Bangkok Airways ready to loosen monopoly

[davenuman]

Bangkok Airways (PG) is prepared to loosen its long-standing monopoly on domestic air services to Koh Samui by supporting Thai Airways' plan to fly there.

The privately-owned airline has also agreed to establish a joint flight operation agreement, in the form of code-sharing, under which THAI passengers can travel to and from Samui on PG aircraft.

Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, PG founder and chief executive, told the Bangkok Post that the airline welcomed THAI's entry to Samui airport, which it owns and operates, to put an end to criticism of its control of the lucrative Bangkok-Samui route.

The criticism has heightened as Samui's tourism operators have protested PG's move to increase the maximum round-trip Bangkok-Samui fare, excluding all other extra costs such as insurance, fuel prices and airport passenger charges, by 10.28%, to 8,900 baht, for fear it will affect the island's tourism business.

THAI intends to initially operate two flights a day, using Boeing 737 jets, and hopes to start code-sharing with PG on the route next month.

But the launch date of THAI's first service to Samui is still pending a positive outcome from the ongoing public hearing involving some 190 affected families as well as approval from environmental and civil aviation authorities who have frowned on plans to make the skies over the island any busier than they are now.

Authorities have limited the maximum number of flights to and from Samui to 34 a days (18 by jets and 16 propeller-driven) and restricted the landing and take-off period to 6am-10pm to limit environmental damage and noise pollution.

Samui airport is the only civil airport in the kingdom that has such flight restrictions.

Dr Prasert defended PG's decision to raise its fares starting Oct 31, saying they were in response to higher operating costs, including those involving shifting operations to Suvarnabhumi from Don Muang.

He stressed that the increase, which is only applied to one type of ticket, the most expensive category in the multiple-tier fare structure known as the "Y" fare, bought on the day of travel _ or "walk-in" price without a prior reservation.

Applicable during the current high season, the fare increase for such round-trip fares, from 8,070 baht previously to 8,900 baht, was highly unlikely to scare off tourists as Samui tourism organisations seemed to believe, he said.

Inclusive of other costs where the amount remains constant, the "Y" ticket price could go up to 10,170 baht.

The price of the other type of round-trip ticket, the so-called "M" fare, where prior reservations are made, has increased by only 200 baht to 6,900 baht.

"Samui's tourism industry may be overly concerned about the impact of the hike, which is minimal," Dr Prasert said, adding it was the first since July 2001.

Bron: Bangkok Post 7nov06 / http://www.bangkokpost.com[/i]

[pong]

dat betekent dus hoegenaamd NIKS at all!
gewoon, ze hebben al met diverse andere airlines through ticketing; betekent gewoon dat je hun extra hoge prijs bij de prijs naar BKK optelt, plus wat verborgen toeslagen. etc.
Overigens; THAI doet prussies hetzelfde met elke domestic flight vanaf BKK.
NIKS geen competitie/concurrentie/lagere prijs; de tarieven gaan zelfs omhoog, net op tijd voor de drukke kerst/1/1 periode!