Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - Thai Smile new routes to SIN (ex HKT) and HYD

From airline route.net

THAI’s low-fare unit THAI Smile from 31MAR13 plans to introduce 6th daily Bangkok – Krabi and 2nd daily Bangkok – Phuket service.


Also, new route on HKT-SIN which I think is well overdue and an IDEAL use for the Thai Smile brand. Excellent that you will be able to include SIN-HKT on Star Alliance redemptions since SQ owned Silkair are not part of the alliance. Also , flights to Hyderabad will now become a daily service on Smile instead of 4 weekly A330 previously. from airlineroute.net:

Bangkok – Hyderabad
till 15SEP12
TG329 BKK2210 – 0010+1HYD 333 x247
TG330 HYD0110 – 0615BKK 333 x135 till 16SEP12

eff 16SEP12
TG761 BKK2210 – 0010+1HYD 320 D
TG762 HYD0110 – 0615BKK 320 D eff 17SEP12

Note Day 247 from BKK, Day 135 from HYD is currently not available for reservation

Phuket – Singapore eff 31MAR13
TG791 HKT0940 – 1230SIN 320 D
TG792 SIN1330 – 1415HKT 320 D

Interesting choice of flight numbers. Of all the 700-series numbers they could use for THAI Smile flights, they chose 791/792 for the SIN flights. Former flight numbers for the JFK route.

From airline route.net. Also, new route on HKT-SIN which I think is well overdue and an IDEAL use for the Thai Smile brand. Excellent that you will be able to include SIN-HKT on Star Alliance redemptions since SQ owned Silkair are not part of the alliance. Also , flights to Hyderabad will now become a daily service on Smile instead of 4 weekly A330 previously. from airlineroute.net:

the HKT-SIN-HKT-flights are now in the reservations systems and can be booked - they even seem to be operated on a daily basis!

From airline route.net




Also, new route on HKT-SIN which I think is well overdue and an IDEAL use for the Thai Smile brand. Excellent that you will be able to include SIN-HKT on Star Alliance redemptions since SQ owned Silkair are not part of the alliance. Also , flights to Hyderabad will now become a daily service on Smile instead of 4 weekly A330 previously. from airlineroute.net:

BKK-HYD is at stake again- they are actually planning to operate it with wide body again due to high cargo demand on that route!

the HKT-SIN-HKT-flights are now in the reservations systems and can be booked - they even seem to be operated on a daily basis!

No it's not bookable.

Although the starting date has moved from 01APR13 to 16JAN13, and flight number changes to TG755/756.

No it's not bookable.

Although the starting date has moved from 01APR13 to 16JAN13, and flight number changes to TG755/756.

indeed - weird: flights are being displayed and seats seem to be available but turn out as waitlisted only.
It still may take some time as there are so many schedule changes/frequency reductions and shiftings form TG to Smile and back to TG (like the HYD-flights) - so I have decided to be patient and wait for a little while.....

indeed - weird: flights are being displayed and seats seem to be available but turn out as waitlisted only.

When you have seats available but keep receiving "waitlist" message, that still counts as not available for reservation. This is mainly due to GDS discrepancies, which is not new since some airlines also have similar situation.

I hope Thai Smile can keep its word of cheaper rates and new routes, but I don't have much confidence in their brand promise.


I predict the HKT-SIN route to be short lived (and I hope I am wrong). Why? Because...


This is a highly competitive route, with 4 carrier serving it currently (Air Asia, Jetstar, Silk Air, and Tiger Airways). Unlike the prices on the SIN-BKK route that they are able to inflate, the elasticity on the HKT route sees a very low bottom. I have bought last minute fares from Phuket to Singapore for under 1000THB (that's 30 bucks for a darn good value) and it's usually no more than 2000-2500THB if you plan ahead for a cheaper day.

I booked an award ticket on the Thai Smile SIN-HKT flight exactly two months ago. It's been in the reservations system and available for sale for a long time.

No waitlist problems, it confirmed right away.

I hope Thai Smile can keep its word of cheaper rates and new routes, but I don't have much confidence in their brand promise.


I predict the HKT-SIN route to be short lived (and I hope I am wrong). Why? Because...


This is a highly competitive route, with 4 carrier serving it currently (Air Asia, Jetstar, Silk Air, and Tiger Airways). Unlike the prices on the SIN-BKK route that they are able to inflate, the elasticity on the HKT route sees a very low bottom. I have bought last minute fares from Phuket to Singapore for under 1000THB (that's 30 bucks for a darn good value) and it's usually no more than 2000-2500THB if you plan ahead for a cheaper day.

Silkair is expensive, and the LCC options with all their restrictions and lack of integration into TG or even SQ do not appeal to many PAX. Look at the schedule for Jet Star and Tiger. they are not the best times are they, whereas Smile has excellent times for the typical tourist, or connector on that route. I agree that Ar Asia is cheap, but the hassles and the unpleasantness that attaches to Air Asia is sufficient that people like me would gladly pay more to avoid Air Asia. Up until now there was no direct option with TG to get to SIN, now there will be an option with Smile and I know that the pax load will be high if price is decent. I have used Air Asia on day flights for HKT_SIN, but oh how I despise Air Asia with its add on fees and cattle car approach to travel.


Edit Note: I just checked the price for business class: 28,115 baht. 16,885 economy ...????? I regret to admit that you are right, unless Smile adjusts its prices. What fools.
And I am a fool for thinking Smile would have got this right. It's not competitive with Air Asia. and is about 8-10,000 more baht expensive. I'll continue with the Air Asia abuse for the 10,000 baht savings on a 1 hr flight *sigh*

just did dummy booking SIN-HKT-SIN on march, the price is S$536 on V class I suppose (no mileage accrual). The Q class (mileage accrual) is S$609.

I think they are insane!!!

Edit Note: I just checked the price for business class: 28,115 baht. 16,885 economy ...????? I regret to admit that you are right, unless Smile adjusts its prices. What fools.
And I am a fool for thinking Smile would have got this right. It's not competitive with Air Asia. and is about 8-10,000 more baht expensive. I'll continue with the Air Asia abuse for the 10,000 baht savings on a 1 hr flight *sigh*

just did dummy booking SIN-HKT-SIN on march, the price is S$536 on V class I suppose (no mileage accrual). The Q class (mileage accrual) is S$609.

I think they are insane!!!

Yes, hopefully the prices will come back in line with reality and the route can survive. But, at the moment for Phuket residents, they will not be an option. Its good to see another carrier on the route though for sure.

My SIN-HKT flight in April, 2013 has dropped out of the United record. The flight no longer appears in any GDS, but it is still available for sale on the Thai website. I re-routed via BKK but am curious why the flights were removed?

The route is no longer avail sin-hkt :(

The route is no longer avail sin-hkg :(

I'm guessing you mean SIN-HKT.

I'm guessing you mean SIN-HKT.

Yeah... Typo....

instead, they are now offering HKT-KUL four or five times a week and will compete against Firefly (instead of Tiger)

instead, they are now offering HKT-KUL four or five times a week and will compete against Firefly (instead of Tiger)

I cannot see the HKT-KUL in the thai smile website.
And Firefly only route to HKT is from PEN not KL (SBZ)

GBM

I cannot see the HKT-KUL in the thai smile website.
And Firefly only route to HKT is from PEN not KL (SBZ)

GBM

as so often, the Website is lagging behind the CRS where these flights are already shown

Thai Smile is a joke.

As I predicted, the HKT-SIN flopped. In fact, it wasn't ever rolled out.

Smile has TG counters, check-in staff, their booking engine is a mirror of TGs, they run routes that TG is (or was) already profitable on.

The HKT-KUL route is interesting because they already code shared with Malaysian on that profitable route. I wonder do they use TG's ground service in KUL too?

In any event. Great to see new markets open up. I hope they pull more new city pairs together.

Thai Smile is a joke.

As I predicted, the HKT-SIN flopped. In fact, it wasn't ever rolled out.

Smile has TG counters, check-in staff, their booking engine is a mirror of TGs, they run routes that TG is (or was) already profitable on.

The HKT-KUL route is interesting because they already code shared with Malaysian on that profitable route. I wonder do they use TG's ground service in KUL too?

In any event. Great to see new markets open up. I hope they pull more new city pairs together.

DEL-HKT and BOM-HKT are also in the pipeline, such as BKK-MDL, BKK-AMD and BKK-BWN