PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) on Monday said it has started using a tri-class Airbus A330-343 on its non-stop flights to Auckland, New Zealand.
In a statement, the flag carrier said the refurbished A330-343 has 18 business class, 24 premium economy and 267 regular economy seats.
PAL has a thrice weekly service from Manila to Auckland. PR 218 departs Manila every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, while the return flight PR219 leaves Auckland every Monday, Thursday and Friday.
“The shift to the A330 on the Manila-Auckland route increases overall capacity by 22%, helping stimulate leisure and business travel,” PAL said.
PAL said passengers will enjoy enhanced cabin amenities inside the A330, as it replaced the original 414 economy seats with 309 seats in three new cabin sections. All the seats will be fully-equipped with in-seat video monitors, have wider legroom and fewer seats on each row.
The A330’s business class has full-flat seats each with direct access to the aisle, privacy dividers, enhanced reading lights, a pneumatic air cushion with massage functions, and 18.5-inch video screens.
PAL introduced a new premium economy class, which features more legroom, special footrests, extra recline on wider seats, and 13.3-inch personal video screens.
Aside from Auckland, PAL uses the 309-seater premium version of the twin-engine A330 jet in Honolulu, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Osaka.
The flag carrier is seeking to impose a fuel surcharge as the price of oil continues to rise.
In the first quarter, PAL saw its attributable net loss widen to P1.1 billion from the P954-million loss during the same period a year ago. The airline’s expenses rose 14% to P36.9 billion, with jet fuel costs increasing by P2.1 billion. PAL said the average fuel price per barrel went up to $88.24 in the first quarter versus $76.15 in 2017.
