Thai Airways is becoming innovative to earn funds during the tourism industry’s crisis. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located in Bangkok.
Building on the popularity of “flights to nowhere,” the company will soon begin offering customised flights flying over 99 religious sites in Thailand by the end of this month.
Thai Airways has already established alternative revenue streams, such as a café with an aircraft motif, dough fritters, and purses made from recycled life vests, among other things.
However, the airline already has enormous debts, which have only worsened since the epidemic began.
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Several airlines have begun operating flights that go nowhere and start and end their journeys at the same airport.
While Qantas in Australia provided “sightseeing” flights over Antarctica, an airline in Taiwan sponsored a trip to nowhere on a Hello Kitty-themed jet. Qantas was the first airline to fly over Antarctica.
The new trip being offered by Thai Airways will not make any stops along its route but will fly over Buddhist temples in 31 different provinces before heading back to Bangkok.
Tickets for the three-hour journey cost anything from 5,999 Thai baht (about £149) to 9,999 baht, and passengers will get a prayer book and a special supper as part of the experience.
Last month, Singapore Airlines offered customers the option to enjoy lunch on a parked Airbus A380 at the city’s primary airport.
The first two nights were sold out in less than half an hour, despite having a price tag of up to US$496 (about £380).
Handbags and fritters
Thai Airways has shown a very inventive approach to combat the decline in passenger numbers caused by COVID-19 and increase its profitability.
Another method that the company plans to generate more funds is by fashioning handbags out of unused slide rafts and life jackets in its inventory.
Because of the overwhelming demand, the “Re-Life Collection” limited-edition totes and purses made available by Thai Airways are now sold out.
Thai Airways have repurposed previous life jackets and slide rafts into the “Collection entitled “Re-Life.”
Thai Airways have repurposed previous life jackets and slide rafts into the “Collection entitled “Re-Life.”
The airline sector is going through its greatest crisis ever, with thousands of jobs being lost and several airlines going out of business altogether.
Before the financial crisis, Thai Airways had already been having financial difficulties and had racked up debts and liabilities of 245 billion Thai baht, equivalent to 8.3 billion pounds.
Additionally, the Thai national airline has begun selling dough fritters at several of its retail locations across the city of Bangkok.
A set of three pieces of the snack, together with a dipping sauce and an egg custard, may be purchased for 50 Thai baht, equivalent to £1.25.
The dough fritters now bring in around 10 million baht each month in sales, and Thai Airways is working on developing the company into a franchise.