Philippine Airlines Reviews 

I feel compelled to warn 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. BEWARE! Do Not fly International with Philippine Airlines flying into Manila! It has a high percentage that your checked luggages will be breached and your belongings will be stolen by PAL luggage staff and their security personnel are all in it! Consider alternative airlines even if it has 2-3 hours layover connecting flight!

I had a really frustrating experience with Philippine Airlines. I missed my flight, which was booked under a promo fare through Agoda. I reached out immediately, hoping to rebook—even if it meant paying a fee or fare difference. I wasn’t expecting a free pass, just a fair option.

Instead, I was told there was absolutely no refund, no rebooking—not even with a penalty fee—because it was a promo ticket. The only solution they offered was to purchase a new ticket, which cost me over $300, while my original ticket was just around $200.

That means I paid nearly twice the original amount, just to get on another flight. I feel like I was charged twice for one trip, and there was no real attempt to help me or ease the burden, even when I made it clear I was willing to pay extra to fix the situation.

I understand promo fares have restrictions, but there should still be some basic level of flexibility or support for travelers who are willing to take responsibility and pay their way. Instead, it felt like I was just forced into buying a second full-price ticket for the same trip.

I hope PAL reconsiders how they treat customers in situations like this. It’s not just about rules—it’s about how you treat people.

This is my first horrible experience in the Philippines. Our flight was from Manila to LAX at 10 pm on April 28th. It started with calling the airline to confirm the charges to take a painting. I triple confirmed that the painting was rolled up, and the tube was slightly less than 2 m long. The airline confirmed that as it was quite light and that since it is artwork, there will be no charge. As a precaution I took the name of the attendant that spoke to us. Once we arrived at check in, the check in clerk rudely told me that there will be a charge of USD 400 for oversize luggage. After telling him what we were told he said he can do us a favour and charge us USD 200. As I explained to him what we were told regarding the no charge, his response was "that was a verbal conversation so you can't prove it". When I asked to talk to the supervisor, his response was "I already talk to him, you don't need to talk to him, you don't believe me?" followed by "if you talk to customer care and they tell you one thing and you come here and I tell you another, who do you believe? me of course" I finally managed to talk to the supervisor who was very abrupt and said "pay this now and you can put a complaint later" I explained to the manager that I would have given this artwork to our friends at the hotel we were staying at had I've been informed clearly of the charges. To which his response was " so do you want to pay for this or not" I ended up trying to fold the art piece, which didn't work and it got damaged at which point I told him to dispose it or have it as a gift from me but to know that he has absolutely spoiled my day. To which his response was yes, yes, yes with a smile. When I told him that this is very unfair and unprofessional and that I know in his mind he is just thinking this person will be gone soon so what does it matter, his response was yes, yes, yes with an even bigger smile. At this point we had no choice but to dispose the art piece as he said he will not issue the boarding pass or load on our last suitcase (which we paid extra for) until this is resolved. To add insult to injury the clerk then tells me I have to find a bin to which I responded I am sure you can dispose it. As I walked away the clerk along with a Filipino passenger (who had no idea of what transpired) decided to shout out " F$_& you" you need to respect Filipinos, you are in our country. In no way did I use insults or raised my voice.
We visit the Philippines twice a year because we loved the hospitality, the politeness of the people and the country. However, this experience ended that and we are sad to say that it would appear the filipino culture is changing for the worse and Philippine Airlines staff is helping spoil the image of the Philippines.
I hope this clerk doesn't get the opportunity to ever do this to anybody else. As for the other passenger, I am sure at some point he will experience this at some point in his life.

UPDATE:
After speaking to a customer management officer, it is clear that they run a scam to try and charge you as much as possible. It is clear that check in staff have been given authority to override anything you are told by customer service and in doing so they are on a power trip. Not sure what happened lately in the Philippines but there seems to be a lot of hate for foreigners as another friend of ours also got harassed by airport staff recently.

I WILL NEVER BOOK OR FLY WITH THIS AIRLINE EVER AGAIN!!!!
they changed my flight times grealty so i will miss my connection, also the return gave me only a 1hr 45 minute transfer in an international airport, then i find out they DO NOT CODESHARE so i would have to collect my luggage go through immigration, re check in MY GOD!!!! why you dont MAKE THIS CLEAR WHEN BOOKING! had to cancel my flight very upset, they say i can submit a complaint, which i did, and because i got refund THEY IMMEDIATELY CLOSE MY COMPLAINT?????? wow terrible terrible airline CUSTOMER CARE IS SERIOUSLY LACKING, very very unhappy with philppine airlines

Flying from Bangkok to Cebu, only 4 hours. But I liked everything about it. Staff is very friendly, at check in and on flight. On my way back I think I even got a seat upgrade cuz the sweet girl at the check in noticed that it was my birthday the day before. So i sat very comfy! The FREE food on a 4 hour flight was actually delicious and a nice surprise. I haven't needed to use customer service, so I cannot speak to that. But my first and only experience flying with Philippine Airlines was a very pleasant one.

This airline is very bad, don't even think to book in this airlines if you don't want to be stressed. I have booked in this airlines in February and as the flight draw nearer, they keep on changing the time of flight until you will miss the connecting flight. They also have a very poor customer service as they will always tell you to refer to the booking agents.

Our luggage was opened and items removed during a transfer in Manila, despite the padlock. Philippine Airlines is not acting in the best interests of its passengers, but rather protecting its criminal employees by simply denying the incident despite witnesses. If you can, avoid this airline; otherwise, secure your luggage with increased security measures.

I booked a business class flight with these guys and needed to modify the booking. It has been a nightmare and still not resolved. Everything about this airline is bad. The app, the website, and worse of all is their customer service. I will never fly with them again no matter how cheap the tickets.

Would give negative stars if possible. My flight was canceled today and the staff at the airport were completely unhelpful at providing any information. They rushed us out of the airport and onto a bus after forcing us to surrender our passports. They brought us to a hotel and told us to wait for information about the changed booking of our flight and never even came or contacted the hotel. The hotel they put us in is an hour outside of Bangkok in a sketchy neighborhood with zero amenities. Not even a ATM. The only flight offered was TWO DAYS from the original flight and we are essentially being held hostage at this budget motel without our passports that we cannot collect until our flight departure. No one from the airlines reached out to anyone and I took it upon myself to reach out them. They could not provide me with any instruction or direction to be able to retrieve my passport or remedy the situation at all. I have never encountered such blatant disregard, and lack of customer service on any airline I have ever traveled. Avoid at all costs.

If I could give negative 10 stars i would. Extremely disappointed with Philippine Airlines' customer service. I was issued a compensation e-gift card that I couldn't use due to currency restrictions. After months of back-and-forth, multiple ignored emails, and countless follow-ups, I was promised a refund—but they still haven't processed it. Their lack of accountability and responsiveness is shocking. I expected better from a national carrier. Would not recommend this airline at all.

The customer service that I received during my flight to the Philippines as well as my returning from the Philippines were both outstanding!
The flight attendants were friendly and attentive and
the pilot and the cockpit crew did an amazing job of flying the plane.
in addition, I was somewhat concerned about the length of the flight; however, the attendants and the cockpit crew made my experience on both flights enjoyable.

Basically only use Philippines airlines as I have had so much trouble with Cebu pacific

Only had good experiences with them and I recommend them

I am a frequent flyer, and book multiple trips for each coming year. I have had the privilege of flying with 25 different airlines.

Recently I booked 6 holidays for 2025, with 3 international flights with Philippine Airlines. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with cancer and was unable to fly due to chemotherapy.

Philippine Airlines customer care was impossible to deal with, which was surprising as the airline is a legacy national carrier. To access the most basic online chat, all my passport details needed to be provided, which I felt was unnecessary and inappropriate. The customer care email provided on the website is not the correct one to get a response.

When I finally managed to make contact with an agent to request a refund on compassionate grounds, every possible hurdle was placed in my path. The most bizarre was having a hospital medical report from my hometown of Perth instead of one issued from Bangkok, the departing airport.
I eventually realised that I was going to lose a considerable sum of money and put it down to experience.

I was moved to a different seat after paying for a good seat. the pane smelled musty, there was no in-flight entertainment and my suitcase was destroyed. they offered me pennies for the suitcase as compensation.

worst airline I have ever flown with

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! absolutely shocking. DO NOT USE THIS AIRLINE!!! They have cancelled our flight with no authorisation with only a few days to spare and have now left us out of pocket!! When trying to speak to somebody on live chat they can not even help us and there are no other ways to contact that them. They have completely ruined our holiday due to the stress they have caused us. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! (I guess this is what you get for going cheap even though our flight for 2 people cost nearly £1000)

Book any other airline. Worst airlines in the world. They will cancel your connecting flights, no refunds and charge 20X the price of your flight as a "penalty". Such a scam and shame that they need to scam you into trying to rebook their flight they canceled. Will be seeking legal counsel on what to do next

I am forced to give a one-star. If there was another option, this would have been a NEGATIVE STAR.
Changed planes several times; my payment for preferred seats were disregarded. We were assigned seats to Timbuktu. Lucky, we were not assigned the comfort room. AWFUL AIRLINE!!!! No disregard for the customer!!!!

I recently flew with Philippine Airlines and was extremely disappointed by the lack of clear communication regarding baggage allowances. I was not informed that my flight had a zero luggage allowance, only to later discover that I would be charged per kilogram—a cost that ultimately exceeded the price of the ticket itself.

What made this situation even more frustrating was that on another segment of my journey (from Cebu to my destination), I was allowed a 10-kilogram baggage allowance. This inconsistency left me feeling misled and inconvenienced.

Clear, upfront information about baggage policies is crucial for a smooth travel experience. I believe Philippine Airlines should take immediate steps to improve transparency and ensure that all passengers are fully aware of any additional costs before booking. I hope my experience prompts a review of these policies so that future travelers can avoid similar frustrations.

Sincerely,

Max lewenhaupt

I flew Sydney to Manila in business class. It was with Wamos Air. They were doing a wet hire agreement, and providing the service for Phillipines Airlines. Wamos is a Spanish airline. A sick passenger was brought onto the plane just before take off. During the flight, two family members from the economy section stood in the aisle for the majority of the flight, bumping against me. I raised this with the attendants, they said they would ask them to move but didn’t. The worst part was when the family decided to change the sick ladies nappy, as she could not go to the bathroom. They did not cover her and exposed her from the waste down. At this time I pressed the bell for the attendant. They came down and did nothing. So apparently in Phillipines Business class you now get to watch a sick person have their nappy changed? Terrible experience. I looked at the PA approval for a sick passenger to fly, and it clearly asks if their travel will upset, disrupt, disturb others. I have no idea why Wamos or Phillipines airlines would have allowed her on the flight. It was clear she could not go to the bathroom. And, I nearly forgot, apparently cold food is appropriate to be served in business class…. Terrible flight! I emailed them and got a simple apology…. But I’m really not sure what more they could do, the damage was done!