Philippine Airlines Sets Introductory Fares to New York
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is offering an introductory fare for as low as $610.00 to New York to celebrate the flag carrier's return to the Big Apple.
The roundtrip, budget economy fare, exclusive of taxes and surcharges, may be bought starting immediately, for travel from March 15, 2015 onwards.
PAL will begin its four-times-a-week New York service on March 15, 2015, which also marks the airline's 74th founding anniversary.
Introductory Business (Mabuhay) Class round-trip fares go as low as $3,560.00, exclusive of taxes and surcharges.
Tickets to New York may be bought through the PAL website, any PAL ticket office or accredited travel agent.
"We are prioritizing our US network expansion, after the lifting of the Category 2 rating, in answer to the clamor of the huge Filipino community in the US East Coast," said PAL President Jaime J. Bautista.
"We are confident we will be able to meet the expectations of our passengers in New York with PAL's brand of quality service that is distinctively Filipino," added Mr. Bautista.
PAL will field its modern, long-range workhorse, the Airbus A340-300, which seats 36 passengers in business class and 218 in economy, on the Manila-Vancouver-New York route. At 14,501 kilometers, this will be the longest route in PAL’s network.
The new service will operate four times weekly between Manila and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
New York brings to five the US network of PAL, following Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Guam.
PAL’s return has been keenly anticipated by the huge Filipino-American communities along the US eastern seaboard ever. About half a million ethnic Filipinos reside on the East Coast, with over 253,000 in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, 90,000 in Virginia, 75,000 in Washington, D.C. and environs, and 31,000 in the Philadelphia metro area.
Overall, Filipinos on the East Coast account for 15% of the estimated 3.4-million-strong Filipino population in the U.S., comprising a natural base market for PAL.
The robust business sector in New York, the world’s financial capital, as well as the sizeable government and diplomatic community attached to the United Nations, which is based in the city, provide other key traffic streams.
The choice of JFK International, the busiest in the US, as PAL’s gateway to New York is a major advantage for the new service. Located in the borough of Queens, the airport is a mere 15 miles from midtown Manhattan, nerve center of New York. PAL will operate out of Terminal 1.
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines is the flag carrier of the Republic of the Philippines. Now in its 73rd year of existence, the full-service legacy carrier covers South and North Asia, Australia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The airline, which has embarked on fleet modernization, route network expansion and service innovations, is best known for its trademark Filipino brand of service marked by warmth, charm and hospitality. PAL has a wide route network covering 29 domestic and 36 international destinations. With its wide range of product offerings, the airline enables passengers to book their flights based on actual needs.
