Thai Airways Service NRT-BKK

[think_too_mut]

Thanks Roppongi and others...I have booked with No1 Travel. They offered a direct ANA flight for just under 60K, all taxes and fees included.

The published price is 48K but alltogether goes to near 60K (about 600US$).

A far cry from non-direct CX flight through HKG and 147K (1400US$) for that.

True, CX was 2 days later when high fees apply but, for the same day saving is still 400US$.

 

[jp1]

HIS is No.2 in Japan. No. 1 is JTB (Japan Travel Bureau).

[SingaporeSteve]

JTB is infact the largest travel company in the world. There sales dwarf those of American Express, despite being primarily an ex-Japan travel company whereas Amex is operating in over 100 countries with some very extensive operations.

 

Piece of useless information that you can bring up when conversations with anoraks get boring.

 

Cheers

[BelgianBoy]

TTM,

 

What are the dates you booked ????

 

..... you know, to have some dinner together ?

 

Cheers !

[think_too_mut]

>What are the dates you booked ????

 

 

"For security reasons we regret that we can not provide list of passengers on flights".

 

I'll PM you, still trying to get back earlier in Jan through Osaka or Nagoya.

[BelgianBoy]

TTM,

 

Done, see ya there.....

 

Cheers !

[Uncle Joe]

UAL875 said:

UAL - My namesake flight, number since changed. UAL is akin to taking a fancy Greyhound bus over from Tokyo. Always crowded and cramped, no options (only one daily flight each way including the horrid sunriser out of the Big Mango), borderline surly service, and a nasty landing slot at Narita meaning at least a two hour wait for the connector. But for me there are plenty of positives. Always on time, if not early.

Now TTM, I don?t know why you paid so much for that ticket other than you waited to the last of moments to buy? Plenty of bucket shops around Tokyo (one of which is conveniently located in Shinjuku across the street from the place I occasionally go to at lunch to get a handjob from cute Japanese students earning extra dough for the latest Gucci and Louie V. offerings!) that cater to these routes and to western travelers. More than a grand USD seems out of line even in the most dire of situations, the most I ever shelled out was about $550.

 

You'll have to scratch that "always on time" statement :-) I flew UAL 875 from Seattle 3 weeks ago and the NRT-BKK portion is now flight# 837. On the day that I connected in NRT (04th Nov Tokyo time) we were advised on arrival in NRT that 837 would be delayed for 4 hours due to waiting for a flight from Chicago that was delayed. So when the Chicago flight arrived, we boarded. At past 10pm instead of 05h50 PM. It's a long fucking trip and I was seriously pissed off, since they inconvenienced everyone rather than make other arrangements for the Chicago passengers. So much for timeliness and customer service. Plane took off well past 10h30pm. On the SEA-BKK run, 4 hours is the difference between arriving very tired and arriving exhausted.

 

But here's the interesting twist to my very banal story. After coming back last week, I call UAL customer relations to request compensation (rule 240, baby!). I give the guy the dates and times, my ticket reference etc. He tells me that according to his record locator, the 837 NRT-BKK not only was on time on that particular day, but that it arrived ahead of schedule in Bangkok! Moreover, he tells me that according to the computer record nobody else has complained about the flight been late, and this is a good sign that the plane was indeed on time. So of course I re-compare dates, times, and flight numbers with him to make sure that we are talking about the same date, and we are. He tells me he'll check.

 

I call back a few days later and talk with another guy. Same exchange of info, and he tells me the same thing as the other guy. So I tell him politely that there was a UAL crew flying this aircraft, and that both Tokyo and Bangkok airport must keep records of take-off and landing times, so it would be easier for UAL to check actual departure times than it would be for me to do so. I basically infered that I was not some nutcase making this up and that I was going to pursue it no matter what (in fact I would have gone straight to the FAA with this).

 

I strongly suspect that this has to do with "official" on-time US airlines statistics, which are regularly released to the public.

 

The guy was very nice and offered me a $100 coupon, which is peanuts anyway but that's as far as he would go. I guess it's better to argue at the airport when you can.

 

On the surliness of UAL attendants, I must concurr. On the BKK-NRT portion of the flight, they had that very rare bird: a Japanese FA who was rude and unsmiling even when smiled at. Never seen that before... I think they send all their attendants to Air France for customer training :-)

 

Uncle Joe

[UAL875]

Uncle Joe ? wow I used to have an Uncle Joe but he is dead. Sorry to hear your tale of woe. In my defense, I can only speak to UA875. UA875 used to be: Chicago-Denver-Seattle-Tokyo-Bangkok with 876 the reverse legs? Where it flies now, I have no idea except that 875 ends up the Asian day in Beijing or Taipei or some shit other than Bangkok. In fact five months ago, the last time I took 875, I was the final loser to enter the plane as an early boarding was conducted ? unbeknownst to me as Roppongi-san and I were taking the beer at Narita?s Kirin City. But I hear you on the lack of culpability/solutions from the UA phone staff when something goes awry. A couple weeks back I flew a UA codeshare to NY on an ANA plane. UA ticket, purchased through the UA website, etc. But when I check my mileage account it reflects an ANA flight which means no double miles as entitled to premium members (i.e. me). I telephone UA, provide them with all necessary info but there is a glitch in their database so that the UA flight is showing up as ANA ####. ?Can you manually override the system?? ?No.? ?But the flight numbers you are telling me make no sense, if it were the ANA flight it would only have two or three digits, not four. Four digits is the United codeshare as it appears on my receipt and purchase confirmation.? ?I know, but we can not do anything.? Well there you have it folks, machine rules man and I am fucked out of almost 9,000 miles unless I write a letter which really is not on the top of my to-do-list these days. Sounds like your course of action too? Gambatte (good luck)!

[Uncle Joe]

UAL875 said:

Uncle Joe ? wow I used to have an Uncle Joe but he is dead. Sorry to hear your tale of woe. In my defense, I can only speak to UA875. UA875 used to be: Chicago-Denver-Seattle-Tokyo-Bangkok with 876 the reverse legs? Where it flies now, I have no idea except that 875 ends up the Asian day in Beijing or Taipei or some shit other than Bangkok. In fact five months ago, the last time I took 875, I was the final loser to enter the plane as an early boarding was conducted ? unbeknownst to me as Roppongi-san and I were taking the beer at Narita?s Kirin City. But I hear you on the lack of culpability/solutions from the UA phone staff when something goes awry. A couple weeks back I flew a UA codeshare to NY on an ANA plane. UA ticket, purchased through the UA website, etc. But when I check my mileage account it reflects an ANA flight which means no double miles as entitled to premium members (i.e. me). I telephone UA, provide them with all necessary info but there is a glitch in their database so that the UA flight is showing up as ANA ####. ?Can you manually override the system?? ?No.? ?But the flight numbers you are telling me make no sense, if it were the ANA flight it would only have two or three digits, not four. Four digits is the United codeshare as it appears on my receipt and purchase confirmation.? ?I know, but we can not do anything.? Well there you have it folks, machine rules man and I am fucked out of almost 9,000 miles unless I write a letter which really is not on the top of my to-do-list these days. Sounds like your course of action too? Gambatte (good luck)!

 

Hi UAL875. Unlike your uncle Joe, I'm still alive but barely, after 2 weeks of donating bodily fluids in Bangkok.

 

Flight 875 still originates in Denver and it's still a 777 (a wonderful plane and a definitely redeeming feature for other UAL shortcomings) but now it ends up in Beijing, via NRT of course. And 876 is Beijing-Seattle. Flight 837 NRT-BKK is a 747. Both legs of the trip inbound and outbound the planes were chock-full.

 

I didn't appreciate their turning of the tables on me, but I must admire the boldness and the effect of surprise of the move :-) Burden of proof on the passenger to show that the plane was really late :-)

 

I took the $100 coupon, as the UAL guy said he would take my word for the delay (woop de doo! UAL just did me a big favor!). So I won't be pursuing the matter any further. Not worth it.

 

The moral of the story is: with UAL, use the extra waiting time at the airport to do your rule 240 bitching at the UAL counter to get compensation. At least they can't tell you there that the plane is arriving early :-)

 

Uncle Joe

[Guest]

I think the moral of the story is to fly ANA!?