AF opening route to TBS in the summer
Dec 11, 2018, 12:17 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
G
Dec 11, 2018, 12:55 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Luxembourg
Programs: KLM/AF Platinum for life, IHG Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,026
AF was petitioned by the Georgian government already in Q4 2017 to re-start this service. I have been flying it via SVO and arriving at lunch. The return also leaves so early that you can get back to Central Europe by lunch on the way back. This flight isn't quite as convenient but might work.
Dec 11, 2018, 1:15 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
2 flights a week when most other carriers operate at least a daily service (if not 2) during the summer... Ah well, fingers crossed and it's good to have a SkyTeam alternative anyway (same with Belgrade, also recently announced).
G
G
Dec 11, 2018, 3:47 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
Programs: AF/KL Flying Blue Platinum for life/Club2000 Ultimate, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 21,922
May I remind that we have a master thread for new and cancelled routes, to avoid to start a new thread each time 
Master thread : AF new and cancelled routes
Master thread : AF new and cancelled routes
Feb 16, 2019, 1:09 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: MUC
Programs: TK Elite, FB Gold
Posts: 315
Happy to find that the TBS route still has some discounted awards tickets, albeit they're very sparse. Managed to get 2 one ways from MUC to TBS for 18,000 each in J. Now need to get something on the return which is currently a whooping 50,000 in J.
Feb 17, 2019, 12:56 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,836
That's unfortunately the sad destiny of TBS flights! The busiest arrival time is around 2-4am and the busiest departure time 5-6am. The big airlines do that to maximise same day connection opportunities as well as available rotations. That's what makes the AF flight so tempting (so far, the only way to get non horrid times from most places is TK via IST or even Pegasus if you dare!) as well as so surprising (the plane looks like it will spend more than 12 hours at TBS doing nothing!
The busiest arrival time is around 2-4am and the busiest departure time 5-6am. The big airlines do that to maximise same day connection opportunities as well as available rotations. That's what makes the AF flight so tempting (so far, the only way to get non horrid times from most places is TK via IST or even Pegasus if you dare!) as well as so surprising (the plane looks like it will spend more than 12 hours at TBS doing nothing!If they operated the flight on a daily basis, they would probably turn around the plane in TBS and switch the crew (incoming crew spends a night in TBS and operates next day’s return flight)
Feb 17, 2019, 3:58 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,842
I'm the only one who thinks that hotel rates in Tbilisi have increased significantly during the last years ? - in particular compared to how cheap everything else is in Georgia. I was in Tbilisi and Batumi for holiday in early September 2016 and enjoyed it immensely but when I checked rates for a possible visit this year I was put off by the hotel rates.
Last edited by SK AAR; Feb 18, 2019 at 4:39 am
Feb 18, 2019, 3:08 am
#23
Join Date: May 2015
Location: RBA / TBS
Programs: AF Gold / Accor Gold / Hilton Diamond / TP Silver / A3 Gold
Posts: 2,746
I'm the only one who thinks that hotel rates in Tbilisi have increased significantly during the last years ? - in particular compared to how cheap everything else is in Georgia. I was there fore holiday in early september 2016 and enjoyed it immensely but when I check rates for a new visit this year I was put off by the hotel rates.