PAL to start direct flights to Manila in June

Philippine Airlines will start flying direct from Manila to Saipan starting June. Century Travel was appointed as its general sales agent in the CNMI. (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)

Starting June this year, Philippine Airlines will have a direct flight twice a week from Saipan to Manila and back.

Philippine Airlines is the Philippines’ flagship carrier with PAL Express as its subsidiary.

According to Tan Holdings corporate consultant David “Uncle Dave” M. Sablan, the inaugural flight will arrive on Saipan on June 15, 2016.

Tan Holdings’ Century Tours was appointed the general sales agent for PAL.

PAL, which used to service the Manila-Saipan route in the early 1990s, will now be coming in and out of Saipan twice a week.

The 144-seater plane servicing the area will leave Manila late evening on Wednesdays and Sundays and will arrive and leave Saipan on early morning of Thursdays and Mondays. A one-hour turnaround will be allotted for loading and unloading.

Twelve seats are allotted for first class, while the rest is economy class.

“The only thing that is left that we don’t know yet is the one way or round-trip ticket rate for economy, business, or first-class. We’ll get that very, very soon,” Sablan said.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista, in his interviews with other news agencies, has also announced the commencement of Manila-Saipan flights this year.

As the general sales agent for Philippine Airlines, all ticket sales will go through Century Travel.

“All the bona fide travel agencies on Saipan may sell tickets but they have to come through us because we are the general sales agent and we’re going to be the only recognized travel agency here on Saipan so we have a full contract on the flow of business to Philippine Airlines,” Sablan said.

Century Travel has been selling tickets for other PAL routes for a long time now. And now, Sablan said they will promote the airline more.

“We are now much more geared to promote Philippine Airlines because of our commitment to promote Philippine Airlines traffic,”

Sablan said they are ready for the added service that they will be providing for the community.

“We have already trained our people to handle the additional load on Century Travel business,” Sablan said.

“The other thing that we plan to do is invite travel agents to meet with us so we can brief them on what is coming about. I intend to do that within the next couple of weeks,” he added.

Sablan said PAL’s direct flight will have a big impact on Saipan particularly those who are under the medical referrals program.

“We have many medical referrals that we are presently serving. The impact is going to be very big and very good because we do not have to wait hours and hours in Guam,” Sablan said.

“The direct flight will eventually eliminate the need to fly to Guam on Cape Air. As you know the CNMI has been concerned about the services that Cape Air has been providing. This will virtually eliminate worry such as waiting time and flight cancellations. We are very enthusiastic and looking forward to the changes,” he added.

Welcome news

The return of the direct flight services of PAL is welcome news for the thousands of Filipinos in the CNMI.

United Filipino Organization president Bong Malasarte said it will be a big help to all the kababayans (countrymen) out here.

“Our kababayans will no longer have a hard time going home and have their vacations. Usually they are having trouble with the need to pass through Guam,” Malasarte said in Filipino.

“It will really help our kababayans and I think many will finally be able to visit home,” he added.

Malasarte also noted that there is pride in having our flagship carrier service the island and it will also be an opportunity to promote the Philippines as a destination as well.

He added that it will offer a huge convenience to travelers.

“At the same time, you’ll feel safe since there are many delays with other airlines. Also, now you can just sleep all the way from Saipan to Philippines. You can take a rest and relax and when you wake up, you’re already home,” Malasarte said.