A first-hand review of Philippine Airlines' flagship lounge at Manila Airport (MNL) has surfaced one truly odd flaw: the lounge Wi-Fi reportedly won't connect to laptops from outside the Philippines. The reviewer, transiting Manila between a business class flight from Osaka and an A350 departure to San Francisco, was told by lounge staff that computers from "other countries" simply can't join the network. His phone connected fine — his laptop never did. The free airport Wi-Fi doesn't reach inside the lounge, so anyone wanting to work has to walk out to the terminal to do it.
That's the headline gripe, but the wider picture isn't much rosier. The Mabuhay Lounge opened in late 2023 and is genuinely big — around 1,200 square metres with capacity for just under 300 guests, spread along one main corridor near gate 15 in Terminal 1. It's open around the clock (possibly closing briefly on Wednesday nights for maintenance) and admits Philippine Airlines business class passengers with no guests, Mabuhay Miles Elite and Premier Elite members with one guest, plus paid entry subject to capacity.
The problems start before you even reach the door. Signage pointing to "Airline Lounges" exists in both directions with no indication of which lounges sit where, and the reviewer walked past the entrance twice — the biggest word on the sign is "Mabuhay," which doesn't exactly scream "lounge here." An elevator in poor condition then hauls you up to level four, where a handsome entrance briefly raises hopes.
Inside, crowding during peak periods means seats are scarce, and the layout is functional rather than special — rows of chairs, a buffet at the back, a small quiet room, and a glass-walled "Million Miler Exclusive" corner that's basically a few high-top tables. The buffet covered the basics (sandwiches, dumplings, noodle soup, cakes and fruit) without impressing, and there's a bar with cocktails, beer, wine and barista coffee that unfortunately produced a bitter cup. Showers exist but had a wait; bathrooms were busy but clean.
The other dealbreaker: constant departure announcements. Every flight is called over the microphone, repeatedly, with wordy scripts — at peak times the reviewer described the room as having the ambiance of a live auction. His verdict was blunt: the terminal itself was more pleasant than the lounge, which earned a very low rating.
Getting to the lounge isn't a breeze either. Transit passengers at Manila all pass through a security check served by a single x-ray machine and metal detector, with long queues and little urgency — about 40 minutes gate to security clearance in this case. For an airline actively courting international connecting traffic, and selling tight connections, that's a real pain point.
Why should travellers care? If you're booking Philippine Airlines business class or hold Mabuhay Miles Elite status and connect through Manila, temper expectations: the lounge is new and spacious but, during busy hours, you may genuinely be better off working and relaxing in the terminal itself. Bring a mobile hotspot or plan on the airport's free Wi-Fi — your foreign laptop isn't getting online in here.
