Despite the upheaval in Thailand, Emirates is going ahead with its plans to boost services to Phuket with four additional weekly flights, made a codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways and announced its fourth daily A380 service between Dubai and Bangkok.
Four new to PhuketFour new weekly flights between Dubai and Phuket will commence on December 1 this year, adding a capacity increase of 57 per cent. Emirates will operate these flights with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 310 Economy Class seats.
The four new flights will introduce connectivity from most cities in the Americas for the first time as well as improve connections to a number of destinations in Europe and the Middle East where Emirates currently flies from more than 50 cities.
“Since the launch in 2012, Phuket has been a solid success story. The fact that we are now adding a further four weekly flights highlights not only the desirability of the destination but also the demand for passengers wishing to travel with Emirates,” says Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
“These new flights have been well timed to not only maximise connections across our network but also allow for a morning arrival in Phuket, giving travellers even more time to enjoy the island and its surrounds.” Codeshare agreement
Emirates’ increase in flights to Phuket closely follows the announcement of the airline’s codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways, which has added 14 new destinations to the Emirates network. Together with this codeshare agreement and the increased capacity to Phuket, Emirates’ customers now have even greater flexibility when planning their travel throughout South East Asia.
The new agreement will see Emirates’ code added to 19 Bangkok Airways routes across a number of Southeast Asian cities, seamlessly connecting customers to Koh Samui and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Yangon and Mandalay in Myanmar. Passengers travelling to Bangkok Suvranabhumi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will be able to take advantage of Bangkok Airways codeshare routes. This agreement also offers a choice of stopover in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Phuket for Emirates passengers travelling to and from Koh Samui.
Bangkok Airways operates 31 routes to 24 Asian airports. Emirates customers travelling on Bangkok Airways will enjoy the same luggage allowance they are entitled to on Emirates, checked through to their final destination. All Emirates’ passengers on Bangkok Airways flights will receive boarding passes on check-in at their first international departure point for connecting international services.
Earlier this year, Emirates announced its fourth daily A380 service between Dubai and Bangkok with the up-gauge of its current services from December 1.
The new two-class A380 service will operate daily as flight EK376 from Dubai to Bangkok and EK377 from Bangkok to Dubai. The up-gauge from its current Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will see an increase in capacity of 255 seats per flight and 3,570 seats per week to and from the Thai capital city.Important market
Barry Brown, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations East, said: “Thailand is an important market for Emirates, and the A380 has been extremely popular with travellers since we first started the double-decker aircraft service to Thailand in 2009. The addition of this two-class A380 passenger service will give even more travellers the chance to experience this revolutionary aircraft first hand.
“For business and leisure travellers, the Dubai-Bangkok route is a popular choice and this additional A380 service will be instrumental in helping us meet growing passenger demand, as well as deliver substantial economic benefits through travel connections and inbound seats.”
Emirates’ two-class A380 is capable of carrying 615 passengers across its business and economy cabins – accommodating 58 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 557 seats in Economy Class.
*************************************************************************************************************************************Overall life continues as normal, Tat says
ThaiI authorities have stepped up security at key locations in Bangkok following the explosion that took place on the evening of August 17 at the city’s Ratchaprasong Intersection. Citywide patrols are in place to ensure the safety of locals and visitors, according to a statement released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (Tat).
The Thai tourism industry has mobilised the support of its members to assist and facilitate tourists affected by the incident, such as providing interpreters and helping with immediate travel arrangements.
Meanwhile, overall life in the city is continuing as normal. All public services and banks are available to the public. As for tourist businesses, other tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and shopping malls remain open, while transportation links, major roads and airports continue to operate.
The explosion is currently under police investigation and a total of 22 casualties and 123 injuries have been reported as the magazine goes to press.