NanLaew

And once upon a time, I was FL-class diamond-encrusted Rhodium with KLM before they climbed into bed with Air France. Now I've got a two-dozen points on ThaiVietjet that their website doesn't recognise, but good to know my Priority Pass allows me to rub shoulders with the more entitled at the satellite Miracle Lounge at BKK.

Comparing non-stop to one-stop. Pick your own fruit then.

Who died and made you placeholder?

I also like the seasoned front-of-the-bus flyers that post their apples to oranges comparisons. Airlines make the bulk of their profits on those who 'turn-left' at the door when boarding. Since they have maxed-out their profits with the limited variations allowed in Coach, ie. economy, economy plus, economy lite, 3-4-3, 3-5-3 seating and other nuances beyond a few more inches of legroom, 'premium' meals, paying for checked baggage and the like, the focus is on the business (or better-off personal) traveler. At the front of the airplane, there are increasingly more variations and price banding options, but that depends on the fleet size, destinations served, length of non-stop sectors, etc.. Not all airlines can afford to offer the individual suites and cabins that SQ pioneered and Qatar have tweaked. Thai learned that they cannot compete, as have most who bought less than half-a-dozen A380's, with the higher-end, longer-haul airlines. Good luck to them in staying flexible enough to work profitably and safely in an industry where the dynamics are rapidly changing. To me, it's a bus that flies and airports are bus stations. Disclaimer: I have never worked, or pretended to work, in the airline or travel business. Just a tired old frequent flier who misses the Constellation and the stopovers in Constantinople, Delhi and Rangoon.

Excellent post.Thai Airways is now out of rehabilitation but as far as i can see, the many management and financial structural issues have not been properly addressed. I like it when the former-executives and management of international airlines retire to Thailand and post insightful and informative comments on these forum pages.

Maybe he knows where the door plugs are when he's selecting his seat?

Oh... Right... Me neither.

Right about what ? Make your point. Is he right when he claims there's absolutely nothing essential to daily life in the USA that needs to be imported?

Well he's right, isn't he?

Yes, but didn't Trump say there was absolutely nothing essential to daily life in the USA that needed to be imported?

Meanwhile many, many other people can. Amazing THAIland, eh?

...an' take their pesky goldarned nukes with 'em!

The Trump mantra is that the European's are untrustworthy. It's been part of his recent claims to the decades-long "back stabbing" of America by haters of America and Americans. Yes, I know he's talking about trade (at the moment). The VP has been far more openly critical about how European society is fomenting terrorism and how the continent of Europe is a weak ally. Do you think the Iranians would go crazy if they gained entry to the nuclear brotherhood?

Well, someone has to staff all the thousands of revitalised and brand new factories that Trump's tariff-fueled restoration of American manufacturing is going to create. Work places need workers, no?

Beware the flat-pack army.

They are there to support NATO expansionism, that's why. And NATO expansionism is why Russia invaded Ukraine. It's the biggest proxy war in town

Did you miss the importance of retaining command and control of their stockpiled nuclear capabilities? Hand over the keys to the European nuclear "football" to crazies from France and the UK? If the US downsizes their European "boots on the ground", does that equate with a proportional reduction on their wholly-owned European nuclear assets? Ukraine handed back their nukes to Russia as part of the deal guaranteeing their independence and freedom. We can see how well that turned out.

Nothing to do with speed, none whatsoever. It's the stopping, and how that's achieved that's delivering the injuries and deaths, not the speed.

Phew!....not Justins and Olivers from Dulwich and Doncaster then.

...break the law, using corrupt police behaviour as an excuse.

I have. See above. Thanks anyway.

As a former British Home Secretary Javid discovered in 2019 AFTER stripping Shamima Begum of her birthright British citizenship and passport in absentia, BEFORE Bangladesh's rightful refusal to accept her. Despite legal challenges, she still remains stateless so, be careful what you wish for.

I thought that only the NYPD did that to detainees?

Woohooo...dontcha just wish old Trumpy could undo past congressional approvals with a convoluted swipe of his Executive Order Sharpie?

Thanks Googled it. America's existentialist angst is almost as big as their notion of exceptionalism.