FOUR-STAR carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has launched its biggest sale promotion for the year covering 2 million seats in celebration of its 78th anniversary as Asia’s longest-operating airline.
The sale features fares as low as P78 for domestic flights and $78 for international flights from March 16 till end-December this year. Booking dates are from March 1 to 10, 2019.
The record sale campaign signals the determination of the four-star rated flag carrier to woo more first-time travelers, as well as seasoned flyers to “fly the flag” and enjoy PAL’s full-service travel experience, which offers free inflight meals, free checked-in baggage and free inflight entertainment.
The seat sale seeks to fill up the flights across PAL’s growing network of over 30 domestic and over 40 international destinations. The airline has recently announced opening more nonstop flights in the Asian region—Hanoi, Phnom Penh and New Delhi.
Meanwhile, PAL Holdings Inc., the operator of legacy carrier PAL, is still weighing on the prospect of conducting a so-called re-initial public offering (re-IPO) at the context of the need for an official order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on such an exercise.
Jaime J. Bautista, the company’s president, said his group is still evaluating if there is a need for the conduct of a re-IPO, noting that initiating this exercise may also help the company raise funds.
“We will study…if we will be required. For existing companies, we can stay in the minimum of 10 percent [public float],” he said.
Bautista added that a decision will be made on whether to conduct the re-IPO in light of the recent share acquisition made by Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways in the Filipino airline.
“If the SEC will require it to be mandatory by the end of the year, [then we will do it],” he said.
The Japanese carrier is investing $95 million into PAL Holdings Inc. to take a 9.5-percent minority stake in the Filipino carrier through the acquisition of the shares from Trustmark Holdings Corp. of billionaire Lucio C. Tan.
It is expected to be completed within this quarter.
In a related development, PAL is also introducing a new Premium Economy experience that enables travelers to avail themselves of a high-value inflight alternative to full business class or mainstream economy-class service.
Premium Economy is one of a series of product innovations being rolled out by the airline in an ongoing program to obtain a five-star quality service rating.
The PAL Premium Economy product features a complete international travel experience from priority check-in to extra-comfortable premium seats and an enhanced meal service in a private cabin onboard Airbus A350 and selected A330 aircraft. Domestic passengers may also avail themselves of upgraded service and extra-legroom seats on flights operated by A330, A321 Classic and Bombardier Q400 Next Generation aircraft.
Bautista said, “With the new Premium Economy experience, we are inviting our customers to enjoy an elevated level of comfort and convenience. This service innovation will build on the foundation of our solid network of international and domestic routes, which, in turn, are made possible by a fleet of versatile, advanced and customer-friendly airplanes.”
PAL Marketing Vice President Ria C. Domingo said, “PAL’s new Premium Economy Class is a smart choice that provides the best value for passengers looking for a more comfortable flight, whether they’re traveling for business or leisure. Our goal is to address the needs of all sectors of the aviation market, and this product offers the best of both worlds—a leveled-up experiencefrom economy class with a touch of comfort and convenience from business class.”
The new Premium Economy will be available on flights to and from New York, London and Toronto via the Airbus A350 and to and from Honolulu, Auckland, Melbourne, Tokyo from both Haneda and Narita, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong via the A330 Tri-Class aircraft.
The new Premium Economy will be available on flights to and from various domestic destinations utilizing the Bombardier Q400NG, Airbus A321 Classic and A330 Bi-Class aircraft.
Other recent or ongoing PAL service enhancements include an upgraded Business Class experience for long-haul flights, the introduction of nonstop flights to Auckland, New York and Toronto, the launch of new routes to Sapporo, San Vicente (El Nido), Antique, Hanoi, Phnom Penh and New Delhi, and the shift to a more advanced IT computer system powered by Amadeus for passenger transactions. With Lorenz S. Marasigan
Image credits: Nonie Reyes