Watch out, Seattle! Here come more Filipinos.
Legacy carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Tuesday announced a new nonstop service between Manila and Seattle starting October 2.
Seattle is home to the iconic Space Needle, a feature on every Grey’s Anatomy episode, and the Pike Place Market, a haven for discriminating diners and seafood enthusiasts. It is also the birthplace of Starbucks, which sparked the coffee tambayan revolution in the Philippines.
Aside from being a vibrant tourist destination, Seattle is among the top 10 metropolitan cities in the United States, which hosts a large Filipino population. According to Pew Research, as of 2019, Seattle ranks ninth among these cities with 115,000 Filipinos, while PAL said the new route will serve some 240,000 Filipino-Americans who live in Washington and Oregon states.
“Philippine Airlines is happy to say, ‘Mabuhay, Seattle!’ Weare proud to welcome Seattle to our growing US route network,” said PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Captain Stanley K. Ng at yesterday’s news briefing. “Our Manila-Seattle-Manila flights give us a valuable opportunity to promote our beautiful country as a flourishing tourist and business destination for American travelers. We also look forward to serving Filipinos, who hope to reunite with family members or experience new travel adventures in the vibrant US Pacific Northwest.”
Tripadvisor recommends other Seattle attractions that Filipino travelers may enjoy such as the Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Flight, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Seattle Great Wheel, as well as a hike in the Mount Rainier National Park, wine tasting at Yakima Valley, or try to spot Big Foot at Bridal Veil Falls!
The new Manila-Seattle-Manila service launches on October 2 with flights initially offered three times a week (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday), with convenient departures at 10:40 pm (Manila time) from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, and at 11:40 pm (Seattle time) from the Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
The carrier will use a 370-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for the Seattle service, with full-flat seats in the Business Class, and features PAL’s hallmark inflight service offering Filipino and Western meal specialties. PAL recently acquired an additional 777-300ER aircraft as a first step towards renewing its long-haul fleet. Also, nine brand new Airbus A350-1000s are slated to be delivered starting in the fourth quarter of 2025, said Ng.
To promote the new Manila-Seattle service, PAL is offering a special introductory all-in, roundtrip fare at US$771 for Economy Class, and US$3,071 for Business Class. The introductory fare is available until April 30, 2024 with travel from October 2 to November 30, 2024 as well as from February 1 to March 22, 2025.
For his part, Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa said in a news statement, “Washington state is home to the country’s fourth-largest Filipino population. For over 100 years, Filipinos have contributed to the region’s arts, business, and political leadership.”
He added, “The non-stop service to Manila has long been one of our most frequently requested routes, and we’re thrilled that this new flight will not only serve the Puget Sound’s Filipino community but anyone who is interested in exploring the rich history, beauty, and hospitality of the Philippines.”
PAL is the first carrier to link the Philippines and the US Pacific Northwest region with direct flights that Ng said “will help stimulate business and leisure travel of Americans to the Philippines.”
Data from the Department of Tourism showed the Philippines received 903,299 visitors from the United States last year, making the latter the second largest tourism market and accounting for 16.6 percent of the 5.45-million foreign tourists who arrived that year.
The Seattle service is the eighth destination of PAL in North America, and offers its passengers connectivity via its airline partners to various US mainland cities, including Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas and Washington D.C. The flagcarrier also operates 46 weekly flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Toronto, Honolulu, and Guam.
Those flying between Seattle and Manila can also easily connect to PAL’s extensive domestic and regional international network, including cities such as Cebu, Davao, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, he added.
Check promotional rates on www.philippineairlines.com, the PAL mobile app, or your favorite travel agent.
