Relax before your Philippine Airlines flight at the Mabuhay Lounge, Manila

If you are flying PAL Business Class to or from Manila, you can use Philippine Airlines flagship lounge at Manila’s NAIA Terminal 2. It’s a good place to relax, have a shower or get some food and drinks. Read my review to find out what to expect and how it compares to other lounges!

Philippine Airlines is the country’s flag carrier and has it’s own terminal at Ninoy Aquino Internatinoal Airport (MNL) in Manila. With that comes a lot of control over the experience you can create for your customers and PAL leveraged it for its Mabuhay lounge.

While MNL has a pretty bad reputation overall, most of that is due to the old Terminal 1 (international, finally renovated) and 4 (domestic). PAL’s terminal 2 is actually pretty nice. The Mabuhay lounge is located at the center, between the domestic and international wing. It’s available to business class passengers and their frequent flyer Mabuhay Elite members. Keep in mind that they only allow guests for their Premier Elite members!

After passing through the small receiving area, you can pick up a newspaper or magazine on the way in. There is also access to restrooms and a shower, if you are coming off a long flight! You have a choice of three areas in the lounge:

The first space you see is a TV/movie room, with seats arranged theater style facing a large TV screen.
mnl-mabuhay-lounge-4The second are is set up cafeteria style with the food and drink buffets on two sides and a bar on the third. In the middle, you have bistro style tables and chairs set up.
mnl-mabuhay-lounge-2The last room has the feeling of a living room, with small, comfortable sitting areas to relax or read. I picked the “living room” and, after arriving around 6am, headed straight to the buffet for breakfast. mnl-mabuhay-lounge-1The choices included fresh fruit, sweet and savory pastries, as well as a selection of hot dishes. There were also juices, soft drinks, coffee and tea, and even the bar was open for business for cocktails, wine and beer. I’m a coffee addict My first priority was coffee – and they do have an espresso/cappuccino maker, which served very good coffee (score!). It was a little early for cocktails, but I picked up some fruit and pastries and all were surprisingly good. I saved some appetite for the meal on the business class flight to come and relaxed with the news paper.

mnl-mabuhay-lounge-3The lounge was busy, but not crowded and it was easy to find seats at any time, the food was being replenished quickly and service was friendly. Flight announcements were being made, although I couldn’t tell if those were for the lounge or terminal wide… The lounge was renovated in mid 2015, so it all feels new and fresh!

Compared to the Thai/Star Alliance lounge, the Miascor Lounge and Pagestop Lounge in terminal 1, the Mabuhay lounge is a far more pleasant place to wait for your flight. It also compares favorably to your typical United/Delta/American lounge, but can’t quite measure up to Singapore Airlines lounge in NAIA Terminal 3. It’s the most pleasant place to wait for your flight at MNL’s various terminals and I’m sure to make my way there on my next PAL flight…

If you have a little more time, read why Manila, the Gateway to Paradise, is worth a stop over,  the top things to see and where to stay!


Comments

Relax before your Philippine Airlines flight at the Mabuhay Lounge, Manila — 69 Comments

  1. Just asking…is there any safe place that we can put our luggage…if i will take shower? Instead of bringing my cart to the bathroom

    • The Mabuhay Lounge is past security, so your luggage should be checked in already. You can bring your hand luggage or ask the lounge staff to store it for you!

    • To access the Mabuhay Lounge in Manila’s Terminal 2, you have to either fly Philippine Airlines business class on that day or be an elite member in PAL’s Mabuhay Miles loyalty program and can access to lounge prior to your flight without reservation. To my knowledge, there are no day passes available at this time.

      • That’s pitty, we fly PAL most of the time. We don’t do business class but I got 2-3 free domestic flights free because I earned points. Hope Pal can give us access to the Lounge for being loyal.

    • No. Currently, only PAL flights leave from Terminal 2 and the lounge is past security. There is no practical way to reach non-PAL flights from the Mabuhay Miles.
      If you are flying from T1 or T3 on another airline, you can utilize the lounges in those terminals with PriorityPass, DragonPass or a number of credit cards or paid access.

  2. My wife and I will be flying business class Vancouver-Manila-Vancouver. Do you have info on the Lounge in Vancouver? Are all shower necessities available? Our flight to MNL from YVR is at 00:45, would you know the closing time of the lounge there?
    Thanks!

  3. absolute joke that you can’t pay for a day pass for the lounge waiting in manila airport for 8 hours fro our flight, surely you’d profit from something like this. disappointing

    • Many airlines limit lounge access to their elite members and business/first class passengers to avoid crowding. PAL’s lounge at Terminal 2 is frequently operating at capacity and an expansion is planned.
      I understand that PAL won’t sell day passes, because it would make the situation worse and I don’t expect them to do so anytime soon.
      Your choices are to purchase business class tickets, which include lounge access, earn elite status with PAL – or consider flying other airlines that utilize MNL T1 or T3 where paid lounges are available.

    • That’s a tough arrival time. I’d recommend either the Wings Transit Lounge landside in Terminal 3 – they have sleeping rooms as well as showers, food and drink and are available at a fee.
      Alternatively, there are a number of hotels across the street from Terminal 3 and you can reach them via a pedestrian bridge. The Belmont Hotel is the closest and there are also a Marriott and a Holiday Inn Express (Formerly Remington).

  4. Hi, I’d like to enquire if how many airmiles do I need to accumulate to be able use the mabuhay airlounge in Manila. It will be my 7th time flywing with PAL from London to Iloilo. The transit will take about 6-8 hours wait.

    Many thanks.

    • You can access the Mabuhay Lounge in Manila as an Elite on your own or as Premier Elite with one guest. You can find your status in your Mabuhay Miles account. To achieve Elite status you need to earn 25,000 miles in one year and to achieve Premier Elite status 45,000 miles in one year. This is the number of miles earned in one year, not the total number of miles in your account. The number of miles you earn depends on the distance of your flight and the fare of your ticket.
      You can find out more about the Mabuhay Miles program here!

  5. Hi, i will be travelling from abu dhabi-manila(business class? wth connecting flight to tagbilaran(premium economy).am I allowed to stay in the mabuhay lounge?i have almost 6 hours waiting fr my flight to tagbilaran.

    • Because you are arriving in Business Class an there is no Business Class offered on flights to Bohol, you should be able to enter the Mabuhay Lounge. Please check with PAL directly at Check In to confirm!

      • I tried they said no at airport,but they didnt even want to help me anyway the man and women were to busy flirting with each other and doing nothing for 2 hours because I watched them,I just was being very polite and asking simple questions, who can I contact to maybe get some answers so next 6ime I pay top dollar for business class I would like a few nice things

      • Sorry you had a bad experience. Lounge access should be included in a Business Class ticket, including when connecting to an economy flight on routes that don’t have Business Class.

    • I have a 5 hour lay over in Manila from Tagbilaran flying Phillipines airline economy .Can I purchase a day pass

  6. When is the new lounge going to open in Terminal 2. It seems that they have been building it for a year. Lounge is very crowded at night with LAX and SFO business class passengers.

    • You are right, it’s getting crowded and it has been a while. Unfortunately, I don’t have a date when it’ll be finished!

  7. Is the lounge open 24 hours at terminal 2 ? arriving at 10 pm at terminal 1 leaving at 06h00 to Cebu with pal . waiting time 8 hours ….are there rooms at terminal 2 ? or near terminal 2 ?

    • The Mabuhay Lounge at Terminal 2 is open from 3:00am – 9:00pm, so you’ll have to find another place to stay. Given your timing, you could stay at one of the nearby hotels. The Hyatt City of Dreams is pretty close and has a mall attached to it – it’s a 10 minute taxi/grab ride away. The Microtel Mall of Asia is a cheaper alternative.

      • Thanks …but i am looking for a cheaper hotel where i can sleep a few hours any idiea ? near terminal 2

      • There is the Wings Lounge at Terminal 3 that you can reach by shuttle and that has small rooms for a few hours. There is also a Red Planet hotel near the airport, which is decent quality and inexpensive. You can also try one of the many apartments available for nightly rent – limited service, but ok to sleep. You can find options around the airport here!
        Keep in mind that many budget hotels in Manila are love hotels – I recommend to read the descriptions/reviews to make sure you are ok with the hotel you book!

  8. I’m flying with my 92 yr old mother who is in business class to LAX Tom however I’m only in premium economy. Will I be allowed to accompany her in business lounge while we wait for our boarding time?

    • Premium Economy does not entitle you to lounge access. I found PAL staff to be very considerate and compassionate with regards to elderly travelers, so you might be lucky and get an exception.
      I’d recommend to approach the lounge and ask if you will be able to go with your mother to take care of her while she is in the lounge – good luck, I hope they will make an exception for you! Please let us know, how it goes!

  9. I am flying business class to London on the 28th October…my friend is flying to Bangkok two hours later…can I pay for her to use the lounge at MANILA airport until her flight leaves

    • Sorry, that won’t work: You can only purchase award miles, but they don’t count as status miles and won’t earn you elite status.

  10. If you’re coming into terminals 1 or 3, spend the layover at the clubs there if you are NOT a PAL elite or club member. Once you’re thru the transfer desk to terminal 2…you cannot get back. No day passes. I have entry to 4 other international airline clubs (United, Delta, Priority & Centurion)…can’t get to any of it from terminal 2. Hope this helps others plan ahead!

    • Good idea, but your success may vary: All the lounges in T3 (except Wings) and T1 are airside, past security. Security staff may not let you enter, if your ticket is for departure from T2.

  11. Hello, i’m a nephew of a mabuhay miles member and my flyt was book using her miles points. Am i allowed to enter the mabuhay lounge? That’s what she said but I am not sure since i was only booked for econ class flyt. In my eticket or boarding pass, it doesn’t show if im allowed to access the lounge or not.

    • An Economy Class ticket does not entitle you to Mabuhay Lounge access. If your aunt is an Elite member, she could access the lounge on an economy class ticket, but not another person.

  12. Hello,first time to travel in business class…am i allowed to stay at the mabuhay lounge for 8hrs,waiting for my departure to davao,since im arriving at 10:10 in the morning from bahrain and my next departure to davao is 6:40 in the evening?

    • While some lounges have time limits, because you have a connecting flight later, this shouldn’t be a problem. Enjoy your first trip in Business Class!

  13. Can you please advise if there are shower facilities (including towels etc) in the Mahubay Business Lounge in Manila. We are flying business class, but have a 6hr wait over for our onward flight to Auckland.

    Thanks

    • The Mabuhay Lounge in Terminal 2 has showers and (last time I checked) provides towels.
      But check the terminal assignment for your flights – PAL is moving some international flights to Terminal 1 and using a contract lounge there!

  14. Hi!
    In the midst of organizing our SIN-YVR-SIN via MNL flights at the end of June and I read that all flights to/from Canada are operating at T1 until further notice. Is there a Mabuhay lounge at T1? If not, which one do they use and what’s your take on that?

    Thank you!

    • You are correct, PAL flights to Canada and the US are operating from Terminal 1. PAL uses the PAGS Lounge at Terminal 1. It has been recently renovated, is as nice as the Mabuhay Lounge in T2 and I’ll update my review soon.
      Keep in mind though that your connecting flight to Singapore leaves from Terminal 2, so on your outbound, you’ll be able to use the Mabuhay Lounge in T2.

  15. Thanks for the informative article! I will be flying business class Bali to Los Angeles and have a 6-hour layover. Is there a lounge where I can lie down? Thanks!

    • The Mabuhay Lounge in Terminal 2 and the PAGS lounge in Terminal 1 both have lounge seating with padded chairs, but no private areas with beds. As of today, flights to LAX leave from T2, but they have recently departed from T1 as well, so please check PAL’s Terminal Schedule to find out the terminal you will be using.

  16. If in domestic flights from manila towards legazpi city
    Or in zamboanga city or davao city
    On PAL business class
    Is there any Mabuhay lounge to be used in trrminal 3
    While waiting for the flights?
    Thanks

    • PAL flights to Davao depart from Terminal 2, you can get the latest terminal assignments here! As a Business Class passenger, you will have access to the Mabuhay Lounge.
      Flights to Zamboanga and Iloilo currently depart from T3 and you should have access to PAL’s contract lounge. At my most recent departure from T3, that was the SkyView Lounge. Double check with PAL staff at check-in as the lounge agreement might have changed.

  17. I will be arriving in Manila at 5pm from international flight and will take domestic flight at 4am to CDO on next day thru PAL on business class ticket. Can i stay in the lounge for that long waiting hours?
    I just want to sleep and refresh in preparation for another 5h land trip after the flight.
    Thank u so much

    • PAL doesn’t publish the opening hours of the Manila T2 Lounge, but to my knowledge, it’s not open 24h. You might need to get a hotel or head to the Wings Lounge at T3 to get rest.

  18. can one pay to use your lounges traveling from jfk to manila to iloilo then to cebu then manila then back to jfk all on your air thanks for any info i think i have super economy what is mabuhay elite i am 74 first time flying retired going to visit friends in iloilo thats were they live can i pay to use any of your lounges??

    • The Philippine Airlines lounges are available only to Mabuhay elite members and Business Class passengers. There are no day passes for purchase at the Mabuhay lounge in Manila or at other Philippine Airlines operated lounges.

  19. I arrive in Manila at midnight with my daughter and my next flight is 4 in the morning. Will I be able to access lounge during this time flying business class

    • Sorry, to the best of my knowledge, the lounge is open from 3:00am – 9:00pm, so your flights will not allow you much time in the lounge…

  20. I am flying out of Manila on economy class but I am arriving in buisiness class (from JFK). Can I use the lounge leaving manila showing them my business class ticket on return??? I really hope so, it says in your article that customers with business tickets to or from – i am hoping that means me!

    • sorry, you have to fly in Business Class when you want to access the lounge, so you won’t be able to use it when you are leaving in Economy Class.
      But you will be able to use the lounge in New York on departure there.

  21. I am a Mabuhay Miles Elite member but the person I am flying with is not. Would it be possible to bring the person inside with me if I request it from PAL?

    • Mabuhay Miles Elite members can only access the lounges on their own.
      Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite are allowed to bring one guest, MM Million Milers are allowed to bring 2 guests.

  22. Hello,I’m kind of upset about noone from pal airlines or mabuhay lounge dont really want to help you at manila airport ,,I landed at terminal 1 from lax ,went thru immigration, went to terminal 2 for another pal flight to bohol,I flew business class from lax but economy fir mh domestic flight, the had a miniature mabuhay lounge and wouldn’t let me in,and would not help me I’m very frustrated with this airlines and airport help,I’m not pushy I just want what I’ve paid for and I always fly Philippines airlines, but that could change,unhappy customer

    • Some airlines (like all StarAlliance airlines, ie United, Lufthansa) determine lounge access based on your departing flight, others (like all OneWorl airlines, ie Cathay Pacific) on the highest fare on your tickets. For example, if you are flying from LAX to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific in Business Class and depart from Hong Kong to Manila in Economy, you’d get lounge access in LAX and at HKG. If the same itinerary was on United, you’d only have lounge access in LAX.
      Philippine Airlines doesn’t specify their policy, but it appears that they are following the United model. That is unfortunate, as they don’t offer Business Class on many domestic flights, taking away one of the key benefits of purchasing a business class ticket with them.
      I have never been in that situation with PAL myself. I will reach out to PAL to confirm their policy and will update this post accordingly.

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