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Philippine Airlines received several Airbus A321s before the outbreak, and the plan was to use their high-margin business-class network to/from Australia’s East Coast.
The planes have enough range to fly non-stop from Manila to most Australian cities, and they are. Equipped with lie-flat seats. I was pleasantly surprised to see the A321neo as a last minute change of equipment on my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Manila.
Philippine Airlines offers the most affordable economy fares in Asia and uses a very attractive fixed fare upgrade table (which means lie-flat seats)!
Review of Philippine Airlines Business Class – Airport and boarding experience
Philippine Airlines uses the Plaza Premium Lounge at Kuala Lumpur Airport. The lounge was closed during my flight, so I went to the Sama “Sama Express – Airport Lounge” via Priority Pass. The lounge is part of an airport hotel, and the lobby has been renovated like an airport lounge. However, there is hot food, and many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available.
Kuala Lumpur Airport is a sad shadow of the magnificent transportation hub it was a few years ago. Air traffic and gate utilization may be around 20% of pre-pandemic levels, and most airport terminals are closed. Passengers are few, and there are buses instead of trains. It all works but the . It looks like an improved regional airport compared to the impression it gave in late 2018.
Boarding was on time, and this flight was about half full in economy and business. The flight attendants were helpful and seemed very friendly.
Philippine Airlines Business Class Review – Departures and Flight Routes
Despite its reputation for difficult flying conditions, I often find Kuala Lumpur to be clear and clutter-free. Kuala Lumpur uses parallel terminals (both KLIA and KLIA2) with one runway. We’ve got a beautiful flyover in the center of North Kuala Lumpur and the new construction around KL’s newest skyscraper ‘The Exchange’.
Philippine Airlines Business Class Review – Lie-flat seats
Philippine Airlines is using a false-flat business class seat that you may remember from American Airlines’ A321T (Sharklets) business class in a 2-2 configuration. It allows only minimal privacy and direct aisle access only to passengers seated in aisle seats. However, it goes completely lie-flat – something that very few single-aisle airplanes offer.
The leg cubby area is small, and it’s hard to stretch out as a tall person, but it’s lie-flat, so I’m not complaining!
Unfortunately I slept through the entire lunch service and was unable to photograph the food service.
There was an impending typhoon in the Manila area, and it would be exciting to find a calmer environment in the last hour of our flight path.
Review of Philippine Airlines Business Unit – Summary
I was pleasantly surprised by this flight. I had low expectations for Philippine Airlines’ business class, but the lie-flat product is excellent for a one-stop, short-haul flight. I can see myself spending 7-8 hours on it, although during long flights, the very small width and legroom will be annoying. Philippine Airlines is one of the last remaining ‘non-aligned’ carriers in Asia, but if they perform strongly, they may be able to join Skytome or oneSoon the world.
I was disappointed that I couldn’t see the food served, but now it’s a reason to try this again 🙂
This post is sponsored by Mighty Travels.
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