Philippine Airlines returns to Perth with non-stop Manila flights

Philippine Airlines is planning a return to Perth, giving flights to Western Australia a second attempt with a new non-stop service between Perth and Manila taking off from March 2020.

The airline briefly served Perth in 2013 but quickly axed the flights in the same year, with those services both detouring via Darwin in each direction, and offering domestic-style reclining seats in business class as opposed to fully-flat beds.

From March 30 2020, however, Perth travellers can expect to fly non-stop straight to the Philippine capital aboard the airline’s Airbus A321neo aircraft: the same as currently jetting between Brisbane and Manila.

Although a single-aisle plane, the A321neo provides three rows of flatbed business class seating in a 2-2 layout: being a similar seat as carriers such as American Airlines, Delta and United use on selected cross-country flights in the United States.

Business class aboard Philippine Airlines' Airbus A321neos is a secluded affair, with 12 seats across three rows.

ET review: Philippine Airlines Airbus A321neo business class

The airline’s Perth flights will run four times per week, with PR224 departing the WA capital at 8:40am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, reaching Manila at 3:50pm local time after a journey of seven hours and 10 minutes.

Returning from Manila also on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, PR223 is an after-midnight departure, leaving the city’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 12:05am and calling into Perth at 7:20am, with a non-stop flying time of seven hours and 15 minutes.

Put your feet up and relax in Philippine Airlines' Airbus A321neo business class.

It’s the overnight flight where business travellers will most appreciate those fully-flat beds, but during the daytime service up from Perth, it’s easy to remain productive with AC power at every seat paired with 100MB of complimentary inflight Internet access for every business class passenger.

ET review: Philippine Airlines A321neo inflight Internet

Philippine Airlines doesn’t have a partner airline in Australia and isn’t a member of a global alliance, although its Mabuhay Miles frequent flyer program is free to join.

Alternatively – and perhaps, a better fit for less regular travellers in Australia – miles from Philippine Airlines flights can also be credited to ANA Mileage Club to be spent on ANA and across Star Alliance, including with airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways from Perth.

These new Perth-Manila flights are now on sale via travel agents, and the airline shares that airfares are expected to be available for sale on its own website later today.

In Australia, Philippine Airlines also flies non-stop from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Manila, and onward to a host of domestic and international destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Also read: Cathay Pacific business class review, Perth to Hong Kong

Chris C.

A former contributor to Executive Traveller, Chris lives by the motto that a journey of a thousand miles begins not just with a single step, but also a strong latte, a theatre ticket, and later in the day, a good gin and tonic.