What Is Wrong With Thai Airways

[Rooo]

I book through the net for all my flights to Sydney & for the last few times used Thai.Now I start looking last week & prices quoted are insane.

1/ 66,890 Bht

2/ 46,000 + a few days later

3/ 106,000 + just now.

Above are economy fares for a round trip.

Does anyone have a clue of what is going on.

[jonniebkk]

I book through the net for all my flights to Sydney & for the last few times used Thai.Now I start looking last week & prices quoted are insane.

1/ 66,890 Bht

2/ 46,000 + a few days later

3/ 106,000 + just now.

Does anyone have a clue of what is going on.

Dynamic pricing

[toptuan]

I find the Thai Airways website very user unfriendly, inconsistent and expensive. From other conversations on the TVForum, I understand that you can get much better prices at travel agents and even Thai Airways offices than on their website. Also, rumor has it that there's a Thai discount (yes, double-tiered price system, based on your ethnicity). If you're a non-citizen, but can produce a work permit, sometimes you get in on the Thai discount as well.

[tw25rw]

I book through the net for all my flights to Sydney & for the last few times used Thai.Now I start looking last week & prices quoted are insane.

1/ 66,890 Bht

2/ 46,000 + a few days later

3/ 106,000 + just now.

Above are economy fares for a round trip.

Does anyone have a clue of what is going on.

The closer you get to flight times, the more the price fluctuates. Yield management the call it.

I once called their London office to ask if I could get the cheaper price as I was hoping to go business, and the woman just said I had to grab the price when I see it. (I once did the same with BA and they let me have it..). Lost a customer.

[onethailand]

There are many booking classes available for an economy seat. Thai's website will always show the lowest available fare available to the public.

As for two-tier pricing, it doesn't exist, unless you call a travel agent giving a lower price to a Thai over a farang "two-tier" - it still costs them the same amount from the airline.

[londonthai]

look for the different dates and/or change your departure and arrival airports (if possible).

unless you are a frequent flier look at the other airlines as well.

when and for how long are you going away? I can check for you all published fares

[Neeranam]

I'm flying with Thai in a month or so -

Adults - 27,000

Child - 21,000

Baby - 9,000

[toptuan]

There are many booking classes available for an economy seat. Thai's website will always show the lowest available fare available to the public.

I believe the poster is saying "public" as opposed to buying your ticket through a travel agent or directly at a Thai Airways office. Try it yourself. Look up a fare and then call Thai Airways direct and see how much you'll save by buying OFF the web.

As for two-tier pricing, it doesn't exist, unless you call a travel agent giving a lower price to a Thai over a farang "two-tier"

- it still costs them the same amount from the airline.

Doesn't exist? You have an authoritative air, but your statement doesn't hold water. See, as an example, this lengthy thread "Foreigners to Pay More on Thai Airways"

[onethailand]

I believe the poster is saying "public" as opposed to buying your ticket through a travel agent or directly at a Thai Airways office. Try it yourself. Look up a fare and then call Thai Airways direct and see how much you'll save by buying OFF the web.

I have plenty of experience doing this. I can book my own tickets as an agent, but often I go to another agent, or buy off the web, because I can't be bothered to go through all the rigamarole to save 50-100 baht on domestic tickets, or even a few hundred baht on international tickets.

You definitely won't get it any cheaper calling Thai Airways, unless it is a coincidence and consequence of timing. You might save a few baht at an agent if they are willing to give up some of their already tiny commission.

Doesn't exist? You have an authoritative air, but your statement doesn't hold water. See, as an example, this lengthy thread "Foreigners to Pay More on Thai Airways"

Being a travel agent (amongst other things) I can tell you for a fact that there is no dual pricing. That one-off move from Thai Airways was just an excuse for them to raise their fares while temporarily giving Thais a break, and on a route which no other airline could be bothered to fly because it is a money-losing route. That route now charges the same for all customers.

Edited January 15, 2008 by onethailand

[Maestro]

THAI used to have an “ethnic” fare, at least out of Zurich, where my wife and I used to book, but they discontinued it some years ago. It was a small discount on the regular fare for Thai nationals and their foreign spouses.

--

Maestro

[onethailand]

THAI used to have an “ethnic” fare, at least out of Zurich, where my wife and I used to book, but they discontinued it some years ago. It was a small discount on the regular fare for Thai nationals and their foreign spouses.

--

Maestro

Not since I've been an agent (coming up on 3 years) - but that sounds almost normal, almost like a special fare for foreign Thai workers returning home. I believe Philippine Airlines still has that type of fare.

[Rooo]

look for the different dates and/or change your departure and arrival airports (if possible).

unless you are a frequent flier look at the other airlines as well.

when and for how long are you going away? I can check for you all published fares

Thank you for your offer. Let me explain a bit more.I travel to Sydney on regular basis every 3 months & have done so for the past 4 years, I am a member of Star Alliance & frequent flyer programs. I am just amazed at the price structure of Thai at the moment.

I am not flying till end of February or early March, so it's not a last minute booking,I have found cheaper fares with Singapore airlines which I have booked ( 30,600 Bht).

Thank you again.

[onzestan]

There are many booking classes available for an economy seat. Thai's website will always show the lowest available fare available to the public.

As for two-tier pricing, it doesn't exist, unless you call a travel agent giving a lower price to a Thai over a farang "two-tier" - it still costs them the same amount from the airline.

It does exist, at least departing from Germany.

Germans with Thai spouses flying to Thailand can get tickets upto a 100 Euro's cheaper.

cheers

onzestan

[peter991]

The best website I have found for checking flight prices between two cities is Sky Scanner.

I had a look at your situation, Rooo and found this:

BKK-PER via SIN (Tiger Airways) then PER-SYD (Virgin Blue) Round trip $AUD1314.70 (38,126 THB) - inc. all taxes

Thai Airways (direct) BKK-SYD $AUD1217.41 (35,305 THB) - inc. all taxes.

Peter

[PattayaParent]

Double post deleted

Edited January 16, 2008 by PattayaParent

[PattayaParent]

There are many booking classes available for an economy seat. Thai's website will always show the lowest available fare available to the public.

I believe the poster is saying "public" as opposed to buying your ticket through a travel agent or directly at a Thai Airways office. Try it yourself. Look up a fare and then call Thai Airways direct and see how much you'll save by buying OFF the web.

As for two-tier pricing, it doesn't exist, unless you call a travel agent giving a lower price to a Thai over a farang "two-tier"

- it still costs them the same amount from the airline.

Doesn't exist? You have an authoritative air, but your statement doesn't hold water. See, as an example, this lengthy thread "Foreigners to Pay More on Thai Airways"

It certainly exists on the Dubai-BKK and Abu Dhabi-BKK routes. Thais get fares cheaper than Farang even direct from the Thai Airways agent.

PS. Same with Vietnam Airlines

[dominique355]

THAI used to have an “ethnic” fare, at least out of Zurich, where my wife and I used to book, but they discontinued it some years ago. It was a small discount on the regular fare for Thai nationals and their foreign spouses.

--

Maestro

Correct, I used it a couple of times too, being Swiss married to a Thai wife.

[onethailand]

I can't speak for their practices from outside Thailand as I am a local agent. But I guess it must be true for inbound flights, it certainly is not for outbound nor domestic flights.

[torrenova]

I can confirm that as recently as 4 years ago, Thai Airways had differential pricing from the UK to Thailand as I received written acknowledgement of the same and threatened them with legal action on the basis of racial discrimination. This was through Thai agents in London.

[onethailand]

I can confirm that as recently as 4 years ago, Thai Airways had differential pricing from the UK to Thailand as I received written acknowledgement of the same and threatened them with legal action on the basis of racial discrimination. This was through Thai agents in London.

I think you'd have a hard time proving racial discrimination if the same fare is offered to a farang spouse of a Thai citizen.

The real question is - why offer the fare only to Thais and their spouses? To me that's like Thaksin giving discounts to Thais wanting to watch Man City play... maybe there's some kind of rule that allows airlines to avoid paying a fee or a tax when selling to nationals of their home country?

Has anyone experienced this on other airlines?

BTW, just to get back on topic, there are a lot of things I think is wrong with Thai Airways, such as slipping service standards, shoddy maintenance, old aircraft, their online booking service is terrible (but not always from a price standpoint)... I only want my Gold card for access to the lounges, and then I'm going to fly other partners...

[ClaytonSeymour]

I can confirm that as recently as 4 years ago, Thai Airways had differential pricing from the UK to Thailand as I received written acknowledgement of the same and threatened them with legal action on the basis of racial discrimination. This was through Thai agents in London.

I think you'd have a hard time proving racial discrimination if the same fare is offered to a farang spouse of a Thai citizen.

The real question is - why offer the fare only to Thais and their spouses? To me that's like Thaksin giving discounts to Thais wanting to watch Man City play... maybe there's some kind of rule that allows airlines to avoid paying a fee or a tax when selling to nationals of their home country? It's also worth noting that the average inhabitants of countries who operate two tier pricing, more often than not, are significantly less well off than their foreign counterparts. So, perhaps governments do have a hand in this.

Has anyone experienced this on other airlines? Egyptair amongst others. Egypt in general is worse than Thailand when it comes to two tier pricing.

BTW, just to get back on topic, there are a lot of things I think is wrong with Thai Airways, such as slipping service standards, shoddy maintenance, old aircraft, their online booking service is terrible (but not always from a price standpoint)... I only want my Gold card for access to the lounges, and then I'm going to fly other partners...

[ClaytonSeymour]

I'd be interested to know which agent offers/offered such fares on TG LHR>BKK, I seem to remember my wife calling TG themselves a couple of years ago & the cheapest fare she was offered was more expensive than their web site.

[lomatopo]

I book through the net for all my flights to Sydney & for the last few times used Thai.Now I start looking last week & prices quoted are insane.

1/ 66,890 Bht

2/ 46,000 + a few days later

3/ 106,000 + just now.

Above are economy fares for a round trip.

Does anyone have a clue of what is going on.

TG have twelve (12) Economy fare buckets: YBMHQNVWSTGK, ranging from most expensive and flexible to least expensive. As the lower priced fare buckets sell out you have to pay more. Note that fuel surcharges seem to increasing on a nearly daily basis.

Are you buying SYD-BKK-SYD or BKK-SYD-BKK? Given your stated travel patterns you could do either.

It is impossible to explain those three prices without a lot more detail.. Waiting, unless able to hold a reservation (typically for 24 - 72 hours), usually only leads to higher prices. You need to determine the value/threshold of the service to you and then pull the trigger.

Note there is also a difference between "published" fares and "available" fares.

Fares are less on SQ as you are taking one-stop service (SIN) vs. non-stop service on TG, in theory. (And SQ still needs to fill seats.) Make sure you have a high enough booking class to get FF miles, if that is important to you.

Prices tend to be reflective of the market demands. If prices are high then TG is probably running at full capacity, generally speaking.

www.itasoftware.com has one of the best search engines, but you still need to find a retail outlet for purchase.

[too true]

Also about 4 years ago, my husband and I got 50% off tickets flying from Auckland to Bangkok. Only offered to Thai citizens and legal family members of Thai citizens.

[onethailand]

lomatopo, thanks for the link. Publicly available fares almost never drop below V, or on very rare occasions, W. Those should be 1-month validity tickets - the most commonly seen tickets are Q, which are 3-month, and the minimum tier required to get full miles on ROP (everything below accrues at 50% of actual miles flown).

Clayton, I agree. But surely there must be some sort of regulation which explicitly permits (or prohibits) this type of pricing?