Thai Airways Announces Summer Schedule 2010

[george]

THAI Announces Summer Schedule 2010

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited announced its flight schedules for the Summer Schedule 2010, effective 28 March – 30 October 2010.

Mr. Piyasvasti Amranand, THAI President , said that in the Summer Schedule 2010, THAI adjusted its schedules to reflect a shift to serve higher demand routes. During this summer schedule, THAI will resume flights on the route Bangkok-Johannesburg v.v. at four flights per week as of 16 May 2010 onwards, while daily service between Bangkok-Los Angeles v.v. will be maintained. Flights routed Bangkok-Oslo v.v. will be reduced from daily service to five flights per week, while service between Bangkok-Moscow v.v. will be reduced from four to three flights per week.

On regional routes, flights between Bangkok-Penang v.v. will increase from five flights per week to daily flights. THAI will reroute flights to operate between Hong Kong-Phuket instead of Hong Kong-Phuket-Bangkok. The Company will suspend flights on the route Bangkok-Hong Kong-Taipei v.v. in order to resume daily operations between Bangkok-Hong Kong v.v. In addition, flights routed Bangkok-Manila-Osaka v.v. will be suspended and rerouted to operate Bangkok-Manila v.v. Frequencies on the route Bangkok-Busan v.v. will be reduced from four to three flights per week. Services between Bangkok-Kathmandu v.v., Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok, and Bangkok-Kuwait v.v. will be temporarily suspended.

As for domestic flights, THAI will transfer its flights to Phitsanulok, Ubol Ratchathani, and Mae Hong Son to Nok Air, its low-fare budget carrier, effective 1 March 2010. While maintaining the same flight frequencies normally served, Nok Air will operate two roundtrip flights per day routed Don Mueang Airport-Phitsanulok and two roundtrip flights per day routed Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son. THAI will continue to operate one roundtrip flight per day on the route Bangkok-Ubol Ratchathani from Suvarnabhumi Airport, while Nok Air will operate two roundtrip flights per day on the route Don Mueang Airport-Ubol Ratchathani. Furthermore, frequencies were reduced on flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket during the low season period from 16 May-30 October 2010.

More info: http://www.prthaiairways.com/thaiair_4p/fr...=en&dng=860

-- Thai Airways 2010-02-17

[SiangDeeMahk]

Only one question:

When are they going to bring back the Bangkok-NYC direct route?? It's sorely missed. I don't know why they stopped it; the plane was almost always full. (I heard the story about it becoming cost prohibitive during the huge fuel price spike a few years back, but fuel costs have long since returned to normal levels)

Additionally, the Northeast region of the US (where NYC is) is much more densly populated than the West coast (where Los Angeles is).

In terms of the actual numbers, Manhattan has a poulation density of 25,850/km², and Los Angeles is 3,078/km². You do the math. So why are they just running a West coast route (where there are less people), and losing the huge east coast market, who wont buy a seperate US$400-600 ticket to the West coast just to connect to the Thai Airways flight, when they can just buy a cheaper "1 ticket" passage on a single carrier straight out of the East coast? (since they're going to have to change planes anyway)

Nothing compares with the ability to go through check-in, MASSIVE security (in NY, at least), board a plane, set up your little living area (laptop, headphones, books, etc), and not have to break it down, pack it up, land, depart the plane, lug your things to another check-in, additional security, then wait (on the ground, not moving any closer to your destination) to board another plane, set up your area again (but this time, with less time in the air to accomplish things), then gather and pack up your things again, land, and go find your luggage... which has a much higher chance of not even showing up, after having to have traversed an extra removal, terminal transfer and a reloading onto a new (hopefully correct) plane. I get weak just thinking about it.

Isn't just getting on a plane, doing your thing in the air, and then getting off at the final destination (with all your property) SO much better? I think so. I bet that those of us that have to lug a lot of valuable/technological work-related objects onboard the plane with them (so they don't get stolen or smashed), think so too.

I guess we just have to hope Thai Airways brings it back.

If this is off-topic, I'd appreciate a mod to shift it over to an appropriate part of the forum, thank you.

[gotlost]

You have a very valid request but the largest Thai community in the US is not in Nwe York but in Los Angeles. They don't call the community Thia Town for nothing.

[hmficc]

There is an area in L.A called Thai Town. L.A. is not called Thai Town. East coast- west coast census number would be interesting.

[infernalman7]

Well, the problem was because they will not be able to cover the cost for that route at all even if the plane is completely full. This is beyond the 'shut down' of the operation point (from Microeconomics). Singapore Airlines is operating this route at a loss as well (but still have to operate it for marketing purpose) and it has changed the plane on this route to be Business Class only. No economy class.

[ralfbkk]

Only one question:

When are they going to bring back the Bangkok-NYC direct route?? It's sorely missed. I don't know why they stopped it; the plane was almost always full. (I heard the story about it becoming cost prohibitive during the huge fuel price spike a few years back, but fuel costs have long since returned to normal levels)

In early Dec 2009 Thai Airways considered to go back to NYC and actually put their option on to EWR instead of JFK, due to the fact that EWR serves Asian Airlines (SQ, MH etc) more efficent when it comes to slot alotments. However, they are postponing that plan, since TG does not have enough equipment for that long haul flight. 2 x 340-500 are serving LAX now daily and the other 2 are on the Oslo route, which shows an extremely good load factor (91%) during the Winter Season. Out of the 2 OSL planes one is being used as a back up for the LAX Flight as well. The JFK Flight was terminated 1 July 2008 and I truly believe it is just a matter of time until TG returns to the Big Apple. I have flown this sector 6x and it was the most convinient to get in and out of Thailand. Service was terrific, even in coach.