Bangkok Air is now the worst Airline in the World

[Tidybeard]

As a regular traveler from Koh Samui to BKK, I use Bangkok Air quite a lot and I am a member of the Blue Ribbon club. I know the prices are a rip off, but compared to the ferry to Donsak, and bus to Suratthani - the convenience usually wins me over.

Recently Bangkok air have stopped checking bags through to other international flights, so now if I want to travel abroad, I have to walk miles in BKK airport, queue for immigration, wait to pick up the bags, go upstairs, queue for the check in to the international flight, queue for security, queue for immigration and then walk miles back to the departure gate.

What a TERRIBLE system and complete waste of time. All because Bangkok air wants to save money ( even though they have just announced record profits ) by not checking bags through BKK. EVEN FOR BUSINESS CLASS PASSENGERS !

So beware - if you are connecting to an international flight, you will need to leave an extra 2 hours for this stupid new rule.

I will try never to fly Bangkok Air again !

[TPI]

Hang on hang on! you don't have to go through immigration when you are coming from an internal flight and if you were coming from the other direction(from overseas to internal) then you would have to go through immigration and customs as well ?

I'm not sticking up for the airline, it's just commen sense! If you were coming from an internal bangkok airline flight then for secutity sake you will have to pick up your bag from domestic and reapply for your international flight, considering that the domestic flight lands at DM and the international from Suvanabumi hoow are they going to transfer the bags??

[midas]

what a ridiculous and overly dramatic title to your thread just over baggage handling procedures. You want to be very careful making accusations like that on the Internet or you might find yourself being sued for defamation.

Has it ever occurred to you that such policies might have nothing to do with the airline itself and might have been introduced by the airport.

[Hardback]

Hang on hang on! you don't have to go through immigration when you are coming from an internal flight and if you were coming from the other direction(from overseas to internal) then you would have to go through immigration and customs as well ?

I'm not sticking up for the airline, it's just commen sense! If you were coming from an internal bangkok airline flight then for secutity sake you will have to pick up your bag from domestic and reapply for your international flight, considering that the domestic flight lands at DM and the international from Suvanabumi hoow are they going to transfer the bags??

Agree with most of that but, don't Bangkok Airways flights (even domestic) all route thru Swampy?

[HLover]

Odd title.

[stoneyboy]

So it's another rant,not really a travel affiliated opinion from a reliable source.

[KhunBENQ]

Of course Bangkok Airways flies to/from Suvarnabhumi.

So don't mix that with the much more exhaustive change from DMK to BKK.

What confuses me in the OP:

was it possible in the past to do a transit from international airports like Phuket or Chiang Mai without passing immigration at Suvarnabhumi and so this is ridiculed by the new baggage handling?

In this case it's really a drawback.

Edited May 6, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[samsensam]

Odd title.

OP has had a bad experience but provides no evidence to support the title.

[laolover88]

Well, before you could exit immigration at all "international" departure points CM. HKT etc and bags transferred. If they are saying you have to go and collect a bag at Swampy and then checkin /drop bag for an international flight that is nonsense. Never tried to do it, mind you with Bangkok Airways. Bad enough having to transfer between Don Muang and Swampy. But I suppose LHR to LGW and let alone to LCY, Luton and Stansted is an equal pain. When I go to the UK I avoid as much of it as I can. BKK to Amsterdam/Amsterdam to Manchester or Singapore/ Frankfurt/ Manchester. What would they do with your bags in Changi?

Anyway I try to travel without bags.

Edited May 6, 2016 by laolover88

[1happykamper]

Poorly chosen post title. This is your opinion...not a fact

[schlog]

transit[/u] from international airports like Phuket or Chiang Mai without passing immigration at Suvarnabhumi and so this is ridiculed by the new baggage handling?

In this case it's really a drawback.

Yes. In past transit was no problem with them. Flew HKT-BKK-HAN-FRA roundturn before sometimes and all was easy. Pass Immigration on HKT and got baggage in FRA.

Because of this change Bangkok Air is also for me no more option in the future.

[stevenl]

If I'm not mistaken this is an AOT security measure, not a Bangkok air idea.

[Meena999]

Who give a big fat rats ass if your flying business class or cattle class, suck it up build a bridge and get over it.

[marcusd]

Of course Bangkok Airways flies to/from Suvarnabhumi.

So don't mix that with the much more exhaustive change from DMK to BKK.

What confuses me in the OP:

was it possible in the past to do a transit from international airports like Phuket or Chiang Mai without passing immigration at Suvarnabhumi and so this is ridiculed by the new baggage handling?

In this case it's really a drawback.

The OP is correct. Bangkok Air now makes you fly DOMESTIC and you cannot do international connections. You must collect your bags at BKK and then go to international. Only if you are flying on the ONE TICKET. Its all on their website.

Yes it is a huge inconvenience but NOT the worst airline. Definitely not.

If you need international connections you can only connect if the airline is an affiliated partner airline as that is MOST airlines policy even though they CAN all connect you.

I fly to Hong Kong and Philippines a lot and in those countries they CONNECT me to BKK air but Bkk air does not from here and Thai airways does.

So it is airline by airline

[Tidybeard]

Hang on hang on! you don't have to go through immigration when you are coming from an internal flight and if you were coming from the other direction(from overseas to internal) then you would have to go through immigration and customs as well ?

I'm not sticking up for the airline, it's just commen sense! If you were coming from an internal bangkok airline flight then for secutity sake you will have to pick up your bag from domestic and reapply for your international flight, considering that the domestic flight lands at DM and the international from Suvanabumi hoow are they going to transfer the bags??

Totally wrong ... until 2 weeks ago, I could clear immigration in Samui, check my bags to anywhere in the World, and sail through swampy in minutes.... now I have to go through swampy by walking miles to pick up my bags, queue for check in, queue for security, queue for immigration ( In Samui there is no queue, our airport is tiny )...

If you buy a code share ticket through Bangkok Air, they will check you bags no problem, this is not a regulatory problem, this is just Bangkok Air trying to save money.

Sure my title was inflammatory, bit it got you guys to read about this really sh1t practice.

Can you name one other airline in the World that wont check bags to a destination ?

[stevenl]

Hang on hang on! you don't have to go through immigration when you are coming from an internal flight and if you were coming from the other direction(from overseas to internal) then you would have to go through immigration and customs as well ?

I'm not sticking up for the airline, it's just commen sense! If you were coming from an internal bangkok airline flight then for secutity sake you will have to pick up your bag from domestic and reapply for your international flight, considering that the domestic flight lands at DM and the international from Suvanabumi hoow are they going to transfer the bags??

Totally wrong ... until 2 weeks ago, I could clear immigration in Samui, check my bags to anywhere in the World, and sail through swampy in minutes.... now I have to go through swampy by walking miles to pick up my bags, queue for check in, queue for security, queue for immigration ( In Samui there is no queue, our airport is tiny )...

If you buy a code share ticket through Bangkok Air, they will check you bags no problem, this is not a regulatory problem, this is just Bangkok Air trying to save money.

Sure my title was inflammatory, bit it got you guys to read about this really sh1t practice.

Can you name one other airline in the World that wont check bags to a destination ?

Air asia, and other budget airlines.

[South]

Code share, code share, code share ...... if not ................

[Christie Paul]

I appreciate the "heads up" from the OP.

Bangkok Air and others should be made acutely aware that greedy scumbag policies result in negative publicity and thus a subsequent drop in revenue.

[RabC]

Hang on hang on! you don't have to go through immigration when you are coming from an internal flight and if you were coming from the other direction(from overseas to internal) then you would have to go through immigration and customs as well ?

I'm not sticking up for the airline, it's just commen sense! If you were coming from an internal bangkok airline flight then for secutity sake you will have to pick up your bag from domestic and reapply for your international flight, considering that the domestic flight lands at DM and the international from Suvanabumi hoow are they going to transfer the bags??

Totally wrong ... until 2 weeks ago, I could clear immigration in Samui, check my bags to anywhere in the World, and sail through swampy in minutes.... now I have to go through swampy by walking miles to pick up my bags, queue for check in, queue for security, queue for immigration ( In Samui there is no queue, our airport is tiny )...

If you buy a code share ticket through Bangkok Air, they will check you bags no problem, this is not a regulatory problem, this is just Bangkok Air trying to save money.

Sure my title was inflammatory, bit it got you guys to read about this really sh1t practice.

Can you name one other airline in the World that wont check bags to a destination ?

Many airlines won't accept bags for onward ship,met on other airlines that they don't have an inter line agreement with or the itinerary isn't a single ticket. Suck it up Princess

Also all covered on their website

http://www.bangkokair.com/pages/view/separate_ticket

Edited May 6, 2016 by RabC

[Tomtomtom69]

Solution: fly THAI. Unlike Bangkok Air they also fly internationally to most continents. Bangkok Air hardly flies anywhere except a fee cities in South East Asia.

[crusty]

what a ridiculous and overly dramatic title to your thread just over baggage handling procedures. You want to be very careful making accusations like that on the Internet or you might find yourself being sued for defamation.

Has it ever occurred to you that such policies might have nothing to do with the airline itself and might have been introduced by the airport.

Yes a stupid headline and to most frequent flyers, one of the best Airlines in the World with well maintained aircraft and exemplary staff. Try Orient or Lion Air if you want to compare !

[crusty]

I appreciate the "heads up" from the OP.

Bangkok Air and others should be made acutely aware that greedy scumbag policies result in negative publicity and thus a subsequent drop in revenue.

One thing that BKK Air needs to address is their VIP air conditioned cafe at Samui Airport departures that refuses to allow elderly passengers to escape the searing heat from entry to buy a snack forcing one to await your flight in the air conditioned toilets. Charming.

[gandalf12]

Just take hand luggage then you wont have the problem. Personally I don't consider it a big deal but obviously the OP does

[akampa]

so you would prefer to go via ferry to Donsak, and bus to Suratthani ,? fail

[Stray]

I must admit that I don't know the procedure when changing from a domestic flight, to an international flight, in Thailand.

Are you saying, that in the past, it was possible to bypass all of the international security procedures at Swampy airport, simply by flying into Swampy on a domestic flight?

If this is the case, I applaud the change of policy.

I don't know of any country where it is possible to change from domestic to international flights without first clearing international flight security checks.

Should try some of the transit flights through Doha. Security screening at an international transit point?!?

[Fookhaht]

Their great little free buffet and lounge covers a multitude of sins.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Fookhaht

[Kered]

Of course Bangkok Airways flies to/from Suvarnabhumi.

So don't mix that with the much more exhaustive change from DMK to BKK.

What confuses me in the OP:

was it possible in the past to do a transit from international airports like Phuket or Chiang Mai without passing immigration at Suvarnabhumi and so this is ridiculed by the new baggage handling?

In this case it's really a drawback.

It is only recently that Bangkok Air stopped transferring bags to another airline unless you have a through ticket either issued by Bangkok Air or the International carrier. I understand that Thai Airways will transfer baggage but some International carriers such as Qantas will not transfer baggage to Thai Airways. The arrangement appears to apply to some airlines so beware, if your baggage cannot be transferred you have to allow about 2 hours extra to transfer at Swampy.

[saakura]

OP seems to be a drama queen... walking miles & miles in Suvarnabhumi to go from check-in to departure gate! Bangkok Air is one of the better airlines in operation. And there are many airlines which do not check your bags through transit points if not flying on the same or affiliated code share flights.

[Fookhaht]

OP seems to be a drama queen... walking miles & miles in Suvarnabhumi to go from check-in to departure gate! Bangkok Air is one of the better airlines in operation. And there are many airlines which do not check your bags through transit points if not flying on the same or affiliated code share flights.

Next...

[HLover]

'OP is the laziest and impatient customer we've had all year.'

-BKK Air