CHECK-IN Visitors to the Philippines must have proof of a departure ticket and have registered with the digital eTravel system up to 72 hours prior to their arrival in the country. Travellers receive a QR code via email once completed, which may be required at immigration.
I checked in online, however, and was not able to download my boarding pass, so staff needed to confirm I had a departure ticket. I arrived at 0725 for my 1035 departure.
The airline's check-in desks were located at lane 14 - right at the end of the terminal and there was a dedicated lane for business class passengers and two economy lanes. There was also one for hand-luggage only and one for those who had checked in online but needed to drop off their hold luggage. Check-in was quick and I was provided with a physical boarding pass as well as a pass for entry to the lounge.
Before reaching immigration, passengers' passports and boarding passes were checked by security staff. Once through, there were plenty of automated immigration lanes to scan passports, capture photos and scan fingerprints. Unfortunately, the automated lanes weren't working for me, so I had to join a short queue at the desk.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/7881750501.jpg]
THE LOUNGE Philippines Airlines does not have its own lounge at Changi, but instead uses the SATS Premier Lounge, located on the first floor of the departures area. The lounge is open 24/7 and accessible to business class passengers and Priority Pass members.
The lounge was open-plan, with plenty of seating, some indoor greenery and wall art depicting Peranakan tiles. There were both hot and cold food buffets, as well as alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and spirits), filtered taps for drinking water and sparkling water, fridges for soft drinks, and two coffee machines (plus tea, with cold milk in the fridge).
Other amenities included great complimentary wifi, showers and massage chairs, plus a separate room which had a calmer feel thanks to water features and serene lighting.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/0655061118.jpg]
BOARDING Gate D47 was announced at 0945 and was located a ten-minute walk from the lounge. Boarding commenced by group number at 1015, with business class boarding first. The gate featured a charging station at the far end for those who needed to boost their phone battery.
Once we were boarded, friendly staff introduced themselves and served passengers a refreshing apple and carrot juice or a banana smoothie. The pilot greeted passengers with the warm Filipino greeting of "mabuhay" and announced that the flight time would be approximately three hours and 25 minutes.
The seats held a menu for the inflight dining service, and staff took orders at 1035. We took off at 1105.
THE SEAT The A321ceo seats 199 passengers across two cabins, with 12 seats across three rows in business class and 187 in economy. Business class is in a 2-2 (AC-HK) configuration and was only half-full during my journey, so everyone had a free seat next to them.
The seats felt a little dated, designed in a beige and cream colour scheme, with brown armrests. Each seat had a pillow, blanket and the menu leaflet. I found the seat comfortable, but the features were quite basic. There was just one seat recline button in the armrest, as well as an adjustable headrest, but no footrest.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/5586518718.jpg]
The tray table was in the armrest and proved a little fiddly to open. Aside from this, there was a small table between seats, with a drinks-sized table that slid out from there.
The seats were equipped with AC charging ports and a USB slot in the armrest. There was no IFE monitor. Instead, passengers must download myPAL Player - a free app that allows them to stream almost 100 films, 120 TV episodes and more than 800 songs on their own device. I wasn't aware of this before the flight, so wasn't able to download the app prior to boarding, as it requires an internet connection.
Those who do think ahead must enable wifi on their personal device once on the aircraft, and connect to the myPAL hotspot before accessing the app.
THE FLIGHT Passengers on this medium-haul flight were offered a hot mea...
I checked in online, however, and was not able to download my boarding pass, so staff needed to confirm I had a departure ticket. I arrived at 0725 for my 1035 departure.
The airline's check-in desks were located at lane 14 - right at the end of the terminal and there was a dedicated lane for business class passengers and two economy lanes. There was also one for hand-luggage only and one for those who had checked in online but needed to drop off their hold luggage. Check-in was quick and I was provided with a physical boarding pass as well as a pass for entry to the lounge.
Before reaching immigration, passengers' passports and boarding passes were checked by security staff. Once through, there were plenty of automated immigration lanes to scan passports, capture photos and scan fingerprints. Unfortunately, the automated lanes weren't working for me, so I had to join a short queue at the desk.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/7881750501.jpg]
THE LOUNGE Philippines Airlines does not have its own lounge at Changi, but instead uses the SATS Premier Lounge, located on the first floor of the departures area. The lounge is open 24/7 and accessible to business class passengers and Priority Pass members.
The lounge was open-plan, with plenty of seating, some indoor greenery and wall art depicting Peranakan tiles. There were both hot and cold food buffets, as well as alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and spirits), filtered taps for drinking water and sparkling water, fridges for soft drinks, and two coffee machines (plus tea, with cold milk in the fridge).
Other amenities included great complimentary wifi, showers and massage chairs, plus a separate room which had a calmer feel thanks to water features and serene lighting.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/0655061118.jpg]
BOARDING Gate D47 was announced at 0945 and was located a ten-minute walk from the lounge. Boarding commenced by group number at 1015, with business class boarding first. The gate featured a charging station at the far end for those who needed to boost their phone battery.
Once we were boarded, friendly staff introduced themselves and served passengers a refreshing apple and carrot juice or a banana smoothie. The pilot greeted passengers with the warm Filipino greeting of "mabuhay" and announced that the flight time would be approximately three hours and 25 minutes.
The seats held a menu for the inflight dining service, and staff took orders at 1035. We took off at 1105.
THE SEAT The A321ceo seats 199 passengers across two cabins, with 12 seats across three rows in business class and 187 in economy. Business class is in a 2-2 (AC-HK) configuration and was only half-full during my journey, so everyone had a free seat next to them.
The seats felt a little dated, designed in a beige and cream colour scheme, with brown armrests. Each seat had a pillow, blanket and the menu leaflet. I found the seat comfortable, but the features were quite basic. There was just one seat recline button in the armrest, as well as an adjustable headrest, but no footrest.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1713803923/articles/xJY5INZWA1715860405228/5586518718.jpg]
The tray table was in the armrest and proved a little fiddly to open. Aside from this, there was a small table between seats, with a drinks-sized table that slid out from there.
The seats were equipped with AC charging ports and a USB slot in the armrest. There was no IFE monitor. Instead, passengers must download myPAL Player - a free app that allows them to stream almost 100 films, 120 TV episodes and more than 800 songs on their own device. I wasn't aware of this before the flight, so wasn't able to download the app prior to boarding, as it requires an internet connection.
Those who do think ahead must enable wifi on their personal device once on the aircraft, and connect to the myPAL hotspot before accessing the app.
THE FLIGHT Passengers on this medium-haul flight were offered a hot mea...
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Business Traveller Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2024