[JohnHarper]

I think the service to BKK is a seasonal change, it’s back next winter as usual or at least it better be as MrsJH has booked us on it outbound in mid November for a short break. I know the return is on LX and the price was better than anything we have seen in about ten years.

[flyingcanadian]

Hi Johnharper.
LX and AU both have fantastic J/C fares, and although it means a stop in ZRH or VIE, being a *A member, it is worth it. Rather that than give my custom to EK, and flt changes in the middle of the night. LX are coming back to SIN, so I cannot wait to see them return. Enjoy your Holiday in Nov!

[JohnHarper]

Hi flyingcanadian, I’ve grown to quite like the stop in the gulf depending on the timing.

Leaving LHR in the early afternoon you get to which ever stopover it is and your body clock tells you it’s about 20.00, there it is midnight. You are on the next plane in less than two hours so it’s time to settle down for a good sleep and you arrive in SE Asia at around lunchtime the next day though you still feel it’s early morning. You can have a very productive afternoon and evening and be ready for bed by midnight and wake up the next day as normal.

You can also do a daytime return leaving in the morning and arriving the same evening which I find much easier than the overnight services which have you back in the early morning.

It suits my body clock quite well.

[flyingcanadian]

Hi JohnHarper.
No you’re right, but you’re splitting your allegiance to the Alliances! I do like EK, and will often overnight in DXB just to get a Daylight flt. If you book it correctly, you will get EK to pay for all your stopover! However, SQ, TG, LX and AU all have daylight flts back from Asia, so there is a choice. As long as I can keep my “Gold” status with both Alliances, I really do not mind. EK have the car in YYZ and LHR, which is an added bonus over the Star Alliance.

[AMcWhirter]

Hello flyingcanadian

Yes it is sad that SAS is poised to suspend its year-round CPH-BKK route after 63 years of service. It’s something we reported on in September 2012:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/sas-to-axe-bangkok-route-after-63-years

Besides the carriers you mention, SAS (assuming it does restart the route for the winter season) will face competition from budget airline Norwegian who will soon inaugurate non-stop service from Oslo and Stockholm to BKK as we have already reported:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/norwegian-announces-long-haul-dreamliner-schedules

Although the B787 deliveries to Norwegian have been delayed, the carrier will still operate the routes by chartering in two A340s from Portuguese carrier Hi Fly:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/norwegian-plans-for-dreamliner-delay

You might be wondering how departures from Oslo + Stockholm can effect the CPH-BKK route. Well it’s because CPH is the SAS hub for the whole of Scandinavia so Norwegian and Sweden passengers who might previously have wished to book SAS (via CPH) can now fly non-stop with Norwegian instead so this will impact on SAS’ passenger business.

As for SAS flying to Bangkok via Tashkent in the old days, I believe the flight made a technical stop in Tashkent.

The service was operated by a long-range (in those days) DC8-62 series (a four-engined rival to the B707).

It was Scandinavian neutrality which enabled SAS to secure the rights to overfly the then USSR. I believe SAS was either the first, or amongst the first, Western carriers to gain overflying rights for the then USSR.

Russia holds the key to shorter and faster flight routings between Europe and Asia but in the Cold War era it refused overflying rights to all airlines until the 1970s.

[JohnHarper]

Hi flyingcanadian,

I certainly know about the SQ and TG daylight flights back from SE Asia but I’ve never seen one on LX – where from? FI do it too but somehow they never come up on the radar at the time of booking.

[flyingcanadian]

Hi AMcWhirter,
Thank you for the info on SAS and overflying Russia. I was still at school when my uncle was a Old Bailey judge, but I still remember his stories of flying SAS and a Russian pilot sitting in F/C to help translate. Being at school, I was in awe of his travels, and you’re right in that SAS was the only airline allowed to overfly Russia at the time. My airline, AC, also flew to Moscow, and again we had a Russian pilot CPH-MOS-CPH. That put TWA AND PAN AM noses out a bit, because AC was the ONLY NORTH AMERICAN carrier allowed to fly to Moscow at that time. Where are those carriers now?? Long gone! The Cold War was at its height back in the 60s & 70s, and USA carriers were not very welcome!
Thanks again for the info update re Tashkent. I was only at Prep school, and could not remember every detail, but you have definitely helped.

[flyingcanadian]

Hi JohnHarper,

LX have daylight flts back from: NRT/PEK/PVG. I have just checked again, and there are good connections both ways outbound & Inbound.
OS have daylight flts back from NRT/PEK and again good connections both ways. The Business Class fare is Circa DKK 30,000 return from CPH. (I am assuming you are near CPH as you said MrsJH had booked seats on SAS in November.) Several blogs on here have said how a Pax has got a J class return LHR/PEK/PVG/NRT for UK£1600.00!! They have been commenting on the LX Business class seat, as some A/C have been updated and now have a lie-flat in J/C class. OS have modernised their Business Class,(finally), and they also now have a Lie-flat seat. If you are ever using a *A reward ticket, you will see that you can route SIN/BKK-PEK/PVG/HKG-ZRH/VIE-LHR/CPH for the same mileage SIN/BKK-CPH.
JohnHarper, you just have to shop around and check various web-sites for Business Class fares Europe-Far East. I wish you many enjoyable flts at reasonable fares.
Also, there is now MH, who used to be in SKYTEAM, and switched to ONEWORLD. If you are looking for Tier Points and Miles, MH have a daylight A380 KUL-LHR.
They are there, IF you look. Good Luck!
JohnHarper.
TG are putting their new 777ER on the CPH-BKK route and the J/C cabin is very comfortable with 1-2-1 seating (BA take note!), giving direct aisle access for ALL Pax, and the seats are done in a suite-type form giving privacy if you need it. Unless SAS change their J/C seats, they will lose Pax to TG.However, as it will be a code-share flt, perhaps SAS will not worry about it too much! I think you and MrsJH will really enjoy your TG flt in Nov!

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