Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - TG to start BKK-ICN-LAX?

I was searching reward flights on continental.com, and I found a new nonstop flight between ICN and LAX. I can see this flight 4 times a week (2467) and it is 772ER. It is available from May 1st to Oct 27th.

TG 794
BKK-ICN 735a-300p
ICN-LAX 410p-1110a
TG 795
LAX-ICN 110p-550p+1
ICN-BKK 700p+1-1050p+1

Does this imply that the nonstop BKK-LAX is suspended for this summer?

I don't know whether this is instead of BKK-LAX direct or an addition. However, this is not altogether bad news. At least it opens up a lot more choices for mileage runs, more flexible routings (remember ICN is Asian's hub), stopovers on award tickets, or simply a chance to stretch your legs and check out the lounge.

Does this imply that the nonstop BKK-LAX is suspended for this summer?

Discussion here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-airways-royal-orchid-plus/1306776-thai-dropping-premium-economy-lax-bkk.html) and here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-airways-royal-orchid-plus/1306172-tg-795-796-lax-bkk-lax-going-daily-5x.html).

Discussion here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-airways-royal-orchid-plus/1306776-thai-dropping-premium-economy-lax-bkk.html) and here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-airways-royal-orchid-plus/1306172-tg-795-796-lax-bkk-lax-going-daily-5x.html).

Oops, it has been discussed a lot. (Sorry about that.)

It's still a great news to have another carrier doing TPAC from here in Seoul. KE is planning ICN-LAX capacity this summer than last year, so it will be a good chance for TG.

KE is planning ICN-LAX capacity this summer than last year, so it will be a good chance for TG.

Hmm, I'm guessing KE is planning on reducing capacity, but there could be another meaning from what you wrote.

Hmm, I'm guessing KE is planning on reducing capacity, but there could be another meaning from what you wrote.

There's nothing behind. Sorry if my language wasn't clear. KE already reduced capacity for the summer (unless it increases later or changes to A380), so it's a good timing for TG to cut in this market.

Does this imply that the nonstop BKK-LAX is suspended for this summer?

I think rather than "suspended for the summer" it appears the nonstop is suspended for the indefinite future, if not altogether canceled. THAI already had a plan in place from the Board of Directors since last July to remove the A340-500's from the fleet in 2012-2013. Seems they chose to do it in the earlier part of that time frame. The A340-500's are the only plane THAI has that can fly LAX-BKK nonstop.

THAI has some 787's coming into the fleet starting sometime in 2014. They would presumably be able to fly that route nonstop. We can only hope they might plan to resume the route nonstop in 2014 (and JFK or EWR too!)

Here's the notice posted on the THAI Airways USA website:
(found here) (http://www.thaiairwaysusa.com/flight-information/when-we-fly/flight-information.html)

NEW SCHEDULE - Effective May 1, 2012

4 days a week - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

One Stop service to Bangkok via Seoul-Incheon (ICN), Korea

Flight Number TG795
Aircraft Boeing 777-200ER
Frequency Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun
Departure Time LAX 1310 Arrival Time ICN 1750 + 1 day
Departure Time ICN 1900 Arrival Time BKK 2250

Flight Number TG 794
Aircraft Boeing 777-200ER
Frequency Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun
Departure Time BKK 0735 Arrival Time ICN 1500
Departure Time ICN 1610 Arrival Time LAX 1110 (same day)

It's surprising that in addition to going one-stop (and thus having additional traffic opportunities to/from Seoul) they have reduced frequency further, down to 4 days a week to/from LAX. Between the loss of nonstop, loss of daily service, loss of Premium Economy class, and loss of the A345's superior 36" pitch 2-4-2 economy seating, there is no compelling reason to fly THAI to/from the USA. :td:

Between the loss of nonstop, loss of daily service, loss of Premium Economy class, and loss of the A345's superior 36" pitch 2-4-2 economy seating, there is no compelling reason to fly THAI to/from the USA. :td:

I completely share your sentiment. One thing I want to add is the extremely inconvenient timing. Currently, I can go to work, pack after I go home, and then head to the airport (granted that I live and work very close to LAX). When I arrive into Bangkok, I can catch the bank of flights leaving the mid-morning hours to a lot of destinations in Asia. With the new schedule, I lost half a day of work, and I have an overnight layover both on the outbound and the return. I am now seriously looking into other alternatives.

It is sad for me to say goodbye to Thai. But, it was fun while it lasts. :(

Agree that especially with no 36" economy pitch and no PE, TG has no distinguishing factors anymore. And this new schedule in both directions, doesn't fit my needs.

Since over the last few years, much of my *A mileage was racked up on the PEK-BKK-LAX and vv route, which worked great for me timing-wise in both directions for USA connections. But I think the disappearance of this nonstop means my flying days on TG are probably dwindling. I'll try to enjoy this year of TG Gold status while it lasts, and find a way to use my GUP and the half-mileage award offer. :(

I hear what both of you are saying about the timing. The new timing would force me to do an overnighter in Bangkok both directions. There are no domestic flights from KKC to Bangkok early enough to catch the outbound, and returning there are no flights to KKC until the next day. On the LAX end, I wonder if Customs and Immigration are as busy for the late morning arrivals as it has been at night? Anyway, allowing at least 2 hours for a connection, choices are getting slim for going to the east coast (Florida) from 13:00 onwards. And getting back to LAX in time to make the THAI flight would require departing Florida around 6:00 am. I'm pretty boxed in with the schedule they've chosen.

Perhaps Asiana might work for me, going through Chicago? (I read Chicago goes to daily service with them this summer.) What I'm really hoping for is that EVA gets onboard with Star Alliance. Then I'd try their Premium Economy.

As for using existing upgrades and ½ price Gold awards for Business Class, my guess is that availability will not be good. We're changing from an aircraft that has 215 total seats to one that has 292. Yet, the number of Business Class seats is going from 60 down to 30. On the other hand, between adding the stop and dropping service to 4 days/week, maybe THAI will lose a bunch of business class customers they currently have?

One last point . . . the stops in Seoul are rather short, just 1:10 each way. Will through passengers be required to get off the plane and go through security screening (as they do at Tokyo Narita?) If so, I can't even see having enough time to visit the THAI/Star Alliance Gold lounge in Seoul.

Not sure why they run this route to compete with Asiana when the could pick HKG/TPE as an intermediate stop.

One last point . . . the stops in Seoul are rather short, just 1:10 each way. Will through passengers be required to get off the plane and go through security screening (as they do at Tokyo Narita?) If so, I can't even see having enough time to visit the THAI/Star Alliance Gold lounge in Seoul.

I think this will be a technical stop as I'm not finding any availability, in fares or awards, showing up for only the ICN-BKK segment.

One last point . . . the stops in Seoul are rather short, just 1:10 each way. Will through passengers be required to get off the plane and go through security screening (as they do at Tokyo Narita?) If so, I can't even see having enough time to visit the THAI/Star Alliance Gold lounge in Seoul.

ICN is a very efficient airport. The gates TG uses are typically quite close to the security checkpoint, where you go up, then up one more level and into the lounge. Provided there isn't a queue at security you should be off the plane and into the lounge in only 5 minutes. And maybe 3 minutes to get from the lounge back to the gate. So plenty of time to use the lounge if they allow you off the plane, which I'm almost sure they will require you to do. I know that passengers on SQ flights that stop in ICN are required to leave the plane.

I'm guessing that perhaps TG realizes that no more PE, reduced legroom, no non-stop, etc. will have an effect on the passenger numbers, and thus the reduced frequency. That or they don't have enough planes to have an increased frequency.

Interesting point about the technical stop; BKK-SEL-BKK on TG 794/795 does show up for bookings on the THAI website (Thailand.) However, when trying LAX-Seoul-LAX, Seoul is not a destination choice when originating at LAX. On the THAI USA website, although you can enter LAX-Seoul-LAX as a routing, it fails on search. If everything on these websites is set up correctly, it appears that Seoul is not a technical stop, but perhaps THAI has no traffic rights to accept bookings from LAX to Seoul? Not sure; for a change like this do they need to get US and/or Korean government approval before they can accept bookings to Seoul? Korea-USA does have an open-skies agreement, though I'm not sure if that makes it completely open to third-country airlines (like THAI.)

Years ago, before they had the non-stop BKK-LAX, TG had a flight that stopped in SEL (GMP at the time), and they definitely sold LAX-SEL-LAX and SEL-LAX-SEL on that route. Don't know what the policies might be for when an airline stops such service and the starts it up many years later. Imagine they might need to get approval again.

SQ has a SIN-ICN-SFO route and sells tickets for any combination on that route, so there's definitely no problem with any authorities in allowing it.

ICN LAX sector is not open for reservation for the moment, that's why website is not showing. (TG794/795 BKK ICN and BKK LAX sector is open)

Flight number has been changed to TG692/693

Aircraft listed on my itinerary only as Boeing 777. Anyone has more detail on the aircraft that will be deployed? ICN-LAX being a 11 hour flight, I would assume 777-200ER?

Yes, the THAI USA website (which has the only official THAI comment on this change from nonstop service I know of) said it would be going to a 777-200ER.

This was a really great shame - I would have loved to have flown the non-stop option. We are migrating back to SQ as the new flight times do not suit at all coming into or out of BKK. Will we see the 787 on the route in 2014? It would seem to be a naturally premier route.:cool: