Flights to/from Koh Samui
 

Is Bangkok Airways the only carrier operating to/from Koh Samui? I've been trying to book flights from SIN and not only is PG the only carrier flying direct to/from USM, but even TG doesn't fly to USM from BKK. Nor do regional LCCs like Air Asia or Jetstar. Out of curiousity, any reason why this is so?

PG owns the airport. TG gave up the BKK route several years ago. There's nothing wrong with PG, but it's likely going to be pricey. Book early if you can.

-David

PG doesn't desire competition from other airlines, especially those that are likely to undercut it. This wasn't so much of an issue with TG, and TG also has quite a bit more clout in Thailand than LCCs from other countries (i.e. rejecting TG outright probably wasn't a viable option).

Thanks. My last trip to Samui was nearly 10 years ago, so hadn't realised the change. Although didn't foreign carriers like SQ/MI and/or the LCCs fly Koh Samui too? At least before Covid? So presumably this monopolisation of the USM flights is a recent (covid?) development?

Airlines other than PG have served USM from time to time, but never amounting to more than ~10% of total flights. Again, they OWN the airport.

not at all!
PG owned the airport for decades... just few flights by other airlines also precovid...for a certain time also TG had one daily flight (with a 737) but they discontinued some time before Covid...

I vaguely recall that Scoot or SQ may have served the route at one time or another. I found a picture on my camera roll from April 2019 showing a TG plane at USM.

-David

I don't recall SQ itself flying there in the past, but MI did.
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Silk...Z9q2HzURLro%3D

I wouldn't be surprised to see SQ livery if/when they relaunch because SQ has been repainting MI 737s.

Given they own the airport, after TG retired their 734s, PG conveniently made sure that the official runway length is too short for anything larger than an A319 (which is what PG operate to USM alongside the ATRs..)

Interesting. I've no problems with flying PG, just the lack of alternatives and paying the markup in a monopoly. Ah well, can't be helped. Out of curiousity are there other airports owned by PG?

Not that I am aware of. 😊

Trat (the airport for Koh Chang)
so far only flights by PG to this airport

I do not think there is much space for an extension; certainly not for accommodating wide body aircrafts...

I suspect that entry barrier was erected with regional LCCs (that fly neither 319s nor widebodies) in mind.

PG officially shortened the runway a few feet so that TG's 737s couldn't use it. There's absolutely no question it was intended to prevent competition from TG. Welcome to Thailand.

I flew MI in J to SIN quite a few times. It was a nice KF redemption, especially when KF was running discounts. PG aircraft have like 29 inches of pitch in Y, I find it barely tolerable for the 1 hour flight. Their J cabin is pretty nice, but they have a very limited number of those aircraft (and were not operating them during the pandemic).