QF now offering special conditions for Bangkok

[markis10]

This seems to have been updated tonight now that the Government has declared a state of emergency, QF are now flagging it on their home page:


Civil Unrest in Thailand
Changes to Qantas Ticketed Bookings to/from Thailand
Due to continued civil unrest/political tensions in Thailand, the following outlines the options available to Qantas passengers who are holding a valid ticket on Qantas for travel on or before 5 May 2010 and who wish to make changes to their bookings.

Passengers may, without penalty:
Defer travel to/from Thailand
Return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas.
Bypass Thailand as a stopover point and continue to the next ticketed destination via the most direct routing using Qantas.
Change destinations. The value of the existing ticket can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticket fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable taxes may apply.
Conditions
All changes to travel dates must be made prior to midnight 4 May 2010
New travel dates must be prior to 30 June 2010.
If the same booking class is not available, the lowest available class within the same cabin may be booked (eg First, Business, Premium Economy or Economy).
Any third party costs/penalties, such as hotel or other ground operator fees incurred will not be waived by Qantas.
All other rules and conditions of the ticket remain unchanged.
Frequent Flyer Redemption Tickets
Passengers travelling on redemption tickets are entitled to the same options and conditions as listed above.



Interesting to read the Jetstar info:

Information if you are travelling to Bangkok
At this time all Jetstar Group flights are traveling on schedule to and from Bangkok.

The Thai Government has declared a State of Emergency, however we have not, at this stage, received any information that there is an increased threat of violence from the ongoing protests in Bangkok.

Jetstar will continue to monitor the situation. If we receive information about heightened risks, or if the government upgrades their risk assessment in relation to Bangkok we will advise all passengers of any changes to travel plans or flight departures.

If you are travelling to Bangkok from 30th April - 5th of May 2010 we will extend one free move for travel between now and 30th of June 2010. If you wish to discuss changes to your travel destination, the value of the existing ticket can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket, this is valid for travel between now and 30th of June 2010. Please call us using your local number found here.

In light of this information, if you are departing Bangkok you should consider allowing additional time to make your way to the airport.

For the latest information, please visit: www.smartraveller.gov.au

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The State of Emergency was declared on April 7.

Good to see Qantas and Jetstar offering options, I was in Bangkok on Wednesday and Thursday and found it fine. I'll be back again on Monday morning. Airport was operating beautifully, no queues which was nice.... but sad at the same time for the tourism industry and the country. I saw plenty of police and military around but remained well clear of any protest zone. The military/police presence on the roads into Suvarnabhumi had been significantly increased since I took that route 3 weeks earlier.

It seems a bit ridiculous to be warning against travel to the country as a whole, I can certainly understand why people would want to avoid bangkok but places like Krabi, coughet, Samui especially seem quite ok. The Chiang Mai area has a few probs here and there from what I hear but relatively ok. Thai Airways is going to suffer real badly, just when they turned a profit again too.

 

[Sprucegoose]

shame its happening. Lovely people and a good airline in Thai.

 

[markis10]

I wonder why QF decided to place an update on the situation now, I go the impression something happened last night, or maybe now that the volcano backlog has cleared it got more attention?

 

[oz_mark]

I wonder why QF decided to place an update on the situation now, I go the impression something happened last night, or maybe now that the volcano backlog has cleared it got more attention?

The conditions have been there for a coupld of weeks - I think the update yesterday moved the dates mentioned in the conditions along.

 

[taswegian77]

was in BKK from 15-22 and was caught up indirectly in the grenade blast in sala daeng on the 22nd and that caused a lot of headaches with transport. as for my travel on the 22nd i received a sms from JQ advising 3hr delay to departure and check in would close at 12.15am so I was quite shocked to arrive at airport at 11.15pm and found check in closed on the boards, could not find any staff at counter W and they advertised counter P but no signs up etc. Spent 30 mins running around a busy airport at the time looking (even tried to but a ticket on QF8002 I think but that was full, weird i guess a catch up flight from the volcano as that usually leaves at 6pm)and eventually found a rep at counter P who advised me check in was closed. When I then showed her my sms message, all of a sudden check in was open and I was allowed to check in, interesting......I wonder if they woudl have waited till the sms time fo 12.15am as the board showed a 12am dep time........ If I had arrived at 12am and the plane gone I woudl have been pissed and demanded major compensation....

 

[JohnK]

Interesting situation but at least Qantas are offering alternatives.

According to tourists and expats if you were not in the Silom area in Bangkok you would not know anything was going on. The rest of the tourist areas outside of Bangkok are still unaffected and trouble not likely to reach these areas.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Interesting situation but at least Qantas are offering alternatives.

According to tourists and expats if you were not in the Silom area in Bangkok you would not know anything was going on. The rest of the tourist areas outside of Bangkok are still unaffected and trouble not likely to reach these areas.

I am here in Bangkok now and that is quite right JohnK. If you are quite familiar with Bangkok and dont need to shop at those overpriced shopping malls or stay in hotels in the protest zone (Ratchaprasong intersection down to the area around sala daeng bts station) I would say come on over. If you are new to Thailand perhaps just skip BKK this time and head for any other city/tourist area.

The airport has been lovely to be in last week and this week, numbers already clearly way down.

 

[Grooba]

Its the same deal with the military coos that happen from time to time in Thailand, unless you are right in the middle of it you would have no idea that anything was up.