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.
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.
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.
