THAI: Special Flights To Assist Affected Passengers

[webfact]

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

Special flights to assist affected passengers

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai Airways International from tonight will resume scheduled daily flights for Bangkok-Zurich and vice versa, as flights have resumed in some European countries where airspace has reopened, such as Zurich, Switzerland.

Additional flights have been arranged for Bangkok-Rome v.v. and Bangkok-Madrid v.v.

In addition to regular flights to Rome on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, THAI also adds special flights. The daily special flights will be operated during April 19-28. From six flights a week to and from Madrid, special six weekly flights are arranged during April 22-28.

Passengers who are Thai nationals in the United Kingdom needing to travel on a THAI flight via EU countries to Thailand may contact the THAI Sales Office in the UK which will assist in coordinating with the Embassy to issue a travel visa through the EU country.

Passengers may call the THAI Contact Centre in Bangkok to check flight information and make reservations at 02-356-1111 (24 hours), fax. 02-356-2222, Email : [email protected]. com, website : www.thaiairways . com , or contact the THAI Sales Offices in Europe in order to re-book travel for passengers whose flights have been cancelled and need to change flight routing. THAI will waive all fees for changing flight route or issuance of a new ticket from Europe to Thailand and from Thailand to Europe for THAI ticket holders. Passengers are advised that the listing of passengers for travel is based on reservation sequence.

-- The Nation 2010-04-20

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[absolutelyBangkok]

TG told me this morning there are 3,800 (!) stand by passengers in Rome, as the airline sent all passengers to Rome (and Madrid) ... Even with an additional machine it will take some time ...

[North]

It it strange, if Thai Airways publish this information today, since you in this moment can read on their website:

"Due to uncontrolled situation change at Rome and Madrid airports, the planned TEMPORARY additional flights have been put on hold until further notice."

Thai Airways also tell their customers to contact them by phone, fax, E-mail or on the website.

I sent a mail to them 24 hours ago, since I was scheduled to fly to Europe yesterday.

No response so far !

All in all very little useful info from Thai Airways

[eurasianthai]

So many people are stranded in Rome, you can't even get money from the ATM machines, they're all empty.

And well, trains are all fully booked, I checked.

If other European airports open, they should try to get as many flights possible to these airports as fast as possible.

I know it is not easy and I actually do not blame Thai Airways (well, I'm trying not to...), they do whatever they can in a very difficult and unpredictable situation.

And they get a lot of phone calls, difficult to get through.

So I regularly go to the airport these days...

[andyptrav]

My TG910 flight of early this morning was cancelled. I spent all day yesterday trying to get through on 02-356-1111 without success. All I got was music and announcements – one of which was to consult the website which then told you to ring the number I rang in the first place!

At 08:45 today after listening to music and the same useless announcements for 40 minutes I finally got to speak to a person who put me on hold for 10 minutes whilst she rebooked my flight for the earliest available being 02 May which is 12 days later than I planned. I then realised she had booked me on the day flight so another 10 minutes on hold whilst she changed it to 01:10 03 May. Then another 10 minutes to change my connecting flight. I know the situation is not Thai Air’s fault but they are always hopeless when something goes wrong. I was on the phone with the lady 35 minutes to do what should take 5 minutes so now you know why you can’t get through. Oh, and the call today cost me nearly 400Bt so don't call unless you have 500Bt credit in your phone.

But it will be OK as she has waitlisted me for flights this Friday and Saturday (but the day flights!) so if some people on these flights decide to cancel and the 5000 ish ahead of me in the queue don’t want the seats I am on.

To make matters worse Thai are not running today's day flight or the 01:10 flight tomorrow. Now, one plane may be stuck in London but not both and surely they can find another one; their must be some low season flights less than half full that could be amalgamated.

Also all the airlines keep quoting huge losses. How? Why? Thai will have saved 28 plane loads of fuel, landing fees and other costs on the London route alone. The planes will now be rammed full for the next two weeks instead of of just over half full which costs them a little extra in terms of fuel. Yes, a few flying out to Thailand will have cancelled but I bet they don't get a full refund if they do not accept a rebooking.