gobbledonk Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 With the exception of SARs and the Bali bombinb, I dont know of anything that cuts down on the number of people aboard any given 747 bound for Asia from Oz. I dont know if its the increase in business travel, or whether the package deals are just too good to pass up, but every plane I step onto seems to be bulging at the seams. Anyone had a different experience ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 From a bar owner's perspective, this is a difficult question. Not only that, but I have to try and judge the type of visitors, young, old, groups etc. Last year fucked everything with SARS and GW2. This year is perhaps benefitting from demand postponed from last year whilst the USD falling against THB has obviously put some off when the Philippines is apparently much cheaper. Speaking about Pattaya, conventional wisdom dictates that Xmas and New Year are the busiest. You then have a quiet Feb and Mar before becoming more busy due to Songkran and then Cobra Gold through to the end of May. You're then going to be a little quieter through the summer months until you get some late summer action with those taking advantage of the great deals available at that time. You then have a build up to the end of the year again. We're now at the end of Cobra Gold but non military business is quite good. As for staff, then the girls will mostly be OK for the next month and we'll reassess whether we need to reduce headcount then. The problem is you don't want to lose or fire good girls but you cannot carry too high a costbase if the trade is not there to justify it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCgringo Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 Thanks for the onsight into the business.... I think one of the problems is that the Airline and Hotel/resorts have different "off" seasons USA Summer season all the flights seem higher because of demand, this may have nothing to do with if its High or Low season at the final destination. Some of this may be that the flights stop off in Japan , Korea etc and many of these people are returning home for vacation. Right now flights from the USA to BKK are pretty high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 >>>>Right now flights from the USA to BKK are pretty high<<< Really? Now is considered the slow season. R/T from HNL to BKK is $369.00. Never gets much cheaper than that. And at 10,000 miles one way, hard to figure out how they can make any money??? (1.8 cents per mile). :: I'm now thinking of flying there for just 2 days next month, because it may be cheaper to do that, rather than ship my products back home. Do you know that UPS wants US$43.00 to send an envelope to LOS from Hawaii? (as in a letter...a couple of ounces). I kid you not. :: Something is really wrong when it is cheaper for me to fly there, and hand-carry back 170 LBS. of product, as opposed to shipping one way. WTF is up with this? It's not only twice the distance, but they must feed me, give me food/wine/beer, and hire flight attendents to take care of me on both legs, as opposed to throwing my shit in a bin in a cargo hold, and only shipping one way. There is something really wrong here. For the life of me, I cannot figure it out. I swear to God...what is up with this stupid shit? Anyway, most hotels will reduced their rates starting March 31st until Oct./Nov., when high season rates will go into effect, until the next March. Not surprisingly, this correlates with the temperatures in LOS. The summer months can be unbearably hot there, hense the "off season" rates, as opposed to the cooler 'winter months", thus bringing on the high season rates, when most people find it more desirable to travel there. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 And at 10,000 miles one way, hard to figure out how they can make any money??? (1.8 cents per mile). They're not making money. This is what I don't get either. The big airlines are complaining about losing tens of millions each quarter then they lower fares. I just read a couple articles where UA lowered fares that were not matched and NW lowered fares is some markets where it competes with CO. I guess I don't see the big picture when oil costs are at record levels and they are lowering fares and laying off employees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Hi HT, 'Unbearably hot' is exactly what some of us would be dreaming of right now in Oz, and the lure of 4 nights in Phuket for under $1000 must look awfully good to some poor sod trapped in Melbourne in Winter. I'm lucky - it rarely drops below 20 deg C during the day here in CQ, but plenty of southerners would look at the posters and think 'Oh Yeah !'. Just ask TB - I'm sure he's booking plenty of tropical getaways from Sydney's wet and dreary Winter. I can relate to what you are saying though - at Xmas, when its 45 deg C here, the last thing I want to do is swap this dry heat for Asia's humidity. So much easier to sell that dream when the wind is tearing through your clothes and you havent seen the sun in weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted June 2, 2004 Report Share Posted June 2, 2004 I think demand for airline travel to places like Thailand is pretty inelestic. Looking around the plane from the UK and the cabin is 80% full of blokes of varying ages and backgrounds, sex tourists being blunt. Not the disaster sensitive tourists, or indeed price sensitive. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Was on a China Airlines (first time) last monday very early - 02.30 flight to Amsterdam. Plane full at 99%, were just two seats free in the middle somewhere at the back (fortunataly one seat on my left) Seems there was room in business though... I travel 2-3 times a year to ColdWetLand and planes are always full, no more low season to LOS :: Very satisfied with CI service, stupid movies but drinks and snacks all the way besides normal airline food. They had a few thai stewardess but most were chinese. I prefer thai ladies for their looks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 C'mon, Thalenoi - I think what you *meant* to say was 'I prefer Thai-Chinese ladies for their looks' ! OK, my personal preferences aside, I am currently at the stage OH has seems to have reached : if its got tits or tyres, it will give you trouble. Perhaps its just as well that the planes are full of tourists - another disincentive to get myself in any more trouble :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 I have caught that flight a few times... If my memory serves me correctly it leaves Amsterdam at 14:30 for Bkk arriving at 06:30 the next day.. The plane has always been full when I have been on it, a friend caught EVA during SARS, said the plane was empty then. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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