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Philippine Airlines Is Bringing a Nonstop A350 to New York

July 04, 2018
3 min read
A350-900 Philippine Airlines rendering
Philippine Airlines Is Bringing a Nonstop A350 to New York
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US-based flyers will soon have another way to fly on the new Airbus A350: Philippine Airlines is introducing it on its Manila (MNL) to New York (JFK) service later this year, when it will replace the airline's current one-stop flight via Vancouver (YVR) with a whopping 16-hour nonstop.

The airline had previously announced plans to make the service a nonstop by eliminating the stop in YVR starting in October 2018, but now it has also decided to swap the Airbus A350-900 on this route for the Boeing 777-300ER. The airline's website lists the first nonstop on October 30.

Flight-mapping site Great Circle Mapper puts the route at 8,520 miles in length, making it the longest nonstop out of JFK and the second-longest out of all the New York airports. Only Singapore Airlines' monster 9,534-mile flight from Newark to Singapore, the longest in the world, will surpass it when it restarts on October 11. In the current ranking of longest nonstops worldwide, the new Manila service is in eighth place.

Philippine Airlines will fly nonstop between JFK and MNL starting on October 30. Image courtesy of Great Circle Mapper.

According to Routes Online, the following schedule will be valid until March 9 of next year:

  • PR126 Manila (MNL) 9:00pm Departure → New York (JFK) 11:15pm Arrival, every day except Friday and Sunday
  • PR127 New York (JFK) 1:45am Departure → Manila (MNL) 7:15am (+1) Arrival, every day except Monday and Saturday

The first A350 out of six ordered will enter service with Philippine Airlines soon, and according to Routes Online, it will begin regional service from Manila to Hong Kong (HKG) in July. The aircraft will be configured with 295 seats in business, premium economy and economy.

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Philippine Airlines isn't part of any international alliances, and its Mabuhay frequent flyer program doesn't partner with US airlines or credit cards. But the airline does partner directly with ANA, which charges 60,000 miles round-trip in economy or 95,000 miles round-trip in business between New York and Manila. ANA is a transfer partner of both American Express Membership Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), but does require round-trip redemptions.

However, business-class fares on the flight are relatively cheap: A seat on the inaugural flight on October 30, with a return any time in the fall, can be had for around $3,800. Economy class goes for $863 at the lowest Supersaver level, which still offers two pieces of checked luggage at 50 pounds each.

Business class will be in a 1-2-1 layout with flat-bed seats, premium economy in a 2-4-2 layout with a 38-inch pitch between seats and economy in 3-3-3 with a relatively generous 33-inch pitch. Premium economy is not bookable yet on the JFK-MNL route on the carrier's site.

With additional reporting by Jane Frye.

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Why We Chose It

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.