They are the only ones who fly Koh Samui. Should I take the risk? What kind/how old their planes?

They're fine. Don't worry about a thing.

Bruce

Bangkok Airways flies modern ATR turbo props and Boeing 717 aircraft. I've heard some nice comments regarding their service and their planes are maintained very safely.

Have been to Koh Samui a couple of times by using Thai Airways and the bus/ferry connection.
Fly into Surat Thani (URT) - buy bus transfer/ferry combo at airport - negotiate for ride in back of pickup truck after arrival on island of Koh Samui for transfer to lodgings.
And everytime have always flown back on Bangkok Airways - lot more convenient and not as exciting. Only excitment is the short runway on Koh Samui. Sort of reminds me of an old aircraft carrier where they have this ramp sort of effect at the end of the runway.

They are perfectly fine IMHO (I flew with them from BKK-Siam Reap (REP), Cambodia and v.v.) All in all a very pleasant flight with on a Boeing 717, english speaking crew and good service. The only thing i noticed (this is a good thing) is that their security in BKK was extremely tight - much much more so than other flights (pre-911) that I had taken in the region on TG or SQ.

Flew BKK->Siem Reap as well. I can honestly say it was the best trip in Y I've ever had (there's no F). Brand-spanking new 717 and delightful crew.

To answer one of the original questions: yes, they are your only choice for direct flights from BKK. Bangkok Airways, IMO, is just fine. Their private airports down in Samui and up in Sukhothai are first rate relative to their surroundings, and their facilities at the Don Muang hub (BKK) are quite nice, including their departure lounge, available for all pax. Again, IMO, 'safety' in general is as good as, or better than, most US-based commuter airlines.

My wife and I flew Bangkok Airways from Bangkok to Koh Samui in Dec 2000. As USAF aircrew we are pretty skeptical about safety on MANY commuter airlines, and this was no exception. That said, our trip with this carrier was outstanding!

The lounge in Bangkok is clean, beautiful, comfortable, and offers free snacks and email service. The aircraft (an ATR at that time) was clean and appeared well maintained. The cabin crew was professional and attentive...there was even a meal served to all on that ~1hr flight! (and to think US carriers have problems serving beverages in that same time on the same type of aircraft!) The flight was comfortable and did not stress us in the least. AND, as any other Koh Samui visitors can attest, the Koh Samui airport is a real treat! I won't describe it....you have to experience it for yourself.

All in all, we were extremely happy with Bangkok Airways in every regard. Enjoy your trip! (If you need lodging in Samui, I'd recommend the Imperial Samui .... it's not in the heart of town, but is an outstanding property!)

'Tis true that when flying into Samui, they are the only game in town. There is bad blood between BKK Air & Thai, and they won't be letting Thai land there any time soon (like during my lifetime ~��).
They are a good airline, no problems whatsoever. You can sometimes find a BKK Air pass that allows multiple hops within Thailand for a good rate. This allows for flights between Chiang Mai to Samui, for example--although not direct ones. When this is available, it's a fine deal.

I agree; a nice airline, good equipment, friendly in-flight service. However, be absolutely sure you reconfirm your flight, if that's required. I had a bear of a time getting on a Samui flight once after I had failed to reconfirm!

Hmmmm...interesting topic. Now that Thai has apparently raised many of their domestic fares, and some of their former domestic (Bhat Run) routes have been taken over (or are planned to be) by other non-Star Alliance airlines, may give Bangkok Airways a try next trip on some routings. Have noticed on past trips that this airline's BKK-CNX fare was slightly cheaper than Thai..even to start out with.

Okay - hate to be a wet blanket but I was on one of their new planes BKK to Samui when they only had 2 planes. The plane returned to BKK then to Samui - crashed and everyone on board was killed. New plane, very experienced pilot - there was a very bad storm and I don't know who made the decision to let the plane fly in that weather but it was not a good one.

(BTW I decided NOT to fly back - not that they had enough planes to fly and was charged a PENALTY for not using the ticket - a small price to pay for still being alive)



[This message has been edited by estnet (edited 01-24-2002).]

Agree with above comments re: excellent quality of service. I do recall, however, that when I first starting flying with them I made a last-minute flight and had to buy my ticket at the airport.

The airline office wasn't able to accept any form of payment other than cash (i.e., no Visa, MasterCard, Amex, etc.). Luckily, I had time to get to an ATM and extract a sufficient wad of baht to complete the purchase.

I'm pretty sure this has changed by now.