Zee Lifestyle columnist Mayenne Carmona joins the exclusive media group invited to be among the first to try out Philippine Airlines’ newly launched Cebu to Los Angeles leg.

On March 15, 2016, its 75th founding anniversary, Philippine Airlines marked another historical milestone: an Airbus A34-300, which seats 254 passengers, took its first flight to Los Angeles from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

At present, PAL has 11 weekly flights between Manila and Los Angeles, ten weekly flights between Manila and San Francisco, and four weekly flights between Manila and New York. The flight to Los Angeles from Cebu is an addition to their flight expansion routes.

During a press conference at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, PAL President and COO Jaime Bautista said, “Customers in the Visayas and Mindanao have long clamored for direct flights between Cebu and the US due to the travel convenience this will bring. One can simply take a short hop to Cebu from any point in the Visayas and Mindanao, and connect to Los Angeles instead of flying all the way to Manila. Our goal is to make PAL the airline of choice in all the markets we serve, one that exceeds passenger expectations. We want PAL to be a source of pride for Filipinos.”

PAL VP for Marketing Ria Carrion Domingo said the Cebu-LAX service takes off with the “heart of the Filipino” and the “hospitality and waterproof spirit that the Filipino is known for.”

The PAL crew on flight PR103 were thrilled to pose with their President and COO, Jaime Bautista

It was a treat for the members of Cebu media to experience PAL’s first flight to Los Angeles on March 15—they are now part of PAL’s history. Members of the media from Manila flew to Cebu and took the second flight on the 17th of March. I represented Zee Lifestyle, but flew with the Manila media because I am based in Manila. Other members of the media on the flight were JoAnne Rae Ramirez of People Asia and Philippine Star; Fil Sionil of Manila Bulletin; and Anna Sobrepeña of Lifestyle Asia. Also with us were PAL’s lovable ladies: Ria, Head of Marketing Activations Pinky Custodia, Marketing Activations Officer Terry Romilla, and External Communications Head and Spokesperson Terry Romilla. EIC of Philippine Star’s Lifestyle Section Millet Mananquil took the flight from Manila with PAL executives.

PR122 (CEB-LAX) departs Cebu every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6:25PM and arrives in Los Angeles at 5:35PM local time. PR 123 (LAX-CEB) leaves Los Angeles on the same days at 8:40PM local time and arrives in Cebu at 4:40 AM, plus two days.

From personal observation, taking the flight from Cebu was stress-free. There were no long queues at immigration to reckon with. The airport was not crowded—we all felt so calm, like we just came out of a meditation session. Their Mabuhay Lounge serves the best coffee in the whole of Cebu. I have the tendency to speak in hyperboles when I like something, but their coffee was really delicious. Cielo Villaluna can attest to that!

A view of the SLS Beverly Hills from the street

Our brief stay in the City of Angels was truly memorable. For starters, our hotel was world-class. SLS Hotel at La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills is a five-star boutique hotel with interiors designed by Philippe Starck. His designs never fail to dazzle me. His furniture pieces are sleek and on the edge of avant-garde. My room was spacious and minimalist, but with all the essentials intact. I just loved every second of our stay at the SLS Hotel.

The Gala Night was elegant and well organized. The menu of the seated dinner was well planned and delicious. Jaime led the speeches, followed by the other PAL executives. He announced the airline’s new mantra, “Heart of the Filipino,” with a new theme song performed during their Anniversary Dinner in Manila by stellar artists Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Manalac. Versatile chanteuse Zsa Zsa Padilla was the entertainer of the evening.

PAL executives at the Gala Night

On our third day, we were taken on a road trip to the Chino Canyon of Palm Springs. We took the aerial tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram car. The breathtaking journey began at the Valley Station, and we disembarked at the Mountain Station where we had lunch at the Pines Café. After climbing the rocks and having our fill of picture-taking, we took the aerial tram to bring us down. It was an unforgettable adventure, and was the highlight of our trip. Next stop: the Cabazon shopping outlets. They had all the name brands, both American and European, to the delight of everyone.

The aerial tramway that took us to the Chino Canyons

All good things must come to an end. On our fourth evening, we were on our way to Tom Bradley International Airport. As expected, Airport Manager Rex Aldanese and Duty Manager Anna Pesigan facilitated our check-in. We were onboard PAL’s flight 103 to Manila. Although the flight was long, the service was impeccable and the in-flight cuisine was a gastronomical experience. PAL had tapped some of Asia Pacific’s top chefs—Jessie Sincioco, Fernando Aracama, Wataru Hikawa, Ben Lam, Bruce Lim and Yoon Yun Sun—to coordinate with their corporate chef Noel Ramos, and the results were Michelin star-worthy dishes! Being catered to and pampered by the team of Flight Purser Vivienne Pineda, Flight Attendants Maggie Gumaru and Aica Baes. CSM Geb Inocencio, and Flight Steward Jun Jun Uy made the long flight so comfortable and enjoyable. True to PAL’s new philosophy, PAL is indeed the heart of the Filipino. PAL President and COO Jaime Bautista’s goal of making PAL a five-star airline will soon be achieved.