Flights will commence on 1 June.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays the flights will continue on from Darwin to Brisbane, while on the remaining four days of the week the flights will continue on to Perth. This will see Darwin act as a hub linking Manila with Brisbane and Perth utilising an aircraft which does not have the range to travel the full way, while matching the initial demand for seats.
On the Manila-Darwin leg PAL will be up against Jetstar's four times weekly service on the same route, offering a superior two class, full-service option that many claim passengers want, but which many baulk at paying the necessary cost.
PAL has entered the flights on its website timetable but they are not yet listed for sale. They are however available for sale on various travel agent websites, including kayak.com at rather inflated prices. A return Darwin-Manila flight in July for example is about $4,500. Which is at least $4,000 too high to be serious. Presumably this will be sorted out soon.
Once PAL reveal their real pricing, competition between PAL and Jetstar can be expected to be fierce. Hopefully this does not end in tears and both airlines can remain and flourish.