Flights From Europe

[marekm1]

Friend of mine wants to come to Thailand from Europe at the beginning of August on airline staff ticket. But she can only travel when the seats are available. She wants to come with her son, so there are two people. Anybody knows how full or empty are flights now from Europe. It can be Frankfurt, London, Zurich or any other city in Europe. What are the chances to get on the plane without much of delay. And also what the situation on the way back. She wants to stay for 2 weeks.

Thank you for your help.

[Mario2008]

Just check some airline websites, most allow you to check seat availability online.

[NanLaew]

But she can only travel when the seats are available.

Pretty much the ultimate deciding criteria when trying to get a flight IMHO !!!! Traveling outside on the wings just isn't done any more. Since she is traveling on an airline staff perk, can't she get the information required direct from the airline? Does the airline she is being comped by fly the XXX-BKK route?

It is summer vacation time as well so planes will be pretty full with very little chance of a last-minute walk up bargain either. Long haul direct from Europe filled with holidaymakers. Flights via mid-east similarly congested as the mid-east locals and expats are also fleeing to the far east for their hols.

Edited July 14, 2010 by NanLaew

[theoldgit]

This might help http://www.seatcounter.com/

A mate of mine who travels with Thai to and from the UK regular basis was told in their London office last week that flights from LHR-BKK are pretty empty over the coming couple of months. They believed that whilst people who had already booked were not cancelling in vast numbers, people are not booking.

I don't know how accurate this information is, but he is normally right. Of course we don't know where your friend is hoping to travel from or what carrier.

[Max2010]

The only way to get good ticket fare is to buy in advance. In my case, 4 months in advance. I just checked 5 airline websites and all of them now charge 300-800 more than what I paid in April for BKK-NRT route.

Max2010

[theoldgit]

I think most people have missed the point here, the OP is trying to find out load factors here so a Staff Concessionary Ticket can be used.

[roamer]

This might help http://www.seatcounter.com/

A mate of mine who travels with Thai to and from the UK regular basis was told in their London office last week that flights from LHR-BKK are pretty empty over the coming couple of months. They believed that whilst people who had already booked were not cancelling in vast numbers, people are not booking.

I don't know how accurate this information is, but he is normally right. Of course we don't know where your friend is hoping to travel from or what carrier.

Interesting site. For most of the dates I input Thai from LHR was showing the least availability, though much more availability from Vienna, Frankfurt etc. Probably to be expected as LHR is very much more of a hub. Site doesn't appear to work for Emirates and some others. I think trying to predict this is going to be very difficult this year as would expect flights to be cut or combined. There might be less travelers but fewer seats. With some flexibility though traveling on comps should be possible, always much harder when looking for 2 seats on same flight though.

[marekm1]

I think most people have missed the point here, the OP is trying to find out load factors here so a Staff Concessionary Ticket can be used.

Thanks for all replies and thanks to theoldgit for your info. Seems you are the only one person so far, who understand my post.

That’s exactly what I am trying to find out.

[rik072]

The best chance i think is from Amsterdam. Not a lot of people going to Asia in the Europe summer. Most of the flights go to Spain,greece etc.

Good Luck!!

[longstay]

hi there, its not that easy. does the airline she work with have staff ticket agreements with all other airlines going from europe to bkk? she should know her self how to check bkd situations on airlines. for home bound flights, in general they are all full.

she might cut here 2 weeks vacation short, just to get home in time to go back to work.

[marekm1]

That’s what we are trying to work it out. She can choose any airlines as long as the seats are available. I would like to get a feeling from the follower travellers how full the plane was and how much chances we have to board the plane.

I say again that’s staff ticket. If she boards the plane and somebody turns up with the ticket she would be asked out. I just want to find out from the recent travellers, how full was the plane and how much chances she got to get on the flight.

I get a bit confused here as I hear the tourist industry in Thailand took a dive. It’s a low season in Thailand so where all the tourist come from. Are all the people from Europe decided suddenly to go to Thailand or I missing something?

[tartempion]

Well I was on a flight back from CDG with my wife 27th June with Etihad via AUH and found out they changed to a smaller plane (A330/200) from a B777/300ER on the AUH BKK leg, thus saving 110 economy seats. Flight was cramped.

I also read EVA air canceled several flights each week LHR to BKK recently (result from the red shirt mayhem)

On the other hand your friend need to find out her priority status on interline wait list.

You need to realize airline staff on their way back home from holiday or such have highest priority and some far away friend staff ticket has lowest priority.

I used to work for a cargo airline and Lufthansa had 15% shares in our company.

I was on waiting list out of BKK one night, LH had 3 flights to Frankfurt transiting to BKK some nights.

They had 65 people waiting to get a seat

To cut a long story short, 3 people were stranded that night, 2 working for a travel agency and myself.

When earlier amongst many upset people I asked what my chances were to get on a plane the stressed LH supervisor yelled at me: You don't work for LH don't you?

I moved to the KLM check in desk opposite LH, they had a flight leaving 15 min after the last LH flight.

Check in was closed but they had 3 booked seats where passengers did not show up but was asked to wait 15 minutes more, and no luck, 3 unwashed backpackers made it and were allowed to run to the gate.

Next night was similar and I finally managed to get the last seat on a KLM flight, thank you KLM people working that night.

So you are warned.