BRUTALLY HONEST | Philippine Airlines phenomenal A350-900 ECONOMY to New York - DELAYED 24h!

Philippine Airlines is much better than you'd expect. The flight itself was amongst the best I've ever had. But it's reliability where they fall short, including on my trip, when I encountered a 24h delay...

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*SOCIAL MEDIA*

*FLIGHT INFORMATION*
Airline: Philippine Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A321 / Airbus A350-900
Registration: RP-C9901 / RP-C3501
Flight Time: 3h 10min / 15h 15min
Seat: 63K / 60A
From: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Via: Manila Ninoy Aquino
To: New York John F. Kennedy
Date: July 2022

*EQUIPMENT INFORMATION*
Cameras used: Canon R6 (Canon 15-35mm F2.6 and Canon 35mm F2.0), Canon G7X Mark III, DJI Osmo Pocket
Additional equipment used: Rode VideoMic Pro+, Blue Yeti Podcast Microphone

*PRICE BREAKDOWN*
Total Price: USD 425.37
Total Routing: BKK-MNL-JFK
Booked through: Philippine Airlines Website
Cost includes: Economy Class Ticket including two checked bags and free seat reservation
Booking made: December 2021

*VIDEO BREAKDOWN*
00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - Intro
00:51 - Getting to Bangkok Airport
02:29 - Flight from BKK to MNL
07:04 - Layover in Manila
08:38 - CANCELLED Flight Experience
10:58 - Getting to the airport and Check-In
12:21 - Boarding
13:16 - Cabin Information
14:16 - Seat Features
15:28 - Taxi and Take Off
19:29 - Dinner Service
20:47 - Inflight
21:37 - Inflight Entertainment and WiFi
22:51 - Mid-Flight Meal Service
23:42 - Breakfast Service
25:15 - Conclusion
27:42 - Squarespace

*COLLABORATION DISCLAIMER*
The airline was neither involved nor informed about the production of this Tripreport. The ticket fare was paid by ourselves. This video includes a paid advertisement for Squarespace.

*THUMBNAIL CREDITS*
Taken by: Mark Bess
Used under: CC BY-SA 2.0 License
Edits: Color Correction, Cropping and Additon of Graphics
Used as Thumbnail since: April 2023

*ANIMATED MAP*
Map Data by: OpenStreetMap
Created: April 2023

*GRAPHICS ATTRIBUTION*
Seat Drawing in intro made by Aviation Volume

*CONTACT US*

COPYRIGHT 2023

[mariapug]

Filipino here. Thank you for being brutally honest about our lousy airport. We appreciate your candidness, and we love you!

[markcarunungan]

Manila international airport was once considered the "gateway to south east asia" as 747s used to fly directly from the US, the closest South East Asian country in the Pacfic was the Philippines. With the new airport with a potential to be an international hub, I do hope the Philippines can regain this title again.

[tobyriches]

Love how David shows the airport experience- a critical part of the trip.

[mannyreyes]

The security overkill for the NY flight is necessary to keep the Category 1 rating of the Philippines with the US FAA. PAL has several direct flights to the US which would be compromised if NAIA is demoted again to Category 2. ASEAN countries demoted by the US to Category 2 include Thailand and Malaysia. Both countries cannot offer direct flights to the US.

[vince_rpll]

This is by far, the most comprehensive trip report/flight review that I've ever watched about PR. Even the "little things" like the manufacturer of seats, inspiration for the carpet design, etc., were mentioned! Thanks for giving our flag carrier a wonderful review! PR is really trying their best to elevate their service, and I'm glad that you're able to experience that. Salamat po!

[auggith]

okay i am stunned at how PAL handled that cancellation- that’s beyond amazing. i wish i had a reason to fly with them lol

[moriz]

Now this is how you handle a delay/cancellation

[phillipmaguire]

I am very impressed how they look after their connecting international passengers, especially when there are delays. Many airlines used to do this a long time ago, but have cut right back these days. It is so refreshing to see Philippine Airlines put service back into customer service. The meals on the flight looked really great. I hope that I get the chance to fly with them someday.

[_Erogaki]

David is the calmest "man who got his flight cancelled" 😂

[PhilippineAirlinesTV]

Hi, Simply Aviation. We deeply appreciate your kind words of appreciation. Your acknowledgement truly uplifts our spirits. We understand that unforeseen circumstances, including flight disruptions, can significantly disrupt both our schedules and our passengers' travel plans. We empathize with any inconveniences that our valued passengers may encounter as a result. Rest assured, we are fully committed to going the extra mile in order to minimize the impact and discomfort they may feel during such situations.

Your valuable feedback, as highlighted in your video, has been duly noted and taken into serious consideration. We genuinely believe that such insights will be instrumental in enhancing our services further. We are continuously striving to improve and provide an unparalleled travel experience for each and every passenger we have the privilege to serve.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your kind appreciation and assure you that we are dedicated to making every effort to exceed our passengers' expectations. Should you have any further suggestions or concerns, please do not hesitate to share them with us. We are here to listen and serve you better.

[davidfelarca]

Effective June 16 all PAL international flights will now be at Terminal 1. Maybe this would improve further passenger experience. Terminal 2 will be dedicated for domestic flights only.

[jlfigueroa]

i took this flight together with my wife and kids before the pandemic, that was by far the longest flight to date ive been and its a wonderful experience. The crew and plane is superb, ive been in other airlines travelling to europe but by far that flight PR216 manila-jfk was and still the best. I am proud to be a Filipino.

[michaelgerardaustria]

Today, they no longer have security checks before entering the terminal building. So that's 1 less xray check for passengers. Also, that extra security check at the gate, right before entering the plane, only happens for US bound flights. I think it is a TSA requirement.

[Philmaster]

take this LH, this is how you handle a cancelled flight. really impressive

[yujicortez]

usually, it's easier to just get a Grab (Southeast Asia's version of Uber or Lyft) when in the Philippines: prices are fixed, drivers are screened and are for the most part reliable, and you get to skip those pesky queues at the airport

[michaelhall]

Your experience of Philippine Airlines' handling of your cancellation reminds me of how Canada 3000 handled a cancellation of mine back in 2001. They had a hotel organised, transport, food laid on, communication (via a board in the lobby, as this was pre-smartphone). This was an unexpected cancellation too; the plane (an A310) struck birds on landing at Manchester, damaging the radome. The nearest spare part was in Germany (!), so a layover it was. Admittedly, the Forte Posthouse in Wythenshawe doesn't quite match the glamour of the Century Park in Manila, but it does highlight what a difference it makes when an airline actually supports passengers during a disruption.

[kiko]

I'm from the Philippines, but live in Singapore...I totally agree with you...NAIA is the worst airport I've been to...but I always have a good customer service experience with PAL.

[happysun]

It’s true that Philippines Airline, they handle really well when it’s come to cancel flight or over booking flight. Many years ago my flight got overbooked and they give me accommodation plus complementary round trip ticket!

[CoSmicGoesRacing]

Don't forget as well despite PAL's shortcomings, one of their best known traits is their smooth landings. I've rarely had a PAL flight where the landings were rough.

[rakharamadhan]

Philippine airline action toward its crisis is top-notch. I hope all the airlines can copy that in their mitigation