Low 'mourning fares' don't always pan out

Low 'mourning fares' don't always pan out

Suvarnabhumi airport is where Bangkok Airways passengers have to get on their flights. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Suvarnabhumi airport is where Bangkok Airways passengers have to get on their flights. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia are offering heavily discounted tickets for Thai mourners travelling to Bangkok to pay homage to His Majesty the King.

But customers trying to obtain the heavily advertised tickets began calling "bait and switch" when they were unable to book tickets at the advertised fares.

SET-listed Bangkok Airways is advertising an 890-baht net fare, exclusive of airport service charges, for round-trip flights from nearly its entire domestic and international network.

Thai AirAsia, meanwhile, began advertising on its Facebook page special fares for passengers wanting to travel in and out of Bangkok.

The reduced fares -- the boldest action by any Thai airline thus far -- are supposedly meant to show what a Bangkok Airways official on Tuesday described as "good will" to Thai mourners after the passing of the beloved King.

The Bangkok Airways special fare applies to domestic flights departing from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Trat, Samui, Phuket and Krabi.

The rate also applies to international travel from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Dhaka, Mumbai, Da Nang and the Maldives.

For instance, an all-inclusive round trip on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route during the campaign will cost 1,090 baht, broken down into 890 baht for the fare and 200 baht for airport service charges. Bangkok-Samui, on the other hand, is 1,290 baht because of higher airport fees.

Bangkok Airways' special fare is being offered from Tuesday until Nov 26 and is valid for travel through Dec 2. The booking must be carried out via its call centre.

According to insiders, as many as 20% of the seats on each flight are set aside for these reduced fares, so the airline should be able to accommodate demand. But it didn't work out that way.

AirAsia Thailand posted the special offer its website, and said the offering would be available immediately at goo.gl/hqo6EQ. Offers at the link included 490-baht price from Udon Thani, and 990 baht from Yangon. The booking and travel dates will be valid until Nov 30. 

Online comments about the Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia promotions were not kind.

On Facebook, netizens and would-be customers complained they were unable to book fares.

Commenters said the advertised telephone number to book for Bangkok Airways was consistently busy or not answered.

For TAA, commenters said they were unable to book any flights at the advertised price, although plenty of seats were available at higher prices.

Several Thai airlines have announced rescheduling and routing fee waivers in conjunction with the royal memorial services.

Passengers holding Bangkok Airways tickets for travel between Oct 14 and Nov 30 are entitled to such a waiver.

Meanwhile, insiders say Thai AirAsia has "discreetly" made available reduced-fare tickets for the same purpose but has not made the offer known to the public at large.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (2)