The new international passenger terminal (T2) at Noi Bai Airport, now in operation, is set to nearly double the Vietnamese capital's flight capacity to 10 million passengers annually.
Check-in counters for THAI flights at the new terminal are located at Rows E1 to E6. The counters open two hours and 15 minutes before flight departure and close 40 minutes before flight departure.
THAI passengers should note that the minimum connecting time from international to domestic flights at Noi Bai Airport has increased from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Also that an Airport Passenger Service Charge of US$25 per person applies to tickets issued on or after 1 January 2015.
It follows an August 2014 move for THAI to Terminal 2 (T2) at London Heathrow, where it is housed with other Star Alliance members in the state-of-the-art facility. The check-in area is located next to the Tax Refund Counter, offering extra convenience for THAI passengers in processing through the airport. THAI has been flying to the United Kingdom for over 40 years.
As Thailand's national flag carrier, Thai Airways International from its homebase in Bangkok flies to over 60 destinations worldwide. This includes 46 points in 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia, Auckland in New Zealand, Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali) in Indonesia, Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo Sendai in Japan, Seoul and Busan in Korea, Taipei in Taiwan, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in Vietnam, Manila in the Philippines, Singapore, Yangon in Myanmar, Vientiane in Laos, Kathmandu in Nepal, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gaya and Varanasi in India, and Beijing, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Cheng-Du, Xiamen and Hong Kong in China.
In Europe THAI's 13 destinations include Brussels in Belgium, Copenhagen in Denmark, Paris in France, Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, Stockholm in Sweden, Zurich in Switzerland and London (Heathrow) in England.
In North America THAI flies to Los Angeles and in the Middle East to Muscat in Oman and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The carrier's domestic Thailand network links Bangkok with 10 destinations around the country, namely Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani in the Northeast, and Hat Yai, Phuket, Surat Thani, Samui and Krabi in the South.
THAI meanwhile has implemented a new baggage allowance policy on all its flights (except those to and from the USA) which offers passengers in all classes of travel an additional 10 kg of checked baggage weight.
Under the new policy, Royal First Class passengers are now permitted to check-in 50 kilograms of baggage (compared to the previous 40 kg), Royal Silk Class passengers can check-in 40 kilograms of baggage (compared to the previous 30 kg) and Economy Class passengers may check-in 30 kilograms (compared to the previous 20 kg).
Royal Orchid Plus members are also entitled to additional baggage allowance based on their respective member status.
THAI's Executive Vice President of Commercial, Flg.Off. Suraphon Israngura Na Ayuthya, said the increase in baggage allowance was aimed at increasing the competitiveness and service level of Thailand's national flag carrier. “Through this increased service offering, THAI aims to generate greater passenger satisfaction for those choosing to travel on Thai Airways International', Flg.Off. Suraphon said.
Nguyen An Tra My
Martin Wynn
