BA Heathrow to Bangkok

[Stumpdog]

Anyone seen anything from BA about when they will be restarting this route?

[davidge]

They keep on putting it off. Possibly the autumn but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

[Baddave]

You may be able to get BA from Heathrow to Doha and it'll be a be a Qatar flight to Bangkok.

Edited May 2, 2023 by Baddave

[Loughraj]

Not sure if they can restart the flight for this year, BA have extended the suspension till 2023. Maybe they has a different business plan and ownership structure to BA.

One option is to go via Singapore or Hong Kong and buy/redeem tickets separately for Bangkok.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2022/07/20/british-airways-extends-bangkok-suspension-into-2023/

[hammerman]

BA decommissioned all their 747s and have only bought back a portion of their A380s into service since Covid, they do not currently have the long haul planes to cover all their previous destinations, their main focus seems to be Westward and the USA with the craft they have available.  Hence the flights to Doha and the option to take you further on Qatar.

[Bonkabit]

Malaysia Airlines

11:00 AM 9:50 AM(10-04)

7:15 AM(09-14) 4:35 PM(10-04)

13h 15m 13h 45m

LHR to KUL KUL to LHR

September GBP 751 see Search flights || ITA Matrix by Google Frequent flights KL-Bangkok and to UTP (Pattaya/ Rayong), about 2 hours flight time.

[semi-retired member]

20 hours ago, hammerman said:

BA decommissioned all their 747s and have only bought back a portion of their A380s into service since Covid, they do not currently have the long haul planes to cover all their previous destinations, their main focus seems to be Westward and the USA with the craft they have available.  Hence the flights to Doha and the option to take you further on Qatar.

Good points.

I'd add that Qatar being a significant-shareholder is probably a factor, and the elderly B777-200 previously used by BA on the Bangkok-run was pretty tatty, with a small-screen IFE, although in their favour the catering was OK.

The problem is that London-Bangkok is a heavily economy/tourist-route, and BA still likes to think it's a premium-airline, flying-the-flag for the First/Business-class market.  No comment ! 🙄

[ICanand IWill]

26 minutes ago, semi-retired member said:

BA still likes to think it's a premium-airline, flying-the-flag for the First/Business-class market.  No comment ! 🙄

Unfortunately, I think it is ONLY BA that likes to think it is a premium airline. IMHO, it is nothing more and no better than Ryan Air or Easy Jet, except it flies (through legacy) long haul. And don't get me started on it's European flights

Edited May 4, 2023 by ICanand IWill
Edit to add

[Leo_Bia]

On 03/05/2023 at 01:28, Loughraj said:

Not sure if they can restart the flight for this year, BA have extended the suspension till 2023.

If they were to fly in 2023, we would have heard about it by now.

[gmingot]

17 hours ago, semi-retired member said:

 

The problem is that London-Bangkok is a heavily economy/tourist-route, and BA still likes to think it's a premium-airline, flying-the-flag for the First/Business-class market.  No comment ! 🙄

I think Bangkok will be one of the last BA long hauls to resume. As mentioned in a post above, its a low yield mainly tourist destination for them, it also does not feed into any of their major partners at BKK.

[Pinoydave]

Shame is that we need BA (and others) to start flying again to bring the prices down with other airlines 

[Stumpdog]

I don’t see how this isn’t a profitable route for BA, the airlines that fly direct are very busy and China Airlines doesn’t seem to have resumed direct either.

[semi-retired member]

4 hours ago, Stumpdog said:

I don’t see how this isn’t a profitable route for BA, the airlines that fly direct are very busy and China Airlines doesn’t seem to have resumed direct either.

I thought EVA and Thai were the only other airlines flying BKK-LHR direct, since the end of the short-lived Scoot flights, between BKK and LGW ?  Were China Airlines (also based in Taiwan) also flying it, or did you perhaps mean EVA ?

And BA control their own pricing & configuration, and could use the more modern/efficient B787 instead of their older B777s, if they chose to.  So they do have options to improve profitability on the route, if they wanted.  Such a shame to see them apparently giving-up, when they used to fill a daily B747, at one point !  Perhaps a sign of their gradual decline, or just the inherent competitive-advantage, of the one-stop via-the-Gulf carriers.

[Stumpdog]

20 hours ago, semi-retired member said:

I thought EVA and Thai were the only other airlines flying BKK-LHR direct, since the end of the short-lived Scoot flights, between BKK and LGW ?  Were China Airlines (also based in Taiwan) also flying it, or did you perhaps mean EVA ?

And BA control their own pricing & configuration, and could use the more modern/efficient B787 instead of their older B777s, if they chose to.  So they do have options to improve profitability on the route, if they wanted.  Such a shame to see them apparently giving-up, when they used to fill a daily B747, at one point !  Perhaps a sign of their gradual decline, or just the inherent competitive-advantage, of the one-stop via-the-Gulf carriers.

China Airlines also Taiwan based (as well as EVA) and I flew them direct many times from Heathrow. They were a good choice from LHR with a more affordable premium economy than EVA.

[Leo_Bia]

9 hours ago, Stumpdog said:

China Airlines also Taiwan based (as well as EVA) and I flew them direct many times from Heathrow. They were a good choice from LHR with a more affordable premium economy than EVA.

I flew with China Airlines many many times in 1990s but used pick it up in Amsterdam.

[semi-retired member]

15 hours ago, Stumpdog said:

China Airlines also Taiwan based (as well as EVA) and I flew them direct many times from Heathrow. They were a good choice from LHR with a more affordable premium economy than EVA.

Thanks, I just learned something new, from you !  👍

[Stumpdog]

7 hours ago, semi-retired member said:

Thanks, I just learned something new, from you !  👍

Sorry, I am mistaken, it was Amsterdam to BKK and not direct…age must be creeping up on me!

[Wiley Coyote]

13 hours ago, Leo_Bia said:

I flew with China Airlines many many times in 1990s but used pick it up in Amsterdam.

Is it true that you now have to go Amsterdam -Taipei-Bangkok?

[semi-retired member]

13 hours ago, Stumpdog said:

Sorry, I am mistaken, it was Amsterdam to BKK and not direct…age must be creeping up on me!

I sure do know that feeling !  😊 

No worries, and thanks for posting the correction, it did seem odd that both major Taiwanese airlines flew LHR-BKK direct/non-stop.

[KyleReading]

On 04/05/2023 at 03:10, ICanand IWill said:

Unfortunately, I think it is ONLY BA that likes to think it is a premium airline. IMHO, it is nothing more and no better than Ryan Air or Easy Jet, except it flies (through legacy) long haul. And don't get me started on it's European flights

If theres one airline in the world that you do want to be on if an aircraft goes tech at 35,000 feet than its BA

Safely from A to B is all that matters....the rest is just noise

[Kale]

On 08/05/2023 at 19:59, KyleReading said:

If theres one airline in the world that you do want to be on if an aircraft goes tech at 35,000 feet than its BA

Safely from A to B is all that matters....the rest is just noise

All international airlines need to meet the same international safety standards.  Top to bottom.

[KyleReading]

4 hours ago, Kale said:

All international airlines need to meet the same international safety standards.  Top to bottom.

Yes that went over your head somewhat but I could have been clearer I acknowledge

I was referring to the crew itself should an aircraft go tech at 35,000 feet and their ability to get everyone on the ground safely

No finer Pilots than those at British Airways

Can you just imagine Somchai at 35,000 and and his Mai Pen Rai attitude

[Kale]

27 minutes ago, KyleReading said:

Yes that went over your head somewhat but I could have been clearer I acknowledge

I was referring to the crew itself should an aircraft go tech at 35,000 feet and their ability to get everyone on the ground safely

No finer Pilots than those at British Airways

Can you just imagine Somchai at 35,000 and and his Mai Pen Rai attitude

If you say so.  International standards including pilot credentials, training, and experience.  Pilots move around like any other job.  Many former pilots from western airlines fly for asian airlines and vice versa. 

Here is the safety rank of major airlines.  BA is 17th of 20.  EVA is 9th.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-safest-airlines-in-the-world

Edited May 24, 2023 by Kale

[neilri2001]

On 04/05/2023 at 20:42, Stumpdog said:

I don’t see how this isn’t a profitable route for BA, the airlines that fly direct are very busy and China Airlines doesn’t seem to have resumed direct either.

It may technically have been a profitable route but with a shortage of long haul aircraft Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and the like will be more profitable

[hammerman]

Profitability comes from freight, as much as passengers.