Piyasvasti Amranand, president of Thai Airways International, has promised tangible changes for the better at the troubled national flag carrier. Here's excerpts from an interview last Friday with Suthichai Yoon, the final of a two-part series:
How can THAI revive the old slogan of "Best service at all levels"?
That will depend mainly on intensive evaluation and follow-up, as well as rewarding those who deserve it and getting tough with those who don't. I think we Thais have an advantage when it comes to service, so it's all about getting back to those basics.
Where is THAI now in the world (airline) ranking?
We have fallen to 28th place, which is obviously not good. Most complaints are about seats. Food is OK but should be better. Our business class has taken a hit, as many airlines offer seats that can recline up to 180 degrees. In-flight entertainment is said to be inadequate.
Our check-in service as well as bookings are fairly good, but in-flight service requires more consistency.
What do you think requires urgent action?
We need to promote convenient booking and correct the pricing structures, which have been unclear due to customers' varying ways of purchase. Food will have to be improved.
Ticket strategy is important as we have to find the right balance. For example, when oil prices rise, we must not move too harshly and quickly and scare away passengers, and we must not move too softly and slowly and suffer big losses. With a clear ticket price strategy and solving the problem of price discrepancies, I think it will help our business a lot.
Any plan for economy class?
Our economy class is not that bad, although there may be need for private screens for overseas routes. We are looking into that. And again, while some dishes are nice, others like sandwiches can be improved.
How much time do you give yourself?
Many things that I have talked about must make significant progress after a year, and within two years progress must be clear-cut.
Seat problems must be solved within two years, and within three years our old fleet must be reinforced with new aircraft, three of which should arrive this year and six more between 2012-2013.
There is no Boeing 787 in our five-year plan because others have ordered them up.
Twelve existing Boeing 747 planes have undergone renovations, so have eight 777 aircraft.
How long will it take to overtake Singapore?
They have a lot of business customers whereas we thrive on tourists. I don't think we need private bedrooms yet.
Our first class is not doing that good, business-wise. It requires more space and (comment unclear). Our star performer is business class and economy class. I'm not saying we don't need first class, though. We need it and it must be good. I'm saying that we must make sure our business and economy classes are highly competitive.
L Watch the full interview on Channel 9's Cheepachorn Lok programme on February 23 at 11pm.
