TG non stop to USA in 2018
Oct 27, 2017, 2:19 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: most of them
Posts: 3,283
interesting. I'd much rather connect at a good airport wherever it is. US airports in general aren't much fun to transit. Then again neither are FRA or CDG. :-)
If I had to fly x-country from DC to California on a crappy narrowbody domestic service just to get a non-stop it wouldn't make sense to me. A short hop like JFK or ORD is certainly more palatable, but still not great airports to transit. If I can go in C or F on ANA or KE from IAD and then another comfortable widebody from NRT or ICN that sounds better to me all the way around, but if you are at a smaller outpost without a direct service to a decent connection in Asia then I guess it would make a bit more sense to do a 1-stop via a US hub.
If I had to fly x-country from DC to California on a crappy narrowbody domestic service just to get a non-stop it wouldn't make sense to me. A short hop like JFK or ORD is certainly more palatable, but still not great airports to transit. If I can go in C or F on ANA or KE from IAD and then another comfortable widebody from NRT or ICN that sounds better to me all the way around, but if you are at a smaller outpost without a direct service to a decent connection in Asia then I guess it would make a bit more sense to do a 1-stop via a US hub.
Oct 28, 2017, 2:10 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
The fuel cost is less of a concern with the 789/350 compared to the fuel guzzling 345. UA is reportedly doing quite well with SFO-SIN (a longer route), for example.
That said, I think it doubtful that paid premium cabin demand would support this route. Of course, poor economics have rarely stopped TG from doing anything.
That said, I think it doubtful that paid premium cabin demand would support this route. Of course, poor economics have rarely stopped TG from doing anything.
The direct A340 flights were great. And back in those days there was often wide open award availability at low mileage levels on UA etc...
Actual demand for paid premium cabins was low on BKK flights.
Another thing is that Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Japan, etc... are pretty close to exactly on the great circle route from JFK to BKK. So, not much of a detour, and sometimes very short connections are possible.
Oct 28, 2017, 5:39 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,194
Those cities are more on the great circle track for LAX-BKK, but not JKF-BKK.
That said, not all flights between city pairs are flight planned on the airway navigation routes the approximate great circle tracks for reasons of forecast winds, weather, geological and other events. I don't recall the specifiics of the flight planned route TG used for BKK-JFK.
See here from Great Circle Mapper by Carl Swartz:
Oct 29, 2017, 10:06 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
You’re absolutely right. I was mistaken about that. So, for JFK it would indeed save a lot of time, and would be a polar route.
I wonder if it would be operated on 787 or A350 aircraft. I also wonder if business and/or Economy product would be enhanced for such a long flight.
SQ had direct flights with only J and PY initially, and then changed to all J. There’s no way all J would work for the BKK market, but I would think at 16+ hours, the Y cabin would have to be spacious and comfortable enough to prevent people from going crazy.
That great circle map also illustrates why HKG is the best currently available connection between BKK and JFK.
I wonder if it would be operated on 787 or A350 aircraft. I also wonder if business and/or Economy product would be enhanced for such a long flight.
SQ had direct flights with only J and PY initially, and then changed to all J. There’s no way all J would work for the BKK market, but I would think at 16+ hours, the Y cabin would have to be spacious and comfortable enough to prevent people from going crazy.
That great circle map also illustrates why HKG is the best currently available connection between BKK and JFK.
Oct 30, 2017, 12:31 pm
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
UA is flying a 9 across Y cabin 789 from SFO and LAX to SIN and SQ is flying it's 9 across 359, which is slightly wider than the 787. Those are both longer flights than BKK would be. So I could see TG flying its current configuration 359s, though they would likely be weight restricted on the westbound.
Nov 12, 2017, 12:44 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YVR, KUL
Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL
Posts: 2,903
Per Orient Aviation, TG is "seriously" considering BKK-SEA nonstop.
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
Seattle is definitely surprising, but then again, TG has always been full of surprises...
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
Seattle is definitely surprising, but then again, TG has always been full of surprises...
Nov 13, 2017, 2:30 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Per Orient Aviation, TG is "seriously" considering BKK-SEA nonstop.
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
Seattle is definitely surprising, but then again, TG has always been full of surprises...
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
Seattle is definitely surprising, but then again, TG has always been full of surprises...
Nov 20, 2017, 11:29 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Melbourne, AU
Programs: *A Gold, QF (ex-QP), AA, TG, A3 Gold, VA, SQ
Posts: 358
Per Orient Aviation, TG is "seriously" considering BKK-SEA nonstop.
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
.
http://orientaviation.com/articles/3...e-route-launch
.
Nov 21, 2017, 12:21 am
#25
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
Awards would still be available with UA connections though.
Nov 21, 2017, 6:31 am
#26
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BKK
Programs: TG ROP Platinum, M&M Senator, IHG Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 8,324
if we get miles on our TG accounts for those domestic flights, why not! it can't get much worse then UA