DAILY flights between Phuket and Bali will begin from December 17 with AirAsia tickets going on sale online from Monday, Phuketwan has learned.
The General Manager of Thai AirAsia, Tassapon Bijleveld, confirmed late yesterday that the long-awaited flights are about to begin. Phuketwan revealed the Bali-Phuket plans of AirAsia exclusively back in June.
Tickets will cost 1499 baht and initially only be available online. The 180-seat flight between Phuket and Bali takes three hours.
Linking South-East Asia's two most popular tropical holiday island destinations has long been in AirAsia's planning. And with the Aussie $ riding above parity with the US dollar, the outlook for the route has never been stronger.
While Phuket and Bali have long been favorites among Australian holidaymakers, Europeans are also expected to relish the opportunity to experience the two destinations on one trip, too.
''We look forward to giving Aussies and everybody else the chance to see both of these favorite destinations,'' said Khun Tassapon.
The concept of a two-week break and the chance to spend a week on Phuket followed by a week on Bali seems likely to quickly generate good-value packages put together jointly by resorts on both islands.
The ability of tourists to more easily make immediate comparisons between the rival destinations should in theory improve treatment of visitors on both Phuket and Bali.
On a visit to Phuket in October, Indonesia's Consul and Head of Mission, Heru Wicaksono, who is based at the Indonesian Consulate in Songkla, invited Phuket's new Governor, Tree Ackaradecha, to fly from Phuket to Bali.
From Monday, AirAsia will be extending the invitation to all of Phuket's residents and future visitors. Arrivals and departures through Phuket airport are expected to surge beyond the 5.8 million record to 7.5 million this calendar year, in theory exceeding the airport's capacity.
Phuket Officer Shoots Man Dead in Temple JungleThe General Manager of Thai AirAsia, Tassapon Bijleveld, confirmed late yesterday that the long-awaited flights are about to begin. Phuketwan revealed the Bali-Phuket plans of AirAsia exclusively back in June.
Tickets will cost 1499 baht and initially only be available online. The 180-seat flight between Phuket and Bali takes three hours.
Linking South-East Asia's two most popular tropical holiday island destinations has long been in AirAsia's planning. And with the Aussie $ riding above parity with the US dollar, the outlook for the route has never been stronger.
While Phuket and Bali have long been favorites among Australian holidaymakers, Europeans are also expected to relish the opportunity to experience the two destinations on one trip, too.
''We look forward to giving Aussies and everybody else the chance to see both of these favorite destinations,'' said Khun Tassapon.
The concept of a two-week break and the chance to spend a week on Phuket followed by a week on Bali seems likely to quickly generate good-value packages put together jointly by resorts on both islands.
The ability of tourists to more easily make immediate comparisons between the rival destinations should in theory improve treatment of visitors on both Phuket and Bali.
On a visit to Phuket in October, Indonesia's Consul and Head of Mission, Heru Wicaksono, who is based at the Indonesian Consulate in Songkla, invited Phuket's new Governor, Tree Ackaradecha, to fly from Phuket to Bali.
From Monday, AirAsia will be extending the invitation to all of Phuket's residents and future visitors. Arrivals and departures through Phuket airport are expected to surge beyond the 5.8 million record to 7.5 million this calendar year, in theory exceeding the airport's capacity.
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Tourists are not stupid and on last wednesday, the 3rd of November i arrived with Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur at 1pm at Phuket airport. The flight lasts about one hour and at the Phuket immigration i have to wait 1 hour 20 minutes until i got my stamp in my passport.
There was so much people in the room that the line at each counter went until the backside wall. I heard from a lot of russian tourists around that they was extremely upset.
For me there was not such a big problem, because i had a book to read and i was not tired. But let this poor tourists with a lot of children around wait after a 10 hours flight more than another hour in a small room with really bad and deficient aircon is a big shame. I felt so sorry for them and i heard from a lot of them that this will be the last visit on Phuket for ever.
Good intention and plans from airlines, but pretty bad management at the airport will not get together. Please be so kind and forward my statement to the new governor or somebody with power to change something in this nuisance.
Posted by happychris on November 7, 2010 10:30
Editor Comment:
If Bali does it better, that's where the tourists will go next time.