PAL transfers local flights to PAL Express

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Airlines (PAL), co-owned by tycoon Lucio Tan and diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), transferred more domestic flights to affiliate PAL Express.

PAL president and COO Ramon Ang said PAL Express assumed starting August 1 flights bound for:

• Bacolod
• Iloilo
• Laoag
• Tagbilaran

Destinations where PAL continues to fly to include:

• Cebu 
• Davao 

Ang clarified that PAL “will not discontinue service to any domestic destination as it continues to expand its code-sharing agreement with affiliate airline PAL Express.”

Codeshare is a marketing arrangement where two or more airlines offer the same flight. Under this arrangement, an airline operates the flight, but its affiliates also sell tickets for it.

PAL Express now operates most of PAL’s domestic flights, but PAL still markets these flights.

Code-sharing between PAL and PAL Express covers flights from Manila to:

• Basco
• Busuanga 
• Butuan 
• Cagayan De Oro
• Calbayog
• Catarman
• Caticlan
• Cotabato
• Dipolog
• Dumaguete
• Kalibo
• Legazpi
• Masbate
• Naga
• Ozamiz
• Puerto Princesa
• Roxas
• Surigao
• Tacloban
• Tuguegarao
• Zamboanga
• Puerto Princesa
• Cagayan to Davao

Cebu to:

• Busuanga
• Butuan
• Bacolod
• Cagayan de Oro
• Caticlan
• Davao
• Iloilo
• Ozamiz
• Puerto Princesa
• Tacloban
• Zamboanga

Iloilo to:

• Puerto Prinsesa

Zamboanga to:

• Davao
• Jolo
• Tawi-Tawi

PAL revived the PAL Express brand as part of efforts to help the low-cost carrier improve and align its service standards and product offerings with PAL. PAL Express used to be Airphil Express.

Major refleeting

Following the entry of SMC, PAL announced a major re-fleeting program involving the acquisition of 100 aircraft. It has so far acquired 64 aircraft from Airbus in a deal worth close to $10 billion.

Ang announced last July 10 that PAL is preparing for its much-awaited return to popular European destinations such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, and Madrid.

The European Union lifted the ban imposed on PAL after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines addressed major safety concerns.

PAL hopes to return to profitability by 2014. – Rappler.com