Thailand Airfare War Hots Up

[kjhbigv]

"Now, has anyone tried the new AA route to KL-London ? What seat space do you get and is there any entertainment. Knowing how small the seat space is on their short haul flights i'm loath to try longhaul unless there is realistic space for someone with long legs. Can anyone advise - i cant see details on their site.

Yeah, I was thinking of giving them a try! Anyone flown with them yet with some feedback? London Stansted to BKK.

[manuchaomk]

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

holy words.... :-)

[manuchaomk]

Watch Thai Air carefully. I looked on their sight and they had very low tickets prices but when it came time to book, then taxes and other fees jacked it up to double the price!

Air Asia has the best price as far as I can see.

Not true.

I have just found a flight for a friend to fly to bkk next month on 6th with qatar airways.

Returning sept 29th.

Total including taxes GBP 319 ok he has 4 hours to wait in doha.

?? Thai is not equal Qatar Air, dont u ??

[manuchaomk]

If they want me to fly any where with them. Just give me the bottom line. Inc all taxes,all charges

Bottom line please forget all the promotional mumbo jumbo.

you made me laughing ..funny mumbo jumbo

[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 dont see why you feel so happy this rate to apply only to Thai people, your national air carrier (Thai Airways) is close to bankruptcy and you would like special offers to apply to Thai people only while they are trying to save their company and thousands of people's job...

the promotion does not apply only to Thai people, seems thaibkk was merely trolling

[jfchandler]

the promotion does not apply only to Thai people, seems thaibkk was merely trolling

Glad to hear that... I was worried I might have been dreaming when I said the same thing in this post about 10 posts back....

[AnaisNin]

No way can ThaiAir come close to AirAsia, in term of fare. Service is something else.

If for some mad reason ThaiAir decides to give away all seats for free; AirAsia will react by paying you to fly with them.

[sbk]

the promotion does not apply only to Thai people, seems thaibkk was merely trolling

Glad to hear that... I was worried I might have been dreaming when I said the same thing in this post about 10 posts back....

Yes,I saw that jf.

Apparently, I was one of the few who did so I figured it wouldn't hurt to reiterate

[wood]

Noticed this in the BPost yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared ?

Uk to Bkk direct with BA ( yes good old British airways ) inclusive of all taxes at £388 pp.

Bought them in may used them at the end of may, flights full.

Just bought uk to BKK via Singapore with Singapore 5 adults at £ 328 pp Inc taxes.

Flying end of sept 09.

Don't mind 2 hours in changi, nice place less chance to meet Dick Turpin, remember him ?

Been using this totally reliable company for 12 years and without exception they are wonderful - a true happy customer so a big pat on the back for them.

Much prefer Thai airways - but with a total of 9 flights inside 12 months and a saving of £1500 !

Economic crisis - too right.

Airlines suffering low numbers due to swine flu - wrong completely.

Competition competition competition.

Btw - not had too many sherbets, sitting in a sauna writing this - phew !!

[Kimera]

Promotion Thai Air £771 LHR HKT Maylisia Air £590 Direct same , 1 stop, I think good and the service and planes are better

[Rinrada]

Please check the Bangkok Airways offer which seems pretty good.

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

How do you understand it?

almost 4000 bt r/t to CM...they are having a laugh ...must be gold plated parachutes or summit....

air asia at 1400....good one and if Taxin still owns it ....well done.....

[jfchandler]

I wonder/wish that someone from Thai Air would ever read what folks here, generally speaking, think of their quality and competitiveness and pricing.... Or maybe...they already know it...

[cyborg22]

?? Thai is not equal Qatar Air, dont u ??

Explain? Please. That comment is beyond my comprehension

[Jiu-Jitsu]

885 users reading this thread!

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????

And then you take the book from Prof. Doganis and you know what will happen to small players and to flag carriers. Thai will always be a flag carrier and will never be able to fight back Air Asia. Btw..Bangkok Air is a sub from Thai. So that means cannibalization effect for both airlines if they use the promotions on wing-to-wing flights. So who will be the long-term winner? I just replied the question above

What are you talking??

[jumparound]

Hi evilbaz - yes A330s operate to Perth, the good news is Thai has 2 new A330's with PTV's in economy already delivered and several more coming this year. These will operate on the Perth runs, they should have already started but there is a short delay awaiting ETOPS certification on the new aircraft as they have a different engine compared to the older A330's. These aircraft will also be scheduled on some Japan flights. The onboard product will be the same as the 772ER/A345/A346 and reconfigured 773's.

Tiger from Perth to Bangkok is cheap, but a big PITA (i have done it myself, and will avoid in the future)

Air Asia BKK-PERTH 3000bat or 116$Aus

[williamslater]

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

Your reference to Bangkok Airways code as BA is misleading. Bangkok Airways is PG. Or do you just make up your own?

[jackspratt]

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

Your reference to Bangkok Airways code as BA is misleading. Bangkok Airways is PG. Or do you just make up your own?

Didn't mislead me in the slightest.

In fact BA is clearly used as an abbreviation of Bangkok Airways. Following your own logic, would you be mislead that THAI is the code for Thai International?

Edited July 17, 2009 by jackspratt

[webfact]

Thai Airways

IATA-Code: TG

ICAO-Code: THA

Bangkok Airways

IATA-Code: PG

ICAO-Code: BKP

[animatic]

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

Your reference to Bangkok Airways code as BA is misleading. Bangkok Airways is PG. Or do you just make up your own?

He was not listing flight numbers like Bangkok Air flight PG192.

But clearly saying BA is an abbreviation for Bangkok Air.

So not misleading.

[jfchandler]

How about if those replying and making general comments NOT quote the ENTIRE original post in this thread every time??? That would be even better!!!!

[cyborg22]

How about if those replying and making general comments NOT quote the ENTIRE original post in this thread every time??? That would be even better!!!!

Have to agree that would be better.

But i am guilty of that also.

[SantiSuk]

forgive my ignorance

but just how does ThaiAir stay in business?

Beats me.

On the Ubon to BKK run Air Asia always seems to be half the price of Thai Airways, yet the 3 daily Thai Airways flights are very full and the AA flight is nearly always less than half full. Something doesn't gel - there must be some very cheap deals that go to Thais only (tell me how and my Thai wife can at least fly cheaper with Thai Airways), or large public employers are being forced to use the government carrier at any price, or the Thai website is comparatively and massively more user-friendly to Thais than is AA (a reverse of the comparison of webistes in their English language form).

If you have to use Thai Airways then do phone in for a price as well as checking the website price. On 2 occasions I have been quoted a price and bought a flight that is significantly lower on the phone than the supposed promotional fare on their web-site! What a crazy way to run a business!?

[nikster]

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

Yeah there should be a law for that, really, truth in advertising and all that. NokAir has BHT 300 tickets that rise to 2000 when it's all said and done. AirAsia has gotten a lot better, they now have all inclusive prices, although they still exclude the airport taxes.

Anyway, I am not going to hunt for those deals on TA website - if they want to offer it, offer it to all. If not, fine, I am comparing prices of all carriers and might just choose somebody else....

[islandguy]

Went to the Bangkok Air office in Chaweng yesterday to get more information about their new promotion. The most important factoid was in the printout on it that they gave me. The Flyer Pass Fun option for 9,000 baht does NOT include the Bangkok/Samui routing. For those flights you need the 12,900 baht Flyer Pass Fusion option. Note that the Fusion otion does also include Chiang Mai/Samui routing as one flight. Both the reservationist on the phone two days ago and the helpful counter clerk at their office misstated this point in response to a direct question about it. Other points:

Not a coupon book, your name is part of it and there is a fee to change the name.

Not all seats on the plane are in this fare class, only a set (or maybe flexible according to demand) amount

Not handled by regular reservationists (at least for now), on line or at convention events to buy and booked by only certain agents (I guess by phone)

On the good side:

No surcharge or tax (at least in Thailand on the tax)

Can be bought for another person

Usable until July 31, 2010

3 date changes allowed before a fee is charged

[jfchandler]

Thanks for the info, Island Guy....

Here's one pretty important question/detail....

Since each pass is 4 one-way tickets, can a couple (two people) share that single pass for a pair of round-trips together???

Or...

Does the same single individual (named purchaser) need to use all 4 tickets him or herself.... and then any accompanying wife or spouse would have to buy a second pass???

[stingray]

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.

toke a flight with air asia last month BKK to Phuket, 2400 all including. Promotion prices are only to some destinations where no tourist like to go, like somwhere in Isaan. But Phuket and Samui it's about the same or maybe a little bit higher.

[stingray]

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.

toke a flight with air asia last month BKK to Phuket, 2400 all including. Promotion prices are only to some destinations where no tourist like to go, like somwhere in Isaan. But Phuket and Samui it's about the same or maybe a little bit higher.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

[jfchandler]

Great price on AirAsia, Jiu..... Just hope, there's still folks living there and enjoying in Phuket by the time you arrive...

[cmdream]

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.

toke a flight with air asia last month BKK to Phuket, 2400 all including. Promotion prices are only to some destinations where no tourist like to go, like somwhere in Isaan. But Phuket and Samui it's about the same or maybe a little bit higher.

Can you really "toke" a flight on Air Asia ? I can leave my Valium behind. Thank you folks for all the tips and good info about air travel in SE Asia. I have a direct question I want to check out the Philippines soon. Cebu, Subic and Palawan. I would like to avoid Manila, getting too old for the fast lane.

Any suggestions about time of year, airlines, hotels or quest houses. Thanks

Chok dee