PAL, ANA cooperation pact starts

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Airlines (PAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) forged recently a cooperation agreement that will provide passengers with a wide range of products and services offered by both carriers including code share flights between the Philippines and Japan, loyalty programs, airport lounges, joint sales and marketing programs and coordination of airport operations.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime J. Bautista said: “Through this new agreement, PAL hopes to further build its global network. By harmonizing our products, we get to offer our passengers wider and better travel options while boosting economic activity through trade and tourism.”

The airline partners will place their respective ‘PR’ and ‘NH’ codes on each other’s flights to operate a combined total of 81 weekly flights between the two countries.

Under the agreement, passengers can book flights from Manila to Narita, Haneda, Kansai,Fukuoka and Nagoya; from Cebu to Narita, Kansai and Nagoya; and from Manila to main Philippine domestic points; and vice versa.

Passengers can also take ANA flights from Manila to Narita or Haneda, as well as to several Japanese domestic destinations out of Narita, Haneda, Fukuoka and Nagoya.

Aside from more flight options, passengers can enjoy the benefits of check-through baggage, seamless transfer between PAL’s exclusive NAIA Terminal 2 and ANA’s hub at Terminal 3.

Members of PAL’s Mabuhay Miles and ANA Mileage Club also get to enjoy reciprocal loyalty program benefits including miles earned and redemption, priority check-in and boarding, baggage handling and lounge access across both networks.

ANA currently operates a fleet of B787, B777, B747, B767 and A320.

PAL flies once a day to Nagoya and Kansai; 11 times a week to Haneda; and two times a day to Narita out of Manila and twice a day to Narita out of Cebu. PAL will launch direct flights from Cebu to Osaka and Nagoya in December.

Both airlines offer Business Class and full service in Economy. – Rudy Santos, Lawrence Agcaoili