International flights may resume by September: Aviation Chief

[anchadian]

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/06/18/international-flights-may-resume-by-september-aviation-chief/

 

By

 Khaosod English

 -

June 18, 2020 12:00 pm

 

BANGKOK — International flights are likely to resume as late as September, a top civilian aviation regulator said Wednesday.

 

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand director Chula Sukmanop said none of the airlines he met had expressed interest in resuming their international flights by next month, when the order shutting down the country’s airspace is set to expire. He attributed the reluctance to uncertainty over the government’s policies on international travels.

[Sambotte]

I still don't understand why instead of all those restrictions, changing, and complicated requirements, it would not be possible to just have TESTS.

You are contagious you do not fly. You are not contagious you can fly.

And same for lockdown stay at home quarantine etc.

I must be stupid i just don't get it... Such tests exists no ?

[Kalorymetr]

This is just politics. Far too many governments are using covid for their own purpose.

[bkk6060]

9 minutes ago, Sambotte said:

I still don't understand why instead of all those restrictions, changing, and complicated requirements, it would not be possible to just have TESTS.

You are contagious you do not fly. You are not contagious you can fly.

And same for lockdown stay at home quarantine etc.

I must be stupid i just don't get it... Such tests exists no ?

The logistics are the problem and the airlines and governments are very unorganized.

People are flying in the US on 5 hours flights packed onto planes.

 

How do you isolate passengers prior to the flight before/after they are tested waiting for the results?

 

[Sambotte]

My bad. 

Looks like medecine in 2020 can not easily detect a virus...

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/science-technology/how-is-covid-19-diagnosed-and-are-the-tests-reliable--71759

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand director Chula Sukmanop said none of the airlines he met had expressed interest in resuming their international flights by next month,

Course not, they all know that nobody will book flights with impossible or expensive restrictions on entering Thailand.

[Mavideol]

wonder how much more they will be allowed to charge for international vs domestic

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/04/24/coronavirus-domestic-flight-fares-may-increase-by-80/

(Domestic flights were previously allowed to charge up almost twice the original fare --- Coronavirus: Domestic Flight Fares May Increase By 80% )

[bodga]

Well I  had a  ticket  booked in Business  Class to the UK,  now  I can re-book anytime at no extra  cost in the business cabin for any date BUT as I probably wont be  allowed back in to Thailand I daren't  leave.

Am  just hoping my Mother in her 90's  will be ok for another year as I normally see her once  a  year.

Getting back to price, my ticket was a good  deal at 62k baht but  now they are all over 110k  baht with Air  France.

[Pattaya46]

1 hour ago, Sambotte said:

I still don't understand why instead of all those restrictions, changing, and complicated requirements, it would not be possible to just have TESTS.

//

Because tests are not not trustworthy and we need a second test, 10 or 14 days later, to be about sure we are Covid free. ????

 

12 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

wonder how much more they will be allowed to charge for international vs domestic

Why would they charge more?
They are now allowed to use all seat, so to have full planes.

[connda]

2 hours ago, anchadian said:

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand director Chula Sukmanop said none of the airlines he met had expressed interest in resuming their international flights by next month, when the order shutting down the country’s airspace is set to expire. He attributed the reluctance to uncertainty over the government’s policies on international travels.

But, but, but - The tourist should be flocking back to Bubble Thailand by the millions.  What do you mean they are reluctant? 

[connda]

33 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

wonder how much more they will be allowed to charge for international vs domestic

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/04/24/coronavirus-domestic-flight-fares-may-increase-by-80/

(Domestic flights were previously allowed to charge up almost twice the original fare --- Coronavirus: Domestic Flight Fares May Increase By 80% )

Ok.  We won't be going anywhere by air in the near future. 

[Pattaya46]

13 minutes ago, connda said:

Ok.  We won't be going anywhere by air in the near future. 

You react on a 2 months old rule that is no more in effect today !

 

From the link in the OP:

Quote

Under the new regulations, air carriers are no longer required to leave empty seats between passengers, but passengers are still needed to wear face masks throughout the journey.

It was the reason authorising higher fares.

[Langsuan Man]

Never mind the fare question, did anyone bother to read the article and pick out this gem;

 

Quote

The government has to make a final decision before the country’s airspace could be open, Chula said. But it does not mean an all-out opening for air travelers, since only business people would be allowed to take the flights under the so-called travel bubble proposals, he added.

So unless you are a business traveler you are stuck in Thailand until they decide to let you leave

 

Do these muppets actually believe that any tourists will return to Thailand if they are not guaranteed the ability to leave

 

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me  

[bunnydrops]

I am really confused by this whole thing. I have had 3 flights to return to the US canceled since May. The last one was for July 6th. But if I go online I find they are still selling tickets out. One seems to be on the same damn plane at a much higher price. They have a flight on the day before at about the same price, but is it really possible to fly out? From what I read-- we can't!

[isnakebite]

You are not the only one. I’m confused as well. It reads simple but all I want to know is if I was to buy a ticket for my wife to leave Thailand in August to arrive in the UK can she leave? I will of course buy the tickets only after a successful visa application.

Her application for a holiday visa is ready to be submitted (although after 10th July I will now have to send some different paperwork) but I don’t want to either pick an appointment date as well as state the dates of her intended visit until I can get 100% confirmation that she can fly. I don’t want to lose time in the period she asks for if they keep putting the flight dates back (particually if it passes 30 days and we have to apply for a new visa) and I don’t have confidence that the start date of the visa will be valid because for her first holiday visa last year, they started it 10 days before we asked.

Two and a half weeks ago BA were selling direct flights from BKK to Heathrow for 7^th August. I asked their customer service asking if they were selling flights in August with the commercial flight ban could they guarantee that they would be valid and she could fly. I waited and heard nothing. Instead I contacted them on twitter and today the response I received was the earliest flight was now September 2^nd and they ignored my query concerning the travel ban. I don’t know if this is pure coincidence that the flight has sold out or BA are rescheduling because they know something, i.e. no flights until September.

However I note other airlines are selling tickets departing August 7^th. Like you wrote there is the possibility that flights could keep being cancelled. We will have to wait for the CAAT to advise what will happen in 5 days. It’s been frustrating because I thought they learnt from April (where they gave 4 days notice to extend till the end of May) when in May then gave 2 weeks’ notice to extend from 1^st to 30^th June. Once again they seem to be leaving it to the last minute with no change of statement on their website. Fingers crossed.

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, isnakebite said:

You are not the only one. I’m confused as well. It reads simple but all I want to know is if I was to buy a ticket for my wife to leave Thailand in August to arrive in the UK can she leave? I will of course buy the tickets only after a successful visa application.

 

Her application for a holiday visa is ready to be submitted (although after 10th July I will now have to send some different paperwork) but I don’t want to either pick an appointment date as well as state the dates of her intended visit until I can get 100% confirmation that she can fly. I don’t want to lose time in the period she asks for if they keep putting the flight dates back (particually if it passes 30 days and we have to apply for a new visa) and I don’t have confidence that the start date of the visa will be valid because for her first holiday visa last year, they started it 10 days before we asked.

 

Two and a half weeks ago BA were selling direct flights from BKK to Heathrow for 7^th August. I asked their customer service asking if they were selling flights in August with the commercial flight ban could they guarantee that they would be valid and she could fly. I waited and heard nothing. Instead I contacted them on twitter and today the response I received was the earliest flight was now September 2^nd and they ignored my query concerning the travel ban. I don’t know if this is pure coincidence that the flight has sold out or BA are rescheduling because they know something, i.e. no flights until September.

 

However I note other airlines are selling tickets departing August 7^th. Like you wrote there is the possibility that flights could keep being cancelled. We will have to wait for the CAAT to advise what will happen in 5 days. It’s been frustrating because I thought they learnt from April (where they gave 4 days notice to extend till the end of May) when in May then gave 2 weeks’ notice to extend from 1^st to 30^th June. Once again they seem to be leaving it to the last minute with no change of statement on their website. Fingers crossed.

 

KLM have been running flights to the UK throughout the pandemic , as have other carriers 

[isnakebite]

I am aware that flights have been leaving but I was led to believe that these were only repatriation, cargo humanitarian aid flights etc etc, which many were departing whilst the visa application office was closed. By definition my wife is a Thai Citizen and her visit will be as a tourist which requires a commercial flight which are currently banned. Occasionally I have been receiving posts from the UK Embassy on my Facebook timeline about next available repatriating flights since the visa office reopened. I'm going by the "Public Announcement" page on the CAAT website. I'm hoping they will make an anouncement on Monday.

[bunnydrops]

10 hours ago, isnakebite said:

You are not the only one. I’m confused as well. It reads simple but all I want to know is if I was to buy a ticket for my wife to leave Thailand in August to arrive in the UK can she leave? I will of course buy the tickets only after a successful visa application.

 

Her application for a holiday visa is ready to be submitted (although after 10th July I will now have to send some different paperwork) but I don’t want to either pick an appointment date as well as state the dates of her intended visit until I can get 100% confirmation that she can fly. I don’t want to lose time in the period she asks for if they keep putting the flight dates back (particually if it passes 30 days and we have to apply for a new visa) and I don’t have confidence that the start date of the visa will be valid because for her first holiday visa last year, they started it 10 days before we asked.

 

Two and a half weeks ago BA were selling direct flights from BKK to Heathrow for 7^th August. I asked their customer service asking if they were selling flights in August with the commercial flight ban could they guarantee that they would be valid and she could fly. I waited and heard nothing. Instead I contacted them on twitter and today the response I received was the earliest flight was now September 2^nd and they ignored my query concerning the travel ban. I don’t know if this is pure coincidence that the flight has sold out or BA are rescheduling because they know something, i.e. no flights until September.

 

However I note other airlines are selling tickets departing August 7^th. Like you wrote there is the possibility that flights could keep being cancelled. We will have to wait for the CAAT to advise what will happen in 5 days. It’s been frustrating because I thought they learnt from April (where they gave 4 days notice to extend till the end of May) when in May then gave 2 weeks’ notice to extend from 1^st to 30^th June. Once again they seem to be leaving it to the last minute with no change of statement on their website. Fingers crossed.

 

There are flights going out. I did a flight search on Flightaware by flight numbers. I was looking for flights to the US so you will have to do your own searching. All the flights I was were by way of Japan, then either to LA, Chicago, or by way of Vancouver, Canada,

[isnakebite]

I finally received a reply to my original email from BA Customer services earlier today with an apology in delay due to the the exceptionally high demand on them during this time. At the time of posting this there is no change on CAAT's website on flights after tomorrow's deadline. The BA response was:

 

"our services to and from Bangkok have been suspended until 31 August 2020. It's too early for us to offer any speculation on the coronavirus situation after this date and what might be happening with our flights."