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“Terrible experience - flight delayed, I'm out of pocket”
Review of Philippine Airlines (PAL)


Reviewed October 6, 2024

I don't usually write reviews but I had the worst experience with Philippine Airlines and will never fly with them again.

My flight from Taipei to Manila was delayed by 3 hours (and I was notified less than 4 hours before departure). This meant I'd miss my connecting flight to my next destination (also with Philippine Airlines).

Upon contacting them, they offered to reschedule but that meant I'd reach my destination a full day later. They also wouldn't pay for any hotel accommodation at all. So I had to take a day off work, cancel plans, book a new hotel for the night and I received no compensation at all.

Don't fly with them!

Date of travel: October 2024
1  Thank Aseem T
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philippine_Airlines, Manager at Philippine Airlines (PAL), responded to this reviewResponded October 7, 2024

Hello, Aseem. Thank you for taking the time in sharing about your previous experience from Taipei to Manila with Philippine Airlines. We understand you encountered challenges during your journey, namely, the 3-hour delay of your flight, misconnection of your connecting flight, and incurring additional costs due to the disruption. It must have been a disappointing experience, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.

We assure you that this is definitely not the service we aim to provide, and we recognize we fell short in this instance.

We hope you can allow us to extend our assistance to you. Could you kindly send us your booking reference and ticket number via direct message through any of our official social media channels below? We will be ready to help out.

Instagram: @flyPAL
X (previously Twitter): @flyPAL

Thank you, Aseem, and we look forward to hear from you.

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Reviews (5,781)
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61 - 65 of 5,781 reviews

Reviewed October 5, 2024

On my flight I had to stand up to let another passenger pass. I noticed he went sitting in empty seats with leg space and decide to do the same. Other passengers had also already moved seats. I am 1.85m, big and am so cramped in the standard economy seats that I needed to go to the doctor many times before for fluid buildup in my feet. I only sit there a few minutes and a whole army of stewardesses an the female head purser miss San Gabriel shows up to remove us to our original seats. I was willing to do that and did it effectively but apparently this is not enough. A lecture follows. "It is not fair to passengers paying extra for those seats". But it is not fair to have to sit cramped because one is taller neither. "You should ask for a seat with legspace". I said this is now the case but you send me back. Miss San Gabriel feels the heat coming on and runs off. Also the trays are in one part without hinge so I have to hold my food in my hand. I was offered to move to another seat 2 times...with the same leg space and the same tray. Asked for an apology for being treated like a fool but got none. Miss San Gabriel would make a note about me she said. Back in elementary school !

Date of travel: October 2024
    • Seat comfort
    • Customer service
    • Cleanliness
    • Food and Beverage
    • Legroom
    • In-flight Entertainment
    • Value for money
    • Check-in and boarding
1  Thank PrinceBaki
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philippine_Airlines, Manager at Philippine Airlines (PAL), responded to this reviewResponded October 7, 2024

Hi, Prince. Thank you for taking the time in sharing about your previous experience with Philippine Airlines. We understand your disappointments during your flight and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We acknowledge that our inflight crew could have provided additional assistance considering the situation and we are so sorry.

Please allow us to further investigate on this matter. Could you send us your booking information via direct message through any of our official social media channels below?

Instagram: @flyPAL
X (previously Twitter): @flyPAL

Thank you, Prince, and we look forward to make this right with you.

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Reviewed October 5, 2024

Horrible experience, locked 5 hours into a non working plane, lost all the connection flights, zero ground assistance. I've flown with the worst airline ever (Transaero, Poste Italiane) but honestly this is now the worst ever tried.

Date of travel: October 2024
    • Seat comfort
    • Customer service
    • Cleanliness
    • Food and Beverage
    • Legroom
    • In-flight Entertainment
    • Value for money
    • Check-in and boarding
1  Thank Explotravel
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philippine_Airlines, Manager at Philippine Airlines (PAL), responded to this reviewResponded October 7, 2024

Hi there. Thank you for taking the time in sharing about your previous experience with Philippine Airlines. We understand you encountered challenges during your journey, namely, the inoperative aircraft, losing your connecting flight, and no ground assistance provided. We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the inconveniences caused. This is definitely not the service we aim to provide and we recognize we fell short on this occasion.

We believe that passenger feedback is vital in helping us determine which service areas we can still enhance. Rest assured, you have our commitment that we are continuously improving our products and services to be minimize similar situations from happening again.

Please send us a direct message through any of our official social media channels below should you require further assistance. We will be ready to help out.

Instagram: @flyPAL
X (previously Twitter): @flyPAL

Thank you, Explotravel, and we hope to have the chance to serve you better in the future.


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Reviewed October 3, 2024

Worst flight ever, my sister flewed in the same flight a month ago and had terrible experience. I was supposed to fly in the morning and in just 12hrs time they canceled the flight. What if, if I hadn’t open my emails before I sleep. Customer service is horrendous. Never ever will fly with Phillipines Airlines.

Date of travel: September 2024
1  Thank Pratibha G
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philippine_Airlines, Manager at Philippine Airlines (PAL), responded to this reviewResponded October 7, 2024

Hello, Pratibha. Thank you for taking the time in sharing about your previous experience with Philippine Airlines. We understand your flight was cancelled 12 hours before your flight. It must have been a very frustrating experience, and we are truly sorry. We acknowledge the inconvenience this disruption has brought to your travel plans. Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes lead to disruptions, however, we assure you that we do not disrupt flights unless absolutely necessary, prioritizing the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew.

Please send us a direct message through any of our official social media channels below should you require further assistance. We will be ready to help out.

Instagram: @flyPAL
X (previously Twitter): @flyPAL

Thank you, Pratibha, and we hope to have the chance to serve you better in the future.

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Reviewed September 30, 2024

I recently flew on PR537 from Manila to Bali (MNL-DPS) on September 28, 2024, and I was quite disappointed with how the flight attendant in my row treated me.

I asked the flight attendant, in Tagalog, if I could move to a different seat because the man beside me was coughing loudly, and I was worried about getting sick. She informed me that purchasing a seat onboard wasn’t possible and added that most flights are full. I understood that and didn’t push further, but I was genuinely concerned about my health due to the man’s constant coughing. What I didn’t understand was why his loud coughing didn’t seem to concern the flight attendants at all.

A short while later, a foreign passenger (an American woman) sitting across from me asked if she could move to an empty seat, and the same flight attendant immediately allowed her to switch seats without hesitation. The flight attendant even suggested that the Filipino man sitting beside the foreigner could also move to a different seat.

However, she never offered me the same courtesy, even though I had asked first due to a valid health concern.


I couldn't help but think:

* Was my request ignored because I’m Filipino? Why was a foreigner’s request accommodated while mine wasn’t?

* Why didn’t the crew offer a mask to the passenger who was coughing so loudly? I had my own mask on, even though I wasn’t sick.


Throughout the rest of the flight, the same flight attendant barely interacted with me, and during the meal service, she didn’t even ask me properly what I wanted to eat.


To be clear, I didn’t speak to her disrespectfully. I even mentioned that I was willing to pay to move seats because I didn’t want to cause any trouble. But I was left feeling dismissed and ignored.

I kindly request that your flight attendants show more consideration and empathy towards passengers, especially when they are being polite. As someone who travels frequently between Bali and other destinations, I have never experienced such selective and insincere hospitality.

For someone like me who rarely makes requests during flights, this experience was quite disappointing.

Date of travel: September 2024
    • Seat comfort
    • Customer service
    • Cleanliness
    • Food and Beverage
    • Legroom
    • In-flight Entertainment
    • Value for money
    • Check-in and boarding
1  Thank Joan D
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philippine_Airlines, Manager at Philippine Airlines (PAL), responded to this reviewResponded October 2, 2024

Dear joandC7250QI,

Thank you for sharing your recent experience with us. We regret the situation you encountered and any feelings of discomfort or disregard during your flight. Your concerns are completely valid, and we understand how frustrating it must have been to feel overlooked, especially when it involved a health-related issue.

We assure you that it is never our intention to treat passengers differently, regardless of nationality. We expect our crew to be attentive and consistent in offering assistance to all passengers, and we regret that this wasn’t reflected in your experience. We also acknowledge your point about addressing the passenger who was coughing, and we appreciate your feedback regarding how this could have been handled more thoughtfully.

Please be assured that we will share your comments with the relevant teams to review this matter, as we strive to provide all passengers with the highest standard of service, care, and consideration. We value your feedback and will use it to improve our onboard experience. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and regain your trust in our service.

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