Thailand Airfare War Hots Up

[george]

Thailand airfare war hots up

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Just a day after Thai Airways International (THAI) entered the discount airfare market with its “Fly THAI, get more” promotional fares designed to “put AirAsia's offering to shame,” local carrier Bangkok Airways (BA) has fired back with its own “Flyer Pass” range of discounted air fares.

The THAI campaign sees the airline cutting it’s fares by 20 percent below seasonal standard fares, with up to one-third of all seats on all THAI flights being sold at the promotional rate.

Pandit Chanapai, executive vice-president for THAI's commercial department said on Tuesday the airline hoped the campaign will help it fight back against the low-cost carriers and increase its flight load to 70 percent.

"We are telling the public there is another good option for buying air tickets and that we are ready to compete squarely with other airlines".

In direct response, privately owned BA responded on Wednesday with a series of “Flyer Pass’s, priced between Bt9,000 and Bt29,000 (about $US264 to $US851) for a booklet of four flight tickets valid for one year.

The Flexi Pass-Fun package, priced at Bt9,000, is valid for all domestic routes flown by BA, while the mid priced Flyer Pass-Fusion covers domestic routes as well as flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh, or Phnom Penh.

The Flexi Pass-Fancy, priced at Bt19,500, can be used for domestic and international routes, including Bangkok to Siem Reap or Luang Prabang, or from Samui to Singapore, while the most expensive package, the Flyer Pass-Freedom, priced at Bt29,000, can be used on the Bangkok to Hiroshima or the Bangkok to Maldives sectors.

BAs senior sales director, Chonlada Chevathakorn, said the airline had prepared a total of 20,000 tickets across the four packages and expected them to be sold out within four months.

According to Chonlada, “in general Bangkok Airways does not give discounted fares to passengers during the high season for traveling, but we are doing so this year, to stimulate passenger numbers.

“The average air fare under the promotion is discounted by 20 per cent from normal prices," she said.

According to THAI, its entry into the discount airline market has been brought about by airlines continuing to undercut each other in a desperate bid to cope with a market marred by global recession and pandemic A(H1N1), which has seen the airlines’ passenger numbers from east Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea tank by up to 20 percent.

The new THAI promotional fares will see an all-inclusive round-trip start at Bt2,810 for domestic routes, while regional flights start at Bt4,300.

Whereas the THAI promotional tickets must be purchased by July 31, and travel made before September 30, BAs Flyer Pass’s are valid for travel between August 1 this year and July 31, 2010.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-16

[steelepulse]

Is there a URL for these promotional fares?  I went to thaiair.com and only saw a couple of cheap flights to Moscow and one to Hong Kong.  I didn't see any deals HKT-BKK or anywhere else.

[lanlananhanh]

Thanks for your sharingThanks for sharing this useful information. It's great.

[isaanbrit]

Wow, I think this is not good news for small players like PB Air - they'll never be able to compete

many people including a friend of mine will looose their jobs

[imaneggspurt]

Yes yes, i too went on line and couldnt see any BARGAINS , ..anyway, how will it help?

[prism]

The new THAI promotional fares will see an all-inclusive round-trip start at Bt2,810 for domestic routes, while regional flights start at Bt4,300.

Just booked a flight on Thai Air Asia yesterday. CNX (Chiang Mai) - BKK, 1400 baht round trip all inclusive.

[quiksilva]

885 users reading this thread!

[yankee99]

885 users reading this thread!

1123 and rising

[sbk]

885 users reading this thread!

We all like a bargain quicksilva. But it seems that some are using the regular search procedure. I found fares by clicking on the special fares logo and got this page

http://www.thaiair.com/promotion-areaTH/Pr...d/index_en.html

[sinewave]

keep sticking with the small carriers - as soon as thai airways puts them out of business they will raise thier prices back up.

[geriatrickid]

Pandit Chanapai, executive vice-president for THAI's commercial department said on Tuesday the airline hoped the campaign will help it fight back against the low-cost carriers and increase its flight load to 70 percent.

Loose lips sink ships and for the first time I see a release of flight load info. I would make a guess that the load factor is now somewhere between50 and 60%. This is horrific for an airline and is an indication of the shape TG is in. Fat lot of good a low season sale it does most of us though. I am starting to book my monthly longhauls for Q4 and the costs is the same as it was last 2 Qs.

[Marvo]

885 users reading this thread!

We all like a bargain quicksilva. But it seems that some are using the regular search procedure. I found fares by clicking on the special fares logo and got this page

http://www.thaiair.com/promotion-areaTH/Pr...d/index_en.html

BKK <> Chang Rai - RTN

Thai Airways "Happy all the way in Thailand, Super Save" - INCLUDING taxes: THB 3,790

Air Asia - INCLUDING taxes: THB 1,400

So, Thai Air plan on taking on the low cost airlines - FOR TWO MONTHS! And then what????

[thaibkk]

RELAX FARANG RELAX

just as the promotional discounts in hotels for THAI ONLY, these rates will not be for you farang

THAI RAK THAI .... so it is for THAI PEOPLE ONLY

[sbk]

RELAX FARANG RELAX

just as the promotional discounts in hotels for THAI ONLY, these rates will not be for you farang

THAI RAK THAI .... so it is for THAI PEOPLE ONLY

I don't see that listed in the ticket conditions. Where did you find that information?

[sugarhead]

investing in better services and in flight entertainment, etc. some time back would have been a better option for THAI, but that would have been long term thinking with a vision...

let them go bust, they deserve it. Other regional players will replace them and make up for the loss of jobs.

same story as for the car makers in the US, decades of arrogance and incompetence.

[ozfarang81]

details here:

http://www.thaiair.com/promotion-areaTH/Pr...e/index_en.html

the thai airways website link to the Fly thai get more link is broken, but i worked out the error by looking the links to other promotions.

[hansnl]

RELAX FARANG RELAX

just as the promotional discounts in hotels for THAI ONLY, these rates will not be for you farang

THAI RAK THAI .... so it is for THAI PEOPLE ONLY

On the other hand, tickets from farangland to Thailand are generally very much cheaper as tickets the other way around.

While farang only can generally get tickets from Thailand and back cheaper, if they know the way, as Thai people can not do.

Also on the other hand, a lot of Thai people are also smarting because less farang are coming to Thailand.

And yes, most farang are not so stupid to believe "promotionals".

Concluding, you are just jealous.

[animatic]

T. A. 2100 to Samui,

but NOT including all the added taxes and &lt;deleted&gt;,

add that in and it's the same fare... 2,700-2,800 baht

For me I want to see the Bottom line price not some partial number,

and when you pay it jumps apreciably...

Show me the 'COST OF THE TRIP'; end of story.

B.A. shows posters with Samui-Pattaya 1,333Baht,

I am sitting next to the poster, there is one flight a day.

Only price I get charges is 2,800baht... bait and switch B.S.

Edited July 16, 2009 by animatic

[-noodles-]

lol

i booked a return flight to krabi with AIr Asia for 626 baht (inc taxes).

[poldebol]

RELAX FARANG RELAX

just as the promotional discounts in hotels for THAI ONLY, these rates will not be for you farang

THAI RAK THAI .... so it is for THAI PEOPLE ONLY

On the other hand, tickets from farangland to Thailand are generally very much cheaper as tickets the other way around.

While farang only can generally get tickets from Thailand and back cheaper, if they know the way, as Thai people can not do.

Also on the other hand, a lot of Thai people are also smarting because less farang are coming to Thailand.

And yes, most farang are not so stupid to believe "promotionals".

Concluding, you are just jealous.

I fly since two years from Europe to Thailand. Sometimes I buy tickets EUR> TH> EUR, sometimes TH>EUR>TH. I buy both from the same travel agent in EUR. There is hardly a difference in price. I used to fly with TG for nearly 20 years. They used to give good prices and service and were very flexible when I had to change my schedule. Their prices are vey high now and their service and flexibility are gone.

[jfchandler]

I doubt Thai Air is going to be competitive with Air Asia and others, either on price or quality of flight, sale or no sale...

But in looking at the Thai Air promotion web site that OzFarang posted above, at the very bottom in small print, it says booking and ticketing must be made by July 19 (just a few days away), whereas I thought the original post in this thread said end of the month.

I now see on their PDF file domestic fare sheet, it says the departure must be on or before July 31, whereas the return must be by September 30.

But that doesn't solve the question about the deadline for buying tickets....

Edited July 16, 2009 by jfchandler

[geovalin]

Please check the Bangkok Airways offer which seems pretty good.

http://www.bangkokair.com/flyerpass/

How do you understand it?

[KhunDave]

Still a looooong way to go to "put Air Asia's offering to shame".....dream on TG!

[mjperry]

The international discount flights are only for inbound flights coming to Bangkok from the downloaded PDF of fares and these fares are only bookable through an agent or sales office not online.

EVA Air have some excellent Hot e-Fares on right now, was looking up flights to London from Bangkok, for a 3-month open ended return ticket with no mileage accrual it was 29,095 THB or if you want 70% mileage accrual at 31,095 THB or 85% mileage accrual at 33,095 THB

[denishuahin]

Thailand airfare war hots up

-- thaivisa.com 2009-07-16

How many times have we heard this now? Airaisa is by far the cheapest but you have to fly via Kuala Lumpur.

People contact me want to saying they book my condos and will have a look at flights, you never hear from them again. So i tried to book a cheap from UK Thaiair over £1000 evaair £800. I came evaair a direct fight 2 years ago for £340. Next time I go to the UK it's airasia, anyone else have any suggestions, Denis.

This is want i have put on my add TRYING the rent my condos out.

Many people have asked about Flights, at the moment the cheapest way seems to be airasia there is a stop at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You then board the flight to Bangkok which you may have to book separately, but the total fare can be as low as £370 return from the U.K. Other airlines are evaair, emirates and jetair

[anthos]

In direct response, privately owned BA responded on Wednesday with a series of "Flyer Pass's, priced between Bt9,000 and Bt29,000 (about $US264 to $US851) for a booklet of four flight tickets valid for one year.

The Flexi Pass-Fun package, priced at Bt9,000, is valid for all domestic routes flown by BA, while the mid priced Flyer Pass-Fusion covers domestic routes as well as flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh, or Phnom Penh.

The Flexi Pass-Fancy, priced at Bt19,500, can be used for domestic and international routes, including Bangkok to Siem Reap or Luang Prabang, or from Samui to Singapore, while the most expensive package, the Flyer Pass-Freedom, priced at Bt29,000, can be used on the Bangkok to Hiroshima or the Bangkok to Maldives sectors.

Just visited Bangkok Airways website to check out the new promotion

http://bangkokair.com/flyerpass/index.php

I can't see any infoemation there that this fare includes 4 flights a year. Should I guess? There's minimum info and the information is very unclear.

Just a few questions that come to mind:

How many flights included?

How to book a certain flight?

Does it combine with flyer bonus / samui resident card?

When the flyer pass expire?

Does more expensive package cover destinations of the cheaper package?

etc

I wonder how many tickets they are going to sell this way?

Even if true about 4 flights I wonder how many people will need 4 tickects from Bangkok to Hiroshima or Maldives within 1 year for 29000 THB

[SabaiBKK]

keep sticking with the small carriers - as soon as thai airways puts them out of business they will raise thier prices back up.

Thai Airways has the worst services, the crappiest airplanes and the most expensive airfares, the recession has nothing to do with the fact that they are losing passengers to airlines like Etihad, Quatar airlines , Emirates or even Singapore airlines which are like half price to or from europe compared to Thai with their old 747-400 without inflight entertainment ...

example : CDG-BKK september 6, 2009 one way ( including taxes):

Quatar 433 €

Singapore 453 €

Emirates 568 €

Thai Airways 889€ ( there was also one at 1195€ ) and on the route CDG-BKK old 747-400 with no inflight entertainment and the cabin manager often doesn't play a movie " because otherwise people don't sleep" - and you get too much work lazy MF -

i guess only this resumes pretty well the problems that Thai Airways are facing - old planes, lazy crews ( sorry for my friends working at Thai ) and prohibitive fares

[jasreeve17]

This thread is a good example of Thai Air's problem and Air Asia's success.

Thai Air seem to offer something good, but once on their website it appears much less of a bargain, if found at all, and will be nigh on impossible to understand / book on their website.

AirAsia make big offers which are substantiated by the reality on an easy to understand, use and book website.

Bangkok Air have a high price / unique route pricing with very limited flexibility (a good policy if your routes and service are unique).

Despite these press releases, nothing has changed - AirAsia are faaar cheaper than Thai.

15 years ago I only used Thai and was impressed by their prices and service; how things have changed; in recent years I fly AirAsia - good value and reasonable service too. For example I save 2000 baht flying to ChiangMai or 10,000 baht flying to Bali. No contest really.

I personally believe that Thai Air management over the last 10 years or so has been shockingly awful...

Edited July 16, 2009 by jasreeve17

[reallyok]

885 users reading this thread!

We all like a bargain quicksilva. But it seems that some are using the regular search procedure. I found fares by clicking on the special fares logo and got this page

http://www.thaiair.com/promotion-areaTH/Pr...d/index_en.html

Yes , buts thats Domestic only. They need to go International to make a real difference.

[geovalin]

In direct response, privately owned BA responded on Wednesday with a series of "Flyer Pass's, priced between Bt9,000 and Bt29,000 (about $US264 to $US851) for a booklet of four flight tickets valid for one year.

The Flexi Pass-Fun package, priced at Bt9,000, is valid for all domestic routes flown by BA, while the mid priced Flyer Pass-Fusion covers domestic routes as well as flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh, or Phnom Penh.

The Flexi Pass-Fancy, priced at Bt19,500, can be used for domestic and international routes, including Bangkok to Siem Reap or Luang Prabang, or from Samui to Singapore, while the most expensive package, the Flyer Pass-Freedom, priced at Bt29,000, can be used on the Bangkok to Hiroshima or the Bangkok to Maldives sectors.

Just visited Bangkok Airways website to check out the new promotion

http://bangkokair.com/flyerpass/index.php

I can't see any infoemation there that this fare includes 4 flights a year. Should I guess? There's minimum info and the information is very unclear.

Just a few questions that come to mind:

How many flights included?

How to book a certain flight?

Does it combine with flyer bonus / samui resident card?

When the flyer pass expire?

Does more expensive package cover destinations of the cheaper package?

etc

I wonder how many tickets they are going to sell this way?

Even if true about 4 flights I wonder how many people will need 4 tickects from Bangkok to Hiroshima or Maldives within 1 year for 29000 THB

BKK Post mentions 2 round-trips.

Anyway, 2 RT = 4 flights