Cheaper Bangkok fare on Thai AirAsia X from Oman

Oman Sunday 29/May/2016 22:27 PM
By: Times News Service
Cheaper Bangkok fare on Thai AirAsia X from Oman

Muscat: Fares offered by Thai AirAsia X between Muscat and Bangkok will be reduced by as much as 20 per cent, according to Nadda Buranasari, Chief Executive Officer.
The airline recently announced three direct flights between Muscat and Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting June 28.
“Our fares will be around 20 per cent cheaper than what other airlines are offering in Oman,” he added.
“We are truly excited to be the first long-haul, low-cost carrier to launch direct flights from Muscat to Bangkok. We are confident that there is great potential in connecting the two destinations, and it is our pleasure to play a role in offering low fares and convenient connectivity,” Buranasari added.
In 2015, nearly 71,000 Omanis travelled to Thailand, and with Thai AirAsia X providing some 59,000 seats per year, this number is expected to increase.
Buranasari noted that their target was to have 100,000 visitors to Thailand from Oman every year.
He said that fluctuating oil prices have not proven to be a major cause of concern, and that the travel market is not heavily affected by the current austerity.
“The way Air Asia operates, we very much depend on the lifestyle of the new generation of passengers, and that is why our fare models are designed to be tailor-made, so maybe it will have an effect, but these days the economy and travel doesn’t correlate that much.
“When the world economy is not great, you would expect travel to drop but, surprisingly, from the first quarter, the number of people coming in and out of Thailand has grown between 15 to 18 per cent, so these modern generations do travel.
New segment
“Every time a low cost airline opens in the market, it creates a new segment. There is competition, but we expect it to get bigger. There is a study, according to which when a budget airline opens, the market grows by 30 per cent,” he added.
On Thai AirAsia X, passengers can take advantage of connecting flights within Thailand, and also internationally.
“Apart from direct flights to Bangkok, AirAsia offers a network in Thailand and throughout the region, with flights to over 20 destinations in Thailand and 29 international destinations,” he added. Buranasari thinks the same figures will be seen for medical travel, as he expects it will not be affected by the current economic crisis.
“I think it will be the same as before. Medical tourism in Thailand is known for its high standards and low cost, so I think it will still be attractive. What is great for Omanis is that Thai second tier hospitals have been upgraded to become very good, so the Omani customer will have a lot more choices.”
Apart from direct flights to Bangkok, AirAsia’s Fly-Thru transit service also allows passengers to easily fly to other cities in Thailand via Bangkok Don Mueang Airport.
Fly-Thru destinations include Thailand’s world famous beaches in Krabi and Phuket and the beautiful northern cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
Passengers can check their baggage to their final destinations. Thai AirAsia X will also be the only airline connecting Muscat to and from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, which is located closer to Bangkok’s downtown area. The airline will service the three flights per week using an Airbus A330 aircraft with 365 economy class seats and 12 Premium
Flatbeds. The inaugural flight from Muscat to Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport will depart Muscat on June 28.