Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Emirates have signed an interline agreement to enhance connectivity for passengers of both airlines via Manila and Dubai, using a single ticket and a common baggage policy. The agreement enables Emirates passengers to access 19 Philippine domestic destinations and two Asian regional points via Manila, while Philippine Airlines passengers will gain access to Emirates' global network and seamlessly connect to 21 cities, including Cairo, Frankfurt, Casablanca, and London, operated by Emirates via Dubai. Travel itineraries can be booked on philippineairlines.com, emirates.com, the Emirates and PAL mobile apps, and with travel agents and online travel agents (OTAs).
The reciprocal interline partnership between the two airlines is now in effect and is expected to boost trade and tourism and drive more inbound traffic into the Philippines, expanding Emirates' footprint in East Asia. Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said the partnership with Philippine Airlines will help stimulate business and tourist travel for global citizens, and he looks forward to expanding their cooperation with plans to include additional points via Cebu in the coming months.
Philippine Airlines Vice President for Sales Bud Britanico expressed happiness over the new partnership with Emirates, which will expand the choices available to Philippine Airlines passengers, enabling them to gain easier access to more destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa via their flights to Dubai. The interline agreement will also provide better service to Filipinos living and working in overseas nations.
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. Emirates, on the other hand, operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Manila and a two-class configuration on flights to Cebu and Clark, offering 8 private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class, and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class. The airline currently serves the Philippines with 25 weekly flights to the three gateways.
Emirates takes its commercial partners up to 27 air carriers with the addition of its interline agreement with Philippine Airlines, enabling the airline to respond with agility to the dynamic travel industry and meeting the ever-evolving air travel needs of its customers.