Thai Cutting US Services

[CheshireTom 1,377]

"Thai Airways International will reduce US service as it is not happy with the performance on these routes. On Dec 1st it will reduce the frequency on its Bangkok to New York route from 6 to 4 flights a week while cutting Bangkok to Los Angeles from 4 to 3 flights a week however that flight will go nonstop instead of via Japan. Thai will also revise its Bangkok-Auckland-Sydney route on the same date into a daily Bangkok-Auckland and daily Bangkok-Sydney service."

 

A bit of good and bad news really. How an airline can cut back on a route that has only had around 6 months to mature (BKK-JFK) is beyond me. I'm not sure how they will manage to compete against Singapore Airlines who have daily non-stop flights to both NYC and LAX from SE Asia. It appears that one of the A340-500 aircraft that they bought for the ultra long-haul routes to continental US will be serving .......... Italy!

 

Tom

[echster 1]

Tom,

 

I have never been impressed with TG. In fact, I am so utterly unimpressed I won't fly them 'til they straighten up and fly right. This airline COULD be one of the top 5 in the world but the management - or lack thereof - is fucking dreadful.

 

I never expected the non-stop BKK-NYC-BKK to be as successful as SQ's SIN run because the O&D just isn't there.

 

One final note is the A345 just isn't living up to expectations. The damn thing is too heavy, resulting in low pax configurations and high fuel burn per pax. Be on the lookout for SQ to dump theirs and place an order for the new B772LR when Boeing stays airborne for 24 hours on its proving flight.

[Samsonite 176]

One final note is the A345 just isn't living up to expectations. The damn thing is too heavy, resulting in low pax configurations and high fuel burn per pax. Be on the lookout for SQ to dump theirs and place an order for the new B772LR when Boeing stays airborne for 24 hours on its proving flight.

That should be soon, shouldn't it? Isn't the test flight period for the 777-200LR just about 2-3 week from completion?

O & D?

Thanks.

[Sailfast 503]

Thai Air recently called to tell me that they cancelled the Monday Nov 21 flight home...crap another 12 hours in paradise!

 

Sailfast

[growler 0]

The BKK-JFK flights were very heavily promoted before their launch.

[Floyd 0]

I heard from a regular pax on the AKL-BKK direct that the new airbus starts service on 01 DEC and thai will drop AKL-SYD as there is too much competition on the route.

 

On the AKL-SYD service thai is competing with AIR NZ, QANTAS, PACIFICBLUE, FREEDOM, EMITRITES and some other crossover airlines.

I tried to go to Sydney recently with Thai (as my points are with them) and it was going to cost $NZD980.00 PLUS TAXES when Air NZ could get me there for around $350.00 plus taxes.

[echster 1]

That should be soon, shouldn't it? Isn't the test flight period for the 777-200LR just about 2-3 week from completion?

O & D?

Thanks.

Nothing official yet on the B772LR flight. It is approaching the end of its testing, though.

 

O&D is shorthand for Origination and Destination. In other words, for the airlines, it means the airport passengers start and end their flights.

 

For example, JFK-BKK-JFK has JFK as the O&D. Now, if you needed to get to BKK from Orlando, FL (MCO), you could go MCO-JFK-BKK-JFK-MCO, or MCO-ATL-LAX-TPE-BKK-return. In this case, MCO is the O&D (where the person starts and finishes a trip).

 

What I said - in easier to understand language - in the earlier post was SIN and NYC have major financial markets. The thing that is most important is there is a need for a non-stop daily between these cities. Market forces dictate this. However, there is no real need for a non-stop between NYC and BKK. BKK is mainly a leisure market. IOW, businessmen are willing to pay top dollar for a non-stop flight to SIN, but tourists aren't willing to pay top dollar to fly non-stop to BKK.

 

The TG non-stop was never going to be successful due to fuel costs, a small need for the service, an aircraft that costs too much to operate, and several more reasons. This was purely a case of "keeping up with the Joneses."

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Floyd,

 

Thai has got all four MD11s up for sale with an availability date of April 2006 so I am sure there is going to be several route adjustments over the next few months. Good news for the Auckland pax if it means you will get the A340-600 on a permanent basis.

 

I agree with echster that NYC was always a bit of a fantasy route for Thai and I'm clueless as to which secondary routes they can put the A340-600 on that will fill up the front of the aircraft (first and biz) in its current configuration.

 

Does anyone know when Thai takes delivery of its new 777ERs?

 

Tom

[Taxi 0]

I've tried Thai a few times in business class. There 747's are complete shit, many other airlines economy is better. I also tried there non stop BKK - NY flight. Plane broke down and we had to overnight in Bangkok, then sub plan wasn't the 345 so we went to Osaka for fuel. That plane broke down and we had to overnight in Osaka. 2:00pm the following day that plane was due to fly onto NY, I turned round a flew home, had missed my meetings. Still negotiating with Thai for a full redfund. So far their offer is 50% refund. Don't think I would consider flying them again for a while. TGhere new Airbus aircraft a nice inside when there flying...... which on my expereince isn't that often!!

[partyanimal 0]

Thai Air recently called to tell me that they cancelled the Monday Nov 21 flight home...crap another 12 hours in paradise!

 

Sailfast

 

My November Sat departure and Tue return still seems OK.

 

Does anyone if their armrests are removable/adjustable?

 

If I find out flight is empty will try to snag 4 seats across in back of plane.

[sanook 0]

Does anyone know when Thai takes delivery of its new 777ERs?

First one will arrive BKK in September 2006

Edited October 23, 2005 by sanook

[CheshireTom 1,377]

First one will arrive BKK in September 2006

sanook,

 

Thanks for that. Presumably they are being lined up primarily for the European secondary routes ...... any idea which ones or what the planned seat configuration will be?

 

Tom

[Samsonite 176]

O&D is shorthand for Origination and Destination. In other words, for the airlines, it means the airport passengers start and end their flights.

Thanks for the information. Greatly appreciated.

[sanook 0]

sanook,

 

Thanks for that. Presumably they are being lined up primarily for the European secondary routes ...... any idea which ones or what the planned seat configuration will be?

 

Tom

No information on this yet. But since it will be 777ER it would make sense if they would put a F Class on this plane's too and use it to Europe/Australia. I dont expect them to fly Intra Asian Services with this Aircraft.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

No information on this yet. But since it will be 777ER it would make sense if they would put a F Class on this plane's too and use it to Europe/Australia. I dont expect them to fly Intra Asian Services with this Aircraft.

sanook,

 

Thanks. I was just trying to guage what the chances were that we would see the 773ER in MAN. It would seem to be the ideal aircraft in a 2 class configuration like the SQ 772ER that we currently have and bend the A346s to those places that can generate enough first class pax.

 

I'll keep my eyes open for anything further on the aircraft.

 

Tom

[Floyd 0]

My mate booked the morning bkk-mnl TG flight and the plane left BKK 4 hours late so I think the loading may have been light so they cancelled the morning service and combined both daily flights into one. Or it could of been simply mechanical or engineering requirements.

But what is going on at TG at the moment. I wonder???