Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:23 am I have been looking at visiting Delhi in the next few months and after a bit of enquiry discovered the following:

Same day flights from PNH to either BOM or DEL are about $475+ through SkyScanner and most options have horrible flight times or layovers. Thai Airways dump you in New Delhi at 2AM!
The reason (I think) is because the PNH - BKK leg are both one way flights to connect with the cheap flights to India and reduce overall travel time.

About $150 of that fare is fees and taxes. Routing through BKK is not cheap as each flight is a separate entity and given the ++++ treatment.

Direct flights from BKK to either DEL or BOM are about $280 with either SpiceJet or IndiaGo. A bit of competition has got those fares to a reasonable level for a 4-hour flight and civilised flight times. That leaves ~$200 for your flight from PNH to BKK. That's enough for a flight and 2 nights hotel if you aren't too fussy.

These prices are for next month but have been similar for a while. It is very messy trying to get from Phnom Penh to Delhi or Mumbai on the same day, so a direct flight does have a big USP.

However, unless a direct flight from PNH to DEL/BOM is less than $300, the value of flying direct versus transiting comes into question. If the try and charge ~$400+ for a direct flight (I bet they will) then you might as well go via BKK and have a day or two there at each end of your India trip; consider the flight as a freebie.

As they will be the only carrier operating the route, don't expect any favours. Look no further than fares from PNH to SAI to see what a sole carrier wants to charge you.

Plus, with AA, you will have to pay a lot for luggage (included with IndiaGo and SpiceJet) and suffer AA's tiny seat pitch for 4 hours. If you are going for a week, that 7kg becomes a factor (unless you like ferreting out a back street laundry or paying hotel laundry rates)

Finally, can anyone see enough well-heeled Khmers interested in visiting India to warrant a direct route? Those who do might well conclude that $400+ for a direct flight versus $400 via BKK will still choose the Bangkok option.

armchairlawyer wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 8:17 pm

rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 7:16 pm
Cambodia Airports used to regularly disclose monthly passenger figures for each airport, including domestic routes, making it straightforward to determine load factors for the domestic flights. However, only limited statistics are made available since the onset of the pandemic.

SAI disclosed some pax numbers recently which indicated low average pax loadings. Not surpirised given the prices of most of those flights.

Air Asia may have less flights to DMK compared to pre-Covid but the overall capacity is a lot higher due to the additional airlines on the route (who are all competing fiercely on price)

The Thai and Malay divisions are separate entities I believe, so why would they give up their slots to the new Cambodian entity?

Yes, the wkipedia page for AA Cambodia states 4 A321neos with pax capacity of 236 each. It also says ops will begin in November 2023!

The aircraft range is 4000 miles. So, yes that would be suited to India and China.

I don't see them operating successfully on the DMK and KUL routes so I'd say it's India/China or bust. AA were probably hoping that China would have opened up by now and since it hasn't, they are happy to let things drift for a while.

Indians are travelling but they go to BKK mostly for shopping. PP will have a hard time competing on that level.

Cambodia launch pushed to mid-2024
...
Meanwhile, AirAsia Cambodia – the group’s fifth airline unit – was originally to have launched operations by end-2023. Neither the carrier nor the AirAsia group indicated reasons for the delay.