Philippine Airlines in 2026: The Fleet Renewing with A350-1000s and Intercontinental Routes

History and positioning

Operating continuously since 1941, Philippine Airlines went through a financial restructuring during the pandemic, emerging in 2021 with a fleet relaunch plan that is now returning to expand the long-haul network. The airline positions itself as the country's benchmark full-service carrier, focusing on transpacific routes rather than a broad presence in Europe.

The fleet

The current widebody fleet combines Airbus A350-900s, Airbus A330-300s and Boeing 777-300ERs. Between the end of 2025 and 2027, the first of the nine Airbus A350-1000s ordered will arrive, intended mainly for ultra-long-haul routes to the US East Coast and Toronto; on short and medium haul, the narrowbody fleet is built mainly around the A321.

Routes and network

From Manila depart very long-haul links to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Toronto, among the longest in the world in terms of flight duration, along with routes to Doha, Dubai, Australia and the main Asian cities. The airline is considering a return to Europe with Paris and Brussels, after discontinuing its last European link to London Heathrow in March 2022.

On board and service

On the A350 the cabin is arranged in three classes: business, premium economy and economy. The loyalty program is Mabuhay Miles; unlike many large Asian carriers, Philippine Airlines does not belong to one of the major global alliances and relies mainly on bilateral codeshare agreements.

What passengers say

Long-haul reviews are generally positive about onboard comfort and the friendliness of the crew, with industry awards for service; reports of delays in peak periods and long waits at the telephone customer service remain recurrent.

Philippine Airlines is suited to those connecting the Philippines with the US West Coast or Toronto and looking for a complete long-haul product. It is less suitable for those who need European or African connections, since its presence on those continents is now scarce or absent. Since it is not part of a major alliance, book connecting itineraries directly through PAL or its direct partners, without counting on the automatic baggage transfer typical of global alliances.