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THAI Smile Launches Macau Flight
17th Jul 2012
Thai Airway's own light premium airline, Thai Smile, will commence on Sunday its twice daily direct service to Macau.
Thai Smile will use its Airbus A320 to serve the route. The day's first flight will depart from its hub in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport at 0745 hours and the second flight will leave at 1640 hours local time. The return flights will arrive in Bangkok at 1215 and 2115 respectively.
Thai Smile is the latest airline to offer direct Bangkok - Macau service. Air Macau, the full-service and flag carrier of Macau and budget carrier Thai AirAsia are the other airlines serving the route. Air Macau flies between the two cities two times daily while Thai AirAsia mounts a four-times daily service.
Thai Smile is like no other airlines in the region in that it offers premium seats to business travelers with the cost of a budget airline. The airline has allocated the first three or four front rows of the all-economy cabin for its Smile Plus, a service wherein business travelers are treated to a premium service akin to full-service airline's business class. The Smile Plus seats have higher leg room compared to ordinary economy seats and passengers here will enjoy bigger snack pack than the rest.
All passengers are given free snacks and drinks. Unlike most budget airlines, passengers on Thai Smile enjoy a free 20 kg checked baggage allowance in addition to the privilege of selecting preferred seats and Royal Orchid Plus mileage accrual (similar to Thai Airways). These services are usually found in full-service airlines but Thai Smile is offering them as their own brand of service.
Initially, the airline is fielding its lone aircraft A320 to serve the Bangkok-Macau route. Towards the end of this year, it will get two more aircraft. By the first quarter of 2013, it will take delivery of another two aircraft of the same type, two more in 2014 and another three by 2015.
Starting August 16, Thai Smile will commence its domestic operations flying to Krabi, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani. On the following month, on September 16, it will start the Bangkok - Phuket and Chiang Mai - Phuket services.
Next year's winter schedule shall see the airline taking from its mother airline all the Greater Mekong sub-region routes, save for Vietnam.
In 2015, when the ASEAN open sky policy takes into effect, any registered airline in the vast ASEAN region will be free to compete head-on with each other without being saddled with restrictions in both frequency and capacity. While taking hold of its role to reestablish Thailand as a gateway to the Mekong region, Thai Smile will also try to muscle its way into the lucrative intra-ASEAN market.
The brand, TG executives believe, will eventually help Thai's long haul service back to profitability.
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