Philippine Airlines is joining Oneworld

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will become a member of the Oneworld alliance in 2027, bringing new benefits to the 15 other Oneworld airlines and their frequent flyers.

Speaking during a press briefing held in Rio de Janeiro, as part of the International Air Transport Association’s 82nd Annual General Meeting, Oneworld CEO Ole Orver confirmed PAL will see full membership kick in “some time during 2027.”

The Manila-based carrier was “the perfect fit for us to get a hub in a part of the world where we weren’t that strong in the past,” Orver admitted.

Oneworld’s Asian roster now includes Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines, and speculation continues that Taiwan’s Starlux could be next on the list.

Where PAL fits into Oneworld

Oneworld loyalists can look forward to booking Philippine Airlines flights not only across the Philippine archipelago but to over 40 international destinations.

Those flights will also be threaded into Oneworld’s family of Round The World tickets, from the popular Oneworld Explorer to the lesser-known Circle Pacific.

On the Australian front, this will make PAL flights available as part of the Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Reward or ’round-the-world’ package.

Also read: Create your dream around-the-world trip with Oneworld

And in addition to being able to earn the frequent flyer points or miles of your favourite Oneworld airline when travelling on Philippine Airlines, status credits or tier credits will also be lobbed into the basket.

Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Miles loyalty program will be aligned to the Oneworld tier structure, so that a traveller’s status with any Oneworld airline delivers familiar perks on PAL.

• Mabuhay Miles Classic is an entry-level tier with no real benefits.
• Mabuhay Miles Elite will be equivalent to Oneworld Ruby, such as Qantas Silver
• Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite will line up against Oneworld Sapphire, such as Qantas Gold
• The Mabuhay Miles Million Miler tier, which is a lifetime tier earned after notching up one million miles on PAL, is likely to map against Oneworld Emerald status, such as Qantas Platinum.

However, we’re expecting next year will see Philippine Airlines roll out a new Mabuhay Miles tier with year-based status targets, which will more directly sit against Oneworld Emerald.

This follows last month’s frequent flyer partnership between Qantas and Philippine Airlines, which has already unlocked seats on PAL at low Classic Reward rates.