More Pinoys flying business class 

While Filipino airline passengers usually fly economy when they visit the United States and Asian destinations, more travelers are also splurging on business-class tickets in the past year, according to a report by travel company Trevolution Group.

Trevolution, in a statement, reported that demand for economic class tickets, which accounted for 94% of the total bookings, grew by 36% to $200.19 million last year.

Business-class ticket sales, meanwhile, rose by 10.5% to $12.56 million for the period.

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% of total bookings, lower than 90.1% in 2023. One-way tickets, meanwhile, rose by 32% and 39% 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.

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.