No more '1 ticket' between Europe and regional international airports via BKK?

[bangrak]

Just tried to book for end September with Star Alliance companies between Europe and a Thai regional international airport (like Phuket, Krabi, Samui, ChiangMai) with all flights on a single ticket like I have been doing for years, but it seems to have become impossible, two tickets only, even with the flight inside Thailand on TG instead of PG as usually!

There are many, adverse, consequences with a 'two tickets' trip:

1) when on return you can't ckeck-in in time for your intercontinental flight in BKK, because your flight inside Thailand has been delayed or cancelled, or the regional airport is closed, etc., you simply lose your,expensive flight to Europe and evt. connecting ones, an need to re-book (a) new one(s) at your own expenses, instead of the airlines being responsible for transporting you from point 'A' to point 'Z' (I had it once, and avoided it twice with the '1 ticket')! The same for your flight inside Thailand when you arrive, it costs less, but still...

2) at arrival, and departure, you will have to go through border control at Suva., standing for..., erm, a long time, in the endless cues, while, at arrival, you will be hoping your precious suitcase is still on the conveyor belt by the time you get there, because; ...

3) your baggage cannot be checked-in to your end destination, meaning coming to Thailand, you will need to get your belly luggage back at Suva.'s international terminal, run it through the hitchy touchy, slow, crowded BKK customs' service, then carry it all the way to the check-in for domestic flights! And have to carry your heavy stuff from domestic arrivals to the slow international check-in when you leave.

4) flighing in you won't stay in the transit area, so forget the handy Duty Free on arrival.

5) all the trouble, hassle, sweat, mishaps, time loss you don't want or need...

Are there still airlines offering the one/single ticket together with PG, and or TG (even a combination between LX and TG seemed impossible, though both LX and TG are Star Alliance, and TG is the local carrier)?

What has changed, and when? Who has changed it, and why? Is this a temporary problem, or are we back in the (not so) good old days?

All information and comments welcome! Many Thanks!

P.S.: the only 'way out' I found, well, actually the travel agent I go to for 30years now with total satisfaction, did, is to book all the way with TG, taking their prices, service, and planes, as/for what they are, no further comment.

[bangrak]

4) read 'flying', sorry!

[stevenl]

Just flew HKT-BKK-AMS and return on separate tickets. Could check in to AMS already at HKT and do immigration there, luggage was coded for AMS already at HKT. So your points 2 and 3 are not correct.

[tartempion]

That's because Thai Smile withdrew from Star Alliance, they prefer some savings over loyal customers. As a TG ROP FF you will continue to benefit flying Thai Smile, not as a Star Alliance member though.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[el jefe]

I check luggage thru with international carriers (UA, CX) switching to PG on two separate tickets all the time and did so as recently as last week, so #2 and #3 is definitely not correct.

Can't help you with #1 which is really your only problem.

[alant]

I have always fount that 1 ticket or 2 you can still get all of these things done. You can check all the way through from the regional airport including the baggage. You stay airside, they hold aircraft and ensure connections although on one flight to ChiangMai from London they had cancelled the flight but they transferred me to another with no hassle.

[DerkMR]

Even with flights on 2 tickets the airline making the first check in MIGHT check you in for the next flight and route the baggage throug but is not obliged to.

As of Thai Smile no longer in Star Alliance - I didn't hear about that and Star Alliance is still mentioned on their partner site...

Bye,

Derk

[lineofentry]

On the plus side - you can now pop over to Don Muang and take a 'reasonably priced' internal flight.

[KhunBENQ]

Just checked the Thai Airways website.

Franfurt - Khon Kaen return in November.

One price, one booking.

Where and how did you find that this impossible now?

What booking system and what date?

Thai Smile is not relevant regarding to the initial post.

No booking to or from Europe through Thai Smile website possible, only through original Thai Airways website.

In many years I never managed to check baggage through from Europe to Khon Kaen which normally neither has immigration nor customs check,

[phetphet]

I recently did LHR-BKK-USM and back with EVA and PG. They have a code share, so I often check my baggage straight thro' to Samui and same on return leg.

[IsaanUSA]

tldr;

Russia is in Europe. There are some flights to Russia

[natway09]

"Tourists travelling to many countries need a return or onward valid airticket .

Why should Thailand be any different?

[NanLaew]

Just a comment on experience with 2-ticket flights to/from the UK and domestic points within.

Flying TG to Heathrow and BA onwards to Aberdeen. Although on separate tickets, with proof of onward travel, THAI checked the bags all the way through to ABZ. If you have a confirmed reservation on another carrier, most of the airlines 'inter-line' agreements will facilitate this.

However, BA in Aberdeen would only check my bag as far a Heathrow on my return flights (onward to BKK on THAI) and I had to do a bag claim and re-check at LHR. So 'inter-lining' isn't guaranteed, even by the same airlines on the opposite routes!

[NanLaew]

Not sure about that Star Alliance versus Thai Smile un-alliance story but Skyteam still happily handles onward bookings and baggage redirects between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Samui, Phuket and Trat the last I checked.

[bangrak]

Thank you guys, quite some usefull info already!

What concerns me the most, as I have exprerienced it once already, is losing my intercontinental flight and the connecting one, and needing to buy a new ticket, with nothing available except in the highest price segment (at about double the price), or wait for 5 days (paying for my accomodation)... How did it happen? Well, I had 2 tickets, one for the PG flights, another one for the intercontinental flight and the connecting one from/to my home town. It was rain season, and on my return date Samui airport was closed because of a tropical depression, contacted at once (no no-show), the 'other' airline reacted telling me it was my personal responsibility to be present in time at BKK airport for the flight on my ticket, and that otherwise my absence would be considered as a no-show and I would lose my flights with them, because my PG flights were on a different ticket they had nothing to do with it, while, when all the flights had been on one and the same ticket, the airline would have had to give me a seat, as soon as available, with no extra charge for me, asa the flights would have been resumed from USM. Some here seem not to be aware of this kind of situation or write things aren't like that, but that's the way it happened to me...