Hua Hin Airport to Chiang Mai flights to recommence on Friday 2nd April?

[skorts]

The Air Asia flights from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai (and Udon Thani) commenced in August 2020 and were always only scheduled to operate until March 26th 2021. 
We have flown this route twice since it started. 
We were due to fly the route again in early February 2021 but Air Asia cancelled the flights due to COVID-19. 
They subsequently cancelled all flights until 31st March 2021. 
It is now possible to book flights on this route from Friday 2nd April 2021 - the flights operate on Friday and Sunday as before. 
You can complete your booking on-line, choose your baggage option, select your seat etc.
There has been no announcement from Air Asia. 
Has anyone heard anything official about the route re-starting?

 

[theoldgit]

6 minutes ago, skorts said:

Has anyone heard anything official about the route re-starting?

 

Other than they're now selling tickets to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani until the end of October, no I've not seen anything official.

[skorts]

On 2/28/2021 at 9:36 AM, theoldgit said:

 

Other than they're now selling tickets to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani until the end of October, no I've not seen anything official.

Some seats on the flights are shown as taken on the seat map. 
It seems strange Air Asia has not issued a press release announcing the flights will re-start out if Hua Hin on 2nd April and are scheduled to operate until end of October. 
The 2 return flights we took between Hua Hin and Chiang Mai were all over 90% full so it is a very popular route. 
We won’t be booking until Air Asia make an official announcement or we see the planes taking off as we don’t want to pay for flights that are not operating or will be cancelled at the last minute. 

[scorecard]

On 2/28/2021 at 1:36 PM, theoldgit said:

 

Other than they're now selling tickets to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani until the end of October, no I've not seen anything official.

Hoping they will re-start Bkk & CM flights KL and thru to Sydney in the next few weeks. I've got a big credit to use up. 

[jerrybeirne]

i was at chiang mai airport a couple of days ago and asked at the airasia ticket office when the chang mai- hua hin route would start again?

"maybe" in april was the reply.

hence i flew viet jet to suvarnabhumi and took the bell transport coach to hua hin. 3.5 hours.

[theoldgit]

They're selling tickets, and whilst that doesn't mean they'll actually operate they have announced in the media that they're increasing their flights

[skorts]

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

They're selling tickets, and whilst that doesn't mean they'll actually operate they have announced in the media that they're increasing their flights

Yes, as I mentioned before you can get all the way through to selecting your baggage option and choosing your seat on the Chiang Mai to Hua Hin route from 2nd April.

we will wait until Friday 2hd April and will check the airport departures from Chiang Mai to see if the flight actually departs.

We can see the planes take-off (depending on wind and therefore take-off direction) from our condo balcony so will report back. 

[skorts]

4 hours ago, theoldgit said:

They're selling tickets, and whilst that doesn't mean they'll actually operate they have announced in the media that they're increasing their flights

Thai AirAsia has announced it is to fully operate its domestic flights in Thailand by April. 

A number of routes have been mentioned specifically as shown below. It does however not specifically mention Chiang Mai to Hua Hin. 
 

“The routes include Don Mueang – Chiang Mai for 7 flights a day; Suvarnabhumi – Chiang Mai for 3 flights a day; Don Mueang – Phuket for 6 flights a day; Don Mueang – Hat Yai for 5 flights a day; Don Mueang – Khon Kaen for 4 flights a day; and Don Mueang – Udon Thani for 3 flights a day.”

Guess we will have to wait and see .....

[clokwise]

Well, my wife's just booked her flight to CM on 2 April. Seems unlikely at this point that they'd be selling tickets with no intention of flying. Let's see how it goes...

[skorts]

22 hours ago, clokwise said:

Well, my wife's just booked her flight to CM on 2 April. Seems unlikely at this point that they'd be selling tickets with no intention of flying. Let's see how it goes...

Keeping my fingers crossed. However, we still have an outstanding refund due from our last cancelled flight on that route and given the route was due to stop on 26th March 2021 and there has been no official announcement from Air Asia that the route is re-starting, we are going to wait to book until we definitely know they are operating the route again. 
Personally, I think they will be operating the flights as before they cancelled the last set of flights on this route you could not book behind 26th March 2021.  
The fact you can book for 2nd April onwards is a good thing. 

[spidermike007]

One can only hope that one of the most under utilized airports in the world, starts offering something. Anything. 

[skorts]

On 3/6/2021 at 12:39 PM, jerrybeirne said:

i was at chiang mai airport a couple of days ago and asked at the airasia ticket office when the chang mai- hua hin route would start again?

"maybe" in april was the reply.

hence i flew viet jet to suvarnabhumi and took the bell transport coach to hua hin. 3.5 hours.

My last Air Asia flight from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin took 55 mins - can’t wait for them to start flying this route again as so much more convenient than flying to Bangkok followed 3.5 hour road journey to Hua Hin. 
I left home in Chiang Mai just after 8:00 a.m, and was in central Hua Hin just after 11:00 a.m. 

Fantastic!

[kekalot]

Imma follow this thread because I was planning a trip that way around end of April, hopefully it's true because getting very early flights ouf of Bangkok is a paid along with leaving HH around 5am, then its a taxi to Airport and blablas.

so, I hope its true!

[skorts]

Hua Hin to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani flights will resume April 2

Air Asia plans to resume its previous flight schedule between Hua Hin and Chiang Mai and Udon Thani. The flights are scheduled on Fridays and Sundays.

• Hua Hin-Chiang Mai – Friday and Sunday; depart 15:10, arrive 16:30
• Chiang Mai to Hua Hin – Friday and Sunday; depart 9:40, arrive 11:00
• Hua Hin to Udon Thani – Friday and Sunday; depart 11:30, arrive 12:55
• Udon Thani to Hua Hin – Friday and Sunday; depart 13:25, arrive 14:40

[theoldgit]

Seems they've suspended the routes again for a couple of weeks, not sure what it says, maybe Covid, it seems to be operating today but not from next Friday.

 

[skorts]

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Seems they've suspended the routes again for a couple of weeks, not sure what it says, maybe Covid, it seems to be operating today but not from next Friday.

 

Message above says:

 

“Cancel flight route arrival and departure temporarily

Hua Hin - Chiang Mai and Udon Thani

Between 30 April - 16 May 2021”

 

Yes, we we are booked to fly with Air Asia on Friday 7th May from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin and back on 16th May. We don’t think we should be travelling at present so the decision is now taken out of our hands. 
No communication from Air Asia yet about the cancelled flights but expect an email soon. 
We are still waiting for our refund from Air Asia for our cancelled flights in February. Due to have received it by now. 
Just tried contacting them on Twitter which previously got an immediate response but they seem to have withdrawn that communication channel. Just get told on Twitter to contact them on Ava or WhatsApp both of which never get any answers or any contact with a human being. 

[skorts]

On 4/25/2021 at 8:56 AM, theoldgit said:

Seems they've suspended the routes again for a couple of weeks, not sure what it says, maybe Covid, it seems to be operating today but not from next Friday.

 

This would seem to be the reason for cancellation?
 

Hua Hin airport sanitized after executive tests positive

A senior executive at Hua Hin airport tested positive for Covid-19, according to a media report. The 59-year-old state employee is currently in Hua Hin Hospital with mild symptoms after testing positive on Friday.

High-risk contacts have been ordered to be quarantined and health officials sprayed disinfectant throughout the airport terminal.

All Air Asia flights to and from Chiang Mai and Udon Thani have been canceled until mid-May. – Prachuap Post

[theoldgit]

Now not operating, or at least showing availability, until Friday 4th June.

[skorts]

22 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Now not operating, or at least showing availability, until Friday 4th June.

We managed to change our cancelled return flights from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin departing  7th May until July, free of charge. 
Let’s hope they will be flying that route again by then. 
We are still waiting for our refund for our February cancelled flights. 

[theoldgit]

On 5/13/2021 at 9:22 AM, skorts said:

We are still waiting for our refund for our February cancelled flights. 

 

After opting for a refund for her cancelled February flight, and joining you in the queue, my wife asked to change it to a credit.

As with all things Air Asia related they didn't make it easy, but they did and she subsequently rebooked a flight, which actually went ahead.

 

They've moved the availability back yet again, the first available date is now 18th June, we want to travel again in August, we certainly won't be booking early again.

[skorts]

1 minute ago, theoldgit said:

 

After opting for a refund for her cancelled February flight, and joining you in the queue, my wife asked to change it to a credit.

As with all things Air Asia related they didn't make it easy, but they did and she subsequently rebooked a flight, which actually went ahead.

 

They've moved the availability back yet again, the first available date is now 18th June, we want to travel again in August, we certainly won't be booking early again.

Sorry to hear that. Our flight is on 23rd July. Let’s hope it operates. I think the Government is fixated on the “sandbox” scheme starting in Phuket on 1st July and Chiang Mai and Hua Hin on 1st October.

Measures and restrictions in place now are totally geared up to that in my opinion. 
Chiang Mai moved down two zones from dark red to orange on Sunday and only had 9 new covid cases yesterday but apart from allowing restaurant dine-in nothing has changed. 

So according to the Governor it is safer for me to dine in an air conditioned indoor restaurant full of complete strangers than it is to swim in an outdoor pool with a maximum of 1 other  person - restriction in place prior to current measures introduced over 3 weeks ago. 
I know I digress but it is these sort of restrictions that are impacting on flight schedules and resulting in cancelled flights.