Boarding Gate 101

The PAL Boeing 747-400 Philippine Airlines (PAL), a flag carrier of the Philippines, is one the oldest airlines in Asia. It was founded in 1941.  PAL, as it is often known, serves 19 domestic destinations and 24 cities internationally. Its fleet is a mix of Airbus A319, A320, A321 and A330 for short and medium-haul routes, and Boeing 747-400, 777-300, Airbus A340 for long-haul routes.  I twice took Philippine Airlines for international trips, once to Bangkok and back, and also a roundtrip flight to and from  Hongkong.  Booking and Price: Full meal during the flight Surprisingly the fare I paid for the round-trip flight to Bangkok was cheap - $245, including taxes (Fiesta deal economy class). It was just a tad expensive over a similar, non-seat sale fare from Cebu Pacific. I was able to book the flight online , which help save time (booking a flight from their PAL offices can be a tedious exercise because of the lines). It also gave me...

Unless you're a great-great-grand nephew of Croesus, you might have encountered one tinny bit of detail that many travelers have faced since man learned how to sail: how to get enough dough to finance that dream jaunt.  We could work desk jobs or blog or both to earn enough cash for a plane ticket and grub while traveling, or as an alternative, earn our tickets for free.  One way to do this is by accumulating enough miles and points from credit cards or debit card companies that offer frequent flyer programs. Here in the Philippines there are several card companies and banks that offer such programs. The ones I have tried are the HSBC Visa Mabuhay Miles, the Cebu Pacific Citibank Visa, and the BPI SkyMiles Mastercard. There are others more, the Allied Bank Mabuhay Miles comes to mind, as well as the Citibank Premier Miles, but I will restrict this post to the first three mentioned.  In truth, the miles or points you earn from these cards are hardly free (unl...

Lunch is served at a Philippine Airlines flight (Manila to Bangkok)

A Philippine Airlines Boeing 747-400 being towed to the runway, at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The courtyard of the Spanish fort in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The fort, originally known as Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza, is known locally as Fort Pilar .  The construction of the star-shaped fortification, designed to ward off attacks by pirates and other enemies of Spain, was first started in 1635.

This Philippine Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, sitting on the ramp of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2,  is still brand new (second day of operation) when me and a friend took it to Hong Kong, in November 2009.