News Forum - Travel packages mired by pricey airfare, slowing tourism recovery

[Thaiger]

Many that have been eagerly awaiting the full reopening of Thailand and the return of tourism, did not anticipate the severe cost of airfare and travel packages that has come with it. Now, tourism recovery in Thailand is threatened by the staggeringly high cost to fly, pricing many would-be travellers out of the trip. The president of the Thai Travel Agent Association says that tour packages are skyrocketing in price, mainly as a result of expensive flight tickets driven in part by higher fuel costs worldwide, and higher operational costs. Long-haul flights such as those from the US and Europe […]

The story Travel packages mired by pricey airfare, slowing tourism recovery as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Venusianhart]

like I said back in 2020 this pandemic will have a long hangover.  

Also events such as the world living off money printing and the mother of all bubbles had to end someday. That day has arrived. 

The decade will be one for the history books, if there's anyone left to write history when the dust settles on the third world war that's more likely to happen than not...

Pray to your gods old and new that Xi gets sidelined, and Putin somehow gets de-fanged before it comes to that. 

Even so, sayonara the old tourist arrogance the nation took for granted here, we doubt any lessons will be learned though. 

Maybe there's a ray of hope in them making far more realistic long term entry visas of various classes, because if tourists can't afford to get here, retirees and nomads are hardly likely to fill the gap under the current ridiculous hoops either. 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Venusianhart

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

Custom high-end packages and exclusive travel options are their aim to attract travellers wealthy enough to afford the rising prices.

That's what they've been craving for the past years, but they'll probably be disappointed by the low arrival number of billionaires.

[TSS]

TAT: don't hold your breath for the millions you've conjured out of thin air to arrive. Not happening anytime soon if ever. Stop the feel good propaganda, you look silly enough as it is

[rc1]

There's also an undeniable fact that the the Thai Covid fear( mostly media fueled) and mask obsession is negatively impacting the tourism numbers.

Despite the mandate being removed, the mass mask wearing by Thais negatively impacts tourism and will continue to do so until it is normal for faces to be uncovered again. 

 

[yselmike]

1 hour ago, Venusianhart said:

like I said back in 2020 this pandemic will have a long hangover.  

Also events such as the world living off money printing and the mother of all bubbles had to end someday. That day has arrived. 

The decade will be one for the history books, if there's anyone left to write history when the dust settles on the third world war that's more likely to happen than not...

Pray to your gods old and new that Xi gets sidelined, and Putin somehow gets de-fanged before it comes to that. 

Even so, sayonara the old tourist arrogance the nation took for granted here, we doubt any lessons will be learned though. 

Maybe there's a ray of hope in them making far more realistic long term entry visas of various classes, because if tourists can't afford to get here, retirees and nomads are hardly likely to fill the gap under the current ridiculous hoops either. 

You seem to be looking at it from a western perspective.Thailand is a short 5-6 hour max flight from the middle east,India and half of China not forgetting Singapore etc.The day they legalize casinos all bets will be off.If you knew Sihanoukville before and after the Chinese invasion!

I have been looking at the flights from Amsterdam,I can fly direct with EVA after the Christmas and new year peak,for €830 if I book now.thats with 30kg luggage and choose a seat when booking.

I read daily about the fact that my Euro is likely to sink to unknown depths come the autumn,and the there's COVID! There's always COVID! I am 71 so any trip may we'll be the last one so I want it to be stress and worry free.Thats what's stopping me booking.

 

[yselmike]

1 hour ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

That's what they've been craving for the past years, but they'll probably be disappointed by the low arrival number of billionaires.

The multi billionaires just park their yachts off Phuket,the ordinary billionaire just do what they want anyway.Try flying in on your own jet someday,you will be amazed at the depth of the bowing.

[Ramanathan.P]

If you think billionaires are going to sit on the bars in Pattaya and Bangla street Phuket, then it is wrong. They bring their own bar along with them wherever they travel, So do their entertainment. As such whatever they spend remains within them....will not cross over. Good luck on your policy targeting billionaire tourists

[Saunk]

6 hours ago, Venusianhart said:

Pray to your gods old and new that Xi gets sidelined, and Putin somehow gets de-fanged before it comes to that. 

As an American, I really don't think these two are the problem as much as my own govt.

[Janneman]

Well cheapest flight AMS BKK is like 440 euros now. End of november, end of january. You do have a stopover in Saudi Arabia as it is with Saudi Airways. Good thing Thailand and Saudi Arabia buddied up.

Personally, I prefer a direct flight. EVA air is like 700 euros.

So this talk about expensive tickets is, uuummm, crap.

[Skip]

It's called "rebound pricing"... happens whenever there is the opportunity for a company to try to take advantage of a disaster... it will eventually level out

[HiuMak]

6 minutes ago, Skip said:

It's called "rebound pricing"... happens whenever there is the opportunity for a company to try to take advantage of a disaster... it will eventually level out

The pandemic clearly reveals the greed of corporate organisations like airlines.

Revenge travelling by many after lockdown for 2 over years has triggered unnecessary demand for flights and hence price hike. I know many of my mates, have multiple repeated trips in and out of the country to different parts of the world. In some cases for vacation, visiting friends or going to see their children who may be studying or working overseas.

 

[Grumpish]

it is just the way airline pricing works - capacity vs demand. If there is excess capacity (low load factors) then tickets get deep discounts, at the moment, with reduced schedules, demand vs capacity is in the airlines favour - I don't know what kind of load factors they are seeing at the moment, but if they are getting flights that are 80%+ full then prices are going to be high.

[yselmike]

10 hours ago, Janneman said:

Well cheapest flight AMS BKK is like 440 euros now. End of november, end of january. You do have a stopover in Saudi Arabia as it is with Saudi Airways. Good thing Thailand and Saudi Arabia buddied up.

Personally, I prefer a direct flight. EVA air is like 700 euros.

So this talk about expensive tickets is, uuummm, crap.

Try the December January time scale,700 would not cover the return leg with EVA,flying out Dec 17 return 14 January the return leg was €850.I realize that is peak time,the cheapest I can find for a 28 day trip after January 10 (that's the end of peak season) was €840 return direct.KLM is of course even more.If I want to visit for four weeks including Christmas and new year it's going to cost over €1500.I won't book before November then we will know what's the deal with COVID and if the Euro is worth anything.

[Benroon]

11 hours ago, Janneman said:

Well cheapest flight AMS BKK is like 440 euros now. End of november, end of january. You do have a stopover in Saudi Arabia as it is with Saudi Airways. Good thing Thailand and Saudi Arabia buddied up.

Personally, I prefer a direct flight. EVA air is like 700 euros.

So this talk about expensive tickets is, uuummm, crap.

Yes it is, flight prices have come down dramatically in the last month (from Europe anyway) and the article just hasn’t caught up.