Etihad Airways and Philippine Airlines have announced a strategic partnership agreement that marks a new era of cooperation between the two flag carriers. The agreement covers codeshare flights, loyalty programmes, airport lounges, joint sales and marketing programmes, a Philippines domestic air pass, cargo, and the coordination of airport operations to provide a better customer experience at their Abu Dhabi and Manila hub airport bases.

This is the first direct link between the UK and the Philippines, a major emerging market destination, in more than a decade. Philippine Airlines (PAL) has chosen Heathrow over other UK airports, despite them having lower landing charges and claiming to be a viable alternative to Heathrow for new routes to emerging markets.

Philippine Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus covering 34 A321ceo, 10 A321neo and 10 A330-300s. The aircraft are being purchased under a major fleet modernisation programme at the airline, with deliveries starting in 2013.

The management of Philippine Airlines has warned its former employees against staging protests infront of the PAL Inflight Center building which hampers the flow of PAL’s business.

Philippine Airlines and Travelport have signed a three year global marketing agreement that enables Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan connected travel agents to access automated market fares and take advantage of additional functionality until the end of 2011.

Philippine Airlines and Travelport, one of the world’s largest travel conglomerates, have signed a three year global marketing agreement that enables Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan connected travel agents to access automated market fares and take advantage of additional functionality until the end of 2011. The Travelport deal includes two strategic solutions for Philippine Airlines’ customers with the implementation of Octopus Travel hotel content on the airline’s website and the deployment of Travelport Rapid Reprice?, an automated ticket repricing product.