Thai Lion Air - Indonesia

[10years]

Did they stop flying to Jakarta? Couldn't book a ticket on their website.

[KhunBENQ]

Obviously.

Thai Lion doesn;t have it on the list:

http://www.lionairthai.com/en/Where-We-Fly

Trying to find it via the Lion Air (mother) website to no avail.

Trying to find it with search engines to no avail.

AirAsia serves DMK to CGK, three flights daily.

Cheapest days starting at about 3000 Baht oneway.

[10years]

If you're at the Thai Lion Air main page and click either departure or arrival city, a list drops down that includes Jakarta, so I don't see how that's so obvious.

When you add the dates and do a search, no flites show up on those days.

Hard to believe a de facto Indonesian airline doesn't fly to Indonesia!

[10years]

I have been flying AA since Tiger/Mandala stopped flying to Jakarta.

However, I don't like that airline and the way they try to nickel and dime you for anything little thing, even to reserve a seat!

Once I tried Tiger thru Singapore because it was cheaper than AA but found out that they charge you about B600 each way to transfer in transit. It wasn't worth the savings to have to take 2 flites instead of a direct flite.

[KhunBENQ]

When you add the dates and do a search, no flites show up on those days.

Forgot to describe what I meant with "not found".

Poorly maintained website as so many.

But at least their "where we fly" site is crystal clear.

No DMK to Jakarta flight.

Edited May 5, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[siam2007]

They stopped DMK - CGK , but for your information, they had only 2 flights per week anyway.

there is just not enough demand for so many seats, and demand will shrink further, now that Indonesia will prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the entire country, except Bali, and treat it like drug abuse, no matter if you are a Muslim or not.

People will only go to Bali and avoid the rest of Talibanesia in the future (so do I).

Frequency to Bali, though, has been increased recently from 1 to 2 flights per day ex-DMK. Now you have the choice to fly either ThaiAirAsia or IndonesiaAirAsia

[Stocky]

and demand will shrink further, now that Indonesia will prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the entire country, except Bali, and treat it like drug abuse, no matter if you are a Muslim or not.

That's not going to happen. The strict Islamic parties (a minority) in parliament regularly propose the law, but parliament never finds time to debate it. The only recent change has been the banning of alcohol sales from mini markets and roadside stalls. Indonesia is trying to grow its tourism industry not shrink it.

But Thai-Lion have cut back on many of their routes, the Hat Yai flights to Surat Thani, Kuala Lumpur and Medan were started but discontinued.

I just noticed that's my 1000th post.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Stocky

[wooloomooloo]

However, I don't like that airline and the way they try to nickel and dime you for anything little thing, even to reserve a seat!

You can't please everyone. I am more than happy to reserve a seat as I invariably get first choice. My long legs can only be comfortably seated in row 1 and I'm willing to pay. The fares are dirt cheap anyway so adding premium seats doesn't add much to the cost.

Notwithstanding, you're not forced to pay for seat reservations.

I can honestly say that AA are the best budget airline that I've every flown.

For the first time I pre-booked an inflight dish (ML Nois basil fried chicken on rice) which I consumed earlier this week and have to say that it was excellent, particularly for a little over 100 baht.

[Argus Tuft]

I was surprised to see this - I flew Thai Lion Air from DMK-CGK some months ago, brand new 737-900ER aircraft (it had been delivered only a few weeks earlier from Boeing). We managed to snag seats 2A & 2F - best seats on this configuration as there are no seats in front of them in row 1, so tonnes of leg room.

However, although they the OP says they are a de facto Indonesian airline, they were not set up in Thailand to cater to Indonesian routes - it was primarily to the Thai domestic LCC sector of the market. Branding aside, Thai Lion Air is a Thai airline, not an Indonesian airline operating routes from Thailand

Can see why the OP asked this question though - as they say, on the booking search page you can still select DMK-CGK as an option, but no flights are available.

Possibly dropped for low season?

[Argus Tuft]

However, I don't like that airline and the way they try to nickel and dime you for anything little thing, even to reserve a seat!

You can't please everyone. I am more than happy to reserve a seat as I invariably get first choice. My long legs can only be comfortably seated in row 1 and I'm willing to pay. The fares are dirt cheap anyway so adding premium seats doesn't add much to the cost.

Notwithstanding, you're not forced to pay for seat reservations.

I can honestly say that AA are the best budget airline that I've every flown.

For the first time I pre-booked an inflight dish (ML Nois basil fried chicken on rice) which I consumed earlier this week and have to say that it was excellent, particularly for a little over 100 baht.

I'm a big fan of Air Asia also. Generally cheaper, plenty of flight options, and I do like the prepaid meal option.

If on the day of booking there is a cheaper option with another airline, I'll take it - whether for business or leisure I travel on my own dime, so price is a factor if the flight times suit.

I only travel with cabin baggage so the checked baggage fees don't bother me. And I have learned to navigate the booking process just fine (it isn't that hard tbh)

Whether regional or domestic, travel within SE Asia is all the better for the presence of AirAsia.

[10years]

I'm visiting Chiang Mai now and it seems Thai Lion Air is quite popular here. They quoted the lowest fare to CNX at the time I booked a flite, but I chose Bangkok Airways for a little better service at a web price that wasn't that much higher. One note is that THAI was actually about the cheapest if I had booked further in advance.

I thought Thai Lion Air was going to order all these new planes but if they're cutting back on routes, where are they putting these new aircraft on?

[siam2007]

and demand will shrink further, now that Indonesia will prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the entire country, except Bali, and treat it like drug abuse, no matter if you are a Muslim or not.

That's not going to happen. The strict Islamic parties (a minority) in parliament regularly propose the law, but parliament never finds time to debate it. The only recent change has been the banning of alcohol sales from mini markets and roadside stalls. Indonesia is trying to grow its tourism industry not shrink it.

But Thai-Lion have cut back on many of their routes, the Hat Yai flights to Surat Thani, Kuala Lumpur and Medan were started but discontinued.

I just noticed that's my 1000th post.

you are wrong.

it already HAS happened. I still have the copy of the JAKARTA POST here at my home, as I really could not believe such thing would going to happen. The headline on page one reads "Jail awaits all drinkers"

then just two days later it was reported that ALL parties have backed this proposal, not only the islamist extremist parties.

the only recent positive news was that the sales of alcoholic drinks in Minimarts and by street- or beach-vendors are now legal again at least in BALI, after ferocious protests that ended almost in fist-fighting, when the Indonesian minister for economics visited Bali in late April and had agreed to attend a public hearing with local people, during that he but as well the local people got very angry and shouted at each other in a rather unfriendly way.

But for the entire rest of the country, there will be a complete ban of any alcohol soon. politicians said that the only areas which could be exempt would be Bali and maybe Sulawesi Utara (95% non-Muslim), plus registered 5-star-hotels at other parts of the country

[Argus Tuft]

and demand will shrink further, now that Indonesia will prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the entire country, except Bali, and treat it like drug abuse, no matter if you are a Muslim or not.

That's not going to happen. The strict Islamic parties (a minority) in parliament regularly propose the law, but parliament never finds time to debate it. The only recent change has been the banning of alcohol sales from mini markets and roadside stalls. Indonesia is trying to grow its tourism industry not shrink it.

But Thai-Lion have cut back on many of their routes, the Hat Yai flights to Surat Thani, Kuala Lumpur and Medan were started but discontinued.

I just noticed that's my 1000th post.

you are wrong.

it already HAS happened. I still have the copy of the JAKARTA POST here at my home, as I really could not believe such thing would going to happen. The headline on page one reads "Jail awaits all drinkers"

then just two days later it was reported that ALL parties have backed this proposal, not only the islamist extremist parties.

the only recent positive news was that the sales of alcoholic drinks in Minimarts and by street- or beach-vendors are now legal again at least in BALI, after ferocious protests that ended almost in fist-fighting, when the Indonesian minister for economics visited Bali in late April and had agreed to attend a public hearing with local people, during that he but as well the local people got very angry and shouted at each other in a rather unfriendly way.

But for the entire rest of the country, there will be a complete ban of any alcohol soon. politicians said that the only areas which could be exempt would be Bali and maybe Sulawesi Utara (95% non-Muslim), plus registered 5-star-hotels at other parts of the country

You're dragging this thread way off topic, but at least get your facts rights.

You say it already HAS happened. Well it hasn't.

It is a proposal only, has not been debated yet, and certainly has not become law as of now. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/14/prison-fines-await-drinkers.html

[Lakegeneve]

I'm visiting Chiang Mai now and it seems Thai Lion Air is quite popular here. They quoted the lowest fare to CNX at the time I booked a flite, but I chose Bangkok Airways for a little better service at a web price that wasn't that much higher. One note is that THAI was actually about the cheapest if I had booked further in advance.

I thought Thai Lion Air was going to order all these new planes but if they're cutting back on routes, where are they putting these new aircraft on?

The cutting back on routes is incorrect and outdated (they stopped KL over a year ago, taken over by the sister airline Malindo). They are expanding rapidly, they just opened up Chiang Rai last month and Ubon is about to open.

According to CAPA they had over 30% of the Hat Yai market and a similar % to CNX in 2014, both have 9 flights a day. They will grow from a fleet of 11 current 737-900 aircraft to 20 by the end of the year according to a BKK Post article on 30 April. Reportedly, routes to China, Singapore and India are opening up later this year as well as increased domestic flights.

Doesn't sound like cutting back on routes at all!

However, whether the aggressive expansion strategy is financially sustainable is another matter.

[Stocky]

and demand will shrink further, now that Indonesia will prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the entire country, except Bali, and treat it like drug abuse, no matter if you are a Muslim or not.

That's not going to happen. The strict Islamic parties (a minority) in parliament regularly propose the law, but parliament never finds time to debate it. The only recent change has been the banning of alcohol sales from mini markets and roadside stalls. Indonesia is trying to grow its tourism industry not shrink it.

But Thai-Lion have cut back on many of their routes, the Hat Yai flights to Surat Thani, Kuala Lumpur and Medan were started but discontinued.

I just noticed that's my 1000th post.

you are wrong.

it already HAS happened. I still have the copy of the JAKARTA POST here at my home, as I really could not believe such thing would going to happen. The headline on page one reads "Jail awaits all drinkers"

then just two days later it was reported that ALL parties have backed this proposal, not only the islamist extremist parties.

the only recent positive news was that the sales of alcoholic drinks in Minimarts and by street- or beach-vendors are now legal again at least in BALI, after ferocious protests that ended almost in fist-fighting, when the Indonesian minister for economics visited Bali in late April and had agreed to attend a public hearing with local people, during that he but as well the local people got very angry and shouted at each other in a rather unfriendly way.

But for the entire rest of the country, there will be a complete ban of any alcohol soon. politicians said that the only areas which could be exempt would be Bali and maybe Sulawesi Utara (95% non-Muslim), plus registered 5-star-hotels at other parts of the country

No I'm not, it would be the only subject of conversation in the bar at the Eastern Promise if it was, and it isn't.

It won't happen.