Thai Smile plans more than 10 overseas routes

[webfact]

Thai Smile plans more than 10 overseas routes
By SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THAI SMILE AIRWAYS, a fully owned subsidiary of national carrier Thai Airways International, will spread its wings further abroad this year to raise the number of passengers to 4.5 million and revenue to Bt10.1 billion.

 

“Thai Smile plans to operate more than 10 overseas routes this year,” Woranate Laprabang, acting chief executive officer, said yesterday.

 

“If the plans are implemented, aircraft utilisation will be increased from 8 hours per day to 10.5. That means more seats available,” he said.

 

Beginning on January 27, the airline will operate daily flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport to China’s Zhengzhou, followed by Indonesia’s Kota Kinabalu on March 1 with the same frequency.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30304254

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-17

[ezzra]

 

Go on.. fly to Melb and Sydney and give Jetstar and AirAsia a fair

fight and a run for their money, it's about time that another player

on these routes will throw their hat into the ring....

[taichiplanet]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

followed by Indonesia’s Kota Kinabalu

ummm, Kota Kinabalu is in Malaysia (Sabah State on Borneo), i hope Smile adjust their GPS!

[OnTheRun]

Great news for me re Kota Kinabalu, that is if they can find it :-) I'm working here and have to use either Malaysian or Brunei. My last Malaysian flight home was 11 hours late, the one coming back this time was 1 1/2 hours late meaning I missed my connection in KLIA. 

If I never fly Malaysian Airlines again it will be too soon.

[RakJungTorlae]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

 

Go on.. fly to Melb and Sydney and give Jetstar and AirAsia a fair

fight and a run for their money, it's about time that another player

on these routes will throw their hat into the ring....

 

scoot.

[dundas]

30 minutes ago, RakJungTorlae said:

scoot.

I've flown Scoot between Bangkok and Melbourne, but the big issue with LCCs using a hub (Singapore in Scoot's case) is that if your incoming flight is late and you miss your connection, the best you'll often do (and only if you've paid extra, still talking Scoot here) is to be offered a seat on "the next available flight." That could be days away, and it's not a great deal if you have commitments in your final destination, or if you don't have money for hotel accommodation in Singapore. And if you haven't paid the extra for the "Scoot-thru" connection and your flight is delayed through Scoot's fault even though it has nothing to do with you, Scoot won't honour your ticket for the connecting flight and will expect you to buy a new ticket to your final destination. There's not a lot of compassion in the minds of the LCC accountants who run the show. 

 

I rather like the idea of Thai Smile flying longer distances. My limited experience of them on A320 domestic flights in Thailand is that they're OK. They don't have as many extras to pay for as Scoot or Jetstar and if they were to fly non-stop to Australia, I think they'd be terrific.  

Edited January 17, 2017 by dundas

[Bangkok Barry]

35 minutes ago, dundas said:

I've flown Scoot between Bangkok and Melbourne, but the big issue with LCCs using a hub (Singapore in Scoot's case) is that if your incoming flight is late and you miss your connection, the best you'll often do (and only if you've paid extra, still talking Scoot here) is to be offered a seat on "the next available flight." That could be days away, and it's not a great deal if you have commitments in your final destination, or if you don't have money for hotel accommodation in Singapore. And if you haven't paid the extra for the "Scoot-thru" connection and your flight is delayed through Scoot's fault even though it has nothing to do with you, Scoot won't honour your ticket for the connecting flight and will expect you to buy a new ticket to your final destination. There's not a lot of compassion in the minds of the LCC accountants who run the show. 

 

I rather like the idea of Thai Smile flying longer distances. My limited experience of them on A320 domestic flights in Thailand is that they're OK. They don't have as many extras to pay for as Scoot or Jetstar and if they were to fly non-stop to Australia, I think they'd be terrific.  

 

I think Emirates fly on to Australia from Bangkok, don't they? Which is why they have something like six flights a day from Dubai while THAI has just one. Of course the fact that Emirates has so many flights, some of them A380s. might also be because no-one wants to fly THAI.

[Peter Pattaya]

55 minutes ago, dundas said:

I've flown Scoot between Bangkok and Melbourne, but the big issue with LCCs using a hub (Singapore in Scoot's case) is that if your incoming flight is late and you miss your connection, the best you'll often do (and only if you've paid extra, still talking Scoot here) is to be offered a seat on "the next available flight." That could be days away, and it's not a great deal if you have commitments in your final destination, or if you don't have money for hotel accommodation in Singapore. And if you haven't paid the extra for the "Scoot-thru" connection and your flight is delayed through Scoot's fault even though it has nothing to do with you, Scoot won't honour your ticket for the connecting flight and will expect you to buy a new ticket to your final destination. There's not a lot of compassion in the minds of the LCC accountants who run the show. 

 

I rather like the idea of Thai Smile flying longer distances. My limited experience of them on A320 domestic flights in Thailand is that they're OK. They don't have as many extras to pay for as Scoot or Jetstar and if they were to fly non-stop to Australia, I think they'd be terrific.  

I use thaiairways Australia >Thailand direct flights never a problem. Yes they are a little more cost but the ticket price is for everything. I have to change my travel plans at the last moment no problem. Subscribe to thier monthly newsletter via email and you will get some great deals. 

[FredNL]

2 hours ago, OnTheRun said:

Great news for me re Kota Kinabalu, that is if they can find it :-) I'm working here and have to use either Malaysian or Brunei. My last Malaysian flight home was 11 hours late, the one coming back this time was 1 1/2 hours late meaning I missed my connection in KLIA. 

If I never fly Malaysian Airlines again it will be too soon.

 

Only 11 hours late... At least you arrived.
Some Malaysian Airliners never arrive .. 

MH17, MH370 for example.

[siam2007]

4 hours ago, OnTheRun said:

Great news for me re Kota Kinabalu, that is if they can find it :-) I'm working here and have to use either Malaysian or Brunei. My last Malaysian flight home was 11 hours late, the one coming back this time was 1 1/2 hours late meaning I missed my connection in KLIA. 

If I never fly Malaysian Airlines again it will be too soon.

 

 

I loved to hear the news about the BKK - BKI flights too, as Kota Kinabalu was my gate to Asia back in 2001 and I still have quite a few Kadazan friends there, but AirAsia tried this for a few years around 2006 to 2010 or so, and then terminated the service as there was not enough demand, even though they had only three flights per week.

I rather doubt it will be more successful this time. Thai Smile scheduled daily flights and I am very sure these won't last long. Maybe three flights per week at most.

The flights are already open for booking on the Thai Smile website, BTW

[siam2007]

On 17/01/2017 at 2:12 PM, siam2007 said:

 

 

I loved to hear the news about the BKK - BKI flights too, as Kota Kinabalu was my gate to Asia back in 2001 and I still have quite a few Kadazan friends there, but AirAsia tried this for a few years around 2006 to 2010 or so, and then terminated the service as there was not enough demand, even though they had only three flights per week.

I rather doubt it will be more successful this time. Thai Smile scheduled daily flights and I am very sure these won't last long. Maybe three flights per week at most.

The flights are already open for booking on the Thai Smile website, BTW

 

 

Flight has already vanished from the THAI SMILE website, but it was rumored flights now begin on 26th of March (start of summer schedule) instead of 1st of March. On the TG website the flight is still bookable, albeit a lot more expensive than what was advertised - almost double the price