Originally Posted by
Kacee
But that's really changed post-covid, with sustained premium cabin demand by leisure travelers. Nocella specifically commented on this in the recent interview, essentially confirming that UA believes that such demand is here to stay.
Originally Posted by
FlytheTail
I've been watching longhaul to/from HNL and the premium cabins fill with few, if any upgrades. I recently flew in a purchased A-class fare ORD-HNL and was one of three to get upgraded (at the gate) there and no one got upgraded on the return. Similar weekend loads to/from IAD and IAH. I think they could fill all of coach and PP and most of Polaris on SFO-BKK, especially if offered as 3X/week to test the waters.
Originally Posted by
Kacee
While I usually agree with you, I beg to differ here. I'm not sure you're familiar with the route, the demand, or the fares. Fares are painfully high and the premium cabins typically sell out, on airlines (NH and JL) that don't give premium seats away. There's a fair bit of business traffic between the two countries and lots of tourist traffic both ways, which is particularly high end in the BKK-TYO direction (HiSo Thais love visiting Japan).
It's not just a post-COVID thing. FlyerTalk is a microcosm of the real world and a number of travelers have shifted to the WFBF camp. I just got back to CONUS from Honolulu and ended up paying the premium to upgrade to F even though it was twice what I would generally pay (in cost per hour of flight), particularly for the 777HD configuration. My whole family (7 travelers on 3 different itineraries) is paying for Premium Plus seats with some of us attempting miles+money upgrades to Polaris for our trip to Paris this month. Yes, the people willing and able to pay for the front cabin are a small minority but there aren't a lot of seats up there to fill.
Originally Posted by
ZenFlyer
As someone who just organized flights to Thailand for relatives in St. Louis, I would argue the opposite. For people not living in one of the above-mentioned US cities, a nonstop from the West Coast could turn their current 2-stop itinerary (via TPE) into a 1-stop itinerary. Or a 3-stop into a two-stop. I’d pay a premium for that.
Some of us will and some won't. I personally would pay a little bit more for an itinerary with fewer stops (and less chances for IRROPS) while my cousin's boyfriend needs the additional stops -- but I think there are enough people willing to pay for it to make another ULH route profitable today.
Originally Posted by
JayhawkCO
Either way, I agree that BKK is definitely not for everyone (I normally crash there for one night to get my sleep regulated before moving onto more interesting parts of SE Asia), but there are people that go there outside of punters and backpackers. It also feeds into TG's network too don't forget, which SGN wouldn't have much going for it in that respect.
The characterization you reference is ill-informed and/or biased. I like Thailand for the food, scenery, and wildlife; I am neither punter nor backpacker (when I did backpack, it meant carrying 3-4 days of supplies and camping well away from civilization). Between Chiang Mai and Bangkok, I prefer Chiang Mai but as an entree to the entire country, Bangkok is more centrally located and convenient for folks who want to visit the southern portion of the country.