Avoid Philippine Airlines -- Possibly UNSAFE

[pjj 0]

^^^Safety standards determined by who????? Don't you know that Philippine Airlines uses American & European made airplanes (Boeing & Airbus)? Also, PAL's aircrafts are maintained by Lufthansa. If PAL is unsafe then all airlines that uses BOIENG & AIRBUS airplanes are also unsafe.

Read my post carefully. My post does not condemn PAL nor make any negative statement towards the airline. I'm merely distinguishing between safe airline practices (that may or may not include oversight) as opposed to free gifts in determining the safety of ANY airline. I never said PAL was unsafe.

Glad you clarified!

I guess some people here were just shooting their mouth.

[Arrta 1]

I have flown PAL too and had a good experience.

I did notice a little less security and control on the flight than I am used to.

There was no secondary ID check as we boarded the plane.

When the plane arrived in Manila, we were still a long ways from the gate waiting for a parking space, as the plane stopped everyone stood up and began to get their bags out of the overheads, THE PLANE was not parked yet!

When I traveled to the Philippines last June I primarily had a good experience. The delay was not too bad, on either trip. And the delay itself was due to the number of people on the flight more than due to the airline. Loading one of those 747-400's is a bear. The arrival times at the destination were fine, no delay from my recollection.

What secondary ID check are you refering to? I fly frequently for work and I have never been asked to present my ID when boarding the plane.

My only issue with PAL was this.

At LAX I had to go through security to get to the plane, x-ray and metal detectors, no problems. I had my 1 quart plastic bag in my carry on. My luggage was taken from my connecting flight and loaded onto the plane for me without having to pick it up and transfer it myself.

In Manila I disembark my international plane leave the international terminal. I have to goto luggage pickup to "claim" my bags to have them transfered to my connecting flight. I was not able to touch my bags I just had to identify them and have them searched before they were transfered ro my connecting flight.

I then goto the domestic terminal and again go through the metal detectors and x-ray machines without issue. Still have my 1 quart plastic bag.

I arrive at my final destination of Tacloban, I have all my luggage, no issues.

On my way home is where I got mad.

I board the plane in Tacloban, I check in my luggage. Inside my carry on I have my 1 quart plastic bag. I go through security and have no issues. I arrive in Manila, bags are automatically transfered to my connecting flight to the USA.

I leave the domestic terminal and goto the international terminal where again I have to go through the security check. They x-ray my carry on and see my 1 quart plastic bag, the same as the guy in Tacloban. They take the bag from my carry on and tell me that there are no liquids allowed on the flight. I have to throw out all my toiletries or put them in my checkin luggage. Well the checkin luggage was checked in at the start of the previous flight and noone told me I was not allowed to take my FAA approved 1 quart plastic bag of liquids back to the USA in my carry on. Otherwise I would have put it in those bags. Due to this I lost a $50 bottle of cologne because I had to leave it behind.

I finally get to LAX and go through the process of re-entering the country. I get to baggage claim cause I have to pick up my luggage and transfer it myself to my connecting flight. Why, when this was done for me on the way out?

I finally locate my luggage and it is soaked in WINE ???? Yes, I said wine. Some idiot passenger took a peice of luggage and filled it with 10 bottles of wine from the Philippines and had it checked in. Personally I am surprised they were allowed to even check it in. But you obviously can not carry it on the plane, considering my little 2.5 oz bottle of cologne. All 10 bottles of wine had broken at some point in the trip and it got all over my luggage

IDIOTS!!!

1. The airport employees in Tacloban, for not informing me of this restriction. It was their responcibility to inform me of this and they did not.

2. The airport employees in Manila, For not following the FAA regulations and arbitrarily making up your own rules for international flights.

3. Passengers who are stupid enough to put wine into their luggage and expect to have it show up at the destination in one peice. Even if it survives the flight without exploding due to the lack of preasure, the ground crew is not delecate with your checkin luggage, so expect breakage.

Edited January 20, 2008 by Arrta

[JNet 1]

i have flown PAL & Cathay Pacific. Cathay is by far the better choice.

I love Cathay Pacific so that is the only airline I use going to and from the RP

I love PAL. My experiences have been very pleasant with this airline. The planes are clean and new in appearance. Staff is very professional and courteous. My fiance and I have flown with them on at least six different occasions. Just our 2 cents.