For the long haul segment of the return portion of my first class quest to Japan, I flew Philippine Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 business class on the 11hr55min flight from Manila (MNL) to San Francisco (SFO). I was very much looking forward to this flight, given that this is the carrier’s new flagship aircraft, featuring all-new cabins.
Ultimately my Philippine Airlines business class flight was good, especially when you account for value, given that Philippine Airlines tends to undercut the competition on price. If you can get over the awful ground experience in Manila, then there’s definitely value to be had here.
On the plus side, the cabin was brand new, and the food was pretty good. However, there were also some shortcomings, like the inoperable Wi-Fi, and there was maybe an x-factor missing with the soft product. Furthermore, while the crew was friendly enough, they didn’t have the warmth or attentiveness of the crew on my previous flight, as it felt like they were just going through the motions and disinterested.
So my conclusion is that this flight was a great deal, and I’d absolutely recommend this product if the price is right. But I feel like if Philippine Airlines tried a little harder, it could truly have a top tier product.
How I booked my Philippine Airlines business class ticket
I booked my return itinerary from Osaka to Manila to San Francisco as one ticket, with the first flight on the Airbus A330 (which I’ve already reviewed — that seat sucks!), and the second flight on the Airbus A350. I booked the following ticket, which cost $1,746.63:
9/19 PR411 Osaka to Manila departing 3:15PM arriving 6:40PM
9/19 PR104 Manila to San Francisco departing 11:15PM arriving 9:10PM
However, I ended up offsetting the cost of this ticket with points, so I really booked it with 116,442 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, because I could redeem for 1.5 cents each toward the cost of the ticket. That’s a reasonable paid fare, and in this case, I preferred redeeming points rather than having to spend the cash out of pocket.
Philippine Airlines business class lounge & boarding
In a previous installment, I reviewed the Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila, which is just awful, in my opinion. It was so bad that I went and sat out in the terminal, which is saying something, because the airport’s Terminal 1 makes JFK Terminal 1 (not the new one!) look like Singapore Changi, by comparison!
My flight was departing from gate five, with boarding scheduled for 10:30PM, 45 minutes before departure. All the US-bound flights from Manila depart from one area, with a centralized security check. It was quick for me, though obviously if you get “SSSS” on your boarding pass, you’ll get a more thorough inspection.
The gate area in this part of the terminal is just so poorly set up, as it’s a sea of seats, without many ways to easily pass through there. And as you’d expect, there are typically multiple flights departing at peak times, so it gets quite busy. There is a dedicated seating area for business class passengers, but there’s nothing actually special about that.
Boarding ended up starting at 10:30PM, with dozens and dozens of wheelchairs passengers boarding first. Business class passengers were then invited to board around 15 minutes later.
Philippine Airlines A350 business class cabin & seats
I boarded through the forward left door, where I was greeted by the crew, and then turned right into the cabin. I’m usually really good at boarding first and getting pictures, but unfortunately by the time I boarded, around half of the business class passengers were seated (as wheelchair passengers get pre-boarding).
Philippine Airlines’ A350-1000s are equipped with the Collins Aerospace Elevation product, which is essentially the rebranding and slight evolution of the Super Diamond product, the world’s most popular reverse herringbone seat. Seats have 44″ of pitch, 21″ of width, and turn into 78″ flat beds.
The business class cabin consists of a total of 42 seats, spread across 11 rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration. This takes up the entire space between the first and second set of doors.
If you’re traveling with someone, you may want to select the pair of center seats, so that you can sit next to your companion. However, reverse herringbone seats aren’t ideal for this, since you do have to lean forward quite a bit to communicate with the person across from you. If you’re traveling alone and end up in a center seat, there’s also a privacy shield that you can extend between seats.
If possible, solo travelers will of course want to select one of the window seats, since these offer the most privacy, and give you aisle access and a view. I assigned myself seat 10A, the window seat on the left side in the last row of the cabin.
When it comes to comfort, these seats are excellent — they’re spacious, and offer great privacy and tech, as well as some storage.
Next to the seat you’ll find a console, where there’s a wireless charging pad, as well as two storage compartments that can be opened.
One storage compartment is shallow and has a vanity, so this is ideal for storing a cell phone, passport, etc. The other storage compartment is a bit deeper, and has the entertainment controller, along with USB-A and USB-C outlets, and a headphone jack.
Next to the storage compartment is the small panel that can control all the seat functions, including seat recline, lighting, etc.
In the back part of this area you’ll find the literature pocket, as well as a lamp that can be adjusted via a button at the top of it.
Underneath the seat and to the side you’ll find the AC power outlet, which is kind of hidden, unless you crouch over.
In this seat, the entertainment monitor is fixed to the shell of the seat in front, and it’s a 20″ 4K UHD screen.
The tray table in this seat folds out from underneath the entertainment monitor. When stored, it’s folded over in half, so to fully utilize it, you pull it out and then flip it over.
The seat has a good size ottoman, which becomes part of the bed when the seat is reclined.
Then on the aisle-side of the seat there’s an armrest, and if you open it, there’s a little bit of storage, big enough for a water bottle.
Beyond that you’ll find the door, which can be opened and closed manually. Of course it’s locked during takeoff and landing, since it can only be used inflight.
The two other things worth mentioning about the cabin is that there are no individual air nozzles (grrr!), and there are also no overhead bins in the middle of the cabin. That makes the cabin feel more spacious, though it also means that there’s not quite as much storage space.
All-in-all, Philippine Airlines has a really great hard product, so I have nothing but good things to say there. The seats are comfortable, the tech is great, and I appreciate that there are colors other than grey and black.
Philippine Airlines A350 business class entertainment & Wi-Fi
Philippine Airlines has audio and video on demand in its business class on the A350-1000. The airline has a solid selection of movies, TV shows, games, and audio. I couldn’t figure out exactly how many options there were of each, due to how they were organized. However, it was an extensive selection, though not to the level of what you’ll find on Emirates or Singapore Airlines.
I’m not usually much of a movie person on planes (or at all), but I ended up watching “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” which was mildly entertaining.
The system also had a map feature, as you’d expect. One thing that disappointed me is that there was no tail camera, as that’s something you’ll find on many A350 operators, and it’s something I really enjoy.
Philippine Airlines also offers bluetooth audio on its A350s, which is a handy feature.
In theory, Philippine Airlines’ A350-1000s are supposed to have Viasat Wi-Fi, which offers relatively high speed connectivity. However, it simply didn’t work on this flight. It’s not that it was intermittent or slow, it just wasn’t possible to connect.
It seems like one or two of the carrier’s A350s have non-functioning Wi-Fi. I understand tech can be complicated, but it’s also super frustrating when you board a long haul flight expecting to have connectivity, only to find out that it doesn’t work.
Hopefully they get this resolved soon. On balance, the airline gets a thumbs down on entertainment based on my experience, since inflight Wi-Fi is something you expect as a standard nowadays on long haul flights.
Philippine Airlines business class amenities
Waiting at my Philippine Airlines business class seat upon boarding were a solid selection of amenities. There was a very plush pillow, a cozy blanket, and a mattress pad. While there was no luxury branding collaboration, the bedding was very good.
Many of the other amenities were presented in a unique storage pouch.
This included an amenity kit, with socks, a comb, a dental kit, eyeshades, and some products from L’Occitane.
There were also some flimsy slippers, which weren’t luxurious, but did their job.
Then there were headphones that weren’t particularly great quality, but thanks to bluetooth audio, I don’t consider that to be a big deal.
The menu and drink list were also at my seat upon boarding.
Toward the end of the boarding process, a variety of non-alcoholic pre-departure drinks were offered, and I opted for the cucumber iced tea. I was offered a warm towel to go along with that.
All-in-all, the amenities were decent. I thought the bedding was very good, while the other amenities were just okay. There were no pajamas in business class, not that you’d necessarily expect them.
Philippine Airlines A350 departure from Manila
The boarding process on this flight was really drawn out, as every seat onboard was occupied. The entire boarding also took place through the forward left door, which was less than ideal in terms of foot traffic, but presumably that’s all that was possible at this gate.
Boarding took longer than planned, and the main cabin door finally closed at 11:30PM. Around that time the first officer was on the PA to inform us of our flight time of 11hr55min, and cruising altitude of 39,000 feet. A few moments later, the safety video was screened, which was rather entertaining (and dramatic).
At 11:35PM we began our pushback, and at 11:45PM we began our taxi. We only had a very short taxi out to our departure runway, and at 11:55PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 6. We had a long roll down the runway, and then a smooth and gradual climb out.
The seatbelt sign was turned off just five minutes after takeoff.
Philippine Airlines business class dinner service
Philippine Airlines doesn’t offer dine on demand in business class. On this flight, dinner was served after takeoff, breakfast was served before landing, and then there was a snack menu available throughout the flight. You can find the dinner menu and drink list below.
Meal orders had already been taken on the ground, and the first round of drinks was served 30 minutes after takeoff. To drink, I had a glass of champagne, and on this flight Chanoine Freres Brut was on offer, which I wasn’t a huge fan of (even though it’s not cheap).
That was served with a chicken liver pate amuse bouche. I understand that’s supposed to feel high end, but it’s definitely not my favorite thing.
There were then two appetizer choices, and I opted for the smoked salmon with pickled carrot ribbons, compressed cucumber, and red radish. That was served with some bread rolls. The dish wasn’t memorable, and it was also quite small.
Of the three main course options, I chose the pan seared halibut, served with garden vegetables, honey lime reduction, and flavored rice. I appreciated that this was obviously plated onboard (rather than being heated in a casserole dish), but the taste was just okay.
Then for dessert, there was the choice of an orange yogurt mousse cake, cheese plate, or ice cream. I chose the mousse cake, served with pistachio crumble and candied orange peel.
Afterwards, I asked if I could also have a cheese plate (to see how it compared), which the flight attendant got me.
The meal was served really quickly, and within 75 minutes of takeoff, my tray was fully cleared. I was a bit conflicted on the entire meal experience.
For example, I was impressed by how everything was placed directly on the tray table, and the plating and presentation were quite nice. I also appreciated the pace of service, especially on a late night flight where many people are looking to sleep.
However, the food was just okay, and not great. There wasn’t a single dish I had where my expectations were exceeded, but instead, it all just tasted like relatively decent airplane food. I also feel like with the starter they could’ve added a salad, or something.
Philippine Airlines A350 business class lavatory
After the meal, I checked out the lavatory on the Philippine Airlines A350-1000. There were two located at the front of the cabin, which were reserved for business class. There were also two behind the cabin, but they were for premium economy. The lavatories were totally standard for an A350, and were modern without being overly spacious.
There were also some basic Philippine Airlines branded amenities.
The one catch is that two lavatories really isn’t enough for so many business class passengers. Beyond that, the lights on the bulkhead which are supposed to indicate whether a lavatory is occupied weren’t working. They always showed as green, even when all lavatories were occupied.
Philippine Airlines A350 business class bed
Once back at my seat, I decided to get some rest, so I reclined my seat and made my bed.
I thought the bed comfort was excellent, and while I wish there were individual air nozzles, I do have to give the crew credit for keeping the cabin really cool, so that didn’t turn out to be an issue.
I fell asleep with around 10hr20min remaining to San Francisco, while we were approaching the southern islands of Japan…
…and I woke up with around 5hr20min remaining to San Francisco, as we were just south of the Aleutian Islands.
As someone who is a poor airplane sleeper, that was a good night of sleep, as far as I was concerned!
Philippine Airlines business class snack service
Upon waking up, I tried to order a cappuccino, which was listed on the menu as being available on the A350. However, the crew informed me that wasn’t actually the case, and that they only had brewed coffee, so I ordered that instead.
I find it disappointing when airlines can’t get these kinds of basics right. It’s one thing if the machine were just broken, but the crew said it’s just not a thing. On the plus side, the brewed coffee was nicely presented.
I figured I should also check out the snack service, as you can find that menu below.
Of the options, I ordered the beef tapa, which had scrambled eggs, cherry tomato salsa, and steamed rice with garlic. This was delicious, and quite frankly, better than the main with my first meal. Obviously I made a mistake by not ordering the Filipino option the first time around, so I made sure to also choose a Filipino option for my pre-arrival main.
Philippine Airlines business class breakfast service
I watched a movie and then raw-dogged it for a couple of hours, and before I knew it, we were just two hours from San Francisco. At this point the cabin lights were turned on, in preparation for the pre-landing service.
You can find the Philippine Airlines business class breakfast menu below.
Service began with the choice of orange juice or a mango smoothie, along with warm towels being distributed.
After that, the table was properly set, with the fruit appetizer, along with a breadbasket. Once again, I feel like they could’ve put a bit more effort into this, and maybe added the option of yogurt or cereal. The small fruit plate just felt like an afterthought.
For the main course, I chose the chicken adobo, with a citrus-soy reduction, pickled cucumber, pickled mangoes and papaya, adobo flakes, and rice. This was relatively good.
Philippine Airlines business class crew & service
Filipinos are known for being incredibly warm and hospitable, and Philippine Airlines always talks about how it’s “the heart of the Filipino.” On my previous (short) flight, I noted how the crew was incredibly friendly — they were genuinely warm, hospitable, and attentive. On this flight, I didn’t get the same impression.
Don’t get me wrong, the crew wasn’t rude, but they just lacked all the things I noted about the previous crew. There was definitely a lack of passion, they felt rushed, and they weren’t as attentive in interactions. I hate to nitpick, but let me give some general examples…
For one, the purser never came around to individually greet each passenger, or even check on them in any form, unlike on my previous flight. My only interaction with her was that apparently the million miler in the cabin could deplane before everyone else, so she’d yell at all other passengers “excuse me, million miler, million miler.”
The crew just also felt like they were going through the motions with no attentiveness. Not once did I see a flight attendant walking down the aisle between meals to see if anyone wanted anything (though when I pushed the call button, it was quickly answered). For example, when you’re served a midflight snack, you’d think they’d check on you after 10 minutes to see if it’s done, if they could clear the dish, etc. In this case, I had to push the call button for it to be removed.
I also just felt like they weren’t actually that nice, especially in terms of how they communicated. For example, when I asked for a cheese plate as well with the first meal, the answer was simply “I will check,” rather than “of course, if we have any left I will get it for you,” or something along those lines. Similarly, when I ordered the midflight snack, the response was simply “let me see if we have that.”
Of course these are all minor things, but I think the way I’d sum up my general interactions with this crew is that it felt like passengers were an inconvenience, rather than guests they were happy to have onboard.
Philippine Airlines A350 arrival in San Francisco
For the last part of the flight I enjoyed the view out the window, as we initially had some daylight, which then turned into a beautiful sunset.
At 8:05PM local time the captain was on the PA to announce that we were 200 nautical miles from San Francisco, would be starting our descent shortly, and should be landing in 40 minutes. Sure enough, we started our descent a few minutes later, and then around 20 minutes after that the seatbelt sign was turned on.
We approached the Bay Area from the south, and made a couple of turns before lining up to land on runway 28L.
We had a smooth touchdown at 8:45PM, and from there had a 10 minute taxi to our arrival gate, where we pulled in at 8:55PM.
Once there, it took around 10 minutes for the cabin door to open, so I was off the plane by 9:05PM. I know I mentioned earlier how half the business class cabin was occupied by passengers in wheelchairs during boarding (hence my lack of good cabin pictures). Just to put that into perspective, below is the lineup of wheelchairs that met the plane, which went all the way to the door.
There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, I’m just pointing this out to a) justify why my cabin pictures aren’t as good on this flight (sorry!), and b) point out that obviously this route is very much about VFR (visiting friends & relatives), which isn’t surprising.
Bottom line
I’m happy I had the chance to fly Philippine Airlines’ new flagship Airbus A350-1000 business class. In terms of hard product, this is a huge upgrade over what the airline has offered in the past, with excellent business class suites with doors, and great tech.
The catch is that the soft product left a bit to be desired. The Viasat Wi-Fi was broken the entire flight, the cappuccinos promised on the menu don’t exist, and I thought the crew lacked warmth, especially compared to my previous flight. And all of that says nothing of the experience of connecting through Manila Airport, which is unpleasant, to put it politely.
The thing is, ultimately I’d fly with the airline again if the price is right, since you really can’t argue with Philippine Airlines’ business class pricing. If the price and schedule work, it’s definitely an attractive option. I just feel like if the airline invested a bit more in its product, it would truly be competitive with top carriers, and wouldn’t have to rely on discounting so heavily in order to fill cabins.
What’s your take on Philippine Airlines’ A350 business class?
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