BANGKOK, THAILAND – New baggage rules at Thai Airways International led to significant waiting times at Suvarnabhumi Airport after disruptions occurred during a system changeover.
Shift to piece-based baggage concept
Flag carrier Thai Airways had changed its free baggage allowance from a weight-based model to a piece-based system per passenger.
The number of permitted bags now depended on the booking class, with First Class travellers allowed up to three checked pieces and Economy Class passengers allowed up to two.
Technical failure on the first day
At the start of the new rules on Monday, a system malfunction affected the airport’s self-service kiosks.
The machines were able to print boarding passes for Thai Airways flights but could not issue baggage tags, forcing affected passengers to switch to staffed counters.
Long queues at THAI check-in counters
Because the kiosks were partially out of service, long queues formed at the airline’s check-in counters.
According to airport information, both domestic and international services operated by Thai Airways were hit by the delays.
Advice to passengers and ongoing fixes
Suvarnabhumi Airport’s public relations office said on Tuesday:
“Passengers travelling with Thai Airways during this period are advised to allow extra time before departure and to follow the airline’s updates for the latest information.”
said Suvarnabhumi Airport’s public relations office.
According to the airport unit, Thai Airways was working to resolve the technical issues, while the other self-service kiosks at Suvarnabhumi continued to function normally and the disruption affected only this one carrier’s flights.
Passenger experience under pressure
New baggage rules, technical problems and long queues meant many travellers began their journey under stress at the check-in desk.
The situation raised the question of whether passengers would now plan to arrive earlier at the airport or view such start-up difficulties as a normal part of major system changes by an airline.