Air Asia could learn something from Thai Smile

[jko]

After enduring several intensely annoying flight bookings with Air Asia, where you have to carefully side-step all the sneaky add-ons, - and then pay them to have your credit card debited, I recently booked a domestic round-trip with Thai Smile.

What a pleasure it was.

I completed the transaction in record time, the fare was quoted fully transparent, including taxes and fees, excellent value, and cheaper than Air Asia.

Seat selection was free, together with a free 20 kg baggage allowance. And no credit card charges.

Other airlines which indulge in similar Air Asia add-ons as you progress through your booking could learn a lesson from Thai Smile. It gave me something to smile about.

I hope other members have the same experience.

[Archie Pelago]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

[wump]

I flew with Thai Smile from BKK to PNH. I only used them so wouldn't have to go through immigration and activate my Thai visa.

Never again! Their legroom is horrendous, I wouldn't be able to sit there comfortably without my knees being pushed deeply into the front seat. How can they charge premium and get away with this? I'm not short (187 cms) but not too tall either.

On the way back I flew Airasia and it was much better legroom-wise.

And what is it with the guys who can't add up the fees? I agree that the payment fee is cheeky cause it is unavoidable. But not everyone needs luggage (visa runners, weekend trips etc) so why not get a discount for that?

Even with all the fees Airasia is often the cheapest.

[MobileContent]

I normally fly on business class with Thai Smile between Udon / Bangkok / Udon and I like Thai Smile.

I also fly on Thai Air Asia between Sakon Nahon / Bangkok / SK and I like them too. I can board first with a priority seat, pre-book my meal for a discount.

AirAsia is a low cost carrier but Thai Smile is for me a real airline. I wish Thai Smile would fly to Sakon Nakhon.

[masuk]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

I think it's the sneaky way AirAsia advertise such cheap flights, then find that they charge extra from seat allocation to luggage to credit card charging and to top it all, they add on one helluva lot for 'fuel surcharge'.

They know what fuel is going to cost, so why not advertise the complete fare?

Recently Airasia had some 'specials' running, and it appeared to me that the cost was lowered temporarily by reducing the amount of fuel tax being charged.

Didn't I read no so long ago that oil prices have dropped??

[kamahele]

I've never taken Air Asia but I have taken Thai Smile and while I have been critical of Thai Airways, Thai Smile was a good experience for me. Booking was easy, the flight was the cheapest out of all the other carriers and the staff was nice. Absolutely no leg room and I am not a tall man but what can one expect on a low cost carrier. It was only a 50 minute flight and I got a small meal which I didn't have to pay extra for as well.

[rumbo1]

If anyone is planning on flying from dmk to uth try lion air , they're are charging 660 baht at the moment with the option of paying at Tesco lotus or 7/11 etc , that total price also includes 15 kg of check in luggage.

It seems crazy to be able to fly cheaper than the train or bus !

[Don Aleman]

Actually JK, most reports re Thai Smile have been negative but yours indicates they may be listening. Asia Air, along with Southwest Airlines out of Chicago, my home town, are the 2 most successful, fare wise and income then any others. Tony Fernandez the founder/owner is a wizard and I wouldn't doubt he has your comment on his desk already. As soon as he does, real heads will roll and, changes made .

[tw25rw]

I flew Smile and found them good. I'm tall but had plenty of room, but I think I was in a row with extra room. I found it a more pleasant experience than Nok Air, who in turn I prefer to AA.

[frimu]

I got used to the Air Asia booking limbo. :-) I click away those add-ons in record time! ;-)

I always fly with Air Asia, because I then need just one account to fly to many places. Every now and then I compare prices. But why open another account to save 5% of the ticket price or even less? My lost time to open up a new account also has value!

But yes, good for you, that you can fly with a smile. .-) Me too - by the way - because Air Asia is not so bad after all.

Edited November 5, 2014 by frimu

[asdecas]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

Rocket surgery, what? Pray do tell.

[wanderluster]

i also now refuse to fly thai smile, because of the leg room issue.. I am 6'1" or 183 cm tall and my knees are pressed hard into the back of the seat in front... also if the person in front reclines their seat, you really get a squashed in feeling... flew to macau and back last month and stood most of both flights..... but for shorter people it is quite a good airline

[Robert24]

I think it's the other way round, Thai Airways is trying to understand how to run a budget airline. Nokair, Bangkok Airways and Air Asia are way ahead of them.

[parmo2]

For us lesser mortals who have to watch out baht, airasia is the best and cheapest, most punctual.

You must play be their rules, if the website foxes you go to a travel agent, it will still be much cheaper than competitors.

I regularly fly Bangkok to udon thani for 200baht and Hatyai for 250 baht

[NoshowJones]

I flew with Thai Smile from BKK to PNH. I only used them so wouldn't have to go through immigration and activate my Thai visa.

Never again! Their legroom is horrendous, I wouldn't be able to sit there comfortably without my knees being pushed deeply into the front seat. How can they charge premium and get away with this? I'm not short (187 cms) but not too tall either.

On the way back I flew Airasia and it was much better legroom-wise.

And what is it with the guys who can't add up the fees? I agree that the payment fee is cheeky cause it is unavoidable. But not everyone needs luggage (visa runners, weekend trips etc) so why not get a discount for that?

Even with all the fees Airasia is often the cheapest.

They are still sneaky.

[prakhonchai nick]

I flew with Thai Smile from BKK to PNH. I only used them so wouldn't have to go through immigration and activate my Thai visa.

Never again! Their legroom is horrendous, I wouldn't be able to sit there comfortably without my knees being pushed deeply into the front seat. How can they charge premium and get away with this? I'm not short (187 cms) but not too tall either.

On the way back I flew Airasia and it was much better legroom-wise.

And what is it with the guys who can't add up the fees? I agree that the payment fee is cheeky cause it is unavoidable. But not everyone needs luggage (visa runners, weekend trips etc) so why not get a discount for that?

Even with all the fees Airasia is often the cheapest.

Don't think Thai Smile fly to PNH (Phnom Penh -Cambodia)

[Sparkles]

I thought, and could be totally wrong, that airlines were to be forced to show the total price including all the tax add ons before you go through the web site process,give or take the luggage/food

situation. I get emails from Air Asia etc constantly offering me fares from XXX baht but when I go through the process they are not great deals at all and usually the few cheap seats have gone. Its

false advertising to the extreme and probably one of the few industries that still get away with clearly deceptive practices.

[NanLaew]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

Rocket surgery, what? Pray do tell.

aka Brain science. You'll work it out.

When Thai Smile took over the Udon routes, I was pleased with the fares and the new planes but at 6'4", the seating is horrible even just for the hour-and-a-bit. AFAIK unlike other operators of those planes, they don't have exit-row seats with much more legroom. The seats are rather all shoehorned in.

The last trip we did, we chose Bangkok Air as they were cheapest and they have taken 1st place IMHO. The last time I flew them was on daily shuttles Bangkok-Samui and back about 4 years ago and I wasn't very impressed with the cold fishcake in a bun and sweet OJ in a paper cup from the self-styled 'boutique' airline. However, the recent experience was much, much better.

Bonus is they also (still) fly out of the real Bangkok airport and not that old place on the north side.

[rajyindee]

I think it's the sneaky way AirAsia advertise such cheap flights, then find that they charge extra from seat allocation to luggage to credit card charging and to top it all, they add on one helluva lot for 'fuel surcharge'.

They know what fuel is going to cost, so why not advertise the complete fare?

I've never been charged a fuel surcharge by Air Asia. Seat allocation, luggage and insurance are optional charges which you can decline. Not the case with the likes of Nok and Thai Smile.

[rajyindee]

Bonus is they also (still) fly out of the real Bangkok airport and not that old place on the north side.

They do fly from/to DMK.

[Andre0720]

If I decide to go anywhere in Asia, I am very happy just to get there....

[jko]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

We are not talking here about business models, but business ethics.

Air Asia operate on a similar 'Bait and Switch' technique long-favoured by some dubious Indian tailor shops, whereby the price they feature as a lure, rarely matches the final product you wish to buy. Agreed, it may not be rocket science for savvy travellers, but for older people and first-timers, the Air Asia web site is misleading, unethical, and in my book, unacceptable. As a finale, and after avoiding all the add-on pricing snares, to be forced to pay them more just to be able to pay, sums up their level of integrity.

If an airline is a slickly operated and profitable company, which Air Asia is indeed, then chapeau, and well done. And for those smart enough to grab the super-cheapies, good luck.

At the end of the day, it is not what you do to be successful, but how openly and honestly you do it. For me, that is important - and the reason I try whenever possible, to avoid travelling with Air Asia. I have no doubt others feel the same way.

[parmo2]

Before airasia the airlines used to fly half full with huge fares only available to the rich few.

I find it very very annoying to be forced to pay for things I don't want, crappy coffee and tea, compulsory "extras" for the businessmen and politicians to make them feel important. Now most people can fly due to the low cost airlines, I smile to myself when I see flag flyers customers who have paid much much more for their tickets and it is late.

Thanks AA

[NanLaew]

Bonus is they also (still) fly out of the real Bangkok airport and not that old place on the north side.

They do fly from/to DMK.

Sorry, I was praising Bangkok Airways.

Thai Smile uses both but luckily, the Udon flights are still to/from the real airport.

[questionsreplies]

For us lesser mortals who have to watch out baht, airasia is the best and cheapest, most punctual.

You must play be their rules, if the website foxes you go to a travel agent, it will still be much cheaper than competitors.

I regularly fly Bangkok to udon thani for 200baht and Hatyai for 250 baht

200 thb ? Dont feel ridiculous to say such BS ?

[tw25rw]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

Rocket surgery, what? Pray do tell.

aka Brain science. You'll work it out.

When Thai Smile took over the Udon routes, I was pleased with the fares and the new planes but at 6'4", the seating is horrible even just for the hour-and-a-bit. AFAIK unlike other operators of those planes, they don't have exit-row seats with much more legroom. The seats are rather all shoehorned in.

The last trip we did, we chose Bangkok Air as they were cheapest and they have taken 1st place IMHO. The last time I flew them was on daily shuttles Bangkok-Samui and back about 4 years ago and I wasn't very impressed with the cold fishcake in a bun and sweet OJ in a paper cup from the self-styled 'boutique' airline. However, the recent experience was much, much better.

Bonus is they also (still) fly out of the real Bangkok airport and not that old place on the north side.

I'm the same height and had heaps of room. I can never normally sit in economy.

[tw25rw]

Looking at seatguru, I may have been in row 35 which is the front of economy. It had plenty of leg room and a partition in front. I don't think I was in the plus smile cabin.

[masuk]

They operate from two completely different business models, so I doubt Air Asia is going to learn anything from your experience with Thai Smile

Why is it that everyone has such a hard time with the AirAsia booking site? It isn't rocket surgery to use.

Anyway, nice to hear you had a good experience with Thai Smile... Best of luck to you

We are not talking here about business models, but business ethics.

Air Asia operate on a similar 'Bait and Switch' technique long-favoured by some dubious Indian tailor shops, whereby the price they feature as a lure, rarely matches the final product you wish to buy. Agreed, it may not be rocket science for savvy travellers, but for older people and first-timers, the Air Asia web site is misleading, unethical, and in my book, unacceptable. As a finale, and after avoiding all the add-on pricing snares, to be forced to pay them more just to be able to pay, sums up their level of integrity.

If an airline is a slickly operated and profitable company, which Air Asia is indeed, then chapeau, and well done. And for those smart enough to grab the super-cheapies, good luck.

At the end of the day, it is not what you do to be successful, but how openly and honestly you do it. For me, that is important - and the reason I try whenever possible, to avoid travelling with Air Asia. I have no doubt others feel the same way.

"AirAsia do not have a fuel surcharge"

HA! From CNX to OOL the fuel surcharge is AU$73.70 EACH WAY!!!

Also, if you don't want to hang around KUL terminal all day and take the afternoon flight, it is $122.00 extra.

[pomchop]

Before air asia airfares were much higher. Without air asia they would be even higher now.

Air Asia says Now everyone can Fly and that is pretty much true.

It's always easy to find something to complain about but overall I for one am very happy that there is an Air Asia and for some reason I don't seem to have all that many problems unclicking extras that I do not want, do not need, and don't want to subsidize those who do.

[aboctok]

I flew Smile and found them good. I'm tall but had plenty of room, but I think I was in a row with extra room. I found it a more pleasant experience than Nok Air, who in turn I prefer to AA.

Luckily, I fly with a different AirAsia. It's a shame you haven't flown with my AirAsia, but I'm glad you've avoided my NokAir.