Philippine Airlines Cancels More Flights
Philippine Airlines has announced that it will be ending its route between Manila and Kuala Lumpur after less than one year of operations. PAL restored flights to Kuala Lumpur after a seven year absence last May 2013.
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| Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG |
Both Philippine Airlines and PAL Express have been operating scheduled services to the Malaysian capital. PAL Express ended its flights to Kuala Lumpur on January 12, 2014 while Philippine Airlines is scheduled to end service on February 27, 2014. Flights were being operated by an Airbus A319 aircraft. The cancellation marks a continuing trend for Philippine Airlines that has been opening several new markets with much fanfare only to cancel them a few months later due to poor performance. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Philippine Airlines may now look to code-share with Malaysia Airlines on services between the two capitals.
Competition has increased considerably since Philippine Airlines launched the route with AirAsia Zest flying daily service to Kuala Lumpur from Manila and Cebu. The airline recently announced that AirAsia Malaysia would operate a new service from Kalibo to Kuala Lumpur later this year. Kuala Lumpur is the primary hub for the AirAsia group and is used as a transit point for connecting passengers on the carrier's extensive low-cost carrier network.
Meanwhile, PAL Express has announced that it will be dropping some of its inter-island domestic services as part of an overall strategy to improve fleet performance beginning on March 1. The cancellations affect flights primarily operating from Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Zamboanga.
Philippine Airlines recently introduced the first direct service between Cebu and Taipei Taoyuan with a weekly flight operated on Tuesdays by one of the carrier's A320 aircraft. The first flight launched on January 28, 2014 making it PAL's third international destination from Cebu after Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon. Philippine Airlines already operates daily service to Taipei from Manila and charter service to Kalibo.
What are those planes going to do with the cancellation of these flights? Are they retiring some of their planes or increasing frequency to other destinations?
ReplyDeletePAL has too many planes sitting around doing nothing but burning up precious resources. And its 747's and A340's are old...
Deleteand more second hand A340 planes from Iberia recently dumped to PAL. I know Iberia fully well and will never fly them again, you know what I mean?
DeleteThis is not good news for PAL. Word circulates in aviation circles that PAL has planned badly in acquiring a bunch of second hand A340's for which it has precious little use. And PAL is in difficult financial straits, being borrowed to the hilt with no more credit available.
ReplyDeletePAL cant really compete now with successful low cost carriers like airasia and cebupac. Nagpabaya kasi ang PAL noon na wala pa mga competitors na to, instead of improving their services and changing their strategy in these routes they quit paving cebupac to enter and succeeded by implementing the low cost carrier concept.
ReplyDeleteSan Miguel style of business....
ReplyDeletePAL used to be a good airline.
ReplyDeleteThen Ramon Ang got involved.
Now it has too many planes with tiny new seats, no legroom, less flights (but more planes!), lots of rude, poorly-trained, and lazy flight-attendants, and lots of delays at NAIA because they have too many planes, not enough gates, and not enough ground-crew and buses to get passengers from the planes to the terminal.
Cebu Pacific is a better deal; actually better seats at half the price......
Cebu Pacific? What wil they do if they cancel a flight or flight delay? You can't even check through a luggage to another airline from Cebu Pacific. So in delay you would miss your connection flight! With PAL I only had very good experiences! And I like to pay a little bit more, if I get a meal and luggage for free! And with many fares I can also use the earlier flight if there is still place. Unfortunately they canceled the flight to/from KUL. I think most people don't look to the final price (incl. all taxes, and incl luggage)
DeleteI often flew with Cebu Pacific in the past, but about 90% of my flights were in delay! And they are incredible strict with hand luggage (going out of the Philippines). If you are only 1 kg above the limit, they send you to the check in again. I always put something out into my jacket or trousers. Then the lady looked mad at me. :D In HKG delay was about 14hours, but they didn't provide any hotels! :( And the seats at Cebu are similar to PAL. Maybe smaller at Cebu! But it depends on the aircraft! The 747 from PAL has quite large legroom space! I will be cuious the next time I will fly A330 from PAL. The only positiv thing about Cebu Pacific is, that you can have up to 45kg with you for a quite cheap price! :-) So it would be good if Philippine Airlines would join a flight alliance - for me Star Alliance! So I could have 40kg! :-)
DeleteAnd PAL leaving Las Vegas market in exchange for Toronto
ReplyDeletewas also illogical. Why serve Toronto market with all those
5-star Asian carriers like Cathay, ANA, Singapore as its
market competitors. Wake up San Miguel Corp.
Cebu Pacific should vigorously follow up its application to fly to North America so that we FilAms would definitely give Cebupac a try. Airfares going to KE, OZ, China, JAL, CX
ReplyDeleteshould be given instead to our kapwa Pinoy business a/line.
Philippine Airlines should fly to Phnom Penh as soon as possible instead of trying to create a new airline in Cambodia. There is no direct connection yet! Also flights to Europe would be nice! I would prefer Munich, because it would be a convenient place for many people in Germany and Austria. The only thing missing is, that PAL is still having the 20kg regulation in Ecomony flights! Most Middle East Carrieers and Malaysian Airlines already have 30kg!
ReplyDeletePAL does not even advertised anywhere, how can one know it can compete with CEB or Airasia?
ReplyDeletePAL has lazy flight attendants, there is no doubt. i cant even get a flight attendant to serve me despite pressing the airplane button to call their attention, on a flight from MNL to Riyadh. seats are so tiny!
There's only one reason why PAL has lost so much money lately: mismanagement. Now that the US has given back its Category I status, PAL has to try (again) to vigorously grab its chance to conquer the North American market. But to do that, it has to compete, compete, compete with those 5-star airlines of Asia.......it's as simple as that. I will wait until PAL is as efficient as KE, CX, SQ, OZ and by then, I will gladly fly PAL again.
ReplyDeleteasia
Today is October 27, 2015. When I searched for PAL flights to Kuala Lumpur, there was a Philippine Airlines flight there (PR 807). So, is PAL continuing its MNL - KUL services or does it remain terminated?
ReplyDeleteThe blend of technical expertise and a sense of adventure makes being a pilot truly extraordinary. AV8 Prep learning how to fly
ReplyDelete