AS PART of its continuing efforts to improve its on-board services, national flag-carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), has recently rolled out its new generation cabins.
“We have invested and worked hard to improve product and service quality to achieve passenger comfort on a 4-Star level,” PAL Vice President for Marketing Ria Domingo said in a statement.
For his part, PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista said, "Last year, we started converting our Airbus A330s from a 414-seat high-density configuration to a premium quality airplane with just 309 seats, and all-new Business Class, Premium Economy and upgraded Economy cabins."
With its new cabins, PAL is offering direct-aisle access for all its business class passengers with its Vantage XL seats from Thompson Aerospace.
The seat features fully flat bed of 78 inches long with a seat/bed width of 23 inches, adjustable air cushion system by Lantal, massage function, four-way headrest, individual reading light, shelf for small items with adjustable mood light, headphone hook, fabric seat cover with an extra layer of padding for enhanced comfort, padded inner shell for noise absorption, large 18.5-inch monitor with on-demand entertainment, and AC power and USB port at every seat.
For the Premium Economy Cabin, it features a spacious 2-3-2 configuration; generous 19.55 inch seat width, 38 inch pitch and 8 inch recline; wide center cocktail table; personal pull-out mini table, two dedicated pockets for small personal items; 13.3 inch touch screen monitor with on-demand entertainment; and AC power and USB port at every seat.
PAL also enhances its Economy Cabin with 18-inch seat width and 6-inch recline; 32-inch seat pitch, USB port at every seat, and large 10.1 inch touch screen monitor.
"We now have eight transformed A330s delighting our passengers on prime routes to Honolulu, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Osaka and by June to Auckland, New Zealand as well," Bautista said.
He also said the Airbus A350-900 that will join the airline's fleet in June will also feature its new generation cabins.
Bautista said with their new Airbus A321neo, which will be delivered soon, PAL will be the first in Southeast Asia to offer a single-aisle aircraft equipped with full-flat business class seats.
Meanwhile, the airline has also improved its in-flight entertainment as it offers its passengers the myPAL eSuite, outfitted with over 300 hours of movies, TV shows, and music.
"The myPAL Player inflight streaming app is also available for download for all iOS and Android users who wish to watch and consume content through their own devices, while the myPAL Wi-fi allows passengers to surf the internet throughout the flight," the airline said in a statement.
PAL's inflight cuisine has levelled up as PAL’s Inflight Catering led by Corporate Chef Noel Ramos collaborated with some of the country's renowned Chefs Jessie Sincioco, Fernando Aracama, Glenda Barretto, Myrna Segismundo, and Miko Aspiras.
Apart from food, PAL is replacing its regular blankets with a soft and warm duvet that will ensure maximum comfort for guests on long-haul Business Class flights. L’Occitane en Provence amenity kits are also provided to keep guests fresh throughout the flight.
“We may have achieved the 4-Star Rating with these new products and services, but rest assured, it doesn’t end here. Philippine Airlines is in the midst of a journey towards achieving the ultimate 5-Star airline industry rating by 2020. Our passengers can expect an even better PAL as we reach for the 5th star,” Domingo said. (RJL/With PR)