Build New Domestic Terminal?

[rogerdee123]

There was a letter to the editor in the Bkk Post yesterday (24th). I think it hit the nail on the head. More or less the writer said ... "Suvarnabhumi is a crowded airport already. If it's this bad now, what's it going to be like in high season or when the passenger arrivals increase significantly as expected???"

Maybe the solution is to remove the domestic operation and build another domestic terminal nearby.

This won't solve the chaos issues but at least there will be more space. And Thai can add more check-in counters for economy passengers.

As a footnote, I arrived at 6PM yesterday and the international arrivals baggage area had no baggage trolleys. I never saw this at Don Muang. So add "not enough trolleys" to the list of things to be corrected. The traffic into town was also terrible but I guess this can't be blamed on AOT.

[Boxer]

There was a letter to the editor in the Bkk Post yesterday (24th). I think it hit the nail on the head. More or less the writer said ... "Suvarnabhumi is a crowded airport already. If it's this bad now, what's it going to be like in high season or when the passenger arrivals increase significantly as expected???"

Maybe the solution is to remove the domestic operation and build another domestic terminal nearby.

This won't solve the chaos issues but at least there will be more space. And Thai can add more check-in counters for economy passengers.

As a footnote, I arrived at 6PM yesterday and the international arrivals baggage area had no baggage trolleys. I never saw this at Don Muang. So add "not enough trolleys" to the list of things to be corrected. The traffic into town was also terrible but I guess this can't be blamed on AOT.

What crowds? I have not seen more than at Don Muang but lots of more space.

[Soju]

Bad idea, IMHO. There seems to me to be plenty of space at the current terminal for the current passenger load. Just some initial problems are causing long lines and delays which have nothing to do with domestic passengers using the same terminal. If they want to build another terminal, much better to build a low-cost airline's terminal and let THAI keep their domestic operations at the present terminal. Lots of passengers transiting from international flights to domestic flights would be inconvenienced by forcing THAI domestic operations to a separate terminal. If the low-cost airlines, including Air Asia international operations, moved to a separate terminal, it would probably have a similar effect on reduced passengers numbers at the present terminal. Eventually they will outgrow the present terminal regardless of other domestic and/or low-cost terminals, so a good long-term solution will need to be planned out whereby international flights are divided between two or more terminals.

[rogerdee123]

In contrast to my previous experiences, this morning my international check-in at 8AM went fast and similar to the old Don Muang. Indeed I am writing this from the TG Lounge where alas there are seats available and WiFi is working (although slow). There was only one guy ahead of me in line at the crapper. The attendants are able to keep the food plates supplied.

So I think the experience depends upon the time of day. At 6AM check-in the terminal and systems are straining to cope ... but by 8AM it's not a bad experience.

It's now 8:30AM and the lounge is filling up ...lines at the coffee machine ... but still seats available.

The peak operating periods of the day are when one see's the problems more clearly. And it has been from my experiences during these peak periods that I have been comparing Suvarnabhumi with Don Muang.

Right now during this slow period, Suvarnabhumi is a pleasant experience.

[Soju]

So I think the experience depends upon the time of day. At 6AM check-in the terminal and systems are straining to cope ... but by 8AM it's not a bad experience.

Just out of curiosity, how long on average did it take per person in line to check-in this time and on your other trips? When I arrived before 6AM to check-in, it took a very long time per person...5 minutes or more, but that was only one day after opening the airport. At other times it was very fast, less than 1 minute per person. So if the processing time per passenger is increasing during peak capacity, then it indicates a technical problem with systems being overloaded and should easily be solved without any need for adding more check-in counters/personnel.

[steveromagnino]

Bad idea, IMHO. There seems to me to be plenty of space at the current terminal for the current passenger load. Just some initial problems are causing long lines and delays which have nothing to do with domestic passengers using the same terminal. If they want to build another terminal, much better to build a low-cost airline's terminal and let THAI keep their domestic operations at the present terminal. Lots of passengers transiting from international flights to domestic flights would be inconvenienced by forcing THAI domestic operations to a separate terminal. If the low-cost airlines, including Air Asia international operations, moved to a separate terminal, it would probably have a similar effect on reduced passengers numbers at the present terminal. Eventually they will outgrow the present terminal regardless of other domestic and/or low-cost terminals, so a good long-term solution will need to be planned out whereby international flights are divided between two or more terminals.

AFAIK the low cost terminal is already approved and under construction on the south corner. Building project began pre-low cost carrier boom.

[STEELINOX]

Isnt the answer simpler than that: Why cant Thai operate an inbound (only) domestic terminal at Don Muang and also operate an inbound domestic "transitory" (for Int'l) at SVB?

Thanks,

Randy

[STEELINOX]

should read DM to have an in/out bound only - no transitory flights...

[Soju]

Isnt the answer simpler than that: Why cant Thai operate an inbound (only) domestic terminal at Don Muang and also operate an inbound domestic "transitory" (for Int'l) at SVB?

Thanks,

Randy

I don't understand your proposal. You want inbound domestic flights to land at Don Muang and drop off passengers who aren't continuing on an international leg, and then the flight continues to Suvarnabhumi and drops off the remaining passengers there? I guarantee you that would never work and any airline would laugh at any proposing such an idea. It would add huge costs and delays to all their flights.

[STEELINOX]

yeah - not sure what I was thinking - !

[bubba]

Well as far as the current domestic terminal goes, I will have to say that when I arrived at the last gate at the end (domestic terminal) a few nights back, I would have to say that the walk out was just about the longest walk I have ever done at any airport. I would estimate that the total walk from the gate to the front door must have been nearly 800 m. And the most ridiculous part: the extremely long (500 m?) domestic terminal DOES have a moving walkway running in several sections to the end...but there is only ONE moving walkway and it is only going in ONE direction out to the gates. Incredibly, there is no moving walkway for arriving passengers.

I was trying to picture my 73 year old mum doing that walk, and there is no way. There were not courtesy carts for the elderly or handicapped, so it would be a very long walk indeed if you were not in good shape. Oh, and the concourse is obviously too narrow to add (as an afterthought) another moving walkway in the other direction. One more burst of design brilliance at Suvwarnabhumi!

As for a new domestic terminal...great idea. But this time how about specifying walkways in BOTH directions if the plan is for 500 m long concourses!