16 hours ago, steven100 said:

I finally got mine back after alot of emails, twitter chat and pressure.  I will be very wary paying any hotel or airfare up front from now on.   

There is no such thing as trust. 

So sad, but true... ????

Its kind of funny and sad and eye opening all the same time.

If you read government statements from various ministries, all is honky dory, economy starting to recover, economy will grow and so on and then you look and read real life situation from different businesses and its nothing but scaling down to closing down.

 

The scaling down and closing down is all across all industries from air asia as in case to 7-11 stores, restaurants, hotels and retail.

 

Government keeps beating its chest how they are doing really well, but reality shows otherwise

 

Government keeps beating its chest on arrivals yet local authorities say hardly any tourists

5 hours ago, BestB said:

Its kind of funny and sad and eye opening all the same time.

If you read government statements from various ministries, all is honky dory, economy starting to recover, economy will grow and so on and then you look and read real life situation from different businesses and its nothing but scaling down to closing down.

 

The scaling down and closing down is all across all industries from air asia as in case to 7-11 stores, restaurants, hotels and retail.

 

Government keeps beating its chest how they are doing really well, but reality shows otherwise

 

Government keeps beating its chest on arrivals yet local authorities say hardly any tourists

The same old cycling theatre of rhetorical manipulation, distraction and sleight-of-hand.

That's the establishment's role. 

Nothing behind the curtain.

On 11/20/2021 at 9:43 AM, grain said:

Well if they're having a mass layoff I guess there's no chance of them ever giving me refunds for the 4 airline tickets I have for flights they cancelled in 2020.

I got the vouchers and quickly used them before the third wave in April.

 

Terrible service.

 

I can imagine even crappier service with fewer employees overwhelmed at check-in counters.

 

Bad service can really set the tone for s holiday.

 

Your better of using Thai Smile, I've always had a good experience with them.

On 11/20/2021 at 3:54 AM, PJPom said:

Flying to Bangkok from Krabi next week and ended up booking Thai Lion as they were 30% cheaper than Airasia.

Don't forget to book a parachute

4 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

I got the vouchers and quickly used them before the third wave in April.

 

Terrible service.

 

I can imagine even crappier service with fewer employees overwhelmed at check-in counters.

 

Bad service can really set the tone for s holiday.

 

Your better of using Thai Smile, I've always had a good experience with them.

Hmm, Thai Smile the discount arm of a bankrupt airline.

 

The thing to always remember with every single Thai airline is they are built on financial sand.

 

I used to fly almost weekly from KKC to either DMK or BKK, most of the time for $30-50 USD one way.

 

Now that is just nuts.

 

You can be paying the flight crew next to nothing but the majority of the cost of flights isn't the crew, it's jet fuel, landing fees and the depreciation of the equipment, and those costs don't change anywhere in the world.

 

I'd place money on the fact any of them; Lion, Smile or Air Asia are on a revenue per seat basis, at best breaking even on a 100% load factor.

 

It's been a smoke and mirrors game, where finally financial gravity has caught up with them all

10 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Hmm, Thai Smile the discount arm of a bankrupt airline.

 

The thing to always remember with every single Thai airline is they are built on financial sand.

 

I used to fly almost weekly from KKC to either DMK or BKK, most of the time for $30-50 USD one way.

 

Now that is just nuts.

 

You can be paying the flight crew next to nothing but the majority of the cost of flights isn't the crew, it's jet fuel, landing fees and the depreciation of the equipment, and those costs don't change anywhere in the world.

 

I'd place money on the fact any of them; Lion, Smile or Air Asia are on a revenue per seat basis, at best breaking even on a 100% load factor.

 

It's been a smoke and mirrors game, where finally financial gravity has caught up with them all

True.

 

Our family has been traveling a lot and we've always been lucky with Thai Smile.

 

Nice when you're traveling with young children.

 

I also like the no hassle all inclusive price and 20 kg included luggage policy.

 

However, I use AirAsia as they fly to some exclusive destinations from Udon Thani. 

 

Now we're just taking the SUV and not flying at all. 

 

By the looks of the Hua Hin Sheraton parking lot this weekend it was pretty packed.

 

To avoid more chances of COVID-19 many are driving locally instead of flying.

 

Plus some of the prices are ridiculously high.

Kinda related - 

One might be surprised as to the great number of domestic airlines [govt/private] that have come and gone over the last....oh, let's say, 25-30 years. Nothing has ever been sustaining within this domestic industry circle. 

 

Rather telling regarding the whys and wherefores. 

Not terribly difficult to figure it out.

On 11/21/2021 at 11:57 PM, MrJ2U said:

True.

 

Our family has been traveling a lot and we've always been lucky with Thai Smile.

 

Nice when you're traveling with young children.

 

I also like the no hassle all inclusive price and 20 kg included luggage policy.

 

However, I use AirAsia as they fly to some exclusive destinations from Udon Thani. 

 

Now we're just taking the SUV and not flying at all. 

 

By the looks of the Hua Hin Sheraton parking lot this weekend it was pretty packed.

 

To avoid more chances of COVID-19 many are driving locally instead of flying.

 

Plus some of the prices are ridiculously high.

I hear you. 

 

I kinda liked Smile too for the service and inclusive bags.

 

But at the end of the day that may well be part of the unsustainability of the whole business model.

 

Airlines are a business, not a charity and they make money or they fail.

 

In Thailand there seems to be a belief that you can do both and defy financial reality

On 11/20/2021 at 10:08 PM, itsari said:

Pay as you enter the plane now ? 

Pressure , umm not sure what pressure you are able to apply 

Or even:

 

- Pay 50% as you enter the cabin, and

- Pay remaining 50% after you've collected your luggage at destination.