PAL offers new service to online ticket buyers

MANILA, Philippines - National flag carrier Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL) is offering a new service to passengers with online-issued tickets as it is looking at a five-to-seven percent growth in the volume of passengers with the arrival of brand new aircraft and the launch of new routes this year.

PAL said passengers with online-issued tickets could now avail of PAL’s ‘Manage My Booking’ service for rebooking of their flights and advance seat reservations.

The Tan-controlled airline added that passengers could also add or purchase ancillary items such as choice and forward economy seats by simply logging on to www.philippineairlines.com.

Passengers should click the Manage My Booking icon and type in their booking reference and last name. After carrying out these easy steps, passengers could now adjust their flights in terms of departure/arrival date, time, origin, destination and contact information.

PAL said ‘Manage My Booking’ applies to domestic and international one way or round trip tickets issued through the airline’s website. The facility would accept passenger requests for flight changes up to 24 hours before their flight.

On the other hand, passengers who wish to make flight changes within 24 hours from departure time should call PAL Hotline (02) 855-8888 or visit the nearest PAL ticket office.

The airline clarified that flight rebooking and purchase of choice seats are subject to corresponding fees. Likewise, fare difference charges may also apply.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier said the PAL Group expects its volume of passengers to expand between five and seven percent this year as the country is seen sustaining its robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“The market grows in proportion to the GDP growth so we are expecting a growth of five to seven percent this year for the PAL market,” Bautista said. The country’s GDP grew 6.1 percent last year and is expected to grow between seven and eight percent this year.

The PAL Group that includes PAL and PAL Express flew 12 million international and domestic passengers last year or 7.1 percent higher compared to 11.2 million in 2013. The PAL Group’s passenger volume plunged 11.8 percent to 11.2 percent in 2013 from 12.7 percent in 2012.

He added that the sharp decline in the price of jet fuel in the world market would result in more passengers.

The PAL Group has an existing fleet of 73 consisting mostly of Airbus aircraft. It has successfully sold about 20 ageing aircraft including the fleet of Boeing 747 that were replaced by brand new Boeing 777.

According to him, PAL has successfully negotiated with Airbus the deferral of the complete delivery of its remaining 38 A321 aircraft to 2024 instead of 2020 “without penalty and interest.