Thailand's Airlines-Post Covid

[rummage]

All companies have faced extreme difficulties as a result of the Covid 19 crisis, perhaps none more so than airline operators. As with any business sector, they have all been busy developing their lockdown exit strategy. Most businesses, at least the enlightened ones, will be centering their strategy on maintaining the loyalty of their customer/client base. No customer or clients, no business, a very simply mantra.

Following my own recent experience, I have collated data on the airlines that operate domestically in Thailand. For the most part, they are all following a similar pattern as to their policies, except one. I have put the data I collected into a simple table below. Now ask the question, “Which airline is most likely to fail post-Corona”?

Airline	Full Refund	Partial Refund	Re-Book	Additional Fee
Thai Airways	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lion Air	Yes	Unknown	Yes	No
Asia Air	Yes	Unknown	Yes	No
Bangkok Air	Yes	Unknown	Yes	No
Thai Smile*	Yes	Unknown	Yes	No
Nok Air	No	No	Yes	Yes
Azur Air	No data available

* Thai Smile is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways.

My own experience: Just this week I had to contact Nok Air to reschedule a booking due to the Corona crisis. I was in no angry about this, it is a situation that we just have work round. Myself, just as any other business, has had reshape my thinking and the way I am conducting business in a way in which helps my clients the most, without my clients I have no business. So, imagine how flabbergasted I was when I was told by the Nok Air customer services operator that I would have to pay an and extra charge for my rescheduled flight!

After much, firmly worded, complaining on my part, the operators “Manager” said they would waver the additional charge. I am not grateful for their “Generous concession”, quite simply it should never have been an issue. I also wonder how many passengers have already just shrugged their shoulders and swallowed the additional charge.

All businesses need to remember, preserving your customer/client base is vital in any post-Corona exit plan.

Nok Air, I suggest you have a rapid rethink on your policies, re: the re-booking of cancelled flights due the Corona crisis.