[Nate3510]

My wife was booked on flight PR115 from SFO to MAN on 1/13/17. The flight was delayed for 2 days at SFO and when they were finally ready to leave on the 1/15/17 all passengers were given a letter stating they would be contacted and would receive a free flight. To this day we have not been contacted and all emails and phone calls to PAL asking about the free flight go unanswered. It seems like they are hoping that the passengers will just forget about the free flight.

[Aardvark]

My wife's "non-stop" flight on August 8, 2017 from SFO to MNL was late arriving in SFO by an hour and then diverted to Japan for an unscheduled stop and refueling, then arrived in Manila 3 hours late, causing my wife to miss her connecting flight. The plane personnel promised passengers they would arrange for new connecting flights when they arrived in Manila. But when she went to the Philippine Airlines ticket counter, the employees refused any kind of help. I spent 5 hours on the phone trying to resolve this with PAL and got nothing but frustration from their customer service department. Cebu Pacific was just as uncooperative and charged my wife full fair for another connecting flight, so she paid twice for one flight. Philippine Airlines has refused to compensate my wife for the connecting flight or give her a partial refund of her "non-stop" flight ticket. She could have made her connecting flight if the plane wasn't late to SFO to begin with.

Bottom line, the employees lie through their teeth to appease you, and once you are at the final destination, they refuse any help. To add insult to injury, they also charged my wife an additional $150 because her carry on suitcase was over 15 pounds. The suitcase weighed half of that, and the candy she brought for kids made up more than the rest of the "allowance". $150 because she was slightly over 15 pounds. The flight she took from SLC to SFO did not charge her any extra. AVOID PHILIPPINE AIRLINES.

[AllanB]

Warning to fellow travelers about my recent experience with Philippine Airlines (PAL) involving a serious security breach, theft from my checked luggage, and subsequent customer service nightmare.
The Security Breach & Theft: On my recent flight from LAX to Manila, my checked luggage was breached and a brand-new MacBook Air was stolen. The evidence of tampering was unmistakable - the internal zippered compartment where the MacBook was stored had been deliberately unzipped, with contents displaced, while the rest of the luggage remained closed. This wasn't a case of items shifting during transit; someone physically opened my luggage, unzipped an internal compartment, removed the MacBook, and then closed the luggage without rezipping the compartment. I had specifically informed the check-in agent about the valuable item, which was properly packaged in its original box plus additional protective packaging, and was assured it would be safe.
The "Investigation": What followed was a textbook example of how not to handle customer security concerns:
Despite filing an immediate report upon discovering the theft, PAL claimed my reporting was "delayed" because I didn't somehow magically check my luggage contents at the baggage carousel after a long international flight.
After three weeks of persistent follow-ups, their entire explanation was that "security personnel conduct body frisking" of handlers - as if this negated the fact that a theft actually occurred.
They falsely claimed I never declared the item, directly contradicting my conversation with their check-in agent.
They ignored clear physical evidence of tampering with my luggage.
Their Customer Management team mischaracterized my protective hard-case luggage as having "unsecured compartments" - demonstrating they hadn't even properly reviewed the photos I submitted.
Management Response: When I escalated to corporate departments, I was simply redirected back to the same ineffective customer service email that had already failed to address the issue. The irony of their "WeCare" email address was not lost on me, as they demonstrated no actual care regarding a serious security breach.
Safety Concerns: Beyond my personal loss, this incident raises serious questions about baggage security on PAL flights. If items can be stolen from checked luggage with no accountability or proper investigation, what other security protocols are being neglected?
Bottom Line: While the actual flight service was average, the airline's handling of this security breach has been abysmal - from dismissive responses to incomplete investigations to blatant attempts to deflect responsibility. I've been forced to file formal complaints with transportation authorities in both the Philippines and the US.
If you value your belongings and expect to be treated with respect when legitimate issues arise, I strongly recommend considering alternative airlines for your travel needs. The stress and frustration of dealing with PAL's inadequate security and customer service systems far outweigh any potential benefits of flying with them. DO NOT fly international with Philippines Airlines flying into Manila! It has a very high percentage that your checked luggages will be breach and your belongings will be stolen just like so many other travelers who had the same unfortunate faith as me. Consider alternative international airlines if you are flying into Manila even if it has layover transfer flight.