PAL Taps Canada Route Soon

Manila Bulletin
October 21, 2012
By Anjo Perez and Mitch Arceo

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will begin its second direct flight services to Canada next month, to also serve as its first gateway to the North America's East Coast. Beginning November 30, 2012, PAL will offer direct flight services to Canada's largest city, Toronto.

As a result of the new destination, PAL's Canadian flight operations will be revamped with the daily service between Manila and Vancouver, on Canada's West Coast, revised to four times weekly, alternating with a three-times-weekly non-stop service between Manila and Toronto.

PR118 will depart Manila for Toronto every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3 pm and arrive at Terminal 3 of  the Toronto Pearson International Airport at 5 pm on the same days.

Its return flight PR 119, departs Toronto every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:35 pm, stopping in Vancouver at 9:30 pm. The service continues on to Manila at 11:30 pm and arrives at Terminal 2 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5:45 am two days later.

PAL will utilize its brand-new, long range flagship, Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a seating configuration of 42 seats in Mabuhay Class and 328 seats in Fiesta Class. The non-stop flight service between Manila and Toronto will take 17 hours.

The 777-300 is a luxurious wide-body jet that is especially designed for ultra-long-haul, intercontinental journeys. It is powered by two General Electric 90-115BL engines that can easily cover the 13, 230 kilometers between the two cities non-stop.

Passengers onboard the Canada-bound flight can expect to be pampered with PAL's signature inflight service, which features plush, well-appointed Recaro seats that recline to a lie-flat angle in Mabuhay Class; a fully digital inflight entertainment system with audio-video on demand (AVOD) capability; and gourmet cuisine from top international guest chefs.

The new service kicks off the peak Christmas travel season, one of the busiest periods in the Philippine travel calendar and a crucial test of PAL's resolve to rebound from operational and financial difficulties last year.