@steven yes the B777 is new and the IFE is now in seat backs. The A340 was from another management age when they thought just wifi was the way to go but also because it saved them a shed load of money. The reviews by passengers were always one of suprise how any company doing long haul thought holding a device was the way to go. Who knows looking at passengers using their own devices now maybe PAL were just ahead of their time. In relation to food. If you say its not great. My experience with Qatar is you know you have been fed. And its pretty tasty as are all the others except Air France. I actually took food onboard going home as I was so hungry. It was that crap going. But think you have to say what is important to you. PAL is the only direct London to Manila. Would I try it? Yes if the price was right. But for me that would mean a BA shuttle from Manchester and that isnt something to look forward to. Like many others I find its actually quite nice to have a break and a short walk around halfway. We all get there shattered whatever we do.
now that you mention it I am only surprised the route hasn't already existed for years, with the amount of visitors Thailand gets and with it being a possible stopover on the way to Oz. PAL now have a Bangkok flight to Cebu after Cebu Pacific have started one up and then discontinued it at least three times in the past 12 years. Hopefully this PAL one will have staying power. seems incredible now, but for a time up until 2006 when it got axed, there was a direct Malaysian Airlines Manchester-Kuala Lumpur flight which I took two years in a row then Air Asia to Philippines. Those were possibly the best long-haul flights I've ever taken.
For me living in north Norfolk it’s normally around 3 hour drive to get to Heathrow and just costs me diesel money as I drive down there and my dad will drive my car back, and same when I return he drives to collect me and I drive back home.
for us--on the isle of wight--its a very expensive ferry fare--then car up and back--or train / coach / taxi. either way--its about a third extra ££ on top of the flight ticket.
That is good I’m probably spending like close to £100,in diesel, but here is a bus from norwich but think it takes like 4/5 hours to get to Heathrow think it’s about £40, Think taxi is like £200 there and then also £200 on way back
Have you looked at meet and greet costs we have done it the last 2 times car parked for £78 for the fortnight met at airport both times real good service.
i think my wife paid £120 return for taxi from portsmouth --shared with her sister--so that was cheaper than rail fare. taxi is run by a filipino they know--so mates rates maybe.
like you we spent money getting there and person going home and then return leg. The meet and greet fully insured and badged by Heathrow meet you at the terminal at appointed time then you ring them as you get off the plane and by the time you get out they are there.
you take photographs of the speedo and the car panels as they watch and they list on there control sheet what apparent damage there is
@Ken100464 A good overview but I think you'll find that Air Philippines is no more. It was acquired around 2008/9, its fleet of museum-piece 737s (all two of them) sold-off, replacement turbo prop aircraft acquired and refloated as PAL Express. That airline has since acquired Airbus 300-series aircraft and operates many of PAL's domestic flights with NAIA T3 being its Manila hub. PAL inaugurated its London service with a pair of 777-200s fresh from the Arizona desert on a six month lease. They had some 777-300s in the pipeline but in the event, these were delayed so had to use A340s, originally destined for routes to US west coast, to keep the London service going. The first couple of 777-300s arrived last year and are on the London route. I'd be very surprised if Lufthansa resumed flights to Manila. They, along with Air France and British Airways, ceased flights to Manila some years ago .
@Markham I meant PAL of course. As to the Lufthansa story this is due to the advent of the more efficient A350 and B787. Long and thin routes now become viable and the hub and spoke system of legacy airlines can be bypassed. The legacies either have to adapt or the business will go elsewhere. Look at what has happened at Manchester. Before BA would have offered something via Heathrow. Or a code share via Heathrow. The gulf airlines have stolen this traffic but they too now have the threat of long haul LCC's to deal with. The Ryan Airs of long haul. These companies go point to point not via hubs. The B787 and A350 is opening up legacies to a whole new generation of competion A few years ago we didnt have the options we have now as Manchester even if us locals think otherwise is a provincial city. BA our flag carrier wasnt interested in it. It was a feeder airport to its hub at Heathrow. Lufthansa being a well run airline knows all this. This is why Singapore are now at Manchester. Why Thai are looking at it. Why Cathy are there. Its just the Asian carriers are ahead of the European ones. They are stealing the traffic flows that have gone from the BA to Heathrow route to the gulf hub routes. Who is the loser here? Of course good old BA. Lufthansa will be starting to experience similar problems. Scoot is in Germany from Singapore. Norwegian are busy everywhere. Philippines is a fast growing economy. What european airlines go there? KLM via Tapei.? Turkish via Istanbul. There is traffic just its long and thin. The Gulf carriers have it to lose. Airlines either go with equipment that makes them profits or lose traffic which can then impact on their hub and spoke systems. Of course its rumours at present. But if the long haul LCC's and Asian full cost carriers are busy stealing traffic the european legacies will either have to react or start to decline. Because right now they are starting to loose the feeder traffic that makes the hub and spoke work.
I would personally recommend flying with Emirates Their A380 business class has sleek design, and you can recline your seat into a full flat bed, massage functions, with comfy mattress and a blanket. (I like sleeping safe and sound especially during long direct flights). Every time I fly with Emirates, I’m always impressed on how the captain manages a smooth and subtle take off and landing ICE touchscreen tv features new movies and tv shows, so you wouldn’t get bored at all. Wifi service is available, although charged to your credit card. Their onboard lounge offers selection of nibbles, exquisite wine, cocktails/mocktails (I only like sipping on virgin mojito and apple spritzer as I get tipsy quite easily) Their crew were very friendly and I enjoy having a chat with them whilst settling in... Etihad business class is quite the same, with reclining seats into a full flat bed and onboard lounges, but I guess not as fancy as Emirates. Their selection of movies weren’t that updated. Their crew were also convivial, so overall it was a comfy flight nonetheless I’ve only tried domestic flights with PAL (going to Bohol and Davao) few years back… it wasn’t that sophisticated but it’s alright, I understand... I wasn’t really expecting a lot (and wouldn't dare to compare) since my home country is still “developing”
I like sleeping on planes too but don't like spending a whole heap of cash on business class. so far I've only managed it twice, by accident not design of course, once in 2005 on a Malaysian 12 hour flight from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur when I had a whole row of 3 seats to myself and so was able to lay down and sleep. In fact the plane was so empty, I transferred to a row of 4 seats in the middle that was also empty, so was able to sleep even better. That MAS M'cr-KL flight did not last long. It got axed. somewhat more surprisingly the Cathay Pacific one I was on last year, I also had a whole row of 3 seats. Couldn't believe it, especially as it only cost £420 return. several times I've had like 2 seats, which is better than having only one, but only on those 2 flights have I been able to really lay down and sleep. short flights of like 7-8 hours it doesn't really matter so much, but when they are like 11-12 hours then it matters a whole lot more.
Emirates just tried to upsell me to business class this morning for £353 needless to say I won't be taking them up on their offer as my total original return flight price was only £500 and they wanted £353 for just one leg to Dubai, had it been KLM making that offer on the leg from Amsterdam to Taipei and Taipei to Manila then I would probably have taken the offer because that is 16 hours of travel but Manchester to Dubai is only 8 hours or so. Emirates have always been mostly ok when I flew with them even in economy and I have a window seat booked at the front of the plane which is what I like, this will be my first time on the A380 so that will be interesting, these aircraft like the 747 and the A380 are so large that they have a huge ground effect when landing they create their own cushion of air below the wings which is what gives them that very soft landing and the size helps with turbulence as well. If you ever try the more northern route round the Himalayas you will get a lot of turbulence even in the really big jets My last return flight was KLM business and that will probably be my last time ever as I bought it with the remaining miles I had with Flying Blue, their business offering is not as good as Emirates or any of the gulf airlines but it's still pretty nice and their food is always very good, my last Emirates flight in economy tended to have a rather disappointing anglicised menu including beans can't stand baked beans You get all the nice wines in economy as well on all of these airlines just not as much of it and the Emirates ICE is usually fairly good with fairly recent movies. What I don't like is that for Emirates economy you have to pay for the flight before they will even let you look at what seats are available luckily I subscribe to a service that lets me see the current seating allocation on any flight but I really don't like not knowing where I will be sitting and also having to pay a lot extra to get the seat you want, it's just a way for them to make the headline price look cheaper than it really is.
Etihad very kindly gave me a free upgrade to business class (each way) last trip... Jan/Feb this year. .
