Thai Airways = Thai Smile

[breadbin]

Hello

Not sure about this but is Thai smile the budget for Thai airways?

If so, why are the advertised rates for internal flights the same price?

If Thai smile is their budget carrier they should they not be cheaper?

its got me pondering.... mmmm......

[David48]

I'm not aviation guru (they will along later) but in answer to your question.

Sort of

Yes

They don't

See answer #1 above

Thai Smile is indeed owned by Thai Airlines.

Are they a budget carrier? ... well they are not 'Full Service' nor are 'Cheap Charlie'.

You get a little bit of food for free and when I booked a 20 kg luggage allowance.

I flew from Chaing Mai to Bangkok with them.

To my (limited) knowledge, they don't compete on many, if any routes.

What you get is the flight booked through Thai Airlines but the plane flown is operated by Thai Smile ... so no 'choice'.

As for the last question ... up to them.

[tolsti]

They are a crock of <deleted> apart from the very smart, young, pleasant air crew.

I flew with them from BKK - HKT having done the other way on mainline Thai. You pay the same price as on mainline Thai, get a crappy box of food in Business Class (as opposed to a hot meal) the seating is the same as economy but with the middle seat blocked and they charge the same or as near as dammit.

Yes, their aircraft are new but I'll sit up in the nose of a 747 anyday rather than cramped in like sardines.

They were initially set up as a low cost airline but will morph into a full service low frills version of Thai as the low cost model didn't work.

You do get the same amount of Thai miles on your account though.

[Payboy]

But the smiles are priceless.

[LuckyLew]

Thai Smile a budget airline .............what a crock

Just check flight a need to book for end of June

Airasia 2K return

Nokair 2K return

Thai Smile 4.5K return

So much for Thai Smile being a budget carrier

[lomatopo]

Thai Smile appear to be an airline subsidiary focused on operating specific city-pairs at lower internal costs, rather than a traditional LCC.

Flights are operated with TG flight numbers, ROP FFP benefits, interlining, etc. Aircraft/crew are newer, in every sense of the word.

[rubberduck]

So it's basically Crocodile Smile Airlines !

[marcusd]

I'm not aviation guru (they will along later) but in answer to your question.

 

Sort of

Yes

They don't

See answer #1 above

 

Thai Smile is indeed owned by Thai Airlines.

 

Are they a budget carrier? ... well they are not 'Full Service' nor are 'Cheap Charlie'.

You get a little bit of food for free and when I booked a 20 kg luggage allowance.

I flew from Chaing Mai to Bangkok with them.

 

To my (limited) knowledge, they don't compete on many, if any routes.

What you get is the flight booked through Thai Airlines but the plane flown is operated by Thai Smile ... so no 'choice'.

 

As for the last question ... up to them.

Thai Smile is 100 % owned by Thai set up to compete. new planes? no. older ones repainted. cheap? No way. bangkok air about the same price and if in theur flyer bonus... 30 kgs of tackle and a nice meal every time.

I avoid Thai internally within Thailand as it has dgraded to worse than air asia

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lomatopo]

new planes? no. older ones repainted

AFAIK, Thai Smile is leasing eleven (11) new A-320's - this results in one aspect of lower cost. Yes, occasionally there are aircraft substitutions with an older TG mainline aircraft. Edited May 24, 2013 by lomatopo

[RabC]

Surely Nok is/always has been the Low Cost Carrier of Thai with their 49% stake holding?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_Air

[josho86]

from what ive heard there not a budget airline as such. there just an expansion of thai airways for there domestic flights.

I try to avoid flying with any thai fleet due to there prices hence why I prefer to fly with Bangkok Airways for domestic flights, & Philippine Airways for international flights.

Edited May 26, 2013 by josho86

[BookMan]

Article from 2011

Thai Smile's managing director Woranate Laprabang promises that his airline will be "a competitive hybrid between premium THAI flights and ultra cheap, low-cost airlines like Air Asia and Tiger Airways"

http://www.ausbt.com.au/new-airline-thai-smile-to-take-over-parent-thai-s-asian-flights

[GrantSmith]

Thai Smile is 100 % owned by Thai set up to compete. new planes? no. older ones repainted. cheap? No way. bangkok air about the same price and if in theur flyer bonus... 30 kgs of tackle and a nice meal every time.

I avoid Thai internally within Thailand as it has dgraded to worse than air asia

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Setup to compete with who?

They are actually newer planes, do tell me the last time you flew on a Thai Airways Airbus A320...

Cheaper than mainline? Hard to say as they have replaced mainline TG on these routes, better than Air Asia? Food is the only thing Air Asia trumps Thai Smile...

Upset because you supposedly booked business class with Thai Smile and got an interpretation of "euro business class"? Suck it up and do your homework, Thai Air Asia employs the same tactic...