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After spending a few days in Manila, we were off to our next stop: Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB). Our Philippine Airlines flight had a last-minute aircraft swap. We ended up being downgraded from Business Class to Comfort Class (which is just the first two rows of the plane with some additional amenities and sold as Premium Economy). I was able to talk the lounge agent into blocking the third seat (as the plane is 3-3 throughout) and we did not have anyone sitting next to us.
Anthony’s Take: This was a short flight and about what I was expecting. Comfort Class provides a pillow and a blanket as well as a snack. The flight was 60 minutes and the crew was kind. We departed late, but only arrived about 20 minutes past the scheduled arrival time. Check-in on the website was simple and I had boarding passes in my Apple Wallet.
Booking
I booked the flights directly with Philippine Airlines. Business Class seats cost $255 each for the short flight. I selected 1C and 1A at booking. These were later swapped when the aircraft changed. The flight was operated by PAL Express (a wholly owned regional subsidiary of Philippine Airlines).
Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
Terminal 2 is used for flights within the Philippines at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL). The terminal was crowded and a bit dated. It felt like what you find in many Caribbean countries. All flights here are within the country, so they are all around an hour or so in duration. There is a lounge for Business Class and certain Mabuhay Miles elites and million milers. The lounge was much quieter than the terminal, but nothing to get excited about. Full review here.
Boarding
Boarding began late, but was pretty quick. Business Class and Comfort Class passengers are designated Group B. We were among the first on the aircraft.
On-Board
As mentioned, the aircraft is configured with seats in a 3-3 configuration. There was no Wi-Fi or on-board entertainment. We were seated in the second row. People with disabilities boarded ahead of us and were seated in row three (hence the closely cropped photo).
A blanket, pillow, and bottle of water were at our seat when we arrived.
The seat can recline. This was its only feature.
Overhead lights and individual air nozzles were overhead. There were no outlets of any kind.
Food
We were served a choice of a chicken, salmon, or sausage sandwich along with some oatmeal cookies and a beverage. I chose Sprite since options were limited and there was no ginger ale.
Wi-Fi
As mentioned, there was no Wi-Fi on this aircraft.
Lavatory
There was one lavatory in the front of the plane. It was pretty standard and consisted of a sink and toilet. It smelled pretty awful like someone had urinated all over it.
Service
Flight attendants were friendly. It was a short flight, so interactions were limited.
Overall Impression:
The flight had an aircraft swap and was slightly delayed. That doesn’t make for the best first impression. That said, Philippine Airlines did accommodate with an extra seat and provided us each with $150 electronic travel vouchers for future flights due to the aircraft swap. I would fly the airline again on a short hop like this one.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
