New Delta nonstop flights give Filipino Americans another way home

AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File

LOS ANGELES — Filipino Americans in Southern California will soon have another nonstop option to Manila after Delta Air Lines announced it will launch direct service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Philippine capital beginning March 28, 2027, becoming the only US carrier to operate the route.

The route is currently served nonstop by Philippine Airlines (PAL). Delta’s entry gives travelers another airline to consider on one of the busiest US-Philippines routes. Bookings opened July 18. The airline will initially operate the service three times a week before expanding to daily flights on June 7, 2027, aboard its Airbus A350-900.

Another way home

For many Filipino Americans, the announcement means more than another flight option. It introduces competition on a route long served by a single nonstop carrier while giving travelers another way to visit family, return home or volunteer in the Philippines.

You may like: Jetting off for a vacation? How to eat and drink to minimize jet lag

Alice Barcelona, a retired registered nurse from Palmdale, California, said she and her husband, Ed, have always prioritized nonstop flights over airline loyalty.

Surgeon Ed Barcelona and wife Alice, a registered nurse, during one of their medical missions in the Philippines. The couple, who are both retirees, travel every year to the Philippines with their medical team to conduct surgical missions in rural areas. CONTRIBUTED

“When we travel anywhere in the world, we have no loyalty to any airline,” she said. “We always choose a nonstop flight regardless of the airline.”

The couple travels to the Philippines at least once a year for family visits and surgical missions. Because PAL has been the only airline offering nonstop service from Los Angeles, it has been their airline of choice despite slightly higher fares.

“Price is slightly higher, but it’s less travel time,” Alice said.

Although they have had positive experiences flying Delta on other international trips, she said the airline’s new Manila route finally gives them another nonstop option.

“It’s good news to have Delta fly nonstop to the Philippines,” she said. “Competition is good for business. Prices may go lower, customer service will surely improve, airlines will be more efficient, food will be better. It will be all good for the customers.”

If Delta’s fares are lower than PAL’s, she added, “I will gladly fly Delta nonstop to the Philippines.”

Her husband, Ed Barcelona, a retired vascular and general surgeon, shares that preference for nonstop travel. “We fly once a year LAX to MNL always nonstop,” he said. He said he enjoys PAL’s Filipino food offerings and would likely continue supporting the Philippine flag carrier if fares remain comparable. But if Delta offers lower prices, he said, he would gladly switch.

“If the price is the same, I will probably pick PAL and be patriotic supporting a Philippine airline.”

Like his wife, Barcelona believes Delta’s arrival will benefit travelers. “Competition is good,” he said. “It will improve service and lower air fares. More schedules to choose from.”

Airfare, comfort and service

Other Filipino American travelers welcome the additional competition but say nonstop service alone is unlikely to change their travel habits.

Eileen del Gallego, who travels to the Philippines with her husband, Jules, every year to visit family, said airfare, comfort and service matter more than whether a flight is direct.

Eileen (second from left, second row) and Jules del Gallego (seated, right) travel frequently to the Philippines to visit family members and reconnect with friends. CONTRIBUTED

She said she and her husband began driving to Los Angeles to catch international flights after retiring because it was less expensive than flying from San Diego and avoided additional domestic connections. After Delta discontinued its Manila service before the pandemic, they began flying one-stop itineraries on Asian carriers, including ANA, EVA Air and Korean Air, choosing whichever offered the best fares.

Del Gallego said the experience kept them coming back. “The Asian carrier crews were very friendly and patient, seats are wider, food is delicious, toilets are very clean and they all have an open snack bar when they turn off their lights,” she said.

She added that one-stop flights have never been a drawback. “We always get one stop. No inconvenience for us. We like it,” she said. “Nonstop service isn’t important to us.”

Even so, Del Gallego welcomed Delta’s return to the Manila market. “More choices and if the price is right, we can go back to flying Delta,” she said.

Asked what would persuade her to switch, she replied: “Cheaper fare and wide seats.”

She said another airline serving the route should benefit passengers by increasing competition on fares. While she and her husband may try Delta once the service begins, she said they will continue choosing the airline that offers the best overall value in price, comfort and service.

More flights, more choices

Delta said the new route strengthens its growing Asia-Pacific network from Los Angeles.

“Customers traveling through Los Angeles continue to benefit from Delta’s investments in LAX, including an expanding Asia-Pacific network and the opening of our second Delta One Lounge,” said Jeff Arinder, Delta’s vice president of network planning. “The addition of Manila builds on the world-class travel experience our customers have come to expect from Delta while strengthening our position as LAX’s leading global carrier and premier West Coast hub.”

According to the New Ninoy Aquino International Airport Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), Delta will be the only US airline operating nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Manila. NNIC welcomed the carrier’s return, saying it adds to the growing number of international airlines expanding service to Manila.

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) also welcomed the announcement, saying the additional service could benefit travelers and the country’s tourism industry.

“More flights and more choices are good for travelers. Greater competition can help make air travel more accessible and affordable for Filipinos,” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said.

“The goal is to grow the overall market,” she added. “We want our airlines to grow and succeed. At the same time, we welcome more airlines and more routes because a bigger market benefits everyone—travelers, airlines, airports, tourism enterprises and the economy.”

The DOT cited eTravel data showing the United States remains the Philippines’ largest source of international visitors, with 707,394 recorded arrivals as of July 18. The agency said the new route is expected to make homecomings easier for overseas Filipino workers and the Filipino American community while providing another gateway for American travelers.

“For many Filipino Americans, coming to the Philippines is more than a vacation. It is a journey home,” Angara-Mathay said.

Delta previously served Manila through its former hub at Tokyo Narita before discontinuing the service in 2020. The new Los Angeles-Manila route marks the airline’s first nonstop service between the two cities.

Whether travelers remain loyal to Philippine Airlines, switch to Delta or continue choosing one-stop flights on other carriers, those interviewed agreed on one point: another airline serving the Los Angeles-Manila route gives Filipino American travelers more choices – and, they hope, better fares, improved service and an easier journey home.