Awthompson From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 355 posts, RR: 0 Posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 2450 times:
Heathrow to Manila - SEVENTEEN airline choices !
Two of these seen at Manila's Ninoy Aquino Airport:
Quite amazingly there is a choice of SEVENTEEN different airlines (on my last count) quoting return fares from London Heathrow LHR to Manila MNL.
Here is the current list:
KLM......................LHR–AMS–MNL
Lufthansa...............LHR–FRA–(CAN)–MNL
Gulf Air..................LHR–AUH/BAH–MNL
Etihad....................LHR–AUH–MNL
Qatar.....................LHR–DOH–MNL
Emirates................LHR–DXB-MNL
Kuwait Airways.......LHR-KWI–MNL
Saudia...................LHR–JED–MNL
Royal Brunei.......... LHR–DXB–BWN–MNL
SIA....................... LHR–SIN–MNL
Thai.......................LHR–BKK–MNL
Malaysian..............LHR–KUL–MNL
Cathay Pacific........LHR–HKG–MNL
EVA Air.................LHR–(BKK)–TPE–MNL
Asiana...................LHR–ICN–MNL
Korean Air..............LHR–ICN–MNL
JAL....................... LHR–NRT–MNL
(Note: if there are any more I would be glad to know!)
And would you believe it, on my searches the most expensive of them all is usually Korean Air !
Over four trips I have flown FOUR of them, that still leaves THIRTEEN more to choose from!
So far I have used: Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Emirates and Qatar Airways and my wife has also tried KLM.
CHALLENGE – Can anyone find any other city pairs with so many airline choices. It must be possible to book return flights and a through connection must be achievable. Mixing airlines does not count. If airlines are mixed, the choice on LHR–MNL is almost limitless!
I suspect London Heathrow - Hong Kong might also have a large choice of connecting airlines if someone wishes to list them.
Norcal773 From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 12 Reply 2, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 2375 times:
Does LH really fly to MNL? I've been in MNL for quite a while now and I've never seen an LH plane around here. Maybe just my luck.
Well, with all the Western business boom in Manila Metropolitan recently, there's a lot of traffic into MNL. Try getting into MNL around 10:45-11 pm when OZ(A319), EK (773), JL (742), KE (744) and 2 NW 744's land in a span of 20 minutes. You'll be stuck in immigration for hours. I think a CX A340 lands around the same time.
Centrair From Japan, joined Jan 2005, 3597 posts, RR: 21 Reply 3, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 2370 times:
This is very impressive.
Basically it is the definition of Hub and Spoke.
Take two airports on opposite sides of the globe. Find all the airlines that serve both airports. Connect through hub of 5th freedom airport.
It is not very easy to get from the US to MNL.
LAX-MNL (10 airlines)
• Northwest..............LAX-NRT-MNL
• Japan Airlines........LAX-NRT-MNL
• Korean Airlines.......LAX-ICN-MNL
• Asiana Alines..........LAX-ICN-MNL
• Eva Airlines............LAX-TPE-MNL
• China Airlines..........LAX-TPE-MNL
• Cathay Pacific........LAX-HKG-MNL
• China Southern.......LAX-CAN-MNL
• Philippine Airways....LAX-GUM-MNL
• Continental Airlines..LAX-HNL-GUM-MNL
To find the maximum take two airports far from each other but with many hubs in between. It can get impressive.
I don't know about price or time but these are all feasible routings and some have been promoted in Japan. I might have even missed a few. All on a single airline's metal. No Codeshares.
NRT-CDG (29 airlines)
Non-stop
One-Stop
• Air France....................NRT-CDG
• All Nippon Airways........NRT-CDG
• Japan Airlines...............NRT-CDG
• Cathay Pacific..............NRT-HKG-CDG
• KLM.............................NRT-AMS-CDG
• Malaysian.....................NRT-KUL-CDG
• Singapore.....................NRT-SIN-CDG
• Thai Airways.................NRT-BKK-CDG
• Korean Airlines..............NRT-ICN-CDG
• Asiana.........................NRT-ICN-CDG
• Air China......................NRT-PEK-CDG
• China Eastern...............NRT-PVG-CDG
• China Southern..............NRT-CAN-CDG
• Vietnam Airlines.............NRT-SGN-CDG
• British Airways..............NRT-LHR-CDG
• Luthansa......................NRT-FRA-CDG
• Aeroflot.........................NRT-SVO-CDG
• Alitalia..........................NRT-MXP-CDG
• Finnair..........................NRT-HEL-CDG
• SAS.............................NRT-CPH-CDG
• Austrian........................NRT-VIE-CDG
• Swiss Air.......................NRT-ZRH-CDG
• Turkish Airlines..............NRT-IST-CDG
• Northwest Airlines..........NRT-DTW-CDG
• Continental Airlines.........NRT-EWR-CDG
• United Airlines................NRT-ORD-CDG
• American Airlines............NRT-JFK-CDG
• Delta Airlines..................NRT-ATL-CDG
• Air Canada.....................NRT-YYZ-CDG
Yes...I am not a KIX fan. Let's Japanese Aviation!
Awthompson From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 355 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 2317 times:
Quoting Norcal773 (Reply 2): Does LH really fly to MNL? I've been in MNL for quite a while now and I've never seen an LH plane around here. Maybe just my luck.
Yes, Lufthansa fly daily from Frankfurt to Manila with a 1 hour stop (1 hour 30 coming back) in Guangzhou, China. The flight LH 788/9 (changing as far as I can see now to 780/1) is operated by an Airbus A340-642 and always arrives / departs Manila after dark unfortunately. Lufthansa usually park around the far side of the old Ninoy Aquino building (opposite side from the newer Domestic and PAL terminal.)
If you search on this site you will see plenty of photos of the flight transiting through Guangzhou (CAN) in the late afternoon on the way to Manila but I have never seen a picture of her at Manila. Even if she suffers a major delay, it is still unlikely she will stay until the next morning as she normally arrives MNL at 18:55 and leaves again at 20:15.
EWRCabincrew From United States of America, joined May 2006, 5522 posts, RR: 57 Reply 5, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2297 times:
Well, that certainly is an impressive list from Narita NRT to Paris Charles De Gaulle CDG.
THANKS for carrying out that research and posting the detailed list. I will enjoy studying it. In fact I have added you to my respected users list! (First one actually as I am quite new in the forums.)
So far you have WON that challenge and I doubt if it will be easy to beat
If you wished to try all of those choices it would take a lot of effort, money and time !
Thanks again
Also Centrair, on your profile, I notice your picture of B-HXN at NGO. That was one of the planes flown on my first LHR-MNL trip! I flew HKG-LHR on that one. I am actually on board the following flight which was captured by another photographer unknowingly!
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21464 posts, RR: 24 Reply 7, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 2285 times:
Routes between a few major cities in Europe and BKK should also rank high in terms of same-carrier services as about 10 carriers from Russia, Ukraine and former Soviet republics in central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan etc) all serve BKK and most also serve at least one or two major gateways in western Europe. Also a few other carriers in the Middle East (in addition to most of those listed as serving MNLabove) that operate Europe-BKK via their hubs (e.g. El Al, Royal Jordanian, Egyptair, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air). Plus a few others in Asia that serve both Europe and BKK (e.g. Air-India, SriLankan, Bangladesh Biman). Plus most major European carriers.
Awthompson From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 355 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 2260 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 7): Routes between a few major cities in Europe and BKK should also rank high in terms of same-carrier services
I used to think that nothing compared with the North Atlantic traffic volumes from Europe to USA/Canada but since I started to travel east I realized that was not the case.
On trips I have made from Europe to Hong Kong and Manila, I have been surprised to see high passenger loadings and all wide bodies at that.
I travelled quite recently to Manila with Emirates and the flight from Dubai to Manila for which they lined up a brand new Boeing 777-300ER did not have a single empty seat left. Same coming home and similar picture with Qatar Airways a few weeks ago.
It looks like Europe to Eastern Asia have the highest volumes of traffic and choice of airlines with European cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam and Zurich having high numbers of through airline choices to Eastern Asian Cities including Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38486 posts, RR: 80 Reply 10, posted (6 years 2 months 2 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 2251 times:
Awthompson:
Of the 17 you listed, I'd go for the Thai Airways flight through BKK. I flew them a few days ago and loved it!
If you want adventure, I's suggest Aeroflot LHR-SVO and get there IL-96 to BKK, then Phillipines Air or Cebu Pacific to Manila.
Awthompson From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 355 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2195 times:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 11): QANTAS LHR-(Singapore, Bangkok or Hongh Kong)- SYD-Manilla or LHR-(SIN OR BKG)-BNE-MAN
Funny, I did think about Qantas. Although it is not an advertised way of travelling from LHR to Manila, it is certainly another airline which could be used all the way if one wanted to be aventurous. It would however be a long journey in total and I am not sure that the through price would be very competetive for that reason.
Quoting Superfly (Reply 10): Awthompson:
Of the 17 you listed, I'd go for the Thai Airways flight through BKK. I flew them a few days ago and loved it!
If you want adventure, I's suggest Aeroflot LHR-SVO and get there IL-96 to BKK, then Phillipines Air or Cebu Pacific to Manila
I haven't tried Thai yet but no doubt I would like to. I would hate however to use Thai without being able to stay over a day or two in Bangkok as I have not yet had the chance to go there.
With my Qatar Airways LHR-MNL trip in December, as a result of long connections I was able to stay both outbound and return in Doha City. This was even paid for by the airline!
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38486 posts, RR: 80 Reply 13, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 2182 times:
Quoting Awthompson (Reply 12): I haven't tried Thai yet but no doubt I would like to. I would hate however to use Thai without being able to stay over a day or two in Bangkok as I have not yet had the chance to go there.
Understood.
I just flew Thai Airways from Bangkok earlier this week. THEY HAVE TO BE THE BEST AIRLINE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll post a trip report as soon as I get all of my pictures out.
Why is my name quoted as recommending Qantas?
(reply 11)
Awthompson From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 355 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 2170 times:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 13): Why is my name quoted as recommending Qantas?
(reply 11)
Yes, thats strange, the reply number is correct but the member user name quoting is wrong. I don't know what happened there. If that was my fault, I apologize. Reply 11 was by TruemanQLD. Maybe I done too much cutting and pasting and somehow did not put things back in the correct place.
CXfirst From Norway, joined Jan 2007, 2694 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 2166 times:
NRT-LHR (27 airlines)
Non-stop
One-Stop
BA NRT-LHR
VS NRT-LHR
NH NRT-LHR
JL NRT-LHR
AF NRT-CDG-LHR
CX NRT-HKG-LHR
KL NRT-AMS-LHR
MH NRT-KUL-LHR
SQ NRT-SIN-LHR
TG NRT-BKK-LHR
KE NRT-ICN-LHR
OZ NRT-ICN-LHR
CA NRT-PEK-LHR
China Eastern NRT-PVG-LHR
China Southern NRT-CAN-LHR
Vietnam Airlines NRT-SGN-LHR
LH NRT-FRA-LHR
Aeroflot NRT-SVO-LHR
Alitalia NRT-MXP-LHR
AY NRT-HEL-LHR
SK NRT-CPH-LHR
OA NRT-VIE-LHR
Swiss Air NRT-ZRH-LHR
TK NRT-IST-LHR
UA NRT-LAX-LHR
AA NRT-JFK-LHR
AC NRT-YYZ-LHR