Filipinos gain appetite for business class flights
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MANILA, Philippines — While Filipino airline passengers usually flew economy when they visited the United States and Asian destinations, more travelers also splurged on business-class tickets in the past year, according to a report by travel company Trevolution Group.
Trevolution, in a statement on Wednesday, reported that demand for economic class tickets, which accounted for 94 percent of the total bookings, grew by 36 percent to $200.19 million last year.
Business-class ticket sales, meanwhile, rose by 10.5 percent to $12.56 million for the period.
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Alex Weinstein, founder of Trevolution parent Dynnino Group of Companies, said the sustained travel demand reflected the growing consumer spending in the Philippines.
“Travel demand to and from the Philippines clearly shows the country’s economic resilience and travelers’ evolving needs,” he said.
The top destinations last year for Filipino travelers, who usually went with their family, were the United States, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The travelers had embarked on adventure trips, cultural experiences and long weekend getaways, the study said, boosting tourism activities.
Last year, round-trip tickets accounted for 87.3 percent of total bookings, lower than 90.1 percent in 2023. One-way tickets, meanwhile, rose by 32 percent and 39 percent for outbound and return trips, respectively.
Filipino flyers usually stayed in their destination for up to 36 days.
“With infrastructure upgrades, strategic partnerships and initiatives such as the Thailand-Philippines cooperation, the country’s tourism sector is set for even greater momentum,” Weinstein said.
The Department of Tourism inked a cooperation agreement with Thailand in January to boost travel between the countries. This covers joint tourism promotions and marketing as well as exchange of best practices in sustainable tourism and cultural heritage tourism, among others.
On the infrastructure side, the government has been working on the rehabilitation projects of its airports, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. A group led by San Miguel Corp. has taken over the operations and maintenance of the country’s primary gateway since last year.
Other airports in the pipeline are the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan International Airport, both of which are under the wings of Aboitiz Group.
