European office does pr job for bangkok airways

"After we opened our airport on Samui in 1989, we found that we had a lot of European customers, so we thought it would be a good idea to have an office in Europe to take care of them," Keerati Chantree, sales manager for the European regional office, said last week.

The office was opened in 1998 to mount public-relations campaigns in targeted markets, such as Germany, Scandinavia and southern Europe, to raise awareness of the airline and its innovative routes.

"We do not sell tickets as we do not want to compete against local tour operators. Instead, we want to be friends," he said.

"Because we do not have direct flights from Europe, it is crucial that the office provides knowledge to travel agencies on how to sell the routes as well as to issue the tickets," he said.

By the end of this month, all ticketing will be done by e-tickets.

The Frankfurt office also functions as a customer service centre for continental passengers. As the airline become better known, more praise and complaints have reached the office.

"Together with the information we receive from the assigned general service agents (GSA) in other European countries, we can evaluate situations, analyse market trends and report back to our head office in Bangkok," he said.

Because it has no long-haul flights from Europe, the airline cooperates with 50 international airlines that fly into Bangkok.

"Because most travellers nowadays do not spend their entire trip in Bangkok, we serve as their feeder, taking customers to various destinations in the region," he said.

Keerati said the airline's unique routes are among its strengths.

"We fly to exotic destinations, such as Pakse and Xian, providing new sights for our customers to explore," he said.

"Our passengers can also fly directly from, for example, Chiang Mai to Samui or Luang Prabang to Siem Reap. No other airline offers such unique routes."

Despite the strong competition from low-cost airlines, price is not the only determining factor for choosing which ticket to buy.

"Flight schedules and frequencies, connecting times needed and services are factored in before one makes a decision," he said.

The airline also differentiates itself with the concept of a "boutique airline" offering personalised services. All its passengers can also avail themselves of the airline's lounges wherever available.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary last week, the airline is plan-ning to launch a long-haul flight, possibly to a European destination, in the near future, he said, adding that the company is now conducting a feasibility study on the expansion.