Way too many Bus gates, only Thai, and no Bus Class buses.....awful
May 6, 2019, 6:04 pm
#76
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
May 6, 2019, 7:06 pm
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,206
...and quite a few long haul departures around midnight by TG, mainly to Europe. The list is not complete:
23:45 TG920 to FRA
00:01 TG473 to BNE
00:05 TG930 to CDG
00:15 TG465 to MEL
00:20 TG944 to FCO
00:30 TG934 to BRU
00:50 TG924 to MUC
00:55 TG910 to LHR
00:55 TG954 to OSL
01:05 TG970 to ZRH
01:10 TG960 to ARN
01:20 TG950 to CPH
01:20 TG936 to VIE
These departing aircraft may have arrived from short/med haul flights, including domestic flights.
23:45 TG920 to FRA
00:01 TG473 to BNE
00:05 TG930 to CDG
00:15 TG465 to MEL
00:20 TG944 to FCO
00:30 TG934 to BRU
00:50 TG924 to MUC
00:55 TG910 to LHR
00:55 TG954 to OSL
01:05 TG970 to ZRH
01:10 TG960 to ARN
01:20 TG950 to CPH
01:20 TG936 to VIE
These departing aircraft may have arrived from short/med haul flights, including domestic flights.
May 12, 2019, 4:54 am
#78
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,731
TG at its best: arrived on a full A380 and were already late, plenty of gate positions empty (including A380 gates) and sure enough turned right for an apron position. Then the usual chaos, the first bus left with just a few people despite displaying "first/business" and the other J pax had to wait quite a bit for another "regular" bus. Then got the full airport bus tour and a long wait at really hot transfer security (what was the person desgining the airport smoking?), so barely made my connection on a scheduled 2+ hour layover and got to the plane all sweaty.
May 12, 2019, 7:48 am
#79
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 128
Yes. TG/PG or even WE (to an extent) use a lot of bus gates because BKK is their hub airport. It is not about saving cost but it is more about not having to move empty aircraft from one place to the other with a push back truck.
When you get a bus gate, it’s one of the following:
- You’re on an international flight but plane parked on domestic gate.
- You’re on a domestic flight but plane parked at an international gate.
- You’re about to board a flight where the plane was idle for more than 3 hours (so it did not park at a gate because they did not want to pay the airport the opportunity cost).
- You’re just disembarking from a plane that has no scheduled flight after your flight for more than 3 hours.
When you get a bus gate, it’s one of the following:
- You’re on an international flight but plane parked on domestic gate.
- You’re on a domestic flight but plane parked at an international gate.
- You’re about to board a flight where the plane was idle for more than 3 hours (so it did not park at a gate because they did not want to pay the airport the opportunity cost).
- You’re just disembarking from a plane that has no scheduled flight after your flight for more than 3 hours.
May 12, 2019, 8:30 am
#80
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Bangkok & Dublin
Programs: Thai ROP Platinum; BA Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium For Life; IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 375
Yes. TG/PG or even WE (to an extent) use a lot of bus gates because BKK is their hub airport. It is not about saving cost but it is more about not having to move empty aircraft from one place to the other with a push back truck.
When you get a bus gate, it’s one of the following:
- You’re on an international flight but plane parked on domestic gate.
- You’re on a domestic flight but plane parked at an international gate.
- You’re about to board a flight where the plane was idle for more than 3 hours (so it did not park at a gate because they did not want to pay the airport the opportunity cost).
- You’re just disembarking from a plane that has no scheduled flight after your flight for more than 3 hours.
When you get a bus gate, it’s one of the following:
- You’re on an international flight but plane parked on domestic gate.
- You’re on a domestic flight but plane parked at an international gate.
- You’re about to board a flight where the plane was idle for more than 3 hours (so it did not park at a gate because they did not want to pay the airport the opportunity cost).
- You’re just disembarking from a plane that has no scheduled flight after your flight for more than 3 hours.
May 12, 2019, 7:52 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Singapore
Programs: TG Gold, MPC Silver, Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 563
These bus gates really annoy me so I've been voting with my wallet and spending my money with SQ . With a bit of planning, the difference in fare for J is fairly negligible for a much better hard and soft product + guaranteed gate that's typically located a stone's throw from the lounge so it isn't a really difficult choice!
A could of week back I thought I'd give TG a go again on the BKK-SIN route and it was a bus so I've more or less given up on them now. I just use ROP to credit miles and cash in a 1st class long haul every now and again.
A could of week back I thought I'd give TG a go again on the BKK-SIN route and it was a bus so I've more or less given up on them now. I just use ROP to credit miles and cash in a 1st class long haul every now and again.
May 12, 2019, 9:58 pm
#82
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Ironic that an airline which is so bloated in other respects chooses to cut costs in a way which impacts the passenger experience so negatively.
May 13, 2019, 12:21 am
#83
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,731
It's irrelevant......THAI wants to be in the top 5 airlines in the world, as stated by their (latest) new President last year........what a joke......tell me the last time you remember being "bused" in Singapore or Hong Kong or Seoul? SQ and CX are acknowledged regional leaders, Korean not so much, but THAI are soooooo far behind their regional competitors its no wonder they are losing money, despite all the fleet upgrades
The frequent bus action, unusually frequent aircraft changes (was scheduled to go lie-flat on an A350 and ended up on an ancient B744) plus the mediocre lounges and the terrible airport (hot, long ways to just about anything, slow and ineffective transfer security ...) are just some of the features that do not make TG 5* or a top 5 airline. The donation to Skytrax would have to be very high to make it happen.
May 13, 2019, 12:37 am
#84
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
May 13, 2019, 2:03 am
#86
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: TG*G , PR Classic
Posts: 25
In my opinion the reason for behind this only for confortable of worker and thier procedure since if you arrive from Domestic and you want plane stop at contact gate after disembarked PAXs,
Then same aircraft will serve at international route again they need addtional tractor service for move aircraft to international flight gate again. its Cost TG. and additional personel.
Then same aircraft will serve at international route again they need addtional tractor service for move aircraft to international flight gate again. its Cost TG. and additional personel.
May 13, 2019, 7:47 am
#87
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
If it's because they don't want to move the aircraft from international to domestic gate, which domestic route gets the 380?
May 13, 2019, 7:58 am
#88
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Bangkok & Dublin
Programs: Thai ROP Platinum; BA Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium For Life; IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 375
Apparently there are only 5 gates capable of handling A380s, so when Emirates and a couple of other foreign A380s are parked (always at a jet bridge), then I guess the TG A380s have to park up at the apron.........
May 13, 2019, 8:36 am
#89
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Singapore / Bangkok
Programs: SQ, BA, QR, Marriott Titanium & LT Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Accor Plat, AmEx Cent
Posts: 444
Last Thursday, arrived on SQ 982 ... we had to wait 15 mins after touch down and taxi because the aircraft using the gate had not yet departed. If I recall it was D7 (?). I’d rather a bus than wait. Maybe the issue is the airport is at / beyond capacity ?