On August 30, 2014, Philippine Airlines had its last Boeing 747 flight from Manila to San Francisco. After 35 years of service with Philippine Airlines, the 747 had to make its curtain call and final flight. Its smaller but more efficient brother, the Boeing 777-300ER, took its spot. However, it didn’t retire in vain. To this day, the crew privileged to fly the 747 has nothing but good memories with the plane.
For pilots, it was such a graceful and very sturdy aircraft. In fact, according to a former PAL 747 pilot, Capt. Caparas, pilots felt very safe flying a 747 even in bad weather. The only reason why pilots avoid bad weather on a 747 is that passengers may not feel comfortable with it. Nevertheless, some pilots would even fly it through bad weather, knowing that the jumbo jet could take it.
Capt. Caparas shared that the 747 is powerful but very graceful in the sky. It was so easy to fly amidst its size.
The cabin crew loved the galley and the working space of the aircraft. It was huge and comfortable. It was easy for them to perform their duties and to set up the trolleys for passenger meal service onboard. Even the aisles were so wide. A typical B747-400 flight of PAL had 16 cabin crew on board. Hence, work was distributed evenly.
Boeing 747-200B and the PAL Skybeds
Philippine Airlines acquired the Boeing 747-200B in December 1979, introducing luxurious travel to its passengers. It immediately became PAL’s flagship, representing the airline even in ads. The B747-200 immediately replaced the DC-10s on transpacific flights. What made PAL’s B747-200s was the upper deck, known as the “Cloud Nine Room”. The rooms had fourteen full beds, known as the “Skybeds”.
These were beds with seatbelts so passengers could sleep during take-off and landing. Well, this is no longer allowed today. However, it was colossal way back, and PAL was the first in Asia to be equipped with this feature.
PAL’s 747-200Bs were configured to carry 376 passengers. This includes 14 Skybeds on the upper deck. On the lower deck, you had six first class seats with a 65″ pitch, 14 first class seats with a 41″ rise, 34 Mabuhay Class (business class) seats with a 37″ pitch, and 322 economy class seats with 34″ pitch, ten abreast layout. They were also equipped with six crew rests.
The PAL Skybeds did revolutionize luxurious long-haul travel. The Skybeds remained on the upper decks of the B747-200B until the early 1990s. PAL operated a total of 13 Boeing 747-200s.
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 entered service in November 1993. This was an improved version of the 747-200 with more excellent range, a more extended upper deck, more efficient engines, and an improved wing design equipped with canted winglets. The delivery of PAL’s very first B747-400 was extraordinary. It flew from the Boeing manufacturing plant in Seattle, Washington, to Subic Bay International Airport, carrying then President Fidel V. Ramos.
Originally, PAL ordered around eight Boeing 747-400s in an ambitious plan set by Lucio Tan in 1996 after he acquired the airline. However, the Asian financial crisis took its toll in 1997, forcing PAL to let go of 4 B747-400s of the eight ordered. PAL ended up operating 4 B747-400s and later took in a B747-400M, which was supposed to head to Kuwaiti Airways. Hence all-in-all, PAL operated a fleet of 5 B747-400s.
PAL utilized the B747-400 for mostly transpacific routes, flying from Manila to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver. However, they would sometimes be used for heavy traffic regional routes such as Hong Kong. Sometimes, it was also used for domestic flights such as Cebu, Davao, and General Santos.
PAL retired the B747-400 from service on September 1, 2014. The last flight was a Manila – San Francisco flight utilizing RP-C7473 which left Manila on August 30, 2014. They were eventually replaced by the twin-engine Boeing 777-300ER, which can fly longer and more efficiently.
Memories of Philippine Airlines Boeing 747
I was once a passenger on board some Philippine Airlines flights which utilized the Boeing 747. Both the B747-200 and B747-400. As a passenger, I just loved the space. My seats were not so cramped, I was comfortable, the aisles were big, and the lavatories had ample space. I was happy to be on board a PAL flight from Manila to Los Angeles and back utilizing a B747-400. It was stable even during turbulence.
As we approached Manila, we flew through turbulent skies. At that time, I was afraid of turbulence but knowing that I was in a B747, I was very confident that the aircraft could take it with grace.
It is rare to see a B747 in the sky. Seeing one still flying is always a joy. I am thrilled to have been on board a Philippine Airlines Boeing 747, and I will always cherish and remember those moments.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
