Emirates and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have recently signed an interline agreement that aims to enhance connectivity for passengers of both airlines. The partnership will enable passengers to access new points on each other’s networks via Manila and Dubai, using a single ticket and a unified baggage policy.
The interline partnership is already in effect, providing passengers of Emirates access to 19 Philippine domestic destinations, including Cebu, Cotabato, Iloilo, Kalibo, and more, operated by Philippine Airlines, as well as two Asian regional points via Manila. Likewise, Philippine Airlines’ passengers can benefit from access to Emirates’ global network and seamlessly connect to 21 cities beyond Dubai to various European destinations such as London, Rome, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris, and Kuwait, as well as Jeddah and other points in the Middle East and Africa.
Passengers can conveniently book their travel itineraries through emirates.com, philippineairlines.com, the Emirates and PAL mobile apps, or online and offline travel agents.
“The Philippines is one of our strongest consumer markets and we’re pleased to sign a new interline agreement with the country’s flag carrier. The partnership with Philippine Airlines will help open new links for trade and tourism that will drive more inbound traffic into the market, and expand Emirates’ footprint in East Asia. We look forward to serving our partner airline’s customers with additional travel choices to Emirates destinations across the Middle East, Europe as well as the Americas, and to expanding our cooperation with plans to include additional points via Cebu in the coming months,” according to Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates.
PAL, the largest international network, and full-service airline, also the Philippine flag carrier, began its Dubai operations on 07 August 1982. Since then, it has expanded its Middle East route network, including flights to Doha (Qatar) and Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Presently, PAL operates daily flights between Manila and Dubai using Airbus A330 widebody aircraft, offering both Business Class and Economy Class services. The airline’s cabin crew and service teams worldwide demonstrate their gracious and uniquely caring Filipino service, aligning with PAL’s “Buong Pusong Alaga” (whole-hearted care) service philosophy.
“We are happy to embark on this new interline partnership with Emirates that expands the choices available to Philippine Airlines passengers, who now gain easier access to more destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa via our flights to Dubai. We are eager to expand our reach to various international markets and exciting destinations and help stimulate business and tourist travel for global citizens, as well as provide better service to our fellow Filipinos living and working in overseas nations,” said Bud Britanico, Vice President for Sales at PAL.
Philippine Airlines operates an extensive network of domestic routes to 32 destinations across the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions of the Philippines, with major hubs in Manila and Cebu and an increasing number of flights out of Davao and Clark as well. In addition to the Middle East, PAL offers the only nonstop flights linking the Philippines with the West and East Coasts of the United States and Canada as well as Hawaii, and the most flights between the Philippines and multiple destinations in Japan and Australia.
Emirates first started operations in Manila in 1990 and has since expanded its network to include Cebu and Clark. The airline currently serves the Philippines with 25 weekly flights to the three gateways.
The airline deploys its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a combination of three-class and two-class configurations on flights to Manila, Cebu, and Clark. Passengers on Emirates’ three-class Boeing 777 flights can enjoy eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class, and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. The airline’s two-class Boeing 777 flights provide 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 386 spacious seats in Economy Class.
Travelers to and from the Philippines can take advantage of Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes. This includes regionally-inspired dishes, complimentary beverages, and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system, which offers up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages. Passengers can choose from a vast selection of movies, TV shows, an extensive musical library, as well as games, audiobooks, and podcasts.
With the addition of its interline agreement with Philippine Airlines, Emirates takes its commercial partners up to 27 air carriers. These partnerships enable Emirates to respond with agility to the dynamic travel industry, meeting the ever-evolving air travel needs of its customer.