Thai Airways To Ubon

[Patriot]

My wife read that Thai are ceasing flights to Ubon from February next year. Has anyone else heard this ... it doesn't seem to make any sense to me.

[gotlost]

Thai Airways website still shows them flying in March 2010. That may or may not mean something.

[MeMock]

http://memock.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/nok...bon-february-5/

[UbonTaz]

Patriot,

Yes they are ceasing flights to Ubon on February 5, 2010. Their reasons are questionable but will do it anyway. I think it is because of the competition. You can fly Air Asia round trip for less than a one way ticket on Thai Airways. The routes will be replaced by Nok Air, a subsidiary of Thai Airways. Their fares are much more competitive with Air Asia. The downside of Nok Air is that it is still based at Don Muang. That is fine if just going to Bkk and back and good for them if you are going elsewhere in Thailand that is serviced by Nok.

[Patriot]

Patriot,

Yes they are ceasing flights to Ubon on February 5, 2010. Their reasons are questionable but will do it anyway. I think it is because of the competition. You can fly Air Asia round trip for less than a one way ticket on Thai Airways. The routes will be replaced by Nok Air, a subsidiary of Thai Airways. Their fares are much more competitive with Air Asia. The downside of Nok Air is that it is still based at Don Muang. That is fine if just going to Bkk and back and good for them if you are going elsewhere in Thailand that is serviced by Nok.

Thanks for that, UT, so it's true then. Back to Don Meung it is as I'm not at all keen on AA.

Still doesn't make sense that Thai are relinquishing that route, even if it is still under the Thai Airways umbrella.

[jackspratt]

Also reported on UdonMap they they (Thai) are quitting Udon next year - Nok only (plus AA of course).

[DreamRider]

Also reported on UdonMap they they (Thai) are quitting Udon next year - Nok only (plus AA of course).

Hi Jack. Yes; I'm afraid it all wreaks of politics

[SantiSuk]

Also reported on UdonMap they they (Thai) are quitting Udon next year - Nok only (plus AA of course).

Hi Jack. Yes; I'm afraid it all wreaks of politics

Not true -it wreaks of the new strong CEO starting the process of sorting out the mess that is Thai Airways. Probably the first commercial decision taken in TA in decades! May be the start of rebranding internal domestic Thai flights, particularly on routes that other cheaper carriers fly.

It's not as though AA with its one (typically half full) plane a day was seeing off TA with its 3 (typically two-thirds full) planes a day on the Ubon route.

I'm an AA fan, so I hope this will not affect me - or even better offer more time slot alternatives at an affordable price.

[Patriot]

Punctuality does not feature in AA's agenda and their record is utterly dreadful. Is eating allocated at Check-In now or is it still the ridiculous scramble at the gate?

Dreamrider has a point as it is strange that the four route abandonments I have read about are all northern provinces.

I have flown in and out of Ubon on Thai Air 9 times in 2009 and all the planes were virtually full.

[MeMock]

Is eating allocated at Check-In now or is it still the ridiculous scramble at the gate?

This is Thailand. Eating is allowed anytime, anyplace!

[Patriot]

Is eating allocated at Check-In now or is it still the ridiculous scramble at the gate?

This is Thailand. Eating is allowed anytime, anyplace!

Oh don't tell me ... AA catering department has now signed an exclusive deal with your restaurant

[PEP]

Punctuality does not feature in AA's agenda and their record is utterly dreadful. Is eating allocated at Check-In now or is it still the ridiculous scramble at the gate?

Dreamrider has a point as it is strange that the four route abandonments I have read about are all northern provinces.

I have flown in and out of Ubon on Thai Air 9 times in 2009 and all the planes were virtually full.

Patriot obviously means "seating" not "eating" in his post. The answer is simple:- Seat allocation and boarding pass has been available now for many months. BUT for some rediculous reason seating of passangers together even if on same booking is not guaranteed. "If you want to sit together you must pay 50Baht a head for 'prefferable' seating" What a joke or is to extort that extra 100 or 150 Baht a party?

[SantiSuk]

It's hardly extortion if the seat price is well flagged when you book in. AA on the Ubon route is typically half to two-thirds the price of Thai Airways. Keep using Thai if you want the full service.

Criticising AA for not providing seats free is like complaining that a self-service burger chain is not providing a waitress, nice cutlery and a wine list.

[MeMock]

It's hardly extortion if the seat price is well flagged when you book in. AA on the Ubon route is typically half to two-thirds the price of Thai Airways. Keep using Thai if you want the full service.

I have to disagree, I am currently in bangkok and flew down last night with TA and will fly back tomorrow with AA. AA was about 10% cheaper then TA and I have found this to often be the case apart from when AA have there super dooper specials on.

[MarcoH]

Just came in Thai news that PM is re-considering of cansellation of ubon Flights,,

[MeMock]

What the heck has it got to do with him?

PS - hello Marco!

Edited December 22, 2009 by MeMock

[MarcoH]

What the heck has it got to do with him?

PS - hello Marco!

Matey

You know PM has a lot to say what happening or what they are doing in thai air,,,dont ask me why..but i thinkGov still own majority of it

[Farma]

I’ve heard there’s been a lot of lobbying from local businesses and politicians for the TG service to remain.

[Patriot]

I’ve heard there’s been a lot of lobbying from local businesses and politicians for the TG service to remain.

Fingers (and all other appendages) crossed!!

[Mike45]

My issue is the luggage allowance. When you are traveling internationally and each person is bring 100 lbs of checked luggage and also carry -on Thai airways is the only carrier that will not charge you a fortune for your luggage at check in. I once flew Air

Asia to Ubon and got charged enough at check-in for the luggage to have made the Thai flight much cheaper in comparison.

Mike

[songhklasid]

My usual route, because I spend a week @ my house outside chaing-mai ( I'm coming from aus) after visiting family, jobs/house, I want to get to ubon asap to meet with g/f. but to fly CNX-BKK then BKK-UBP with air asia you have to o/nite in BKK as they only have 1 flt /day early morning, so the last 2 trips I have booked in advance with thai connecting flights/ baggage right thru is O K but pricey, hopefully nok will maintain flexibility, but what about CNX-korat-udon then UBP ?

any comments songhklasid.

[SantiSuk]

My issue is the luggage allowance. When you are traveling internationally and each person is bring 100 lbs of checked luggage and also carry -on Thai airways is the only carrier that will not charge you a fortune for your luggage at check in. I once flew Air

Asia to Ubon and got charged enough at check-in for the luggage to have made the Thai flight much cheaper in comparison.

Mike

That's standard worldwide. You never fly a cheap carrier when you have loads (and you do have loads!) of luggage. Carting your bags is not what they want to do. [Ryanair's boss would get rid of hold luggage all together in his ideal world - and charge 5 euros for you to go to the toilet!]

[Patriot]

My issue is the luggage allowance. When you are traveling internationally and each person is bring 100 lbs of checked luggage and also carry -on Thai airways is the only carrier that will not charge you a fortune for your luggage at check in. I once flew Air

Asia to Ubon and got charged enough at check-in for the luggage to have made the Thai flight much cheaper in comparison.

Mike

That's standard worldwide. You never fly a cheap carrier when you have loads (and you do have loads!) of luggage. Carting your bags is not what they want to do. [Ryanair's boss would get rid of hold luggage all together in his ideal world - and charge 5 euros for you to go to the toilet!]

That's just the point, Santisuk, we don't want to have budget airlines as our only option. I have to travel to and from remote areas of the globe and the thought of getting to and from work relying on cheap carriers in a time-critical itinerary fills me with utter dread.

[MarcoH]

Any one heard any defenate date of closing the route??

[SantiSuk]

My issue is the luggage allowance. When you are traveling internationally and each person is bring 100 lbs of checked luggage and also carry -on Thai airways is the only carrier that will not charge you a fortune for your luggage at check in. I once flew Air

Asia to Ubon and got charged enough at check-in for the luggage to have made the Thai flight much cheaper in comparison.

Mike

That's standard worldwide. You never fly a cheap carrier when you have loads (and you do have loads!) of luggage. Carting your bags is not what they want to do. [Ryanair's boss would get rid of hold luggage all together in his ideal world - and charge 5 euros for you to go to the toilet!]

That's just the point, Santisuk, we don't want to have budget airlines as our only option. I have to travel to and from remote areas of the globe and the thought of getting to and from work relying on cheap carriers in a time-critical itinerary fills me with utter dread.

A fair point, which I admit had passed me by. However if it is a question of time, I find AA just as reliable as Thai Airways and often they will take off early.

So far as baggage cost is concerned, Thai allows 20 kg (30 kg if you are a Silver Card holder). I cannot find their excess baggage charges on their web-site. I seem to remember being charged something like 80 baht a kilo, but that would have been a couple of years ago

Air Asia baggage costs, when booked at the time of ticket reservation are, for economy:

Up to 15kg - 100 baht

Up to 20kg - 250 baht

Up to 25kg - 450 baht

Up to 30kg - 650 baht

I suspect AA's baggage charges are significantly more than this if you do not pre-book, but if you have pre-planned then 250 baht to get up to Thai Airway's baggage allowance is substantially cheaper than the fare difference (or at least it is substantially cheaper than the fare difference I usually find when I check prices of both carriers)

So what about Nok? well I must confess to being a bit alarmed on your behalf Patriot when I checked their web-site. I quote:

'Excess Baggage

You are not entitled to transport baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance. If, in our absolute discretion, baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance is accepted for carriage, you shall pay a charge for the carriage of that excess baggage at the rate of THB 50 per Kilogram.'

Cheap, but not guaranteed you can carry! What bl$@dy use is that? The free baggage allowance is 15kg by the way. I would have thought this clause alone would be enough to mount a campaign about the Nok Air transfer.

On reflection, I agree that ideally we should have the widest choice available for those that need to book at the last minute, for those who fly frequently enough to get baggage allowance value out of their frequent flyer miles and not forgetting those who can charge the cost to their employer/client!

I will be in fat city with my lightweight bags, but I'm not so selfish as to ignore the plight of others.

[Patriot]

So what about Nok? well I must confess to being a bit alarmed on your behalf Patriot when I checked their web-site. I quote:

'Excess Baggage

You are not entitled to transport baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance. If, in our absolute discretion, baggage in excess of the free baggage allowance is accepted for carriage, you shall pay a charge for the carriage of that excess baggage at the rate of THB 50 per Kilogram.'

Thanks for that SantiSuk, you sent me into a panic on first reading

It looks like it's only Nok Flexi or Nok Plus (20 and 30kg allowance respectively), either that or move back up to Udon !!!

But seriously, don't you find it an example of gross mismanagement that the national flag carrier has to downgrade to a budget model a route to a region whose zone of influence stretches from Surin to Mukdahan and beyond.

(BTW you live in a top amphur; love it down there)

[SantiSuk]

With no Super Deals available in January Thai Airways seems to be even more expensive than Air Asia this month.

I am doing a single journey to BKK on 26th January. Air Asia flight 1,440 baht 'inclusive' (150 baht cheaper than that if you happen to have a Siam Bank debit card and have only hand luggage). Thai Airways 2,750 baht inclusive (so-called Saver Fare).

OK - I would have to pay another 150 baht to get the additional 5kg of luggage allowance to put the AA fare on a more comparable basis to TA. Also on AA I do not get a seat choice (without paying), a cup of coffee and a bun would cost me 100 bahtish if I wanted it and I have to go on an early morning flight. The biggest downside is that I cannot change my AA flight date/time if plans shift. Once in four years I have had to surrender an AA flight that I wold not have to on TA.

Not trying to score any points. I recognise that the differential is not usually this great (TA does seem to be able to pile a premium on when demand is good). I recognise that it is 'horses for courses' and 'you pays your money and you takes your choices'.

Sorry to those of you who opened this thread, seeing a new posting and thinking maybe someone knows the date when AA will transfer the route to Nok Air.

[waza]

I have found that the departure times of Thai airlines are not as user friendly as AA. Hopefully if Nok air takes over from them it will change.

Edited January 6, 2010 by waza

[Patriot]

Sorry to those of you who opened this thread, seeing a new posting and thinking maybe someone knows the date when AA will transfer the route to Nok Air.

Hi again Santi, I presume you meant TA in your last sentence!!

Anyhow, I was in the TA Ubon office this morning (Wed 6th Jan) and talked with the manageress. She was at a meeting with the Chairman last week along with a team of retention advocates.

He, apparently, played his hand very close to his chest and as yet no final decisions have been made for the Ubon route.

Still fingers crossed.

[MarcoH]

Sorry to those of you who opened this thread, seeing a new posting and thinking maybe someone knows the date when AA will transfer the route to Nok Air.

Hi again Santi, I presume you meant TA in your last sentence!!

Anyhow, I was in the TA Ubon office this morning (Wed 6th Jan) and talked with the manageress. She was at a meeting with the Chairman last week along with a team of retention advocates.

He, apparently, played his hand very close to his chest and as yet no final decisions have been made for the Ubon route.

Still fingers crossed.

No offcene but dont you think if National Carries like TA is planing to shut down lines, they defently make plans for month ahead and not leaving that in last minute(meaning by weeks) BUT difference is what and when they are notifying travelers,,, that is what i think, Local manageress\managers do not have authority to make any local announcements for local routes, before it comes out from HQ.

This is what i know been working in tourism business last 25yrs, one speak out too soon,, it means you are out...or atleast deeep trouble...

This is ONLY what i think..