Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will offer passengers flying to Qatar greater connectivity spanning over 170 international destinations through a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways.
This agreement will enable PAL passengers traveling to Qatar from Manila to connect seamlessly to Qatar Airways’ broad network via Hamad International Airport in Doha.
The Qatari flag carrier operates in the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Central Asia, and Europe.
“As Philippine Airlines expands its presence across the globe, we are delighted to forge new alliances that build new connections and give our business and leisure passengers more flexibility and seamless access in flying to their desired destinations,” said PAL President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Stanley Ng in a statement.
PAL will kick off its deal with Qatar Airways on June 16, with the beginning of daily nonstop flights between Manila and Doha.
Qatar Airways will codeshare on the seven weekly flights operated by PAL.
Codesharing is the practice of two or more airlines publishing the same flight under their respective designators. As such, a carrier may sell seats for a route its partner airlines offer.
PAL’s PR684 will depart Manila at 6:50 p.m. and arrive in Doha at 11:40 p.m.
Meanwhile, travelers arriving in Doha on Qatar Airways can connect via PAL’s PR685 that depart daily from Doha 1 p.m. and arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 4:15 p.m.
“Our decision to offer daily frequency to Doha is enabled by our exciting strategic partnership with Qatar Airways and will help us stimulate tourism, trade flows, and business growth in the context of the strong bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Qatar,” said Ng.
The daily nonstop flights will be operated on PAL’s long-range Airbus A330-300 aircraft in a dual-class configuration.
The plane features 18 flat-bed seats in an exclusive business class cabin and 341 seats in the main economy class cabin.
“At Qatar Airways, we continue to explore opportunities that strengthen our connectivity across the world, and our latest partnership with Philippine Airlines is a testament to this commitment,” Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Thierry Antinori said.
“We are proud of the new codeshare flights and look forward to delivering increased benefits to global travelers, added Antinori.
PAL said it will explore a longer-term collaboration with Qatar’s flag carrier, including collaboration to promote additional destinations in their respective networks, as well as frequent flyer cooperation.