Scoot scores a scoop

BANGKOK, 30 July 2014: Singapore Airlines’ low-cost unit Scoot will shift its flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) starting 1 September.
The airline said in press release sent to the media, Tuesday, that all of its Bangkok-bound flights will operate exclusively to and from Don Mueang effective 1 September.
The move to Don Mueang Airport is seen as prelude to a joint venture with Nok Air that will be called NokScoot.
Nok Air is based at Don Mueang, which will allow Scoot to offer its passengers connections to 21 domestic destinations in Thailand as the first part of the joint venture.
Eventually, the two airlines will establish a new airline, NokScoot, that will extend Scoot’s influence and network throughout Thailand. It will provide seamless links it to Scoot services out of Singapore and even connections to Singapore Airlines’ long-haul services out of the Changi gateway.
Scoot CEO, Campbell Wilson, said moving to Don Mueang would be a great boost for Scoot’s customers as well as a “natural step as our partnership with Nok Air strengthens.”
“We’re especially delighted that it allows us to offer more than 20 new destinations for our guests… more convenient airport, even more destination options plus Scoot’s competitive fares.”
Interline with Nok Air
Coinciding with the move to Don Mueang, Scoot will be able to sell a quota of seats on Nok Air’s flights to 21 cities in Thailand, including Chiang Rai, and Surat Thani.
It is a scoop for Scoot as it will allow it to sell through service with seamless connections to all 21 destinations served by Nok Air. Singaporeans and international travellers using Singapore as their gateway to Southeast Asia will now have access to practically all of Thailand’s tourist destinations.
“Guests will be able to buy, in a single transaction from Scoot’s website, itineraries from Singapore through to Chiang Rai or from Sydney to Mae Sot with travel starting on 1 September or later,” the press statement explained.
Likewise, Nok’s passengers can book flights through to Singapore, the Gold Coast, Sydney or Perth, or any of Scoot’s other destinations on its website.
The move is likely to impact on Thai Airways International that up until recently was the preferred airline for international travellers who needed to be ticketed through to a domestic destination in Thailand. It was more economical and convenient to book THAI to fly to Bangkok and change planes to complete their trip to a domestic destination.
The national airline has lost that sales advantage. It handed over some important domestic routes to Nok Air, which is now partnering with one of THAI’s biggest rivals Singapore Airlines through the Scoot deal.
It is a good move for travellers who prefer to use the Changi Airport gateway as the point of entry to Southeast Asia and the addition of 21 destinations in Thailand that can now be sold by Scoot through the Nok Air partnership gives Singapore the same status as Bangkok as a convenient gateway to explore tourists destinations throughout Thailand.
A basic one-way fare from Singapore to Chiang Rai via Bangkok (DMK) will start at SGD116 excluding taxes, fees and surcharges. Check other routes visit http://www.flyscoot.com/index.php/th/.
These are the cities that Scoot guests can fly to on Nok out of Don Mueang Airport:
North: Chiang Mai; Chiang Rai; Mae Sot; Phrae; Nan; and Phitsanulok;
Northeast: Buri Ram; Loei; Sakon Nakhon; Roi Et; Ubon Ratchathani; Nakhon Phanom; and Udon Thani;
South: Hat Yai; Nakhon Si Thammarat; Surat Thani; Phuket; Trang; Chumphon; Krabi; and Ranong.
Flight Schedules Singapore (SIN) – Bangkok (DMK)
*Operates 1 September onwards
**Departure and Arrival timings are listed in local time
Scoot™ operates medium and long haul no-frills flights between Singapore and Sydney, Gold Coast, Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo, Tianjin, Shenyang, Nanjing, Qingdao, Seoul, Hong Kong and Perth.
Nok Air and Scoot signed a Memorandum of Understanding, 16 December 2013, to establish a new low-cost airline that will be based in at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. That is not likely to occur to later in the year, possibly in December. It plans to operate international services out of Bangkok’s Bangkok Don Mueang Airport.
Thailand’s second-largest LCC, Nok Air, owns 51% of NokScoot, with Scoot Pte Ltd, part of Singapore Airlines, owning 49%, the Thai statutory limit for foreign ownership. The creation of NokScoot will require a capital outlay of THB3 billion.

Sourced: ttrweekly