I’d like to nominate Philippine Airlines for the award of “worst flat bed business class seat offered by a full service airline.” It really boggles the mind that anyone signed off on this product. I’d also like to introduce you to my seat mate’s feet (fortunately he’s wearing socks).
Philippine Airlines takes top & bottom seats to a new low
I’m currently flying Philippine Airlines home from Japan to the United States — my Osaka (KIX) to Manila (MNL) flight is operated by an Airbus A330-300, while I’m connecting to the carrier’s new flagship Airbus A350-1000.
Look, I don’t want to be too much of a diva, as my A330 flight was under four hours long. It’s not like I suffered, or anything. However, I judge airplane seats based on the competitive landscape, and that’s the lens through which I’m viewing this. Let me also emphasize that Philippine Airlines has two versions of the A330, and the other one is much better. But gosh, as far as flat bed business class seats go, this one really sucks.
In the past I’ve written about what I consider to be the world’s worst business class seats. Royal Air Maroc’s Boeing 787-8 business class seat made the list. It feels a little bit like sleeping on an ironing board, and each pair of seats are in a “top and bottom” configuration, where one passenger essentially towers over the other when reclined. Clearly Philippine Airlines was like “hmmm, that looks great, but how can we make that seat even worse?”
“How about we get rid of the seat back entertainment?” Check!
“How about we make the seats even tighter, given the A330’s narrower fuselage?” Check!
“Can we place the power port a little more inconveniently, so that you’re guaranteed to knock it with your arm any time you try to use it?” Check!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’d rather just have a regional recliner seat without a flat bed over this product.
Nothing about this product makes any sense
Okay, so there’s literally nowhere to place anything in this configuration. Like, for the pre-departure drink service, everyone had to take their tray tables out, because there’s no other logical place to put a drink.
And even the tray table is awful. It basically rests on the far armrest with a margin of around one centimeter, so if you even slightly push it forward, it just plops down and falls, so that it’s at a pretty rough angle, and potentially knocks around anything on the tray.
They didn’t install seat back entertainment, but there is streaming entertainment (and in business class they give you a tablet). Great… but where are you supposed to actually place the device? There’s no personal device holder. Yes, you can put it on your tray table, but a) that keeps falling down and b) that means you can’t actually watch anything while eating.
There’s just nowhere to store or place anything, and everything is so tight that I kept seeing people knock things over. Two different people dropped their phones into the side of their seats, because there’s just nowhere to even place them.
As I hinted at above, there is a power port at the seat, but it’s at a 90-degree angle to the seat, and roughly at the height where your arm would be. For example, I was trying to charge my laptop with a “brick” charger, and I couldn’t help but keep knocking it over and over, given the angle and lack of seat width. That says nothing of the fact that the charger just falls out every two seconds because of how loose it is. And let’s not even talk about the cabin’s condition…
Anyway, thanks for indulging me. This is all embarrassing, and I hope my flight on the brand new A350-1000 is better. On the plus side, the crew was absolutely lovely, so no fault at all to them for this. If only the hard product matched their kindness and warmth…
Bottom line
Philippine Airlines managed to take my least favorite flat bed business class seat and somehow make it worse. Ultimately it’s not like this was the worst ride for a fairly short flight, but I just don’t understand how anyone could possibly sign off on this product.
Like, was the person in charge thinking “this is great, our customers will love it?” Or “meh, this sucks, but who cares?” Or…?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a poorly executed seat in terms of functionality. There’s nowhere to put anything, the whole thing feels insanely tight and bare bones, and it just makes me wish I were on one of those A321s with standard recliners.
Honestly, matters were probably made worse by the fact that I was on “bottom,” and the guy next to me was pretty gassy. Anyway, I’m sure the Manila ground experience will be lovely, and more than make up for this… right?
Am I the only one who hates these Philippine Airlines A330 business class seats?
For the context, it's Stelia Equinox 3D - a very rare obsolete business seat model (only AT also uses it in own B788s). There was also Equinox 2D model (AF A332, UX B788s and a few B789s), which is less sophisticated and reminds Collins Diamond model).
@Long Way Around - I was thinking the same thing. Very Josh.
Ben - snap out of it! LOL
Ben, these reviews come off as rather petulent, and you are starting to sound like Josh Cahill.
These seats are perfectly fine for the regional flights which they operate. I flew this product recently to Singapore and had a lovely time. It is fully flat bed, making it already better than the premium economy - style seats Cathay sells as regional business class.
I disagree. It sounds like an honest review of a terrible plane. 2-2-2 J and 3-3-3 Y on an A330?
If Ben really was sounding like Josh Cahill, I'm wondering why he didn't claim that PAL was purposefully deploying these jets on the flight he was flying and that he's entitled to a massive compensation.
It takes a lot to reach the Josh Cahill level of bitching. Ben, however, knows what he's saying.
Persona non grata in the Phillippines coming up..
What's even worse is flying in premium economy on those old A330s.
You get a standard economy seat in a tight 3-3-3 layout, with a few inches of extra legroom.
Just like economy plus on other carriers, except they still charge you a premium economy fare.
And if you're unlucky like me, you'll book when it's showing a 2-3-2 layout for their actual premium economy product that newer A330s have, then they'll switch the aircraft...
What's even worse is flying in premium economy on those old A330s.
You get a standard economy seat in a tight 3-3-3 layout, with a few inches of extra legroom.
Just like economy plus on other carriers, except they still charge you a premium economy fare.
And if you're unlucky like me, you'll book when it's showing a 2-3-2 layout for their actual premium economy product that newer A330s have, then they'll switch the aircraft a few days before the flight.
Tried complaining after the flight but their customer service insisted it wasn't a downgrade from what I had booked because they still call it "premium economy".
flying business for a 4-hour flight is a total waste of money
you are simply too used to luxury
and PAL is not Emirates or Air France
First, Ben almost certainly bought this and the next flight as one ticket. If he wanted J on the long, second leg, he got J on this.
Second, that comment is pretty worthless without context. Is this J cabin worth one dollar more than coach, even if it's just a 4-hour flight? So, whether something is a waste of money can't be addressed without knowing the cost.
Sassy Ben is sassy! Want to see more of this, please. Got a few good chuckles when I was reading this post aloud.
Can't wait for the A350 review!
Yea I fly from Iloilo to DFW and it would be nice to book PAL but I can't. Instead Cebu Pacific to MNL then UA with a connection in SFO. Ill stick with Polaris until Pal upgrades.
Lay it on Philippine Airlines Day or something? I do not Blame you. Tough choice between Economy Class of Qatar/Emirates or PA Business Class!
Ugh our family is flying this from Tokyo to Syd in January. I think right now it looks like the recliner version from Tokyo to Manilla. Then the angled seats from Mnl to Syd.
Lucky you need to stop using those stupid Apple brick chargers and just get a 65W GAN charger (such as Rolling Square). It will make life plugging things in on flights much more pleasant for you, I promise.
Regarding the seat, all fair points you make. But I have to say the footwell looks huge. So there is something to be said for that.
There goes my interest in their status match promo...
Ben, who manufactures this seat?
The Marquis de Sade.
LOL
Wow, those seats really suck!!🤪
It's Stelia's Equinox 3D
“For example, I was trying to charge my laptop with a “brick” charger”
Unless you are on an old Windows laptop, i’m wondering why you are using a “brick” charger for your laptop and not a small 3rd party USB-C charger?
Because such chargers often lack the power necessary, particularly when drawing from an airplane source which tends to be underpowered
These days you can get a pretty solid 45W charger in a small footprint, and it should charge most laptops at a reasonable pace.
That isn’t really true at all nowadays. A decade ago when there were power limits on outlets, but a majority of them support 60W+ just fine.
A 16 inch Apple Silicon MBP can charge perfectly fine on a tiny Anker 60W plug and gain charge when using it, unless you are doing some super graphic intensive work which is straining the laptop.
That isn’t really true at all nowadays. A decade ago when there were power limits on outlets, but a majority of them support 60W+ just fine.
A 16 inch Apple Silicon MBP can charge perfectly fine on a tiny Anker 60W plug and gain charge when using it, unless you are doing some super graphic intensive work which is straining the laptop.
Did you see the former KLM CEO's recent charging woes...
Did you see the former KLM CEO's recent charging woes...
That’s an external battery pack, not a plug. Two completely different things.
Here comes all my fellow Pinoys who can’t take any criticism about anything related to the Philippines. Ben DID NOT imply PAL is the worst airline in the world. This is a judgment purely about the seats which looks awful.
Yikes Darryl the PAL shill. I've lived in the Philippines for the last 2 years, and I can say from firsthand experience PAL is such a crappy airline on so many levels. Their new A350 cabins look nice, they have perfectly friendly crews, but that's about all they have going for them. Maybe if they were a US carrier they'd be kind of mid in some respects (certainly more friendly service than the average flight...
Yikes Darryl the PAL shill. I've lived in the Philippines for the last 2 years, and I can say from firsthand experience PAL is such a crappy airline on so many levels. Their new A350 cabins look nice, they have perfectly friendly crews, but that's about all they have going for them. Maybe if they were a US carrier they'd be kind of mid in some respects (certainly more friendly service than the average flight on a US carrier). But in Asia, they are absolutely dwarfed by pretty much every other mainline carrier in the region.
Set that aside, nowhere does he indict PAL in the way that you claim. In fact, go read his "Review: Philippine Airlines A350 Business Class" review from 2020, and he was perfectly reasonable and positive toward PAL.
Nah, they definitely aren’t a “crappy airline”. They have good crews and good food. The onboard seats can be inconsistent, but the good ones are pretty decent.
Very well said, Aaron #2!
Look, I’m not going to pretend that particular A330 seat is the second coming of First Class, because clearly it has some issues. But calling PAL the worst airline over one dated A330 configuration is a bit dramatic, no?
The review is basically judging an entire airline by one seat on one flight, while even the author admits PAL has two A330 versions and that the other one is much better. He also admits the...
Look, I’m not going to pretend that particular A330 seat is the second coming of First Class, because clearly it has some issues. But calling PAL the worst airline over one dated A330 configuration is a bit dramatic, no?
The review is basically judging an entire airline by one seat on one flight, while even the author admits PAL has two A330 versions and that the other one is much better. He also admits the flight was under four hours and, perhaps most importantly, says the crew were absolutely lovely. Thats kinda important when you're reviewing an airline and not just a seat cushion.
And this is where I think the PAL bashing gets a little gregarious. PAL has been around for 85 years and continues to invest in the fleet, including the new A350-1000 and the wider fleet renewal program. You dont have to love every single seat to acknowledge that.
There’s also the small matter of PAL Awards, which in 2026 brought together and recognized its top-performing international and domestic travel partners. That doesnt magically make an awkward power socket disappear, obviously, but it does show an airline with a pretty substantial commercial network and ongoing relationships across the travel industry.
And lets be honest, awards and passenger experience arent the same thing. But PAL has repeatedly received industry recognition over the years, and the airline is clearly not some obscure carrier that nobody takes seriously. The 2026 World Airline Awards are a completely different measure from PAL's own partner awards, so I wouldnt mash them together, but the broader point remains: airline quality is a lot bigger than whether one blogger managed to knock his laptop charger over.
The seat can be criticised. Fair enough. The tray table sounds annoying, the lack of a seatback screen is a legitimate criticism, and the wear shown in the photos isnt exactly inspiring. But “this particular seat is badly designed” and “PAL is a terrible airline” are two very differnt arguments.
And frankly, if the crew were warm, the flight was comfortable enough for a sub-four-hour sector, PAL is introducing newer aircraft, and the airline is continuing to build out its network and partnerships, maybe the fair conclusion is simply: PAL needs to get the old A330 interiors sorted out. Thats a much more reasonable take than declaring the entire airline guilty because one seat has nowhere to put your tablet.
PAL isnt perfect. No airline is. But this review feels like it took a legitimate gripe with a specific hard product and turned the volume up to 11 becuase “these seats are awful” makes a better headline.
Read this entire article got to comments and nowhere did I see Ben say PAL was an awful airport. Even the title specifically calls out just this cabin. As you say he comments on upcoming A350 flight and positively for crew.
Julia and Guy - I won’t dignify the claim that this review was simply about "one seat" or that the rest was somehow respected. Your responses are completely poorly thought-out, ignoring how tris kind of a narrative actually shapes perception. You cant dial the drama up to 11 over a single >4 hr sector, hide behind a few minor concessions about crew or fleet plans, and then pretend the overall carrier wasn't unfairly dragged through...
Julia and Guy - I won’t dignify the claim that this review was simply about "one seat" or that the rest was somehow respected. Your responses are completely poorly thought-out, ignoring how tris kind of a narrative actually shapes perception. You cant dial the drama up to 11 over a single >4 hr sector, hide behind a few minor concessions about crew or fleet plans, and then pretend the overall carrier wasn't unfairly dragged through the mud. Focusing on technicalities while ignoring the obvious anti PAL framing is missing the entire point.
I didn’t get the impression Lucky was attacking the airline as whole…just this particular type of seat.
Hehe. You said the PAL bashing is gregarious. That’s cute.
Just for context: this seats were installed in a different era of Philippine Airlines. The ownership at that time (which didn't last very long) tried to compete with LCCs by going very downmarket. This is how you end up with planes with no screens, business class seats like *that*, and A330s with 9-across seating.
That era of PAL is regarded as something of a failure and those planes are on the way out.
I know this is your job, but I'm not desperate enough to want to fly to anywhere else in Asia on PR.
Exactly. I can't image any readers ever wanting to fly this airline.
PR often publishes very attractive business class fares from Asia to North America (like $1500-2000 one way), so these reviews are very much appreciated and useful for individuals to decide if the compromises are worth it for price — especially when they join OW next year (and presumably land on more people’s radar).
Filipinos are the second shortest people on earth. Imagine you are male; 4’10”-5’3” tall and weigh 90-110lbs. Maybe tiny people think the seats are luxurious.
Oof. So, you're saying... PAL is not your 'pal.'
I remember you flying these exact same seats on Royal Air Maroc years ago, but with TVs!
Fortunately they plan on refurbishing their A330s along with 77Ws.
Watch out for critiquing PAL, otherwise the TD of PAL aka Darryl will come out and attack you.
Nothing some delicious lechon (oh, wait, Ben doesn't like pork), or... adobo can't smooth over.
Settle down. This isn't about attacking, but merely about righting the record.