Carol, they haven't announced the new LAX schedule yet. I would suspect it would be the days with the lighter loads (I would expect mid-week to take the cuts.)

FYI, the LAX will no longer be a direct flight after July 1--it will have a mandatory stop now (most likely in Kansai or Seoul)

I'm watching this too with baited breath as we're booked on the LAX/BKK route in December.

Filmwil....Really? This week I bought a ticket from LAX-BKK for August and it's on the non-stop flight.
I don't know if I'll be going or not due to all the happenings at home, although things have calmed down. The airfare was decent so I went on and bought the ticket and am taking a chance on this August trip happening.
I just talked to Thai Air yesterday to confirm everything and they didn't say anything about the non-stop being stopped, but confirmed my flight and non-stop flight schedule. Happy Travels!

Guen, check out the article that has everyone buzzing on the aviation boards:

http://tinyurl.com/3ocwhc

It mentions the removal of the JFK-BKK route and the change of 7x a week to 5x a week on the LAX route. More importantly, it quotes the president of Thai Air saying they will be selling ALL their A340-500s which are the only aircraft that can make the direct flight from LAX to BKK without a stop.

Everyone is speculating on which aircraft will replace them (be it the A340-600 or the 747s again)--either way once the aircraft are removed from the fleet, there will have to be a stop (most likely in Kansai, Japan...as that's where the route typically makes a stop when they have an equipment change currently.)

Now, your flight may or may not be affected by this--depending on when the aircraft are swapped out.

The reservation agents, FYI, have no idea what's going on. A lot of folks (especially those with tix for the now canceled JFK-BKK route) are complaining about the fact that corporate headquarters in Bangkok are not quick to give any info to the agents in the US. So, as a result, until they have more info, they claim it's business as usual.

I assume this should all be sorted out in the next few weeks--and you should know more then.

Hope that helps...

guen
When are you going to (maybe) go in August? I'm looking at the last two weeks of that month for myself.
Carol

Filmwil...Thanks
Carol...I'm to leave on the 21st and come home on the 31st.
Well, if/when these planes get sold, I hope they don't go changing the departure/return dates of people's flights. I have no flexibility on the Dec/Jan ticket. It's good that I bought Premier Economy on that ticket if I'm going to have to change planes and all...what a tiring headache. Happy Travels!

TG only has PE on it A340-500. If they sell those planes or move them to other flights, you won't have PE on its A340-600 of B747-400.

Looks like (and this isn't official) that Thai is canceling Monday and Wednesday departures as of 7/1 from LAX to BKK. Thai's website now shows all outbound Monday and Wednesday flights as sold out--so the logical conclusion is these are the 2x a week there will not be a flight from LAX. Hope that helps you some, Guen.

rkkwan...Well, then they had better either upgrade to Business or do a big refund difference between Premier Economy and Economy. Happy Travels!

Filmwil...Thanks.I'm not leaving on a Mon/Wed. By the way, how are the Thai lessons coming along? I haven't had time/concentration to study since all the family crisis stuff started up in March...plus work. But, I hope to get back on track this summer and at least review my materials. Maybe by then my mind will be clear enough to concentrate. Happy Travels!

also, welcome home to mari, lucy, and all the other traveling ladies. hope to see all of you at the gtg in sep.

oops, sorry, posted on wrong thread.

It's official:

http://tinyurl.com/6j5949

(From Thai's website):

----

THAI Announces Board Meeting Results


On 6th June 2008, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) held a Board of Directors’ Meeting at THAI’s Head Office, chaired by Mr. Chaisawasd Kittipornpaiboon, THAI’s Chairman, with the following results:

1. Flight Operations between Bangkok and New York
Effective as from 1st July 2008, THAI will cease flight operations between Bangkok and New York due to the continual surge in oil prices.

2. Restructuring of flight operations to Los Angeles
THAI will reduce direct flight operations between Bangkok and Los Angeles from 7 flights to 5 flights per week, utilizing A340-500 aircraft type until September 2008. For THAI winter schedule, THAI will operate flights to Los Angeles via Osaka, Japan, utilizing Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft.

Currently, THAI operates daily flight to two US destinations, Los Angeles and New York, utilizing Airbus A340-500 aircraft.

----

So, looks like you're good, Guen. The A345 will still be in service in August, so Premium Economy should still be available for your trip.

We, on the other hand, will be subject to this new winter schedule with the stop at KIX on a different aircraft. Boo! :)

Well, I've been following this thread and the one on flyertalk.com as well. We have used the JFK-BKK flight for the last 3 years and hope it will be reinstated at some point. Meanwhile, we can only hope that this latest squeeze will not affect our ability to get flights on ANA's JFK-NRT route so that we can meet up with Air Niugini's flight to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea next May.

Reinstate the route? IF oil prices go down significantly, IF they couldn't find any buyer for the A345s, and IF BKK suddenly becomes a high yield business route that can fill lots of J seats.

Good luck with the first and third points. :)

Craig, I agree that NH 9/10 (ANA's JFK-NRT flights) are wonderful. Getting award seats on that flight has become impossible in F, but at least it's still possible to get discounted F (for RTW tickets) and business class award seats.

Simple truth is that travel to Bangkok just got about 6 hrs longer from Boston, New York, and a few other East Coast places.

Filmwil...My Dec/Jan ticket is in Premium Economy, not my August ticket. That one's in regular economy. So who knows what will happen on the Dec/Jan ticket. Happy Travels!

I'm right there with you, Guen. We're booked in biz class in December using miles. Hopefully it'll all work out--but, have to admit, all this makes me a little uncomfortable (especially with an award ticket--which puts us at the bottom of the food chain priority-wise.)

BTW--things are going great with Thai class! Yum lung ree-un pah-sah tai dtair mai poot geng mahk yung. (I'm learning Thai, but I don't speak very good yet.) I'm loving it--almost 14 weeks in and I've learned the Thai alphabet and we're just starting to read in Thai. So far, it's easier to speak it than understand it (Thai people talk so fast--I find myself asking 'can you please talk slowly' over and over again at restaurants.) Hopefully by the time we get there in December, I'll be a little more confident about it.

Hopefully we'll be overlapping with yours and Carol's trips in December and we can all get together for dinner!

Filmwil..."I don't speak very WELL yet." Smiles.
Glad the Thai classes are coming along. I'd like to get a private instructor, but with all of the going ons and having to commute weekends, by plane, out of state to check up on the elderly parent and take care of things...well...it's difficult to do all of that, study Thai, work, and stay focused on Thai. I'm sort of a real-life zombie. So, I'll probably have to wait until the Dec/Jan Bangkok trip to go back to my private school and continue my Thai lessons.
As for the Dec/Jan flight, I'm glad I paid for my ticket for that flight...as well as the August one... because I know how it can be on a frequent flyer award and with airline problems. I've been through it. Take care. Happy Travels!

yes, i only know 'good' so far...hopefully I'll eventually learn a word in Thai that differentiates between well and good. :)

It is official and posted on the Thai Air website. No further info at this time. Those of us booked on future Thai Air flites with frequent flyer miles need to do some research