Your Favorite Airline - Manila to Los Angeles

[Queenie O.]

I love Korean Air, and also in the past have flown Cathay Pacific. Some like Asian Air LAX from Subic, but I have no personal experience with them.

[Balisidar]

Me and my wife have always enjoyed flying with Philippine air when we fly out of L.A..  Their customer service has always been great whenever we've flown with them.  Their usually a little more expensive than some other airlines though.   I think they usually go through Hawaii.  When we fly out of Seattle we take Asiana, their usually pretty inexpensive and good customer service also and I think they also fly out of L.A.

[Bruce]

12 hours ago, robert k said:

I would say to go the CP direct flight and book well in advance and pay more if necessary for the emergency door seat, There is also more room except when they are serving food and drink in the seat row behind the bulkhead. 13-14 hours back to the states is peachy with me, compared to 28 hours total it took me once with layovers. Direct flight there should be a better chance your luggage will arrive with you.

Last round trip I flew to LAX on delta which was ok, flew to Taipei on China Air which was nice but long, had the 4 hour layover before flying to Manila. Return on Korean Air layover at Inchon flight to LAX where I had to rush to catch my American Airlines flight, the plane was filthy and had a dent in the skin and the paint around the hatch was scrubbed away. I wanted to ask them if it flew? The flight crew was scowling, no wonder?

I don't know how I got a reasonable priced flight on China air that time but it hasn't happened again since.

Cost is $80 UD 1 way on PAL. Money well spent for me. Bulkhead no issues, but exit row needs to be physically capable person. Buy in advance! Flight time is about 12 hours to LAX. 15 from LAX.     

[OnMyWay]

14 minutes ago, Bruce said:

exit row needs to be physically capable person.

Yes, and I don't think they will let you hold a baby while sitting there.  I need to share some of the baby holding with my wife.  Maybe we could switch seats when I hold the baby.  Last time we had the baby in the carry-on in the overhead bin, and she started crying, so we had to bring her down.

 

3 hours ago, Queenie O. said:

Some like Asian Air LAX from Subic, but I have no personal experience with them.

Asiana from Clark (not Subic) might be a good one for us.  So far, their fare is the lowest I have seen, about $3300 for all 5 of us.  3 adults (12 yo counts as adult), 3 yo and 1 yo.  Leave Clark at 0100.  And they fly an A380 Seoul to L.A., which was a great aircraft for us before.  They probably have the bulkhead bassinet seats like SQ did to Auckland.

If you look at total travel time including travel to Clark vs. Manila, Clark becomes more attractive.  Leave the house 3 hours before flight instead of at least 6 for Manila, and no crowds to fight at Clark.  There would be layovers in Seoul, but I think Inchon has a transit hotel.  Breaking up the trip a bit worked well for the kids last time.

1 hour ago, Balisidar said:

When we fly out of Seattle we take Asiana, their usually pretty inexpensive and good customer service also and I think they also fly out of L.A.

Can you tell me more about Asiana legroom in Economy, or any other good stuff?

[Old55]

With a baby you will be assigned a bulkhead row in order for the baby to be in a bassinet attached to the bulkhead.

I also fly out of Seattle SEA. Past twenty years I have flown EVA, Asiana, Cathay and Northwest now Braniff. The best leg room by far is EVA in Evergreen Deluxe class. I like Asiana best myself it has a layover Inchon Korea breaks up the long flight. 

[OnMyWay]

37 minutes ago, Old55 said:

With a baby you will be assigned a bulkhead row in order for the baby to be in a bassinet attached to the bulkhead.

I also fly out of Seattle SEA. Past twenty years I have flown EVA, Asiana, Cathay and Northwest now Braniff. The best leg room by far is EVA in Evergreen Deluxe class. I like Asiana best myself it has a layover Inchon Korea breaks up the long flight. 

Yes, I have flown on EVA twice in the Deluxe and it was well worth the extra cost, which was not that much more than regular economy.  However, I'm not sure it would be practical with the family.

Asiana economy was comfortable for you?  Have you flown their A380?

I just checked EVA and they only have 1 flight a day Manila-Taipei, at 0400, so I can scratch that option!

Edited October 18, 2016 by OnMyWay

[Queenie O.]

4 hours ago, Queenie O. said:

I love Korean Air, and also in the past have flown Cathay Pacific. Some like Asian Air LAX from Subic, but I have no personal experience with them.

The guy that I knew who chose Asiana over PAL,  said that the seats were more comfortable, the food was good, and the flight attendants very friendly. You're right, it was Clark, and it wasn't hectic like Manila.

I know it's a second hand critique, but it might be some help..

[Balisidar]

I'm 5'10" so the legroom in economy on Asiana air was very comfortable.  They usually fly the Boeing 777 out of Seattle.  Not sure about L.A..  The food was some of the tastiest in flight food I've had.  They just about feed you to death.  PAL is also really good in the airline food department.

Hope that Helps.  I've also flown China air.  The airlines was good but I hate..hate...hate flying into Bejing.

[OnMyWay]

Several have mentioned liking Incheon Airport.  Has anyone stayed in the transit hotel there?  Do you have a link?

I found what appears to be the airport website and all I see is a link for "hotels".  When I click it it takes me to booking.com and there it has what appears to be the transit hotel (along with others).  I put in dates for May 17 and Feb 17, just to test.  It tells me "fully booked", which I find hard to believe for 5 to 8 months from now.

I'm hoping someone has a website or phone number for the transit hotel???

[scott h]

23 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Has anyone stayed in the transit hotel there?

Sorry don't have any specific info for you, but several years ago I went by to look at it, thought the wife might like a lie down after the long flight. If memory serves it was just prohibitively expensive for a shower and a nap. Place looked really nice though. We have never had more than a 4 hour lay over and just couldn't justify the expense.