Philippine Airlines is
continuing to step up the quality of service and comfort level of its short haul
international flights with the introduction of the Airbus A330. Today, PAL
passengers can now enjoy a very convenient 4-hour journey to Bangkok with the help of the cool features of the A330. This Airbus model is normally used by most airlines on long-haul flights that spans at least 8 hour of travel
time. By opting to fly this dandy of a state-of-the-art plane on a brief hop to a city
like Bangkok, it only show how serious Philippine Airlines when it comes to providing more
value for airfare to its passengers.
I was fortunate enough to
fly on an A330 the last time I visited Bangkok and here are some of the things
about this plane and the in-flight service PAL provided, that stood out for me.
myPal
eSuite Personal TV
I admit, I wasn’t a fan of
MyPAL’s mobile app which you need to download on your gadget so you can watch
in-flight streaming movies on your device. One reason is because I have a small
mobile phone screen. I would prefer watching movies on a bigger screen.
When I learned that on
this particular plane, PAL is offering a myPAL eSuite Personal TV, my heart
skipped a beat as I always look forward to watching a movie during a flight
that goes over two hours.
I have only flown a couple
of long haul non-stop flights before (to Dubai) and I remembered being
entertained by watching a couple of movies in between meals. This is
why the presence of an in-flight entertainment system is important in
lessening one’s boredom while airborne.
The myPAL eSuite’s doesn’t
disappoint with its 10.1 touchscreen monitor filled with a large collection of
Hollywood and international films including a dozen of recently released
critically acclaimed Tagalog motion pictures.
Other than the movies, you
can also opt to watch some of your favorite TV series or listen to the
collection of music albums ranging from classical, pop, and international to alternative
rock genre. It is said that the whole entertainment collection lasts up to 300
hours. Definitely a mound of choices for a four-hour flight.
I ended up watching this
feel good movie called “Wonder”
starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts which follows the exploits of August
Pullman, a boy with facial differences from being home-schooled to enrolling in
a mainstream elementary school.
In-flight
Meal
Another thing that excites me whenever I board a PAL plane, is the in-flight meal. Because I know I would be served a Filipino dish fused with a taste of an international cuisine, the moment I sat on my assigned seat, I just
counted the minutes until the flight attendants started serving meals.
When the lovely stewardess
asked me “chicken or beef?” I opted
for the beef, which to my lovely surprise came as fusion of our own beef caldereta
with Italian fettuccine pasta.
The serving size is just
ideal for a 4-hour flight and it comes with a bread, salad and a small pack of
Cebu best Dried Mango. Topping it all for dessert was a half-pint mango ice cream.
Comfortable
Seats
Being a larger aircraft
than most Airbus models, the A330 packs a spacious leg room for each seats.
Divided each row by a 2-4-2 partition, each seat measures 18 inch in width with
a 32 inch seat pitch that can be reclined up to 6 inches. I particularly loved the light and
compact design of the economy class seats because it saved more space without sacrificing comfort.
It may appear very thin but once you
sat on it, you instantly feel very comfortable thanks to the very soft cushion
of the extra padding present despite its compressed design.
MyPAL
WiFi
Guests are automatically
afforded 15 minutes free Wi-Fi access while onboard. This is good for 5 MB of
data. If you wanted to check some email and do some work, you can avail of a
1-hour 35 MB data for $5.00.
I tried my free access and
was able to reply to an urgent email right away. So even when we were already
flying out of Philippine territory, the internet connection still worked fine.
Trademark
PAL Heart of the Filipino Service
No PAL experience is
complete without experiencing the trademark Heart of the Filipino service
provided by flight attendants of the Philippine Airlines. A cheery greeting of Mabuhay welcomes you onboard and each
time they will pass you by, they make sure to ask you if you needed anything.
Seeing them take care of their passengers make me beam with pride, knowing
foreign travelers will have a more positive expectations of our country because
of their kind and hospitable manner of performing their jobs.
👍👍👍Flying
Experience
Philippine Airlines’ Airbus
A330 definitely elevates the level of comfort and quality service of short haul
international flights flying out of Manila. This is in line with PAL’s
dedication of providing passengers more options to experience luxury in air
without drilling a hole in their pockets. Our four-hour flight to Bangkok went
by without a hiccup. Most times, I would prefer to sleep most part of my Southeast
Asian flights, but on this trip – I made sure to enjoy all the features of the
Airbus A330. As the pilot announced “Flight
crew, prepare for arrival”, I even wished to have more time up in the air
as I still want to relax on my comfortable chair and finish the 2nd
movie I was watching.
Check out latest seat-promos to book for your next destination at the official website of the Philippine Airlines
Check out latest seat-promos to book for your next destination at the official website of the Philippine Airlines
