Philippine Airlines and low cost travel market in the Philippines

Philippine Airlines and low cost travel market in the Philippines

In 1997, Philippine Airlines rebranded itself as Asia's sunniest airline to tag its new marketing and advertising scheme. It also commenced service to New York via Vancouver. Philippine Airlines also launched services to Las Vegas in 2004, to mark its 63rd year in the industry. In 2008, PAL acquired new aircrafts in preparation for the launch of PAL Express, its regional subsidiary which primarily flew regional routes in the Visasay and Mindanao, as well as secondary routes to other smaller airports in provinces that cannot accommodate regular jet crafts. The launch of this new subsidiary was considered a milestone for Philippine Airlines as it was their first time to launch a sub-brand, as well as it marked the return of turbo propeller aircrafts in the country. PAL Express, now rebranded as AirPhil Express, was aimed to discourse the dominance of another local airline on the low cost travel market in the Philippines. And as it gained increase in popularity among passengers travelling locally, this allowed Philippine Airlines to focus on more significant markets where there is less competition and better profitability.