Since very shortly there seems to be yet another gulf airline offering cheap flights BKK-(in this case via Muscat/Oman)-onto to LGW=London. 3 or 4 days /week, daytime flight, transit time TO LGW just 2,5 hrs or so. Lately they are advertising daily in the BKKpost. This besides Etihad/GF/EK/KU/RJ etc.

Ive seen prices quoted as 23.000 THB, but not told if that was single/return or if it incl. taxes etc.

Its mainly out of curiosity and to try out something as yet unknown. It also seems their long-dist.flights are quite new, as hiterto they only flew short-distance to connect Oman with nearby. The site airlinequality has not any review on these new services.

(and this also leads me to suggest creating a new branch; travel TO/FROM Thailand!

1.is there some early bird between the readers who has some experience?

2.What worries me most is what also happened in the very early years of Etihad: many cancellations/retimings, due to insufficient demand due to its newness.

3.Do they have a GSA (general sales agent) somewhere in BKK? Their website says that they cannot yet do e-tickets out of BKK, nd hence also no final price to show!

My parents use them when travelling to the middle east, and they have never had any problems with them!! Cheap flights due to the cheap oil in Oman, 9 baht a litre have booked already for Songkran and would recomend them.

Seem to remember the transit times being nearer four hours.

I do know that they are using a 767-200 leased from MA (Hungarian) between MCT and LGW and a 737-800 between MCT and BKK so, on that basis, I'll certainly wait for them to get their new aircraft before I'll be using them (lack of in-flight entertainment).

If you live in the North, LGW's the wrong side of London anyway, although I would try them as Muscat is one of the more interesting stopovers. I wanted to do a stopover there the last time we flew with GF, but silly prices if doing a stopover, hopefully WY will have the same policy as EK with little, or no penalty for doing a stopover.

thanks for this info. som updates:

1.I am well aware where LGW is and have passed a few dozen times.

2.acc. to the webiste, they now use a new AB for MCT-BKK, but if demand is low, it may well be exchanged for smaller plane. anyway, better a smaller plane as cancelled due to no plane!

3.transit time differ markedly for east or westbound: WEST bd its like 2/2,5 hrs, but FROM LGW its far longer hance the rather unattractive times.

4.all these mid-east airls have very cheap fuel.(perhaps except RJ)

thanks for this info. som updates:

1.I am well aware where LGW is and have passed a few dozen times. I'm sure you're well aware of the loaction of LGW - I was referring to my circumstances.

2.acc. to the webiste, they now use a new AB for MCT-BKK, but if demand is low, it may well be exchanged for smaller plane. anyway, better a smaller plane as cancelled due to no plane! They haven't got any Airbus Aircraft - they signed for 3 A330-300 and 2 A330-200 last month and they wont see any of them before 2009. I've just looked at the schedules on their website and it clearly states they are using 73H (737-800) to Bangkok.

3.transit time differ markedly for east or westbound: WEST bd its like 2/2,5 hrs, but FROM LGW its far longer hance the rather unattractive times.

4.all these mid-east airls have very cheap fuel.(perhaps except RJ)

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........here Oman Air with fleet information

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........here Oman Air with fleet information

You put in a departure point...ie Gatwick...to..... Bangers return with a date (if you can work the calendar)and push for a price.......and it sends you off in the direction of the nearest waddi.....

in comparison TG is easssssy....