Kacee

This rumor has been floating basically since UA left nearly five years ago.

Will believe it when it's formally announced.

emcampbe

Agree with Kacee.

I know there are some that want to believe that BKK was higher yielding than many others suspect, but there is a reason that when UA started new ULH flights to South Asia last year, it was to SIN and not BKK, and two flights to boot. When LA to SIN didn't work out, rather then use that aircraft to do BKK, they simply kept the second SIN frequency to SFO.

And UA wasn't the only US carrier that decided BKK wasn't worth it with their own metal - DL followed UA out not too long after. UA still has JV operations via NH at NRT at least, and I'd bet for UA, it's a more efficient way to serve BKK.

usbusinesstraveller

WineCountryUA

And BKK is popular partially as a low-cost leisure destination, so many of those travelers are looking for low-cost travel.

spin88

A number of reasons, even if fuel stays cheap, why this is unlikely:

(1) TG will start US service, likely to LAX (but SEA has also been discussed) once the FAA upgrades their safety status. See https://skift.com/2017/10/18/thai-ai...r-withdrawing/ TG has the A/C for the route, and will do it for prestige factor IMHO once FAA approval comes.
(2) UA canned it's staff and the traffic it had has gone elsewhere. Opening a new station takes time and $$$. UA can't just pick up where it left off.
(3) not that much premium traffic, mostly leisure. Much of the leisure traffic will not pay the extra costs of a ULR flight (7933 sm) vs connecting on multiple lower CASM flights in Asia, and absent paid premium traffic the enconomics are bad.
(4) flying from SEA/YVR would make a lot more sense ( its 7459 sm, and the 500 less flight time at those ranges matter) but UA does not have a hub there, and DL does not have the traffic to feed a flight like this ex-SEA). This said, I would think a flight by DL on the A359 is more likely than UA doing ex-SFO on the 789.
(5) some of the premium traffic is - due to Thailand's very sharp division in income - not business J but F traffic. UA is not set up to attract this slice of traffic.
(6) were UA to run the route from SFO, travel from some of the US would actually be quicker - with better options (overseas customs, no "domestic" F flights), via Europe/ME3.

I could go on, but just don't see UA committing the resources, or taking the losses needed to build up a route like this.

Kacee

I'm not going to get caught up in the debate whether yields justify UA to BKK. I'd love to see it, primarily because it's such a pain to get there on a GPU'ed ticket without either (a) overnighting at a connection point in at least one direction, (b) risking an expensive misconnect on separate tix, or (c) spending an unpleasantly long time in Y.

In the meantime, I've become pretty good at finding discount TPAC J fares and figuring out how to advantage various FFP currencies (including KF, BA, DL, KE, and AP).

uastarflyer

warrenw

Don't forget BR, I've found D fares for as low as $2,600 to LAX.

jsloan

You have the advantage of starting from Asia. International fares are highly asymmetrical, and the fares ex-USA have been particularly high over the past couple of years. Currently, LAX-BKK RT on BR starts at $5100 base fare (plus taxes, fees, and surcharges); BKK-LAX RT starts at $3300.

usbusinesstraveller

warrenw

You are not wrong. I thank my lucky stars for that. That plus ICN is a destination that many carriers are competing in, so that adds in as well. NH won't touch ICN with a 10 foot pole though and for the life of me I can't get a NH fare to price going to the US and back via Japan. Anyway but that's besides the point, at least for now I've been able to get amazing fares to and from the US and Europe originating in ICN. My boss just paid $6,800 from SNA to ICN and back where I paid $2,200 for that last February.

I didn't realize BR was quite that high though. I just snagged a flight to LHR on BR for $2,400 in November...

Kacee

lol, I'm flying BR back from BKK in two weeks . . . they have a $3400 RT BKK-SFO fare right now. Best flight times (for me at least), best service.

I also got the $3600 SFO-SIN fare on SQ ($3200 through IAP) for November. I'll have considerably more spend off UA this year than on it (but will clear 1K tomorrow night SFO-EWR).

The Premium Fares forum is largely an exercise in frustration if you're west coast based.

warrenw

just curious, do you credit everything to your United account or do you have mileage accounts with NH, SQ, etc?

Kacee

I'll credit BR to UA at 125%, don't see any better option. SQ I'll probably credit to AS at 325%, but haven't decided for sure. (I do have a KF account and use the miles but the D only accrues at 125% there.)

Purchasing with Amex Plat at 5x takes some of the sting out of the UA point loss. The MR usually go to either KF or DL.

williambruno1975