Will US airlines return to Thailand with direct flights, or at all?

[ronnie50]

This report in the Bangkok Post last week is getting some pretty negative comments. It seems many are pessimistic that the US airlines will ever return to BKK. Not sure why, since that daily Air Canada non-stop is pretty popular with both Canadians and Americans travelling to SE Asia (and Thailand specifically) - but it's high-season only. As some background, the US FAA reccently upgraded Thailand's airport ratings meaning US carriers can return to Thailand after at least a ten year absence. Personally, while I like Singapore Airlines, I can't really understand why anyone who is Bangkok-bound would want to fly all the way to Singapore then connect, and backtrack another 3 hours. 

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2914942/united-states-airlines-urged-to-launch-direct-thai-flights

 

[bamnutsak]

You're asking about direct, non-stop? Daily? Year round?

 

I think the only possibility would be SFO-BKK on UA (787) but...

 

BKK is a low yield destination

 

Poor aircraft utilization

 

Lack of aircraft/crews

 

 

I don't think the AC flights are daily, year round. Currently daily (peak).

 

 

 

 

 

[ronnie50]

11 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

I don't think the AC flights are daily, year round. Currently daily (peak).

 

It would be good if AC turned the seasonal flignts into year-round. AC has the rights to the route it inherited from the (defunct) Canadian Airlines (CP) - THAI Airways joint route. I guess the two countries' government air authorities would need to agree to that. Then again, as you say, particularly for American travelers to/from BKK, there are so many other pretty good connecting flights via Japan, Korea, Taiwan, it probably wouldn't make a lot of business sense. THAI used to fly non-stop to LA for many years - I even took that flight myself once. They tried BKK-New York briefly too. But, yeah, it's tough.