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessnews&storyID=2006-10-20T161718Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-273110-1.xml

PGMA unveils PAL's new A319-100 aircraft
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2006 | TRANSPORTATION

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally unveiled today the newest addition to the Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) fleet – a brand-new A319-100 Airbus belonging to the A320 family of single-aisle jets.

The President poured champagne on the nose of the newly-delivered PAL A319-100 as a symbolic rite of good luck reminiscing a scene 44 years ago when her mother, then First Lady Evangelina M. Macapagal, did a similar honor on PAL’s first Douglas DC-8 jetliner.

President Arroyo made a brief tour of the aircraft’s interior, exchanged pleasantries and shook hands with the officials and guests of the airlines after the unveiling rites at the hangar of Lufthansa Technik Philippines on Andrews Avenue in Pasay City.

She was joined by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila and Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Malou Frostrom.

PAL’s chairman and chief executive officer Lucio Tan expressed gratitude to the President for her undaunting support to the airlines operations and assured her that "PAL will always be the government’s partner" in national development.

"I am equally grateful for all the support extended by the President to PAL. I know we both share the same passion in our respective ways and that is to be of service to our country and people," Tan said.

PAL, the 65-year-old national flag carrier of the Philippines, provides the best of Filipino hospitality that serves 43 online destinations – 19 domestic and 24 international points in 13 countries and territories.

Airbus A319 is the first of 20 new planes belonging to the A320 family of single-aisle jets that will be delivered to PAL over the next six years at a total cost of $840 million.

The acquisition of Airbus A319 brings PAL’s current total fleet to 31 planes.

The new aircraft will be deployed mainly on the airline’s extensive domestic network and some Asian destinations. It has eight Mabuhay Class and 126 Fiesta class seats and high-technology inflight entertainment system.

http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=16379

No photos :(

mgian_21

October 23rd, 2006, 05:51 AM

anu n balita sa mga B757 ng cebu pac? ginagamit p b nila o hindi n?

Elsongs

October 23rd, 2006, 06:15 AM

Elsongs - They use "Philippines" because they are referring to our country. Our country is not called Philippine, its Philippines..right?;) Why are they referring to our country, you might ask? Well, its our flag carrier therefore it (it being the lettering on our planes) is representing the country, not the name of the airline "Philippine Airlines". Get it?

I'm sorry, it still doesn't make sense. Because how many other flag carriers of other nations just put the name of their country on the plane? I don't see Aer Lingus put "IRELAND" on the fuselage. I don't see Aeromexico put solely the word "MEXICO" on their planes. Those are all flag carriers of their respective nations, so PAL really doesn't have an excuse. The only other example I can think of is Malaysia Airlines, which does have "MALAYSIA" on the plane, but then the formal name of the airline is "Malaysia Airlines" (and not "Malaysian Airlines"), so it still makes sense when the word "Airlines" is removed.

xDieselJockx

October 23rd, 2006, 08:24 AM

I'm sorry, it still doesn't make sense. Because how many other flag carriers of other nations just put the name of their country on the plane? I don't see Aer Lingus put "IRELAND" on the fuselage. I don't see Aeromexico put solely the word "MEXICO" on their planes. Those are all flag carriers of their respective nations, so PAL really doesn't have an excuse. The only other example I can think of is Malaysia Airlines, which does have "MALAYSIA" on the plane, but then the formal name of the airline is "Malaysia Airlines" (and not "Malaysian Airlines"), so it still makes sense when the word "Airlines" is removed.

This guy have a serious problem doesn't it??LOL

What difference does it make on what names they use or how they used it? It is there as a marker to identify the airline company per company's preference and from which country they belongs to... The most important thing is the service and reliability, I'm sure every passengers wouldn't give a rat's arse about the name as long as they get to their destinations comfortably and on time as much as possible....

xDieselJockx

October 23rd, 2006, 08:36 AM

I don't think PAL will get the A380. Too impractical. Besides, with a plane like that, with the weight of 500 passengers and 1500 Balikbayan Boxes onboard, I doubt the plane will be able to take off :)

I think the 787 is a perfect fit for PAL, and I also believe the 787 was designed for airlines like PAL. It can have direct flights from smaller airports like Cebu to USA or Europe or the Middle East. It can cover a long range of flight with a lower fuel consumption and without the bloated passenger capacity. Besides, to justify costs, if PAL owned an A380, it would have to reduce the frequency of its Manila - Los Angeles flights, for example. Lower frequencies mean less flexibility for customers, and people would just fly Cathay or China Airlines instead.

I don't think A380 is not practical considering the volume of filipinos traveling to and from north america. NAIA terminal or airport isn't designed to accomodate 380s yet.. That and PAL does not have a real budget for it (for training crews and the price of the aircraft itself), especially now that they are in the process of expansion already...

787 carries alot less passengers than 747, it might cost more money for it's passenger, although, it may not be a bad idea if PAL plans to go back to Chicago or NJ/NY non-stop service a 787 or even B777ER type would do....

MarkiiBoi

October 23rd, 2006, 08:37 AM

^^ yeah, it does have a serious problem. LOL

Solblanc

October 23rd, 2006, 12:49 PM

PAL shouldn't have any trouble filling up an A380, after all, they send 433-seater 747s to the US west coast 15 times a week or so.

@elsongs: you're the first person I've come across who is genuinely bugged by the "Philippines" sign. If it bugs you that much, send a letter to papa lucio and tell us what he says.

Sou-jiro

October 23rd, 2006, 12:50 PM

OW heck whats the big deal!!?..........Philippine or Philippines....
honestly i would prefer "Philippine" anway.,...seems more apealing

but i dont see how this can be a big deal....lol

anway sabi ko lang naman i want atleast one of Pal's wide bodies to have a Philippine theme paint scheme to show the world....not something that would cover the whole body...
i do like PAL's tail one of the best in world....

:evil: but im a bit pissed of at Pal right now...they stuffed up my mabuhay miles points....they owe me atkleast 7000+ points:evil:

ow btw... i disagree,..i think A380 will be good for Pal on N.American routes...but budgetwise its not sufficuent right now...pls naia's equipments

Sou-jiro

October 23rd, 2006, 12:57 PM

anu n balita sa mga B757 ng cebu pac? ginagamit p b nila o hindi n?

they're gone....they were only leased planes

kiretoce

October 23rd, 2006, 04:54 PM

PAL in talks to operate at Clark airport
By Tonette Orejas 10/23/2006

CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE -- Top executives of the Philippine Airlines and officials of the state-owned Clark International Airport Corp. have started talks on the possibility of the country's flag carrier operating out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here, an airport official said Monday.

"We are in discussion with the top management of PAL. The talks are now about the services they will start, the size of the area they need. At this point, they see the potentials of Clark," CIAC president Victor Jose Luciano said in a phone interview.

In the initial round of meetings, which began this month, Luciano said PAL gave no indication it was leaving its hub at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

A former United States military airport, the 2,500-hectare DMIA is the biggest international gateway in the Philippines.

Luciano bared the discussions with PAL as the Angeles City-based Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) lobbied anew for the full development of the DMIA.

The PGKM had previously opposed the contract with Philippine International Air Terminal Co. because of provisions prohibiting the construction of an international passenger terminal in other airports until after the NAIA 3 has served at least 10 million passengers.

In a statement on Monday, PGKM chairman Ruperto Cruz said, "We need the flag-carrier to fly here at DMIA. This airport will not be truly developed into operational international passenger aviation unless PAL flies here. If Malacañang is indeed sincere in its plan to make DMIA an alternate airport to NAIA, then this is the right time that it should prompt Lucio Tan to move his planes here."

Cruz said Clark airport officials should not settle for a P1-billion budget if they were truly serious about seeing the DMIA fully developed.

Luciano countered that the airport actually needed $50 million or P3 billion for repair and maintenance.

"Easily, the construction of a cargo center would need P1 billion," he said, noting the facility was in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s vision of making Clark, together with Subic, as a major global logistics hub. Cruz said it also was not enough to get the budget flights to and from Clark and Asian cities.

"The local businessmen have long been waiting for DMIA to carry international flights, including the US, United Kingdom and the rest of the world," Cruz said.

Luciano, a former airline executive, said CIAC and Clark Development Corp. officials have never been wanting in efforts to make Clark a favored base for international flights.

In the next two to three weeks, the Shanghai-Clark and Macau-Clark-Bangkok routes are set to start.

The government's full-blast marketing and promotion of the DMIA have increased the volume of airline passengers at the airport from 40,000 in 2004 to over 500,000 in the first six months of 2006, CIAC reports showed.

Cebu Pacific resumed its Cebu-Clark flights last week.

"The CIAC team and the Arroyo administration for that matter are exerting best efforts to see the DMIA become our engine for economic growth. Like other programs, development takes time. But we're meeting our goals," Luciano said.

ryanr

October 23rd, 2006, 09:52 PM

I'm sorry, it still doesn't make sense. Because how many other flag carriers of other nations just put the name of their country on the plane? I don't see Aer Lingus put "IRELAND" on the fuselage. I don't see Aeromexico put solely the word "MEXICO" on their planes. Those are all flag carriers of their respective nations, so PAL really doesn't have an excuse. The only other example I can think of is Malaysia Airlines, which does have "MALAYSIA" on the plane, but then the formal name of the airline is "Malaysia Airlines" (and not "Malaysian Airlines"), so it still makes sense when the word "Airlines" is removed.

Its PAL's choice as the flag carrier to hold our country's name on their planes. Likewise, it is Aer Lingus choice not to put Ireland;)

Anyways, its not much of an issue...dont worry about it so much.

JustHorace

October 24th, 2006, 02:07 AM

Panasonic eFX AVOD on the new A319/A320 for PAL domestic flights
A first in the Philippines.

http://www.mascorp.com/images/product/gfk-body-lrg-audio.jpg

xXx carlos xXx

October 24th, 2006, 03:46 AM

wait, let me get this straight.... all of the seats (including economy) have ptvs??

ashton

October 24th, 2006, 04:39 AM

COOL!!!! Way to go Pinas!

Panasonic eFX AVOD on the new A319/A320 for PAL domestic flights
A first in the Philippines.

http://www.mascorp.com/images/product/gfk-body-lrg-audio.jpg

Skyblade

October 24th, 2006, 06:39 AM

wait, let me get this straight.... all of the seats (including economy) have ptvs??
Originally I thought I heard Y was to get PTVs but no AVOD (which was reserved for C passengers) but last I heard, absent-minded reported that there are no PTVs.

Solblanc

October 24th, 2006, 07:10 AM

^^^

aww... Let's hope the new widebodies get PTVs in Y. However, the A320s are sent off on some long regional flights. 30-in pitch combined with no PTVs on a three and a half hour flight could be a nightmare for some...

...but then again, Cebu Pacific is doing that already.

ewh1

October 24th, 2006, 08:33 AM

well who knows. PAL might reconfigure the all or some A320s to have all PTVs.

Well anyways. I think of might of gotten the connection of PAL wanting to get Air New Zealands B747-400.

They have the Long Haul Recaro Economy Seats.

They might of wanted to do product testing to see what the response would be and found out that Air New Zealand had the new Recaro Line, plus the fact i guess that Air New Zealand was willing to lease out the a/c

I have a theory why they might of not taken up the aircraft.

They discovered that the B744 had a Business-EconomyPlus-Economy layout and didn't want PAL customers to be exposed to a premium economy product.

lol. These are just late night thoughts and ramblings, Any thoughts?

heres how the Air New Zealand aircraft looks with the Recaro Long Haul Economy Seating
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1126156/L/

bustero

October 24th, 2006, 09:28 AM

I think the new strategy of PR is to differentiate it's product, hence while 5j will have the inexpensive tight seats, PR is supposed to have better pitch, ptvs, food etc. If they still have some planes without these services they'll probably change the interior as has been talked about with their 744's or use the older A320's for domestic.

With the article it seems like all the new planes are on top off and not replacements. Am I wrong? if not, then PR goes from a 30 aircraft company to +20 narrow +8 wide or 58 total over the next 5 years. Anyway sounds about right with 5j now going to like 22 narrowbodies or something.

absent-minded

October 24th, 2006, 09:40 AM

Originally I thought I heard Y was to get PTVs but no AVOD (which was reserved for C passengers) but last I heard, absent-minded reported that there are no PTVs.
All the information I have is only what I've gathered from PAL's press releases on their website and on other related news articles. hehe so I do not actually no first hand, but I am pretty sure of the info.

I doubt PAL will install PTVs in Fiesta on the A320s because they never mentioned it at all. and if they planned to do that, I don't see why they didn't do it with the A319s as well... especially because they want a new uniform product for their new narrowbodied fleet.

as for the widebodied cabin upgrading, PAL has said it is going to install PTVs with AVOD in both Mabuhay and Fiesta classes. sweeeet! (if it pushes through) hehehe I hope they get the same seats as Air NZ - the economy seats look real nice. however, someone on the Philskies forum said Recaro airplane seats are extremely uncomfortable to sit in. I think that, although they look very aesthetically appealing, Recaro's economy seats (as in the actual seat/cushioning) do look a bit uncomfortable. the business class seats don't look too bad though, even the one PAL is installing in its new A320/A319s. in fact, Cathay uses one type of Recaro's business class seat for its Regional Business Class and Recaro's flat seat for their current long-haul business class.

arrgghhhh... I wish PAL or some newspaper that was invited to the A319 inauguration would publish pictures of the interiors of the new planes!!

Sou-jiro

October 24th, 2006, 05:33 PM

does anyone have picture of PAL 737-400 interiors....im just curius as i've never seen it....do they use A319 on Legaspi At all?....i always see 737.400...but i assume with the rapid re-fleeting of narrow bodies...its will be A319 soon?...

kiretoce

October 24th, 2006, 09:33 PM

Who's really Number 1?

People in the airline industry were much surprised and a little amused by the claim of budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air that it has become the top domestic airline, edging Philippine Airlines.

Cebu Pacific declared that its carriers registered a total of 149,000 passengers for domestic travel. It estimated that this volume gives them 49 percent of the domestic passenger traffic.

It is interesting to note that Cebu Pacific’s claim is based only on a two-week period from Oct. 1 to 15. There are no official figures that support this claim.

The official air travel statistics are compiled, validated and recorded by the Civil Aeronautics Board and are only available after at least a month.

Obviously, it is premature for any airline to make any claim based on flights operated just a week ago. What it can do is make an assessment of its own performance. But where did it get the figures for the other airlines including Philippine Airlines? Did it do a survey or collate figures from airport sources?

Cebu Pacific can make claims based on its own data for its own performance. But to make a claim on passenger figures for other airlines based on a “guesstimate” and then making a claim as the no. 1 domestic airline is something else.

In fact, the official CAB statistics contradict Cebu Pacific’s claim to domestic market leadership. On the contrary, CAB data shows that Philippine Airlines edges out Cebu Pacific by a whopping 14-market share points.

The date released by CAB, based on the performance of all scheduled domestic airlines for the period January to August, show Philippine Airlines carrying 2,596,698 passengers of 47 percent of the domestic passenger traffic. Cebu Pacific was a far second with only 1,855 passengers or 33 percent of the total domestic passenger traffic.

It is significant to note that Air Philippines, Lucio Tan’s low-cost carrier, came in third with 641,499 passengers or 12 percent. If you combine PAL and Air Philippines passenger volume then Tan’s domestic air carriers would have a dominating 59 percent of the domestic air traffic market.

Asian Spirit had 5 percent of the market with 299,000 passengers and SEAir had 3 percent share with 177,522.

According to CAB’s data, the total number of seats fielded by the five carriers came up to a total of 7,580,132. Domestic passenger volume was 5,571,061.

What is curious in the Cebu Pacific announcement that it has overtaken PAL is the fact that the airlines’ officials are probably aware that it is impossible for any research and study organization to build a market trend or performance appraisal using only two weeks of gathered data— even assuming that the data being used in the first place are accurate.

It is inevitable that there will be many speculations on why Cebu Pacific has launched a media blitz on allegedly being no. 1 domestically, even if it’s just based on guesstimates and is not backed by any official data.

Some people point to the timing. They say that the blitz was timed on the same week that PAL is celebrating the formal launch of its multi-million dollar acquisition of brand new Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft for domestic and regional flights.

They also noted that the Cebu Pacific campaign came barely a week after SEAir announced a new strategic alliance with low cost Singapore airline Tiger Airways that will compete head to head with Cebu Pacific. It was only a few days after Asian Pacific announced a new alliance with Viva Macau Airlines along with a major domestic and regional expansion program on many domestic and international routes.

Coincidentally, the Cebu Pacific claim came on the same day that PAL published ads on PAL’s 20 new Airbus planes that will offer more comfortable seats with more leg room compared to the uncomfortable tight seating configuration of budget carriers like Cebu Pacific. The ad said that the new PAL Airbus aircraft will have state-of-the-art amenities such as audio-video on demand and the first “21st Century Enhanced Cabin” to be offered in the Philippines and Asia.

Competition is good in the airlines industry. It would inevitably redound to better services and value for the public. However, using two weeks of guesstimates as the basis of claims of being no. 1 is something else.

ryanr

October 25th, 2006, 06:53 AM

^I agree especially the last paragraph.

BoNduRanT

October 25th, 2006, 02:31 PM

I recently found a good B747-8 rendering. So I decided to put my concept PAL livery. :)

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/abercromb24/PALB747-8-02.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/abercromb24/PALB747-8-01.jpg

habagatcentral1

October 25th, 2006, 02:39 PM

Mabuhay Magazine's nearest competition:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/smile.jpg

Smile by Cebu Pacific Air is out! :)

JustHorace

October 25th, 2006, 04:03 PM

^^Wow, at least CebPac is showing up with more quality.

I like the second one, Bondurant! Looks really nice :D

ryanr

October 25th, 2006, 09:20 PM

wow...sweet rendering bondurant! I love the livery you designed.:okay:

habagatcentral1

October 26th, 2006, 09:43 AM

How I wish Brondurant will pass that as a proposal to PAL. I prefer the second rendering.

BoNduRanT

October 26th, 2006, 09:47 AM

Thanks Cosmo and GreyX. Its the same concept liveries I did before on PAL's own thread.

BoNduRanT

October 26th, 2006, 09:49 AM

Malay natin, if may livery contest ang PAL in the future in time for their new planes hehehe Sasali ako for sure :laugh:

oz.fil

October 26th, 2006, 10:58 AM

ianers_ianized

October 26th, 2006, 11:18 AM

I aready saw interiors of PR A319 last Sunday it was published in Philippine Star. It was nice, onlythe Business Class Cabin does have a PTV. The economy section were just overhead TVs. The Business Class pitch was really spacious, and looks very comfortable. Well, interiors really depics the coastal theme of seas where the walls are painted with sea sky and cononut trees in a shadow shade of blue, a different blue this time not the previous indigo blue color that perfectly suits with the color of the seats. Both have the same shade blue. Like this one. For me its fine but the color is light & quite bright, that it doesn't feel cozy to seat when you look at it. But I like the designs of flecks of white and ivory strip of white sand beaches.

According tp the news, the aircraft are outfitted with plush German-made Recaro seats. Seat pitch is 49in for Mabuhay and 29-30in for Fiesta. I wish I'd able to scan the pics.

LhexiMont

October 27th, 2006, 02:46 AM

I agree , a new spacious sports complex , a central park and an IT and industrial park so that many jobs can be provided and perhaps high rise office towers . btw , how many hectares is the entire airport complex ?

Sinjin P.

October 27th, 2006, 03:33 AM

PAL to add flights to Nagoya

By Lenie Lectura
Reporter

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) Inc. will start utilizing in December, the Japan entitlements that Cebu Pacific Air Inc. had earlier given up.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said in an interview Thursday that the flag carrier will add two new flights to Nagoya. “We will be adding one flight to Nagoya in December this year and another by March next year,” he said.

The additional frequency entitlements will bring PAL’s Nagoya flights to five by December and six by March. At present, PAL mounts four weekly flights to Nagoya.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) formally awarded Thursday to PAL the 4.5 coefficients from Japan previously allotted to Cebu Pacific. The coefficients, defined as a measurement of flight entitlements between two countries, translate to two more flights, said Bautista. In all, the Philippines and Japan had agreed on a total of 57 coefficients under the two countries’ bilateral air service agreement.

“Japan measures flight entitlements in coefficients, which is based on the size of the aircraft flying to its airports,” said Bautista.

One round-trip flight is equivalent to one coefficient using a Boeing 757 aircraft, which has a seating capacity of 228; 1.5 coefficients for an Airbus 330, which can carry 250 to 293 passengers; and two coefficients for Boeing 747, which has a seating capacity of 347 to 490.

Cebu Pacific was awarded by the CAB a total of seven coefficients but had to give them up by September 15 if by then they had not utilized the entitlements.

The airline unit of the Gokongwei group was planning to use a 150-seater Airbus 319 aircraft for its Japan route. However, the Japanese aviation authority did not allow the airline to use that type of aircraft.

The CAB awarded the remaining 2.5 coefficients to Pacific East Asia Cargo.

Japan is the Philippines’ second- largest source of foreign arrivals, next to the US. About 170,000 overseas Filipino workers commute annually between the two countries.

Nagoya is the nearest airport to the Tokyo airport, which no longer gives slots to foreign airlines because of the heavy air traffic there.

PAL currently flies to 19 domestic destinations and 24 international routes.

It said it would beef up its presence particularly in China where PAL has posted its biggest percentage growth so far. Other new routes being considered by the Lucio Tan-controlled airline are San Diego, California; Seattle in Washington state; and new points in India.

ewh1

October 27th, 2006, 09:12 AM

Good for PAL. Its good that they are expanding more into Japan.

niconepo

October 27th, 2006, 10:33 AM

[QUOTE=ianers_ianized;10240705]I aready saw interiors of PR A319 last Sunday it was published in Philippine Star. It was nice, onlythe Business Class Cabin does have a PTV. The economy section were just overhead TVs. The Business Class pitch was really spacious, and looks very comfortable. Well, interiors really depics the coastal theme of seas where the walls are painted with sea sky and cononut trees in a shadow shade of blue, a different blue this time not the previous indigo blue color that perfectly suits with the color of the seats. Both have the same shade blue. Like this one. For me its fine but the color is light & quite bright, that it doesn't feel cozy to seat when you look at it. But I like the designs of flecks of white and ivory strip of white sand beaches.

Really. And I was hoping that there would be AVOD on BOTH classes >(. Let's hope that they would put PTVs on its long-haul fleet...

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, the interior walls of the PAL-owned 747s(at least in first class) had subtle scenes of Filipino life (i.e. bahay kubo and coconut trees). Maganda. At least PAL now is going the right way in regards to its plane's interiors.

PAL's glory days was back in the 1980s...I miss them!

ianers_ianized

October 27th, 2006, 11:06 AM

^ those glory days are back and it keeps coming to PAL in the future.

Monsi

October 27th, 2006, 12:59 PM

...is also benefitting Legazpi City, Albay, Sorsogon, even southern CamSur...

All is fare in air travel war in Bicol

First posted 00:12am (Mla time) Oct 26, 2006
By Delma L. Peyra
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A15 of the October 26, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

BRIAN Barranda, a Bicolano executive now based in Manila, used to lament: “I can’t help comparing that air fare to Cebu, where I am often sent on business trips, costs much less than a plane trip home to Legazpi.”

The distance parameters: Legazpi, the regional center of Bicol, is only 534 kilometers south of Manila, while Cebu City is 587 km.

In 2005, when Philippine Airlines was the lone airline plying the 45-minute flight to Manila, a plane fare cost more than P3,000 one way.

Weeks and even months before scheduled holidays and family visits, the tickets would often be sold out.

With no more plane seats available, Barranda would either travel from Manila by bus or car for 10-12 hours along the so-called “South Road.”

The familiar lament is no longer heard now.

The ongoing fare promos are offering one-way plane tickets for as cheap as P1,500 all-in. The sooner one buys a ticket, the cheaper it is.

And seldom does it happen now that when one needs to leave for Manila as soon as possible, flights would be fully booked. No fear or hassle, for one can surely get a seat on the same day on any of the three airlines—Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and PAL.

And for those who have the luxury of choice to travel either by land or air, the opportunity for relative flexibility in travel hours is a boon in this part of Luzon.

PAL offers daily early-morning flights to and from Legazpi and Manila; newcomer Cebu Pacific, which entered the field in August, offers early afternoon flights.

For Rosemarie Rey, president of the Albay Chamberof Commerce and Industry and who manages the operations of her businesses in Legazpi and in Manila, the convenience of being able to travel within the same day does a lot for productivity.

Recently, when the Inquirer interviewed her for a business story, Rey was in Manila in the morning. Before 3 p.m., she was back in Legazpi via Cebu Pacific—and was entertaining visitors there by four.

Air traffic up

In March, Air Philippines, which serviced the Legazpi-Manila, Legazpi-Cebu routes in previous years when it was still owned by the Gatchalian family, made a comeback.

“We received requests from the local government to add more flights, in addition to the once-a-day flight service of PAL,” relates Antonio Cua, Air Philippines manager in Legazpi.

On Oct. 16, the Lucio Tan-owned airline adjusted its thrice-a-week mid-afternoon flights by flying daily on a midday schedule (plane leaves 10 a.m. Manila, reaching Legazpi 55 minutes later; plane leaves Legazpi at 11:25 a.m.).

Air Philippines works in a complementary way with the flag carrier. Each can take bookings for one another—making the air seats of Air Philippines a virtual add-on to those of PAL.

A total of more than 400 plane seats one-way are now available daily.

This came as Cebu Pacific’s Air Bus 310 added 150 seats to the two Boeing 737-200 planes of PAL and Air Philippines, which carry a combined passenger capacity of 286.

Just six months after Air Philippines’ comeback and one month after Cebu Pacific’s entry, total air passenger traffic—which measures total departures and arrivals of passengers—rose by 20 percent to 81,547 in January to August, from just 67,718 for the same period in 2005, according to statistics from the Air Transportation Office.

Air cargo movement has also gone up by 26 percent for the first eight months, compared to the same period in 2005.

By end-August this year, the Legazpi airport saw the movement (incoming and outgoing) of 620,372 kilograms of cargo so far—just short by more than 100,000 kg of the total air cargo movement for 2005 when PAL was the lone airline.

Air Philippines already carried 17.6 percent of the total cargo as of August, or more than 100,000 kg.

There must be something to the fare war going on. Virtually all three airlines are now offering the same pricing structure, starting at P1,400-P1,500 more or less—with a ceiling of P3,000-plus for those who reserve late.

PAL, whose passenger load is down 60-69 percent from a previous 90 percent when it was the lone airline, has caught on the game.

“We guarantee the lowest fares (for as low as P1,572) on a five-day advance booking,” says Romeo Caraan, PAL branch manager.

Cebu Pacific, which caused a big ripple among travelers here when it announced “P99++” promo fares upon its entry in Bicol in August, plays it steady with its image of a low-fare airline.

Its 10-tier fare system, which starts at P1,437, all-in, aims to cater to all economic classes. “We would like to serve Bicolanos from all walks of life, if possible,” says Cebu Pacific-Legazpi station officer Albert Narvaez.

With regard to the fare promos of the three airlines indefinitely on, Cua says, “we are testing the purchasing power of the customers.”

^^Originally posted by Mond87
Source: Inq7.nethttp://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=28737

Corrections: (1) Cebu Pacific deploys Airbus A319 to the MNL-LGP-MNL sector; besides, the airline's fleet is comprised of single-aisle A319's and A320's. I know of no airline in the Philippines that has A310's, Airbus' smallest wide-body/twin aisle planes [could just be a typo as '0' is next to '9']. (2) Only Air Philippines has older Boeing 737-200's. PAL has three remaining B737-300's and one B737-400 and these will be phased out once the A319's and A320's PAL has on order start to get into service. Cebu Pacific A319 in Legazpi (Legazpi thread)

Cebu Pacific A319 (RP-C3198) parked at the tarmac of Legazpi Airport.
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r244/Legazpeep/CebuPacificandtricycle.jpg
Hightech, made in Hamburg, DE... High individuality, made in the PH.

anonymous_filipino

October 27th, 2006, 02:06 PM

OT: need help... don't know yet how to put images here in SSC... how can i do it?

kiretoce

October 27th, 2006, 02:43 PM

^^ Somehow seeing that tricycle near the runway/tarmac makes me laugh....and I don't know exactly why? :lol:

kiretoce

October 27th, 2006, 05:43 PM

^^ Click here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=401491) for the instructions. :okay:

anonymous_filipino

October 27th, 2006, 05:59 PM

^^ thanks, will do...

anonymous_filipino

October 27th, 2006, 06:24 PM

sana maging ganito communication and observation tower na gagawin sa NAIA pamalit ng control tower...
http://i14.tinypic.com/40b1kio.jpg
http://i13.tinypic.com/2m50bqa.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/4bojcdy.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/44h9rf6.jpg

at least slightly modified version nito, yung second observation floor gawing revolving restaurant, yung 3rd observation floor gawing Starbucks or any coffee shop... yung base nandun yung hotel, 4D movie theater at mga retail area... yung NAIA 2 gawing broadcasting station(walang mga studio) ng mga television at radio stations ng Manila....

ryanr

October 27th, 2006, 09:13 PM

As i said before, i made a trip to tour the Boeing Assembly Plant last summer. I made this new thread to post my pics so that i wont be interferring with the conversation in the Airplanes, Airlines thread. Enjoy!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0267.jpg

Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tours:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0248.jpg

Inside:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0249.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0250.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0251.jpg

B777-300ER engine...if i can recall.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0255.jpg

New composite fuselage for the B787:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0263.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0264.jpg

Now, the old steel fuselage:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0266.jpg

Information on the B787
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0265.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0262.jpg

Inside a mock B787
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0259.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0265.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0260.jpg

An old China Eastern B767...if i remember it right:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0256.jpg

Outside...the assembly plant from visitors parking. Runway is shown in the foreground:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0270.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0271.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0247.jpg

Close up on the Paintshop building:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0272.jpg

New aircraft being tested and ready for delivery:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0268.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0273.jpg

ryanr

October 27th, 2006, 09:19 PM

Assembly plant from the highway: (no pics allowed inside)

These pics dont do it justice...this building and its doors are HUGE!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0281.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0280.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0279.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0278.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0277.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0276.jpg

WawaY[625]

October 27th, 2006, 09:22 PM

oo nga, pano nangyari yun? pano nakapasok sa may apron ang tricycle?

kiretoce

October 27th, 2006, 10:27 PM

:eek2: Awesome! :applause: :applause: :applause:

@Ryan, what's the price of admission and is the tour a separate payment?

markycrossley

October 28th, 2006, 01:32 AM

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/3065981/#menu26

looks like PAL might be going for the a340-600's.

MarkiiBoi

October 28th, 2006, 02:04 AM

Cebu Pacific not planning on going long-haul

Inquirer
Last updated 06:09am (Mla time) 10/28/2006

CEBU Pacific Air, a unit of publicly listed conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., has no plans in the near term to offer long-haul flights, airline president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said.

“The market is growing enough to accommodate different types of services, [but] long-haul flights are not part of Cebu Pacific’s business model,” Gokongwei told reporters.

Oasis Airlines, a new low-fare carrier, on Thursday made its inaugural flight from Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport to London’s Gatwick Airport.

Gokongwei said “the entire LCC [low-cost carrier] world is looking at that experiment to see if it will work.

He said Cebu Pacific’s Airbus 320s have a four-hour flying radius and technically cannot fly outside the Asia-Pacific region. That limits its range to North Asia, where the lucrative markets are China, Japan and South Korea.

“We are comfortable with our business model at this point,” Gokongwei said.

Cebu Pacific recently offered P1,999 one-way fare from Manila to Bangkok for the period from Dec. 14, 2006 to Jan. 31, 2007.

ryanr

October 28th, 2006, 03:05 AM

^^ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/index.html

Click on tickets and order online to see the prices.

Its worth it, i recommend it to all those interested in aviation.

aUen

October 28th, 2006, 03:14 AM

Wow! I'd love to go there! Thanks for sharing!!!

ryanr

October 28th, 2006, 03:23 AM

btw as part of the tour, you do get to enter the assembly plant. What they did was to split you into two groups - one group went to the 747 section while our group went to the 777 and 787 (formerly a 777 manufacturing line, but currently being renovated for the 787). Very nice to see how they build planes. I dont have pics because they are very strict on no photography and other electronic devices.

While i was there, there were A LOT of new 777s for Emirates being built.

Monsi

October 28th, 2006, 04:52 AM

Somehow seeing that tricycle near the runway/tarmac makes me laugh....and I don't know exactly why? :lol:

...I don't know how it got there..., heheh... Here's a similar frame with only minute difference...
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r244/Legazpeep/CebuPacificinLegazpi.jpg

Legazpi Airport is planespotter-friendly. You can shoot pix inside the airport cafeteria with no one to accost you.
Here, I was able to take a picture of PGMA (after visiting typhoon-hit Sorsogon September 30) I posted earlier in the Legazpi thread...
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/DSC02283.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j246/Monsigh/DSC02465.jpg
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r244/Legazpeep/Dsc02829.jpg
And Cebu Pacific A319 from the same cafeteria window...

...and she takes off on runway 06 for Manila.
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r244/Legazpeep/Dsc02839-1.jpg
As you can see, Lignon Hill zigzag road and hilltop provide unobstructed views for plane spotting.

WawaY[625]

October 28th, 2006, 05:00 AM

IMHO, airbuses look better (exterior/shape) than their Boeing Counterparts..(except for that A380)

A319/A320 vs B737
A300 vs B757
A330/A340 vs B767/B777

ewh1

October 28th, 2006, 10:46 AM

http://business.inq7.net/money/columns/view_article.php?article_id=29025

• PHILIPPINE Airlines has deployed its spanking new Airbus 319-100 to the Singapore route, where its four-seat Business Class section configuration is likely to prove inadequate to meet higher demand, given the increasing intra-regional business travel.

oz.fil

October 28th, 2006, 01:00 PM

;10263867']IMHO, airbuses look better (exterior/shape) than their Boeing Counterparts..(except for that A380)

A319/A320 vs B737
A300 vs B757
A330/A340 vs B767/B777

i reckon the 777 looks way better then the a330s except the a345/6 ;] , i cant pick between the a340s and t7s...

oz.fil

October 28th, 2006, 01:07 PM

An old China Eastern B767...if i remember it right:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0256.jpg

looks more like a 737 to me...

ryanr

October 28th, 2006, 09:11 PM

Maybe...but yeah I was wrong, its not a 767...could be a 757.

ryanr

October 28th, 2006, 09:14 PM

IMO, Boeings look way better than Airbuses.

737 > A320 family
777 > A340/A330
747 > A380
787 > A350

bagel

October 28th, 2006, 09:15 PM

Can I also order a 787 on the website?

SunKing

October 29th, 2006, 02:55 AM

looks more like a 737 to me...

It's actually an Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727

oz.fil

October 29th, 2006, 08:33 AM

diz

October 29th, 2006, 08:38 AM

Open Spaces, Recreational Facilities and Museums (as Jonu suggested)

Yeah, a park. Manila's very own Central Park.

anonymous_filipino

October 29th, 2006, 08:46 AM

what is that anyway?

that is the second proposal for guangzhou's new communications tower... it was rejected because guangzhou wants to have the tallest communication tower... whoever is the architect of that tower can proposed his design here in Manila...

flymordecai

October 29th, 2006, 09:32 AM

If NAIA is going to be transformed into a new business district, I hope they build the country's largest public library and have it have lots of computers, books, and all that. Whoever suggested another mall, think about it again. There are hundreds of malls already! If they built a state of the art library with free access to the public, then I think that will be a huge benefit to the city.

Also, I like the suggestions for a tower of some sort, though I don't really like the design of that communications tower. There was a reason it was rejected, you know. :P

Of course, there would and should be a retail section to this new business district, but let's not forget the things we need the most. :)

le Reine

October 29th, 2006, 11:38 AM

Make it the new capitol center just like Washington DC

SamwiseGamgee

October 29th, 2006, 11:48 AM

Just a survey questions, pls feel free to share your ideas, thank you.

Some of the existing structures in NAIA will be spared from demolitions to save some money. Read on.

My suggestions...

1. TERMINAL 1:
A new home for our PGH.

2. TERMINAL 2:
Turn it into a new modern mall.

3. TERMINAL 3:
A manila grand terminal station for passenger buses and trains including the Light rail system.

4. RUNWAYS:
Turn it into major freeways connecting north and south super highways, plus an additional east and west bound 10 lane freeways, connecting manila to cavite, bataan, & zambales with a looping freeway around manila bay with the west bound. While an east bound freeway should be connecting manila to rizal, laguna, & quezon.

5. OTHERS:
Build a new modern police & fire stations, a new city hall, a public school, & a university or college, parks, and other commercial/business and residential establishments. No to any industrial establishments cuz it may just cause some heavy traffic and pollutions.

Let us transform the NAIA into our new government center (capitol).

1. North end of Runway 13/31 (Domestic Terminal) – Site of our new Supreme Court Building.
2. South end of Runway 13/31 – Site of our new Parliament Building.
3. Runway 13/31 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard/parade ground, with embassy buildings on both sides.
4. East end of Runway 06/24 – connect with South Superhighway.
5. West end of Runway 06/24 – connect with Coastal Road.
6. Runway 06/24 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard, with executive department buildings on both sides.
7. Terminal 1 – convert into a grand trade hall/museum.
8. Terminal 2 – convert into a grand library.
9. Terminal 3 – convert into a modern mall.
10. Nayong Pilipino – site of a new home for our Prime Minister.

Let's have a new capitol right now. It would make us prouder as a nation. We are one of the few nations in the world, which do not have a "proper capitol". Nakakahiya tayo. Wala man lang tayong maipagmamalaki sa mga dayuhang bisita.

le Reine

October 29th, 2006, 03:49 PM

^yehey! yeah! I like your proposal! Let us make it a brand new National Capitol! Philippines' answer to Washington DC, Canberra and New Delhi! And let's do much better than Putrjaya! I think, we should also put buildings which we could adapt as Filipino architecture. Just like in Putrajaya where buildings are patterned after Muslim Malay influence...

WawaY[625]

October 29th, 2006, 08:58 PM

maybe thats why we all put IMHOS..coz its all our individial opinions..lols

for me A19?320 PWN the 737s in the exterior looks category

jadebench

October 30th, 2006, 05:15 AM

the tail looks like of PAL planes

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1371/5299666/10891316/200182858.jpg

xDieselJockx

October 30th, 2006, 06:56 AM

^^^^^ Yes it does, that's an LCC airline company and it's young.... All their aircrafts are MD80s, that directly flies in and out of our city to and from Tampa, Orlando and Las Vegas... Just a competitive small company with so far good tract of record in their 10 years or so service within the continental United States.

stephencua

October 30th, 2006, 07:51 AM

taken from inq7.net.. haha.. i saw those full page ads by PAL last week..

Lies, damned lies, and PAL-CebuPac statistics

By Victor Agustin
Inquirer
Last updated 00:07am (Mla time) 10/30/2006

Published on page B4 of the October 30, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE GLOVES ARE OFF BETWEEN Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

PAL, which long suffered in silence against the Gokongwei airline’s pointed TV ads about its “late” image, last week came blazing out with print ads to dispute CebuPac’s latest claim that it has finally dethroned the Lucio Tan airline in the domestic passenger market.

“Let’s get real,” PAL harrumphed in a series of full-page ads in key newspapers, as it cited full-year domestic passenger figures until August 2006.

Based on Civil Aeronautics Board records, PAL still had a commanding lead of 48.8 percent over the 30.8-percent market share of “Airline No. 2” within the same period.

“Who is the Real No. 1 Domestic Airline?” PAL asked, even emblazoning the phrase “Real No. 1” in fiery red color amid a sea of black letters.

(The ad agency behind the series is the little-known K Ad.)

So, who is telling the truth? Well, ironically, both.

Whereas PAL chose to look at a one-year historical snapshot, Cebu Pacific CEO Lance Gokongwei focused on the latest, in-house figures from Oct. 1-15 to claim that the JG Summit subsidiary has finally reached pole position, a good 10 years after its founding.

According to Cebu Pacific, the airline flew a total of 148,578 passengers in the first 15 days of this month as against PAL’s 144,167, or the equivalent of 45.337-percent market share as against PAL’s 44.02 percent.

Whether this trend would hold the industry would know after tomorrow, when October shall be over.

Still, judging from the Gokongwei confidence in both ads and press statements, final passenger statistics will validate youthful exuberance.

But, then again, PAL’s Kapitan has an ace up his sleeve, and it is called Air Philippines.

(Correction: The business class section of the spanking new Airbus A319-100 of PAL has eight seats, not four as stated in Friday’s column.)

kiretoce

October 30th, 2006, 01:58 PM

IMO, Boeings look way better than Airbuses.

I totally agree with you Ryan! :okay:

kiretoce

October 30th, 2006, 07:58 PM

Peak season, security audit lead to longer queues in NAIA
By Nikko Dizo 10/29/2006

In the past few days, lines at the check-in counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been unusually long, apparently indicating two things: the peak season for travel has begun and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is conducting its annual security audit.

"Andito kasi ang TSA (It's because the TSA is here)," two airport security personnel at the NAIA 1 muttered when separately asked by the Inquirer last Friday why there were long lines at the entrance doors of the departure and arrival areas.

The TSA began its week-long audit last Oct. 26 and is expected to wrap up its inspection on Nov. 2.

Non-uniformed and uniformed airport security officers diligently inspected each bag and luggage. Every passenger and individual entering the airport terminal had to undergo thorough frisking from head to toe, front and back. Security guards also made sure only two to three persons were lining up at the X-ray by the employee entrance at NAIA 1 before letting the next person pass through the sliding door.

With the onset of the peak season for traveling, security personnel had to screen more than the usual number of passengers.

Lines at the airlines' check-in areas snaked through the NAIA 1 departure area, especially at noon Sunday.

"It's not just because the TSA is here. You have to remember, it's peak season now," an aviation security official said.

But a source who requested anonymity said the queues appear when the TSA is doing an audit. "It's like, when the cat is away, the mouse can play. That's why we feel the tightening of security at the NAIA when the TSA is here because we don't want to fail their assessment," the source said.

A thumbs down from the TSA would mean that the US could issue a travel advisory against the Philippines, the source added. "Kapag wala sila, medyo relax. Dapat kasi ang Pinoy, kinukulit, binubulabog. Ganun ata talaga tayong mga Pilipino (When they're not here, it's somewhat not tight. Filipinos should be pestered. Maybe we Filipinos are like that)," the source said.

Sought for comment, retired general Angel Atutubo, the airport's security chief, acknowledged that security personnel tend to be more strict when the TSA is at the NAIA. "May tendency kasi na mahigpit kapag may nakatingin (There is a tendency to be strict when somebody is watching)," Atutubo told the Inquirer Sunday.

But Atutubo stressed that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) implements the same security measures at the NAIA whether the TSA is here or not.

The source added the TSA audit follows the security program prepared and being implemented by the MIAA and the recommended standards and practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

kiretoce

October 30th, 2006, 11:03 PM

^^ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/index.html

Click on tickets and order online to see the prices.

Its worth it, i recommend it to all those interested in aviation.

Hmm....I wonder if we can make this like an SSC field trip? :colgate:

Sou-jiro

November 1st, 2006, 01:02 PM

here's a video clip of Sydney's Kingsford Smith Intrntnl...if you look closely you will see a PAL A333 parked.

http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircraft_Various_Aircraft-Airline_Various_Airlines_Aviation_Video-5291.html

jadebench

November 1st, 2006, 10:53 PM

i love Thai Airways tagline:

"Smooth as Silk"

sloid

November 1st, 2006, 11:13 PM

President’s daughter upbraids immigration officer at airport

By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 09:08pm (Mla time) 11/01/2006

EVANGELINE Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo, known as the most low-key member of the First Family, shed off her usual inconspicuous demeanor on Tuesday to reprimand an immigration officer who allowed a foreigner to jump the line of passengers waiting to be checked in at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Luli was on her way to Hong Kong to join her parents, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, where the First Family spent All Saints’ Day.

She was accompanied by her sister-in-law, Kakai Manotok-Arroyo, and the latter's young daughter.

A source told the Inquirer that the Arroyos were waiting in line at the Bureau of Immigration's special lane for diplomats and VIPs when Luli saw that the foreigner had cut up front into the line and the immigration officer processed his travel documents.
Luli was reportedly heard asking the officer, whose identity was withheld pending investigation, why he allowed the foreigner to get ahead of the line.

To everyone's surprise, instead of explaining, the immigration officer reportedly snapped at Luli.

"Hindi ka ba marunong maghintay?! (Can't you wait?!)" the officer was heard telling Luli.

Apparently, he failed to recognize the President's only daughter.

"Luli was obviously peeved. She was heard answering back, 'Bakit kaming mga Pilipino ang pinapagalitan mo. Bakit hindi yung foreigner (Why are you scolding us Filipinos and not the foreigner)?'" the source said, requesting anonymity.

The source said the officer's colleagues tried to get his attention and subtly tell him that he was talking to the President's daughter.

However, their efforts were futile.

The source added: "It actually looked like a scene from a gag show. He was completely clueless who Luli was. Supposedly, he even told Luli that she shouldn't be in that lane because it was reserved for diplomats and VIPs."

Eventually, the officer's supervisor stepped in and explained to Luli that the foreigner was already late for his flight and his papers had to be expedited.

Luli supposedly replied that it was all that she was waiting for: a proper explanation to passengers waiting in line.

And where was Luli's close-in security the entire time?

The source explained that Luli has always asked the Presidential Security Group guarding her to keep their distance and allow her to do things on her own at the NAIA, such as checking in, falling in line, and carrying her bags.

The immigration officer has been temporarily relieved of his post at the NAIA, said Ferdinand Sampol, head supervisor of the BI-NAIA.

Sampol added BI Commissioner Alipio Fernandez had ordered an investigation into the incident.

"It was unacceptable. Immigration officers should not be rude or arrogant to any passenger, whether they are members of the First Family or regular people," Sampol told the Inquirer.

Sampol said that the BI "wants to know what happened because in fairness to our immigration officer, he's a seasoned personnel and this was the first time that such a thing happened to him."

Sampol said that among the things to be investigated is if the foreigner was indeed late for his flight, which was why the immigration officer processed the passenger's documents ahead of those waiting at the special lane that included Luli Arroyo.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ianers_ianized

November 2nd, 2006, 10:22 AM

I like tagline of Gulf Air: "colour your sky"
and Continental Airline: "fly with the warmth of paradise"

PAL's tagline through the years...

70's to early 80's - Asia's First Airline
1986 (coincide with their new livery & logo) - A New Sun Rises
early 90s ('91) coincide with their 50 years of service - Shininng Through at 50
96-97 - Asia's Sunniest
98-99 - With You All The Way
2001-2002 (coincide with their 60th anniversary) - PAL@60: Beyond a Proud Legacy
2003 - present - It's about experience

I like the Asia's Sunniest tagline and Asia's First Airline (something the Pinoys shd be proud of)
i love Thai Airways tagline:

"Smooth as Silk"

jef7

November 2nd, 2006, 11:33 PM

After a long flight from LAX on United and a brief stopover in Singapore it was time to head to Manila on SQ 76 with a 5:40 pm departure.

The Changi Airport Tower
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas017.jpg

Very spacious check-in terminal. There is an exclusive club room for SQ F passengers for a quick check-in.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas018.jpg

After an easy check-in, I was off to the Silverkris F lounge for a quick lunch and shower.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas026.jpg

There is just so much to do in SIN airport. I am envious. I cannot wait for the new MNL T3 to open.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas029.jpg

Another empty F cabin on this B777. Flight time to MNL was 3 hours and 10 minutes.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas032.jpg

Goodbye Singapore.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas046.jpg

To Start: Warm Nuts and Pineapple Juice
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas052.jpg

Appetizer: Prawn Salad
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas054.jpg

Main Entree: Salmon
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas056.jpg

Dessert: Peach Tart
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas060.jpg

Blue Mountain: my favorite coffee!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas061.jpg

Cheers to SQ for another great service!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas063.jpg

Very short immigration line in MNL. Similar to my previous experiences, the ramp workers in MNL are very efficient. My bag was on the belt within a few minutes and I was off to Customs. Terminal 1 is indeed old, but it's clean as always.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas066.jpg

JustHorace

November 3rd, 2006, 03:14 AM

^^Nice!:okay: Changi's terminal 2 is unrecognizable for those who last seen it prior to its renovation.

kiretoce

November 3rd, 2006, 09:34 PM

Cebu Pacific loses entitlement to fly to Japan
Friday, November 03 2006

Cebu Pacific Air Inc. has lost its remaining 4.5 entitlement to fly to Japan to its rival Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Under the Air Services Agreement (ASA) Cebu Pacific had seven flight entitlements to Japan.

The same agreement said frequency entitlements between the two countries are measured by coefficients, with one roundtrip flight equivalent to one coefficient using a Boeing 575, an Airbus 330 and two coefficient for Boeing 747.

Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said, the CAB had recalled Cebu Pacific’s entitlement to Japan last week of September when the carrier failed to serve its flight entitlements at a pre-agreed date.

”They (Cebu Pacific) were not able to operate flights to Japan over the past three years. The extension we gave them was until September 15, but they failed so we awarded the entitlement to PAL,” Arcilla said.

CAB first transferred the 2.5 of the seven coefficients to Pacific East Asia Cargo.

PAL applied for the remaining 4.5 and CAB approved the application before the unveiling of the first Airbus 319-100 last October 19.

Earlier this year, PAL and Cebu Pacific expressed interest in flying to Nagoya, Japan citing market expectations of an upsurge in demand.

Japan is the Philippines’ second biggest source of foreign arrivals, next to the United States. An estimated 300,000 Japanese fly to the Philippines each year, while some 160,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) fly to Japan.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific President and CEO Lance Gokongwei confirmed the reports, saying the airline had other priority destinations.

Gokongwei said he is considering adding 10 more Airbus aircraft over four years following a US $ 670 million re-fleeting program that will be completed in January 2007 with the delivery of two A320s.

He said regional expansion would focus on North Asia – China, Macau and Korea and Southeast Asia.

Sinjin P.

November 4th, 2006, 02:24 PM

Francis20

November 4th, 2006, 06:34 PM

so shall tiger airways use NAIA instead? it might cause them to withdraw their MNL flights.

xXx carlos xXx

November 4th, 2006, 07:42 PM

^^ if mangyari yan... mas lalong sisikip ang naia.. unless gawin nilang lcc terminal ang t1 at national carriers lang ang t3..

ryanr

November 4th, 2006, 07:43 PM

OtAkAw

November 5th, 2006, 07:20 AM

^^Siguro to lure more passengers to NAIA instead, because GATEWAY nga naman naten yun. O baka nagpeprepare na silang gawing SUPER AIRPORT ang DMIA! Kaya bawal ang low-class na airlines. hehehe

HELP! I have a very important question. It's our first time to fly since the "NO LIQUIDS" scheme was applied in airports around the world, including domestic ones and I was wondering as to what extent they are going to apply the rule. As far as I know, LIQUIDS of all kinds are banned in airports both in check-in baggage and handcarry but my aunt said I was wrong, which is why I decided to ask SSC peeps because you know, people here know BEST.

Mom decided to bring the following, alin ang pwede at alin ang hindi???
-mouthwash (fluid liquids)
-lotion, shampoo (heavy liquids)
-toothpaste, face cream, beauty cream (creams)
-hair gel (gels)
-lip gloss, mascara, cream foundation (cosmetics in liquid form)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SA MGA MAG-REREPLY... :)

ryanr

November 5th, 2006, 07:24 AM

^they are only banned on hand carry baggage. You can bring liquids in check-in luggage. Most airports will now permit liquids on carry on baggage if purchased inside the terminal after all security checks are completed.

tigidig14

November 5th, 2006, 07:45 AM

^the last sentence, that i didnt realize
sa japan nde mo na kailangan tangalin yung sapatos at sinturon mo

BoNduRanT

November 5th, 2006, 08:04 AM

I saw it on the news a few weeks ago. I think it was the airport authority of NAIA who was in charge of destroying those banned liquids. They had it all laid out sa isang outdoor area-similar to what they're doing with pirated cd's etc, a pison ran over them and may mga pumutok at lumiyab.

OtAkAw

November 5th, 2006, 08:07 AM

ashton

November 5th, 2006, 09:10 AM

From HKG & SIN it is (banned) if you are travelling to the US & UK only.. but that was 30 days ago.. not really updated at the moment.

HELP! I have a very important question. It's our first time to fly since the "NO LIQUIDS" scheme was applied in airports around the world, including domestic ones and I was wondering as to what extent they are going to apply the rule. As far as I know, LIQUIDS of all kinds are banned in airports both in check-in baggage and handcarry but my aunt said I was wrong, which is why I decided to ask SSC peeps because you know, people here know BEST.

Mom decided to bring the following, alin ang pwede at alin ang hindi???
-mouthwash (fluid liquids)
-lotion, shampoo (heavy liquids)
-toothpaste, face cream, beauty cream (creams)
-hair gel (gels)
-lip gloss, mascara, cream foundation (cosmetics in liquid form)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SA MGA MAG-REREPLY... :)

Francis20

November 5th, 2006, 02:21 PM

what i knew was, they are allowed as long as you have them check them in sa baggage. no handcarries. not much updated as i haven't been to the US and haven't flown after the London-US scares last August. anyway, happy trip na lang!!! :D

@ Jef, nice photos there! I really love it when forumers post a photo of their trip. Feels like we've been thru the process ourselves. So is Changi's new terminal operational yet? Or was it just renovated? Yun yung mga me special types of natural lighting scheme sa roof right? Unfortunately, budget airlines like Tiger and 5J are only allowed to use the budget terminal. Budget terminal for the budget carriers. Dapat parang HKIA and Bangkok where you will have to land at the main airport no matter what type of carrier you are into.

JustHorace

November 5th, 2006, 05:29 PM

absent-minded

November 6th, 2006, 04:13 AM

apparently, we may be wrong about the new cabins in PAL's new A320 family aircraft. somebody wrote in wikipedia:

Fleet Modernisation

Starting late next year, First Class is to be removed on long-haul flights while Mabuhay Class (Business) will be upgraded, with cocoon-type seats and audio-video on-demand (AVOD) installed. AVOD will also be available in Fiesta Class (Economy) bringing the PAL fleet into the 21st century.

Cabin Interior

The new Airbus A320-200 and A319-100 bi-class aircraft will reveal a new interior that takes its inspiration from the beautiful coastal areas of the Philippine Archipelago.

The Mabuhay Class section’s interpretation of the Philippine coast appears in its deep blue seat upholstery accented with abstract brushstrokes that mimic flecks of sand. In the Fiesta Class section, seats are fitted with sky blue upholstery with an undulating wave-pattern in aqua blue and terracotta.

The laminates at the fore and rear sections of the aircraft are decorated with a palm tree landscape design that evokes a relaxed, casual tropical feel. The curtains, carpet and surfaces are in various shades of blue, white, gray, silver and tan. “Sun, Sand and Sea” is the theme PAL’s cabin interior beautifully emulates. The new cabin will be retrofitted on the ongoing fleet, and on newer aircraft (should any decision be made for a long-haul fleet) along with AVOD 'eFX.'

eFX Inflight Entertainment System

The new aircraft fleet is equipped with eFX, the latest Generation of Inflight Entertainment System from Panasonic Avionics Corporation, one of the leading suppliers of Inflight Entertainment System today.

This state-of-the-art Inflight Entertainment System runs on a 100% digital platform and features Audio/Video On-Demand function on the Personal TV of Mabuhay Class passengers. Fiesta Class passengers will now enjoy a higher level of quality in the Video Entertainment Programs shown on the induvidual in-seat Audio/Video Entertainment System. As of previous, PAL Fiesta class only provided entertainment through overhead monitors.

AVOD Functions (Audio/Video On Demand)

• Available on Fiesta (Economy) and Mabuhay (Business) Class. Mabuhay Class to have a wider range of audio/video.

• Touch Screen feature to navigate through the screens.

• Features more film selections that will allow passengers to choose their desired movie title (on international flights having a flying time of three hours or more) and short films. It will also allow them to pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward the films at any time.

• Allow passengers to select particular songs as well as create their own playlist from the available music channels.

• Available language selection in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean when navigating through the screens.

• Available destination information through Travel Exchange (TR.EX).

• Available information on PAL’s history, Mabuhay Miles Frequent Flyer Program, and PAL’s Swingaround & Palakbayan Tour Packages

In-Seat Power System

All of the Mabuhay Class Seats are equipped with KID Systeme’s In-Seat Power System, which provides 110V laptop power. This enables passengers to use their laptops continuously during their flight.

Seats

The Mabuhay Class and Fiesta Class seats are supplied by the German company RECARO Aircraft Seating, one of the top aircraft seat manufacturers in the industry.

The Recaro 4400 Comfort Line Mabuhay Class Seats and the Recaro 3510 BL Fiesta Class Seats have lightweight modular construction designed to provide maximum passenger comfort. The new ergonomic backrest of the Recaro 3510 BL Fiesta Class Seats is space saving, thus offering maximum legroom and living space. The seat’s lightweight frame with integrated diaphragm, together with its newly developed seating contour, helps provide long-time sitting comfort.

All aircraft have a generous seat pitch of 39 inches in Mabuhay Class and 29 to 30 inches in Fiesta Class.

so the new Fiesta Class for the narrowbodies also have AVOD-PTVs? or is that about the future cabin enhancements for the long-haul aircraft? the Recaro seat PAL used in the new A320 family Fiesta Class doesn't seem to be able to fit seat-back PTVs though. does anyone living in the Philippines want to call up PAL's call center and check? or has anyone flown in the new A319? it's really annoying how PAL hasn't updated its website with pictures....

I like the touch-screen TVs and airline information being accessible through the eFX IFE system though. hehe that's cool...

ewh1

November 6th, 2006, 08:37 AM

It clearly says on the PAL website.
MABUHAY CLASS has the eFX system.
they would have mentioned it if there were ptvs in economy
plus those recaro seats have no option for PTVs
they would have showed an option on the website.

I hate when people distort facts.

allin101

November 6th, 2006, 08:59 AM

mgian_21

November 6th, 2006, 05:35 PM

hi, ka2uwi q lng from incheon korea, my flight was mnl-incheon-mnl kaso nag conncting flight via cebu kc hehe long story, anyway ang ginmit n eruplno don (incheon-cebu) guess what brand new A320, its cool, my 12 mabuhay class then sa economy class my small tv ba un mula s itaas, habng nag ta2xi, pinplbs s moni2r ng live ung dindaan ng eruplno, hehe bhl n kayo umitindi, basta cool sya... kaya lng prng medyo msikip yata s economy,

mgian_21

November 6th, 2006, 05:36 PM

AVOD pl un, hehehe

Blackraven

November 6th, 2006, 05:55 PM

Aww man....

still no PTVs for PAL economy class. :(

Oh well, it shouldn't be a long wait (mid-2007?) but nevertheless, PAL is catching up. No annoucement on PTVs from Cebu Pacific so PAL is still the leader by far in the country (in terms of newer amenities).

Yet despite early optimism, it is too bad though that the competitors are raising the bar in passenger comfort......again.

Take Singapore Airlines for example.

Maganda na siya yet ginandahan pa nila.

New Economy Class
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_seat_1.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_seat_2.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/economy_seat_3.jpg

Video: http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/new/economyclass/video.jsp

New Business Class
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/business_seat_1.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/business_seat_2.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/business_seat_3.jpg

Video:
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/new/businessclass/video.jsp

New First Class
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/first_seat_2.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/first_seat_4.jpg
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/images/exp/eot/new/first_seat_5.jpg

Video:
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/new/firstclass/video.jsp

Enhanced Krisworld

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/entertainment/index.jsp?

Video: http://www.romanceoftravel.com.edgesuite.net/New_Krisworld.mpeg
Click to view stream or right click to download then select "Save Target As"

These will be available starting December 2006 on selected flights from Singapore to Hong Kong, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Zurich, Seoul, San Francisco and Frankfurt with full availability commencing from earliest January 2007 on al Boeing B777-300ER flights.

Singapore Airlines: The Romance of Travel lives on...

Blackraven

November 6th, 2006, 06:19 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/GreyX/IMG_0259.jpg

This is why the Boeing 787 series WILL CRUSH any of the A350 planes from Airbus.

The only things Airbus is good at are its A320, A330 and A340 series planes and perhaps the A380. Other than that, they have no chance.

Surprisingly, I think the Boeing 777 has a slight lead over A340 series planes.

Go Boeing! :)

ryanr

November 7th, 2006, 12:33 AM

^^ :eek: Exactly why SIA is the best airline in the world, imo. Bar none.

Sinjin P.

November 7th, 2006, 05:55 AM

Cebu Pac posts highest local
passenger load in Oct.

By Lenie Lectura
Reporter

CEBU PACIFIC, the airline unit of the Gokongwei group, on Monday said it registered its highest passenger load in October in its more than 10 years of operation.

Cebu Pacific transported 318,632, passengers last month to various destinations in the country. This is a record-breaking performance for the airline, posting over 108-percent more than the year-ago figure, the airline said.

Including international destinations, Cebu Pacific carried a total of 366,284 passengers for October, 111 percent higher than in the same period last year.

Cebu Pacific claimed its domestic passenger traffic represents a market share of 45 percent, based on passenger traffic information gathered from airport operations summaries.

“This is a milestone for Cebu Pacific but more importantly, we feel that this is indicative of growth for the entire industry and to a larger extent, the economy,” said Lance Gokongwei, the airline’s president.

Cebu Pacific said Philippine Airlines share for all domestic operations the same month was as 43 percent.

Cebu Pacific flies to 20 domestic destinations and operates a total of 624 one-way flights a week.

bustero

November 7th, 2006, 09:37 AM

A new Executive Order 500-A has been declared. This orders the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport to be open only to official international state carriers (e.g. Singapore Airways). This means that low cost carriers which are not the official international carriers such as Tiger Airways, Air Asia, etc. may not anymore renew their contract with the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport... Hmm... :shocked:

Lot of lobbying by Cebu Pacific and other local airlines as can be seen in the their pr statements saying it is unfair to them as they can serve the route anyway. Of course if they do they'll be at much higher prices. e.g. clark - kk is 1100ph one way. , manila - davao 3000ph these are their regular fares. Then they complain when there is no load factor.

jef7

November 7th, 2006, 11:14 PM

@ Jef, nice photos there! I really love it when forumers post a photo of their trip. Feels like we've been thru the process ourselves. So is Changi's new terminal operational yet? Or was it just renovated? Yun yung mga me special types of natural lighting scheme sa roof right? Unfortunately, budget airlines like Tiger and 5J are only allowed to use the budget terminal. Budget terminal for the budget carriers. Dapat parang HKIA and Bangkok where you will have to land at the main airport no matter what type of carrier you are into.

Thank you Francis20.

I did go through both Changi's T1 and T2 and as far as I could tell, all renovation/construction has been completed. Also, the budget terminal by now should be operational.

jef7

November 7th, 2006, 11:18 PM

Take Singapore Airlines for example.

Maganda na siya yet ginandahan pa nila.

These will be available starting December 2006 on selected flights from Singapore to Hong Kong, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Zurich, Seoul, San Francisco and Frankfurt with full availability commencing from earliest January 2007 on al Boeing B777-300ER flights.

Singapore Airlines: The Romance of Travel lives on...

I can not agree with you more Blackraven.

Absolutely exciting upcoming new products for SQ!

A 23-inch LCD monitor in First class? Now that is in-flight entertainment.

nab_uang

November 8th, 2006, 12:16 AM

Hi all... This is my first time to post here...

I would like to ask about Airbus A380? do u think Philippines is ready to fly this super jumbo plane?

jef7

November 8th, 2006, 12:23 AM

After what started to be as a gloomy, rainy day in MNL, the sky cleared up a little bit. I was a bit nervous about the possibility of a cancellation.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas131-1.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas114.jpg

The old NAIA was still the same. Not much had changed since my last visit in May. However, I was surprised to see gender separation procedures for passengers. Male and female security lanes were being enacted, which created some confusion to many passengers.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas121.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas124.jpg

Thankfully, my worries turned out to be unnecessary. SQ 75 was scheduled for an on-time 4:40pm departure. No delays to worry about this time.

Check-in was fast. First class chek-in line was empty. My bags were tagged and boarding pass issued very quickly.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas128.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas127-1.jpg

After paying the $11 aiport fee I stopped by at one of the desks to fill up an immigration form. The immigration was only a few feet away and I noticed that security has now been moved right behind it. It used to be that there were two separate security check-points, one for each of the two NAIA wings. This is now a thing of the past as both had been consolidated into one. I do like this change, although again, very interesting that female and male passsengers were separated from one another, regardless whether traveling together or not. Security was definitely tight.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas129.jpg

As I have posted before, the Singapore Airlines F lounge in MNL is a step below in comparison to its other lounges. However, it is very private and food is always plenty and delicious. Also, wireless internet is provided.

That evening, the food offering was particularly delicious with pancit guisado, puto, siopao, spring rolls, and many more being offered for the club guests.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas138.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas133.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas139.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas146.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas147.jpg

Soon, it was time to head towards the gate were SQ 75 was ready for boarding

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas153.jpg

It was another empty F cabin. Again, the crew was amazing. At one point, the in-flight supervisor asked me if my father was involved in the export/import business. I almost could not control myself from laughing, but politely diffused his inquiries by informing him that my family is not involved in any local industries (How I wish! Ha ha).

To start: Singapore Sling with warm nuts (Macadamia and cashews this time!)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas165.jpg

Appetizer: Crab Salad

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/jef7/Batangas171.jpg

Main Entree: Beef Stew served with the best ensaymada rolls in the sky

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Dessert: Mango tart with Vanilla ice cream
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Arrival in Changi and on to a cheap night stay at the transit hotel (only a few minute walk away from the gate) given my early connecting flight the following morning on United Airlines to Tokyo and then L.A.

One more excellent service from SQ and truly another wonderful visit to the Philippines!

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