Bangkok Airways: 45th Anniversary Sale

[Guest fountainhall]

Bangkok AIrways has had a sale running from late February until 15 April. Domestic one-way fares are Bt. 945 and international fares either Bt. 1,945 (Yangon, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang) or Bt. 2, 945 (Mumbai, Dhaka, KL, Hong Kong, SIngapore) - although the Maldives qualifies for a much higher Bt. 7,945.

 

Tickets must be issued by April 15 and travelling dates are from 16 May to 30 September. Once ticketed, no changes are permissible. Note that taxes are NOT included in these prices.

 

I have run a check on some destinations and dates in May, July and September. For domestic destinations like Chiang Mai and Phuket, there seem to be cheap tickets available on many dates at Bt. 2,090 return*. Some seats are available on routes like Phnom Penh (Bt. 5,545* return) and Luang Prabang (Bt. 5,820* return). But I could find no seats available for the longer routes to HKG and KL. However, it's worth doing your own checking since I only checked very few dates.

 

* these prices are inclusive of taxes etc.

[Guest thaiworthy]

Bangkok Airways sends me lots of promotional emails. One time I booked a flight to Chiang Mai months in advance and they sent me a notice that the departure time had changed from early afternoon to mid-evening. I neglected to take notice of it since it looked like so much of their spam. When I showed up at the airport for the earlier departure time, they explained all this but wouldn't give me a refund, but I didn't want to sit around for 8 hours. Who would? I walked across the hall to Thai Airways and just bought another ticket. Totally my fault.

 

Later, a rep from BA came over and told me they could do the refund after all, after seeing me buy the Thai ticket. They didn't have to do that, but it made me a happy customer.

 

Now, if the schedule permits, I will buy from BA first over the other airlines because of this experience.

[KhorTose]

I simply find Bangkok Airlines the best airline to fly regardless of the price. I love the service, the lounge open to all and the ease of booking a flight on-line. Air Asia is rarely cheaper and lacks any pretense of caring about customers.

[Guest fountainhall]

Just a quick note. I get no emails from Bangkok Airways. I found the info yesterday in an ad in BKK Magazine.

[Guest No2]

Thanks for the heads up Fountainhall, I get info from AirAsia, Thai and NOK but not Bkk Air. I was looking for a side trip during my next visit and fancied Phnom Penh, worth a follow up.

 

As for the quality between the various airlines in Thailand, I find no difference. I mean travelling on a flight anywhere in Thailand is no longer than 90 mins, what 'service' can be offered to have one better than another? You sit in a confined space for 75-90 mins, sometimes you get 'served' a snack and a drink,sometimes you dont, who cares on a 75 min flight to Chiang Mai? you stare at the seat back in front, read, nap or play MP3, then you get off. The check-in and boarding takes longer than the actual flight.

 

I have flown with Thai, NOK and Airasia over the last 2 years the only difference was Thai always seems to have a bridge straight from the aircraft to the terminal, whereas the others bus it sometimes. All were very easy to book via the web, how can you claim one airline is superior to another based on the online booking, they are all so basically simple and virtually the same. Airasia was 'handy' beng able to checkin online ages before the flight for both out and return, but again if you have to checkin hold baggage, online checkin is hardly any advantage, maybe more for the airline than the customer as all the new airline practices indeed are.

 

The terms and conditions on the ticket when you buy it usually are striclty adhered to, you either can change your flight and get a refund or not, if the ticket did not allow a refund it certainly was a generous gesture Thaiworthy received from the BA rep, and gives some brownie points for them. However it seems it may have been an off-the-cuff decision by an individual rather than 'company policy'.......on a different day with different staff?

[Guest fountainhall]

I won't fly Air Asia and its subsidiaries as a matter of principle. I have been screwed by them too many times and over time it has just cost too much in making alternative arrangements at the last minute.

 

But I agree there can't be much difference for internal flights. What will make a difference to some, though, is that BA and TG fly out of Suvarnabhumi whereas Air Asia and Nok are based at Don Mueang. So if you have an international connection at Suvarnabhumi, BA and TG are surely the preferred carriers. With BA's internal promotion fares being not more than the cheapest of the other carriers, there'd be zero point in lugging yourself and your baggage over to Don Mueang.

 

I do think, however, that BA is a cut above Nok and Air Asia in that it is virtually a full service airline and not a budget carrier. Air Asia's Terms and Conditions are appalling if you bother to read them. I suspect - but do not know for sure - that BA has a degree more flexibility.