PAL partners with American Airlines for codesharing

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has added seven new US states, including Las Vegas and Washington D.C., to its flight network through a codeshare agreement with American Airlines.

Through the deal with American Airlines, PAL marks the first time that a Philippine carrier will reach several destinations in the US outside of traditional gateways Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

PAL will codeshare with American Airlines to provide passengers with flights from Los Angeles to Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando and Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, American Airlines will work with PAL in bringing travelers to Manila and Cebu via Tokyo. Likewise, American Airlines will codeshare on PAL’s flights to Manila by way of Guam and Honolulu.

Codeshare refers to the industry practice of two or more airlines publishing the same flight under their respective designators. This means that a carrier may sell seats for a trip offered by partners.

PAL chief commercial officer Eric David Anderson said the airline is eager to broaden its reach in the North American market with the competition for US-bound travelers tightening.

“This partnership with American Airlines unlocks more options for customers traveling between Asia and the United States,” Anderson said.

“We are delighted to deliver on our long-term strategy of continuing to build up our global reach, and we look forward to creating more opportunities for travelers to discover the wonders of the Philippines,” he said.

At present, PAL offers twice a day flights to Los Angeles. Apart from this, the airline serves the Guam and San Francisco routes daily, with weekly flights to Honolulu and New York.

Recently, the flag carrier, owned by taipan Lucio Tan, has faced a new rival in the market for US-bound travelers from the Philippines. In October United Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the world, started operating daily flights between Manila and San Francisco. –  Rudy Santos