Thai Air 'customer Service'

[Bearnagh]

I've just had the most exasperating and disappointing experience with Thai Air.

I wrote to their 'Customer Services' department in the UK by email, to enquire about the procedures for bringing my 10 yr-old son as an 'unaccompanied minor' from Heathrow to Bangkok this coming summer to visit me. Having explained that I would meet him in Bangkok Suvarmabhumi airport, I asked for any relevant information about the services which Thai Air offers for "UMs" and how to avail of them etc. Because his flight departs from UK, that's where my enquiry must be addressed to.

I received a reply, asking me for my telephone number as they preferred to discuss the matter on the phone rather than conduct the conversation by email.

This seemed reasonable and I thus sent my number, not surprisingly, a Thai number and waited for the call...

I then got another email saying:

"Please be advised that we cannot call an overseas number " and then offered me a premium-rate UK number which I could call if I wanted to pursue the inquiry any further.

So just to clarify.... this is THAI AIR, saying that its customer services & reservations staff are not allowed to phone its customers in THAILAND... Go figure! An interesting business model eh?

So now my original query remains unanswered as Thai Air will not communicate by either email or phone.

I have to say I find this a hugely disappointing service from an airline of this calibre and standing. One might expect such shabby treatment from some second-rate bargain-basement carrier but Thai Air?? I'm speechless.

The conclusion... I will do what all customers should do. I will vote with my feet and my wallet. Thai Air's stinginess over a phone call (to its native country) that might have cost two or three UK pounds has cost it not just a fare booking but the loss of a loyal customer of many years.

I nominate Thai Air for the "square wheel award" of 2010 for mindless inefficiency and restrictive practices.

[manarak]

I then got another email saying:

"Please be advised that we cannot call an overseas number "

So what did you reply to that?

You did reply, right? Or are you just trying to make an issue out of a misunderstanding?

Why don't you go to one of their offices?

[Gonzo the Face]

I then got another email saying:

"Please be advised that we cannot call an overseas number "

So what did you reply to that?

You did reply, right? Or are you just trying to make an issue out of a misunderstanding?

Why don't you go to one of their offices?

....sounds to me like you are a Thai Airless employee

This is a business..... a business [or one with reasonable management, that is] tries to please and satisfy their customers [while they have a few] THAI AIR, get it, like in Thailand ...... should be able to call from Thailand to Thailand to answer an serious question from a potential customer.

OP your biggest problem seems to be you consider Thai Air not to be bargain basement..... they have worked themselves to the bottom of this basement primarily by their previous management decisions and their employees self centeredness. the Lord and Master attitude that many [most] of their service agents put forth...

Lets see how the new management will choose to handle this and similiar customer complaints/problems.

There seems to be a new Thai Air headman.....lets see if he returns Thai Air to an airline that will provide the excellent service that had been given their customers long ago. Not continue to just provide this higher service to the 'High So', Govt't dignitaries, and of course questionable baggage limits and perks for the Thai Air Management

I suggest Thai Air hire some foreign senior management that know how to run an airline ... or maybe a big thinker like he who came up with the 2 baht coin idea.

[ManilaLover]

I have no recent experience, but I remember 13 years ago I really hated the groud service of Thai Airways, bad service, typical dumb people and very arrogant, therefor I flew with them only once, then with China Airlines and the past years only with EVA air. Inland I fly only with Bangkok Air. Not much respect for everyting related with Thai Airways, Bangkok Air staff is much more friendly and up to date, modern fleet.

[carmine]

Why get so frustrated over "customer service"

It's practically non existant over here and it'll probably remain that way.

Just feel fortunate and happy if you get any service at all and you won't be disappointed.

[colinscarr]

There's an old British civil service adage, "Don't get mad, get even."

Support the competition, e.g. QANTAS, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways etc.

[mizzi39]

It is too bad that THAI has gone way down hill, although i have no personal experience to share.

I will share a positive story though. I have flown THAI twice direct fro New York to Bangkok, (last time was when i moved here).

The first time flying THAI my flight was delayed from Boston to New York (DELTA) due to snow, and needless to say when i finally did arrive in New York my THAI flight was already gone. Stayed in an airport hotel overnight which was "2 star" at best, but the meal vouchers helped (courtesy of DELTA) and caught the next flight out the following morning. When I arrived at the THAI check in counter the next morning I was given 2 upgrades to business class, (NY-BKK and BKK-NY), because of the inconvenience.

There are still many good Asian carriers who offer good customer service. i personally like Korean Air for international flights, and i have heard good things about EVA too.

Edited February 23, 2010 by mizzi39

[basinboy]

There's an old British civil service adage, "Don't get mad, get even."

Support the competition, e.g. QANTAS, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways etc.

Had to smile at that, I came to be a regular Thai Flyer after getting the shits with Qantas, for their "your pleasure to be served by us" I have been happy to fly Tai for the last 3 or 4 years and have been Royal Orchid Gold member for the last two years, although I'm not always sure it is worth paying a couple of hundred dollars nearly every time I book to ensure a fare class that will give me full points/miles. The other thing I like is that Thailand seems to start 9 hours ealy as I board in Australia

But I'm happy with the few upgrades I get each year, I have an upgrade award I am using next month Australia- Dubai return.

Thai are not one of the top 5 airlines around at the moment, but I think they fit comfortably somewhere in the next 15.

I did encounter something that might be uniquely Thai Air at Christmas 2008. My wife and I were flying Melbourne to Chiang Mai on the 0015 flight 25 December. At check in I pointed out to the girl that my wife's birthday is Christmas Day, and asked if there was any chance of an upgrade, I actually never ask, but what the heck. She says she'd love to, but as they weren't full down the back it wasn't possible. Plan B was to enquire how much to upgrade...AUD 900.00 each, OK how about we pay for one and get two, she says that sounds like a plan, but we would need to put it to the Supervisor. We went and asked her, she appeared not to actually understand what I was asking for, but as I repeated the proposal, she realised she had heard right, she just couldn't believe her ears. She found it absolutely incredulous that anyone could have the cheek to make such a request, we were angrily dismissed as she marched away. No worries we saved $900.00 and still could use the lounges anyway.

The crazy thing was this was barely a month after the Airline had lost millions following the yellow shirt occupation of the airport, obviously no word had gone out to the troops to be on the look out for extra revenue opportunities.

A postscript was, 3 weeks later when we checked in at BKK to come home, we were told we had been upgraded!

[h90]

It does not cost 2 or 3 UK Pound....most large companies speak over IP which costs them virtually nothing.

check other airline.....

[gosompoi]

I had a similar experience, was told I had to call Bangkok to deal with my ticketing issues when I was in the USA. I called the USA Thai airways ticket dept why aren't they the same company, they said yes but they can not handle internet tickets in the USA. It took one month of phone calls to get a resolution which was buying all new tickets and waiting another month more for a refund for the first tickets. An international company that can not operate internationally seamlessly. Our family has removed using Thai Airways as an option when traveling out of fear of dealing with their poor customer service.

[Bearnagh]

I then got another email saying:

"Please be advised that we cannot call an overseas number "

So what did you reply to that?

You did reply, right? Or are you just trying to make an issue out of a misunderstanding?

Why don't you go to one of their offices?

I did - of course - reply. I made the point that this was not "customer service". I requested that my reply was escalated to the people at policy-making level. I am assured that it was.

ok?