Thread: Easiest way to Manila?

Originally Posted by Superkona

Hmm, I would love a nonstop. But the only thing I can find with pal is through Guam. Maybe I'm not seeing it. Any ideas?

Really? i don't know. The last time I tried this angle was when I got stuck in MNL trying to come back. I tried PAL but they were booked to the max too. They had (2) 747's going to LAX every day. Believe it or not, I ended up taking the island hopper MNL-GUM-HNL-IAH. This was over three years ago, so maybe things have changed, I don't know. I find it hard to believe that PAL doesn't go directly to LAX or SFO or vice versa non stop. You must be viewing it wrong. Go to the Pal web site. If you can't figure out the schedule just give them a call. They have offices in California. If you going via IAH, connecting IAH-NRT-MNL is not that bad when the loads are good. NRT is a bit wierd, nobody speaks English there, but you can negotiate through it. If you are nonreving it, the IAH-HNL-GUM-MNL can be long and tough. With our previous airline, if we originated from IAH, you could not get bumped by another NR getting on say in HNL or GUM going to MNL. Through nonrevers had priority. I guess this prevented norevers from being stuck in GUM or HNL when they needed to get across the Pacific. Now under the new merger, no such thing. You just get bumped regardless. None of that sort of security anymore. (Not to mention competing with everyone elses travel significant others and their famiies for a seat.) Haven't experienced UAL travel yet but its just around the corner when I travel the next time.

www.philippineairlines.com/

PAL out of LAX and SFO at the momeent requires a tech stop due to the strong winds/distance/equipment, at times if the winds are good the flight has made it nonstop. However, a tech stop is usually factored in. At times it is Guam and at some other times it has been HNL. To my knowledge the return flight from MNL to the US is nonstop.
Kep in mind PAL also flies out of LAS, with a stopover in YVR. If the flight looks iffy out of YVR they will not release you in Vegas. YVR to MNL is a nonstop flight, the days the flight does not continue to Vegas it is operated by a brand new 77W with all the blows and whistles. If you can make it to YVR this might be an option as well.