DMIA - NEWS

Air Phil Express Opens four new routes at Clark Airport CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga--Airphil Express, the fastest growing budget carrier in the country, expands its service capabilities further with the launch of four new routes to and from Clark beginning March 29 this year. The new additional routes are from Clark to Davao, Cebu, Kalibo and Puerto Prinsesa, and the same brings the total number of Airphil Express's daily scheduled trips to 32 local destinations. The Clark to Cebu route (v.v.) will fly twice in the morning every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while the Clark to Davao route (v.v.) will fly twice in the morning every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Clark to Kalibo route (v.v.), meanwhile, will fly four times (two in the morning, two in the afternoon) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Finally, the Clark to Puerto Princesa route (v.v.) will fly four times every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. "With its highly improved road network and increasing flights, Clark is setting out to become a natural entry point to major tourist destinations and a major hub for business and tourism in the country," says Alfredo Herrera, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing. "Aside from being a major part of the company's growth plans this year, one other reason why we have decided to offer flights from Clark is so we may bring our services closer to people in Pampanga and the nearby areas. It goes hand in hand with our commitment to help spur growth for the country's economy via the promotion of local tourism in the area," he adds. Due to the immense volume of passengers expected to be shuttling to and from the area, the budget carrier's hub in Clark will likewise be made a separate center that's dedicated to the city. The newly opened routes from Clark is also expected to allow for more visitors, who often travel for the purpose of business and leisure, to take advantage of the latest express sale promo fares of Airphil Express en route to enjoying resource- rich destinations in Clark and the nearby areas. Airphil Express has gained patronage among budget-conscious travelers thanks to its frequent Express Sales, which offers ultra-discounted fares for featured destinations within a certain time period. Airphil Express also offers online booking with seat selection, online check-in, travel insurance, and pre-paid additional baggage. And while Airphil Express considers its much-anticipated Express Sale promos as a contributor to growth last year, its top executives prefer to give more credit to its excellent customer service. "We actually offer other intangibles like listening to consumers and satisfying their needs. By taking advantage of emerging trends in social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, we are able to get in touch with our customers, and be responsive to their needs any time of day, any day of the week," Herrera adds. Airphil Express distinguishes itself from other budget carriers by offering affordable airfare and convenience-driven

products and services like the Web Check-In, Seat Selector, Travel Insurance, and Pre-Paid Baggage, as well as travel

exclusives of as much as 15 kilos free baggage allowance and an additional 7-kilo free hand carry. Furthermore, the company is

known as the first budget airline to address the needs of business and leisure travelers through its round-the-clock customer

service presence in social networking websites. One other first in the company's online service is the "manage booking" feature, which enables Airphil Express

passengers to make flight adjustments such as rescheduling and rerouting of previously booked tickets through

www.airphilexpress.com. In line with its new routes, Airphil Express is also continuously expanding its fleet. Early this year, the company added

three 180-seater Airbus A320s, which can fly at longer flight distances with lesser fuel consumption. This brings the total number

of Airphil Express aircrafts to 11 Airbus 320s, three Q300s and five Q400s. Today, traveling on Airphil Express is comfortable

and safe with its young and reliable fleet of Airbus A320, Q300 and Q400 aircrafts.

Aside from operating in 32 local destinations throughout the country, Airphil Express also serves the Manila-Singapore

and Cebu-Hong Kong international routes. For bookings and inquiries about the latest travel promotions and services of Airphil

Express, guests can go through www.airphilexpress.com. They could also keep in touch and provide immediate feedback to

Airphil Express' 24/7 customer support team by following www.twitter.com/airphilexpress and/or liking

facebook.com/airphilexpressph

publicaffairs@clarkairport.com