MANILA, Philippines — Building on its aggressive 2026 expansion into the United States, Philippine Airlines (PAL) is seeking to significantly broaden its partnership with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines. The two carriers have filed a joint application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to expand a codeshare agreement that would provide passengers with seamless travel across a massive network spanning the U.S., Philippines, and East Asia.
The proposed deal follows the recent addition of Chicago to PAL’s direct U.S. gateways and builds on a legacy 2016 arrangement that initially focused on Hawaiian interisland travel.
Under the new agreement, both airlines will be able to sell seats on each other’s flights, effectively acting as a single network for booking and baggage purposes:
Alaska Airlines Code on PAL Flights: Alaska Airlines plans to place its code on PAL-operated long-haul flights from the U.S. to Manila, as well as several connecting routes beyond the capital:
- U.S. Gateways: Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Chicago.
- Domestic PH: Cebu and Laoag.
- Regional Asia: Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Osaka (Kansai), and Seoul (Incheon).
PAL Code on Alaska Airlines Flights: In return, PAL will place its code on Alaska-operated domestic flights within the United States, allowing Filipino travelers to reach major cities through their gateway points:
- Major Cities: Las Vegas, New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Orlando, Miami, and New Orleans.
- Interisland Hawaii: Continued access to Alaska’s (via Hawaiian Airlines) interisland network.
The carriers emphasized that the expanded partnership is “in the public interest,” offering several key advantages for consumers:
- Single-Ticket Convenience: Passengers can book a journey from a domestic U.S. city (e.g., Dallas) to a domestic Philippine city (e.g., Cebu) on a single ticket.
- Seamless Baggage: Checked bags will be transferred automatically between the two airlines at gateway airports.
- Wider Reach: The deal allows both airlines to “expand” their networks without the massive overhead cost of adding new aircraft or flight crews to every route.
- Frequent Flyer Integration: While specific details were not in the filing, codeshare agreements typically allow passengers to earn miles across both loyalty programs.
The move comes as the aviation industry continues to recover and realign following global shifts in travel demand. For PAL, the partnership with Alaska Airlines—which recently acquired Hawaiian Airlines—provides a powerful domestic partner in the U.S. to compete with other major transpacific carriers.
Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, strengthens its footprint in the growing Asian market, providing its customers with direct access to one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia through a trusted flagship partner.
