I Love Flying Philippine Airlines
August 3, 2010
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Posted by dmihalia
Having much experience flying on international flights, especially from the United States to the Philippines, I can tell you there are not many airlines better than Philippine Airlines (PAL). So it was sad to see that many of their pilots are leaving for jobs with other airlines.
When I fly I don’t have much interaction with the pilots on these flights but I do talk to and observe other members of the crew and I can tell you that PAL people are there to assist you in any way they can. All of the attendants are neat and friendly and smile all the time even on the long 15-20 hour flights. Try taking one of these long flights with a U.S. airline and you can tell the difference.
With the U.S. crews it is not unusual for an attendant to be rude and ignore passengers when they need something. One thing I think contributes to that is the U.S. airlines people look tired like they are overworked which could be the case. Maybe someone thinking of leaving for greener pastures should consider that. Secondly, the PAL and other foreign airlines employees seem younger and fresher, not burnt out. Maybe airline jobs are more coveted in these countries with a fresh batch of young people ready to work, I’m not sure.
The last difference I have observed between the airlines is the ability to keep on schedule. My last two flights from the U.S. were delayed significantly on the legs that involved U.S. airlines while the foreign flights were perfectly on schedule. Not sure why it was this way, but it has shaped my view of how I want to fly possibly taking the foreign airlines all the way.
There are other differences that I won’t go into here including food and comfort items but it is true that Philippine Airlines and other foreign airlines have beaten out the U.S. guys.
Categories: Philippines General
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Tags: Flights to Philippines, Philippines
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I’m glad your experiences with PAL have been positive, Dan, but mine have been very much the opposite.
PAL does niot follow the laws of their own country … forced me to buy a useless onward travel ticket even though I was with my Philippines-citizen wife and able to show, in all ways, I was qualified for the BB Privilege stamp )I got the stamp ipon arrival, by the way).
I personally observed a senior PAL ground employee verbally abuse and shove a young Filipina in the waiting queue at LAX. My wife intervened and threatened to call airline security on the nasty, overbearing uniformed example of rude customer treatment n action.
Aircraft cleanliness? Pwede na, wipe over everything with a dirty rag again, Juan, there’s no money for soap.
Food? Atrocious. Later I fund that our pleasant seat-mate, an older Balikbayan lady, had said to her, “You’re lucky your asawa will eat anyhting, this stuff tastes terrible.”
Upon arrival at Manila, the purser launched into an arrogant and completely inaccurate announcement about clearing customs and courtesy that irradiated and even terrified several passengers … becuase the airline employee, yet again, had the facts about his own country’s laws (dead wrong) … and I know he was dead wrong, the statement he was supposed to read is written out for the airline, verbatim, by the BSP.
Would I fly PAL again? When pigs fly.
Dave Starr´s last blog ..Waiting for a Job Before You Can Move to the Philippines
Hi Dave
Sorry to hear you had such bad experiences. If you will look at earlier comments you will see my experience with flying and I have never had any problems with PAL. I judge an airline by such things as leaving and arriving on time and arriving with my luggage, two things the bad airlines I mentioned lack in. As far as food I have eaten C-Rations and liked them so I must be able to eat anything also. But hey it could be worse we could have had a run in with that Jet Blue flight attendant yesterday!
Well all I can say is, I’ve flown the pacific more than 20 times on various airlines and PAL takes the cake for late departures and abusive, surly and downright rude ground and cabin staff. Never again. Best of luck to you.
Dave Starr´s last blog ..A soon to be Definitive Answer to those Cost of Living Questions