flyinŽruddl

After some thinking about it I thought a thread might be a good idea.

So IŽll go first:

Problem: Complained about 2 segments in old C on longhaul flights, one booked as a J fare, one was upgraded from B.

Solved: Received two standby upgrades, valid for one year, usable either on Y->C or C->F, valid on any fare.

How: Not sure if posting this is a brilliant idea, waiting for your input

Sidenote: Worked out perfect for me, done deal already.

F.R.

bkkman

Wish I had been offered that.

Problem : Booked in A class LHR-BKK but old F seats

Result : Backwards and forwards for months to gradually increase compensation offered from 5,000 miles to 15,000 miles.

Would have been happy to get an upgrade offer rather than the insult I did, especially as I paid top dollar from my ticket.

Anyway now I have found an excellent solution to this problem to ensure it never happens again....... it is called SQ !!!! now no problems.

The only time I use Thai now is for special offer tickets and the many redemptions I get through Amex, Citibank and KTC locally issued credit cards.

I will never spend top dollar again with Thai untill they resolve this double p*** take.

Always makes me wonder how many good customers Thai have lost by ignoring, what is to most efficient airlines, the basic concept of customer service and actually providing what people have paid for. It is very easy for them to resolve but they refuse to do so.

If I take a cheap deal I can forgive a few small problems but when I pay a high price I expect a high level of service. I do not think my expectations are unreasonable.

Very frustrating as I would like to use Thai much more, as I am sure many others would too.

Please, please please Thai, it is easy for you to see who are good customers, take care of them.

BKKROP

No it is a good idea flyin'ruddl, I could never get over why so many people complained and did stuff all about it. My money is as good as anybody's else, and as I pay my own way, I want what I pay for. In the old days they used to give me $500, then they switched to upgrades, but they were one way and they confused my booking system. Now I advise that I want neither, I want the plane I booked and I am flexible enough to change dates, but to be honest, it's not happening too much for me now.

The problem arises that there are so many fares out there and some passengers may only fly once in a lifetime, picking the good THAI flyers like bkkman says must be difficult. QF and SQ don't have this problem, they have the biggies and mustn't it be wonderful for them. But when they did put me on an oldie, I must tell you, they weren't receptive to any compensation, but then unlike with hassles with TG, I didn't pursue it, I should have, but I reckoned it was a cheap fare anyway and let it go.

Thai-Kiwi

The 'A' fare class for First is the semi-discounted fare bucket, so you really didn't pay 'top dollar' for your flight (less than F and more than P).....but I know how you feel.

I had a trip in Dec 2006 in Biz BKK-SIN-BKK on a mini mileage turn-around run using a 'THAI Value card'. The trip was a supposedly on the 772 out and back. Guess what turned up......

.....a 747-300.

Yes, that is not a mistake. The 747-300 was HS-TGD, this was not long before they were finally retired from service in 2007. The crew looked as if they had all been called in from standby, and talking with the purser about training and maintaining standards it was a 'mai bpen rai...'

Service was excellent, but the seat pitch in biz was the same about the same as that in the B737-400 ie less than the A300.

bkkman

Sorry you are correct I did not pay the utmost IATA F fare but BKK-LHR was $8,000 which is still in my book, as I like you pay, for my own tickets. is a substantial amount. I do however know that for people not paying for their tickets that ticket prices are of little or no consequence for them.

The SQ A380 and 777-300 ER biz fares LHR-BKK-AKL at I bought at $4,000 inc extra free upgrades were bargain tickets and on great equipment.

I suggested a while ago a thread where we could share our experiences so we can all utilise information to enable us to get what we paid for.

All the above threads have their valid points and I feel we should pool our experiences to help those with VALID complaints. Thai need to learn that they should listen to these valid complaints.

vbroucek

I will risk that I will be flamed, but I will risk it. From business point of view, if someone buys business class ticket on any airline, that someone bought business class ticket. The airline did not promise anyone that it will be in particular seat and the airline does have rights to change aircraft. It is always in the small print. So, if someone gets old seat, it is basically game of roulette and that someone has two options – just cope with it or try to complain. If the complaint brings something, that someone should be happy, if not, that someone should realise what I wrote above is actually legal fact. I am not lawyer, but I do lot of work around law and I think that legally, airline does not have to do anything as long as you are in seat of the same class you booked, no matter how old or bad the seat is, as long as it is functional.

And yes, I always pay for my tickets and yes, I would be pissed off if I booked flight that was supposed to be on 77W and was on 773, but I would understand it...

bkkman

No flaming as I am in total agreement with what you have said.

As a business owner however, if I was aware my customers were unhappy and was in risk of losing many of them I would at least check their complaints and if valid deal with them, this is called customer service.

If I build a corporate website for a client and it does not work as agreed in a scope of work document, do you think he would be happy to pay me the full fee unless I fixed it ? I do not think so.

I agree with you, it is basically like a game of roulette that is why I play Airline Roulette in Singapore rather than somewhere like the Thai Cambodian border where the gaming is fixed.

Let me play in a regulated envoirement with a casino that gives me a lot of freebies and welcome me back rather than should I have the audacity to complain I would be dealt with by some obnoxious bullies.

Once again I totally agree with you about the legal position and if airlines pointed out in such a direct fashion as you have I am sure they would have floods of customers coming to their business.

So as you say they legally do not have to do anything.

I have an easy solution called voting with your feet. If I get good customer service I am loyal and if my valid complaint is dealt with will stay with them.

Example last week Hertz in BNE my normal car hire company. I had a problem with Fuel tank level and mileage of vehicle. The issues were dealt with in a polite professional manner and this member of staff ensured that my next car hire will be with them and not Avis or some other companies.

Simple not difficult

vbroucek

I also fully agree with you. And I also try to avoid TG roulette. However, as I said, I pay for my tickets, so I will put it this way. If my wife and I are going to holiday in Europe and we buy two C class tickets on LH via BKK (hence flying TG between Australia and BKK) each ticket is about A$1,300 cheaper than on LH via SIN (i.e. flying SQ between Australia and SIN). A$2,600 then goes towards something else – in our case towards leasing brand new car for 30 days. That is called budgeting.

Luckily, we never had the pleasure of old configuration and hopefully will not have. Luckily again, it seems that LH is going to have same cost via SIN and BKK from now on (at least I could book MEL-SIN-FRA and MEL-BKK-FRA round trips for exactly the same money recently) and I will be able to avoid flying TG. Actually not because of TG, but because of BKK. God I hate that airport…

Finally, I am not discouraging people from going and asking for compensation (I WOULD ASK TOO) – I am just saying that they should not expect it. If they get it, they should be happy, but not expect it.

bkkman

If I fly Air Asia or any other lo cost carrier or stay in a 2 * hotel I expect nothing.

I enjoy getting free upgrades to biz or First. freebies and great deals such as a Suite in the Peninsula Hotel from $800 down to $105 this has saved me many thousands of dollars which I can spend on other things.

I expect nothing but am very good at getting upgrades and extras that others pay for, this is enjoyable as it is all just a game anyway.

vbroucek

Hmm, seems we are the same - everytime I post my op-up on LH (M&M) forum, they do not want to believe it. I have got Gold with Radisson on one year old Orange promotion even though I live in Australia and we do not have Orange here.

Yes it is nice game - sometimes expensive, though. I remember when I managed to get very first op-up for myself and my wife on a way from Europe to Australia (1997?). We were whY flyers until that time. Never ever since...

bkkman

Very funny about being expensive as once you have flown biz or First then you cannot turn right on the plane anymore

It always makes me smile when people do not believe as per your op-up on LH Forum, jealousy I think.

Enjoy and lets find some more freebies

vbroucek

Oh yes, I can turn right... LH 747s have F class upstairs, so you turn right, then slightly left, climb few steps and voila...

bkkman

you obviously need the last word..............

flying_pig

In my opinion the key problem is that TG extensively advertises the "new" (well...) seats on some routes. Also, if you give the London office a call they will happily tell you that your flight will certainly get the new configuration.

pogonation

I think the main problem with swaps to the 747 all series is the fact that you have paid for a business seat and you have not been given a business seat. Go onto TG's website and you will notice that these seats are not advertised anywhere as a long-haul business class seat (unless you count a 747-300 seat map). However they are advertised as a premium economy seat on flights to CPH and ARN.
Therefore I think you can argue TG downgraded you to premium economy because on similar distance routes they advertise this seat as a premium economy seat.