Flickr/Luke Lai

 

By Peter Roche

Bangkok Airways has announced the temporary halting of two of its services, suspending flights to Hat Yai in southern Thailand and Da Nang in central Vietnam. The service to Hat Yai will be suspended from March 1, while flights to Da Nang will be suspended from May 1.

 

Airlines are trying to relaunch some of their previous performing routes but are finding that the travel behaviour of Thais and travellers has changed since the return of tourism to the region.

 

The carrier has not given a reason for the suspension, but it has been noted that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline has limited its promotional activities and communications to social media channels.

 

Passengers who have booked flights on the suspended routes are advised to contact Bangkok Airways for a travel voucher or a full refund. If they booked through a partner or codeshare airline, the airline will arrange alternative flights with another carrier. The statement from the airline’s official Facebook account says the suspension is until “further notice.”

 

It’s unclear if Bangkok Airways still has a communications team to reach customers and its travel trade partners. Passengers who wish to avail of the travel voucher offer are encouraged to visit the airline’s website HERE, while those who want a refund should go HERE.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/bangkok-airways-announces-suspension-of-flights-to-hat-yai-da-nang-in-vietnam/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-02-09

 

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Bangkok Airways are overpriced. Just did a search on their website for a  one-way ticket to Da Nang on March 24th. price =7110 baht. On Vietjets website for the same destination on the same day there are 2 flight time options with prices as low as 3193 baht and a deluxe price of 4563 baht. Multiply the savings for a family travelling and it's a no-brainer. ( Vietjets price is 55% cheaper=3917 baht saved per ticket= family 4xpax would save 15,668 baht, one-way!)

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The carrier has not given a reason for the suspension, but it has been noted that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline has limited its promotional activities and communications to social media channels.

Bangkok Airways is slowly shooting itself in the foot.

Prices are up and services are down.

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

 

Prices are up and services are down.

And the people ride in a hole in the ground...

Phuket - Hat Yai route is something of a graveyard for airlines. Sadly it never seems to work out witness Phuket Air and Happy Air. Can't remember is 1-2-Whoops! also tried the route.

 

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6 hours ago, rbkk said:

Bangkok Airways are overpriced. Just did a search on their website for a  one-way ticket to Da Nang on March 24th. price =7110 baht. On Vietjets website for the same destination on the same day there are 2 flight time options with prices as low as 3193 baht and a deluxe price of 4563 baht. Multiply the savings for a family travelling and it's a no-brainer. ( Vietjets price is 55% cheaper=3917 baht saved per ticket= family 4xpax would save 15,668 baht, one-way!)

Bangkok Airways are overpriced............ALWAYS Have been.....

2 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Phuket - Hat Yai route is something of a graveyard for airlines. Sadly it never seems to work out witness Phuket Air and Happy Air. Can't remember is 1-2-Whoops! also tried the route.

 

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And yet Hat Yai is the second largest city in Thailand. But maybe only by population not by GDP.

12 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

And yet Hat Yai is the second largest city in Thailand. But maybe only by population not by GDP.

I think Hat Yai ranks 3rd or 4th by population, after Greater Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khorat - it's difficult to be exact because it depends how you measure the city population. Mueang Hat Yai is about 150k, but is just one district that comprises the total city, greater Hat Yai has a population of over 400k. Chiang Mai and Khorat the same; they all have fairly similar populations for the greater city area of between 400-500k.

 

Hat Yai is a commercial centre, tourism is secondary and mainly from neighbouring Malaysia. If Malaysians want to go to Phuket they'd go direct, not via Hat Yai. Thais are less likely to go to Phuket on holiday and few westerners visit Hat Yai, so who uses the route? Clearly not enough to make money, even at Bangkok Airways inflated prices.

3 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Bangkok Airways are overpriced............ALWAYS Have been.....

I cannot remember costs but pre-pandemic and military coup in Burma, I tried to take advantage of booking a "special offer" return ticket with Bangkok Airways from Chiang Mai to Rangoon. The fare looked very attractive but when I went to confirm the booking and payment, I was hit with a list of additional charges including fuel surcharge, admin costs and airport taxes etc. etc. The final price was more than double the "special offer" so I cancelled the booking before final payment. I eventually travelled with Air Asia Fly Thru from CNX via DMK to Rangoon at an attractive inexpensive fare but longer travelling time.

On 2/9/2023 at 4:49 PM, Nong Khai Man said:

Bangkok Airways are overpriced............ALWAYS Have been.....

Same as hotels - call yourself a boutique airline or hotel and they think that gives them an excuse to hike their price.

Bangkok airways has always been expensive compared to NOK air and others.

They will need that CFO from Thai airways soon who can make a deadbeat comapny into a 20Mil profit company overnite.   Amazing Thailand.

On 2/9/2023 at 12:20 AM, hotchilli said:

Bangkok Airways is slowly shooting itself in the foot.

Prices are up and services are down.

Of the last couple of years, they've trended to price themselves from their long time name and reputation. 

Plus......the COVID era did a number on all carriers, therefore having to make it up somewhere. Have ya noticed that every ticky-tacky thing is a charge now.