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AirAsia introduces Phuket-Khon Kaen route

We’re adding two new routes now because the fourth quarter is travel season and Phuket is a top destination for Thai and foreign tourists alike.

By Nattha Thepbamrung and Kritsada Mueanhawong

 

  

Esan here we come

 

AirAsia is strengthening its Phuket base with a new route from Phuket to Khon Kaen, designed to stimulate local regional tourism.

 

Mr. Arun Lilapantisitti, AirAsia’s Station Head for Phuket, said that Phuket is one of AirAsia’s main airport hubs as it offers a variety of routes both domestic and international and has continued to grow steadily. Over the first three quarters of this year (January-September 2017), all routes from the hub maintained a combined Load Factor average of 86 percent, including the Bangkok-Phuket route, which has been popular enough to warrant the addition of a pre-dawn flight and is now offered 18 times a day.

 

Fly “Phuket-Khon Kaen” 4 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) at a promotional fare starting at only 690 THB per trip from this 22 December 2017 an addition that follows new international route “Phuket-Macau”, introduced in October, and that comes with plans by AirAsia to improve self check-in and baggage loading for a more convenient travel experience.

 

Full story: https://www.phuketgazette.net/news/airasia-introduces-phuket-khon-kaen-route

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2017-11-01

[craftyhen]

yet it will still cost more to get from Phuket airport to your hotel..

[wump]

What ever happened to their freshly bought buses to serve the new Airport-Patong/Karon/Kata route? The website is offline.

[madmitch]

Also Vietjet are introducing direct flights between Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City. And not in the middle of the night like when Air Asia tried it. 

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, wump said:

What ever happened to their freshly bought buses to serve the new Airport-Patong/Karon/Kata route? The website is offline.

 

 Nothing to do with Air Asia. Private bus operator. Few  days ago I noticed a smaller style coach (rather than the very old full coaches) on the way to Patong. 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

 

 Nothing to do with Air Asia. Private bus operator. Few  days ago I noticed a smaller style coach (rather than the very old full coaches) on the way to Patong. 

I've seen that a couple of times now, I get the impression they're gaining some traction.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

I've seen that a couple of times now, I get the impression they're gaining some traction.

 

Yes I agree. Now the public bus stop is better sign posted  at the domestic terminal ... internation pax ... too bad , no doubt the taxi touts are still aggressively detering potential bus pax. The smaller coach business model makes a lot mor profitability sense. But the erratic timetable is not acceptable to a user.

Edited November 2, 2017 by LivinginKata

[wump]

Quote

Please note that the bus will depart once it is full. Don’t worry, though, as we have buses departing Phuket Airport every hour.

 

This doesn't sound too bad. I refuse to take a scam taxi and making them profit and the minibus is also a waste of time with their tour stop thing. So worst case would be a 59 minutes wait if the quote is correct? 

 

Sorry for derailing the topic but it's also about affordable transportation with AirAsia and all.

Edited November 2, 2017 by wump

[NamKangMan]

19 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

 Nothing to do with Air Asia. Private bus operator. Few  days ago I noticed a smaller style coach (rather than the very old full coaches) on the way to Patong. 

 

"Nothing to do with Air Asia." - if you look at the AirAsia website, you will see they offer several "City Transfers" and "Island Transfers" in other destinations in Thailand.

 

No way would they have been allowed to offer a "Patong Transfer" or "Coast Transfer" on Phuket, despite their possible desire to do so. 

 

Could you have imagined if they did, the AirAsia flight, with their land transport, would have made them a very attractive proposition.

[NamKangMan]

23 hours ago, madmitch said:

Also Vietjet are introducing direct flights between Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City. And not in the middle of the night like when Air Asia tried it. 

 

Vietnam is once again offering 1 year multi entry tourist visas - pay the money, no other criteria to meet.  Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam was my main "visa run" when AirAsia were operating that route.   

 

Thanks for this heads up MM.  It appears they start flying this route in December. 

[NamKangMan]

 

In recent times, I have a friend who moved from Phuket to Chiang Mai, and a friend who moved from Phuket to Udon.  Both have said to me AirAsia's direct route to these destinations was a factor in their decision to move.  In the case of the latter, I'm sure his wife made the final decision for him. 

 

Both still visit Phuket.  They usually stay 7 to 10 days, about every 2 months. 

 

I'm wondering if some expats here, with partners from KK, are going to get the same "yak yak" once this route starts operating. 

[KhunBENQ]

Still Udon Thani is in the lead as the connection seems to run all year while the KKC - HKT ends in March (for now?).

After checking Phuket hotel prices in high season the euphoria is dampened

 

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, NamKangMan said:

 

"Nothing to do with Air Asia." - if you look at the AirAsia website, you will see they offer several "City Transfers" and "Island Transfers" in other destinations in Thailand.

 

No way would they have been allowed to offer a "Patong Transfer" or "Coast Transfer" on Phuket, despite their possible desire to do so. 

 

Could you have imagined if they did, the AirAsia flight, with their land transport, would have made them a very attractive proposition.

 

Yes - the airport public bus service has nothing to do with Air Asia flights. For sure Air Asia has a holiday travel company AirAsiaGo that offers hotels and travel connections.

 

Trolling again NKM .... ???

 

[LivinginKata]

8 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Still Udon Thani is in the lead as the connection seems to run all year while the KKC - HKT ends in March (for now?).

After checking Phuket hotel prices in high season the euphoria is dampened

 

 

For me the flight times with Air Asia to KKC are much more convenient than the later times of Air Asia Udon flight. Mind you KKC airport is in the middle of nowhere so I just hope the car hire operators are fully up to speed.

[NamKangMan]

10 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Yes - the airport public bus service has nothing to do with Air Asia flights. For sure Air Asia has a holiday travel company AirAsiaGo that offers hotels and travel connections.

 

Trolling again NKM .... ???

 

 

Not trolling, LIK.

 

The restrictions placed on the airport public bus are so stringent that it is not a viable option for most. 

 

The transport mafia here will simply not allow any other operator to compete, on a level playing field.  I am sure you know this.

 

Thus, as another member has stated, and as we all know, the cost of a taxi from the the airport to the coast is more than the cost of the flight.  So, your transport costs have more than doubled, and you haven't even had a look around Phuket yet.

 

Merely stating, if AirAsia were allowed to offer a land transfer package, they would probably put all the other airlines flying domestic into Phuket, and some international services, out of business here. 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by NamKangMan