Air Canada flight revival: Bangkok to Vancouver route takes off for a holiday high

[webfact]

 

Great news for holidaymakers in North America and Thailand, as Air Canada today announced the reinstatement of direct flights between Bangkok and Vancouver. H E Ping Kitnikone, the Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of Thailand, extended invitations to esteemed guests and partners for Air Canada’s Agency Reception at the Ambassador’s Official Residence.

Air Canada has officially reinstated direct flights for the holiday season, offering travellers a swift journey from Bangkok to Vancouver in approximately 13 hours. The airline plans to increase flight frequency to daily flights between January and February, extending the operating season until May to encompass the Songkran Holidays.

 

In addition, individuals who have held a US visa in the past 10 years can now apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport.

This good news comes on the back of Thai Airways International reinstating nine domestic routes for the cool season, previously provided by its former affiliate, Thai Smile Airways. The services, which will run until March 30, utilise the Airbus A320 planes from the airline’s former subsidiary, Thai Smile.

 

by Bob Scott 

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post.

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-12

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[blazes]

We took this flight in Business last March.  The plane was 100% full.  Even Business seemed overcrowded to me.

 

One major drawback was the time of the flight to YVR.  It left BKK at 8.30 am.  I imagine most people had had a night's sleep before boarding.   At about 10.30 am (Bkk time) - and after a "main" meal, the cabin is plunged into darkness and we're invited to try and sleep for a large segment of daytime flight.

We arrived in YVR  at about 6 am (PST).

So there's a long day ahead until you reach your "proper" bedtime.

Maybe daily flights will introduce more comfortable timings.

 

Still, I believe this flight was a big money-spinner for AC, since it does away with those extra hours of travel via NTA or TPE and other such stopping points. 

Nevertheless, Eva Air (imo) provides the best service across the Pacific.

[Deez]

Normally this flight would interest me, but Air Canada is one of the worst airlines in the world. I am Canadian

[Woke to Sounds]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

from Bangkok to Vancouver in approximately 13 hours

Is it really only 13 hours?  That seems ambitious to me.  Hanoi to Vancouver via Tokyo is 14 hours.

[blazes]

17 minutes ago, Deez said:

Normally this flight would interest me, but Air Canada is one of the worst airlines in the world. I am Canadian

 

Of course, you've got to remember Canada is so woke a country that even immigrants from the 3rd world seeking a better life in Canada have been reported to be leaving in large numbers!

[gargamon]

That's so funny. Why would anyone fly a third tier airline like air Canada when they can fly Eva? 

 

13 hours is about right for non stop. YVR to Taipei is about 11 hours. Taipei to BKK is about 3.

[charleskerins]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

We took this flight in Business last March.  The plane was 100% full.  Even Business seemed overcrowded to me.

 

One major drawback was the time of the flight to YVR.  It left BKK at 8.30 am.  I imagine most people had had a night's sleep before boarding.   At about 10.30 am (Bkk time) - and after a "main" meal, the cabin is plunged into darkness and we're invited to try and sleep for a large segment of daytime flight.

We arrived in YVR  at about 6 am (PST).

So there's a long day ahead until you reach your "proper" bedtime.

Maybe daily flights will introduce more comfortable timings.

 

Still, I believe this flight was a big money-spinner for AC, since it does away with those extra hours of travel via NTA or TPE and other such stopping points. 

Nevertheless, Eva Air (imo) provides the best service across the Pacific.

Very expensive -no?

[JCauto]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

 

Of course, you've got to remember Canada is so woke a country that even immigrants from the 3rd world seeking a better life in Canada have been reported to be leaving in large numbers!

And this has exactly what to do with the topic? Do you think these planes are filled with immigrants leaving in large numbers?

[Captain Monday]

2 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Is it really only 13 hours?  That seems ambitious to me.  Hanoi to Vancouver via Tokyo is 14 hours.

YVR-BKK is only 310 nm more distant than YVR-NRT-HAN on a perfect great circle route, and the Canadians are not using Russian airpace so even farther. How long of a layover in Tokyo are we talking about?

[blazes]

1 hour ago, JCauto said:

And this has exactly what to do with the topic? Do you think these planes are filled with immigrants leaving in large numbers?

 

I was responding to Deez (his criticism of AC as one of the worst airlines) - I was trying to avoid being so crass as to  suggest that one of the reasons the flight attendants on AC are so ....er.....unlike attendants on Asian airlines is that woke considerations obviously play a large part in the company's recruitment policies - something one notices the moment one steps on board.

I could be more crass than that, but I will respect your intelligence enough to assume that you know what I am talking about....

Sorry if it's confusing.

[Stargeezr]

BKK to YVR is about 13 hours, as the jet is travelling with the winds, and or jet stream so the flight is shorter time.

I will be flying Vancouver YVR to Bangkok BKK in mid January and I believe the flight is much longer in time, likely over 17 hours.

Oh well, hopefully my luggage arrives with me.

[Woke to Sounds]

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

How long of a layover in Tokyo are we talking about?

Hanoi-Tokyo is about 5 hrs. (Layover Tokyo 6 hrs.)  Tokyo-Van about 9 hrs.  So roughly 14 hrs flying time, with the jetstream. But Stargeezr is correct: much longer flying times against the jetstream.  Regardless the arc of the flight path works in BKK-Vancouver's favor. And AC has much faster airplanes than anyone else.

[Andrew65]

This will please an old friend from Vancouver (he worked on the docks there). `In his younger years he was a bit 'wild', and he suspected that the police in the US might want him for a 'misdemeanour' there a long time ago. That meant that flying through Seattle wasn't on for him. He had often said that he wished that they had direct flights to Thailand.

[Captain Monday]

18 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

And AC has much faster airplanes than anyone else.

 

Know I know you are kidding us, good one.

[KhunBENQ]

20 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

the flight is much longer in time, likely over 17 hours.

Schedule says 16:25 as a terribly long night.

[Andre0720]

On 12/12/2023 at 7:38 AM, Deez said:

Normally this flight would interest me, but Air Canada is one of the worst airlines in the world. I am Canadian

Fully agree.

I could not believe how badly I was treated when AC left me in Vancouver, refusing to help me, after the flight from Toronto was late, and my connecting flight in Vancouver had already left.

And I asked at a desk why they let me board a flight that they knew would leave me stranded in Vancouver.

Simple reason, after a first segment of a flight is completed, the flight fee is cashed.

No care at all about he passengers.

[blazes]

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

Fully agree.

I could not believe how badly I was treated when AC left me in Vancouver, refusing to help me, after the flight from Toronto was late, and my connecting flight in Vancouver had already left.

And I asked at a desk why they let me board a flight that they knew would leave me stranded in Vancouver.

Simple reason, after a first segment of a flight is completed, the flight fee is cashed.

No care at all about he passengers.

 

That is appalling.  Has anybody else heard of this kind of F u  behaviour (either with AC or with other airlines)????

 

Did you try to get this story into some media outlet?

[Woke to Sounds]

On 12/12/2023 at 9:20 PM, blazes said:

That is appalling.  Has anybody else heard of this kind of F u  behaviour

Sure. A few months ago Air Canada assigned vomit soiled seats to a couple flying Las Vegas-->Montreal.  What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. The incident was thrown up all over the media. When the couple protested, they were threatened with No Fly list!

 

Air Canada is honored to be Skytrax Best Airline in North America, 6th time in 8 years. So the US airlines must really suck.