PAL keeps 4-star rank in service quality

Philippine Airlines maintained its four-star rating for front-line product and service standards in the latest Airline Quality Ranking conducted by U.K.-based international aviation monitors Skytrax Research.

In its annual survey covering the period to December 2001, Skytrax passed 178 airlines worldwide into five categories defined by a “star” scale similar to the one used in the hotel industry.

PAL was included with 57 other carriers in the four-star class, which denoted “good quality” performance.

“A four-star ranking signifies airlines providing a good standard of product across all travel categories, as well as a good standard of staff service delivery onboard and in airport environments,” said Skytrax.

In the last global survey in 2000, PAL was also rated four-star.

PAL was joined in the four-star group by industry giants British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa, American Airlines and Qantas Airways.

The flag carrier placed ahead of such competitors as Northwest Airlines, Air China, Japan Airlines and Alitalia, which all merited only three stars or “fair quality” – the industry average for service delivery.

Only two airlines managed to achieve five-star rank in 2001.