Thai Lion Air

Thai Lion Air is a relatively new airline, founded in 2013, and is an associate company of the Indonesia-based Lion Air. The full name of the company is Thai Lion Mentari Co.
The airline is based in Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, from where it serves 50 destinations across Thailand and Asia.
Thai Lion Air IATA code is SL.
Thai Lion Airlines’ fleet currently consists of over three dozen aircraft out of which there are two Airbus A330-300 which are due to be transferred to Batik Air and 2 – Thai Lion Air Airbus A330-900neo.

Thai Lion Air services domestic destinations across Thailand as well as international routes to airports in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The company's very first scheduled flight was between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Today this route remains Thai Lion Air’s most popular one in Thailand with over a dozen departures a day.
Another important destination in the Thai North in the airline’s flight network is Chiang Rai.

Lion Air flights serve all the star destinations of the Thai South including:

• Phuket with one plane heading to Phuket roughly every 15 minutes between 3 am and 10 pm
• Hat Yai
• Krabi
• Trang
• Surat Thani for an onward transfer to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Thai Lion Air international network covers over a dozen countries in the Asian region. Some of the most popular flights and routes are as follows:

• SL100 and SL104, 2h40m flights from Bangkok to Singapore and SL101 and SL105 flights for reverse
• SL118, a 3h40m from Bangkok to Jakarta and SL117 and SL119 for the way back, Indonesia
• SL219, a 4h40m flight from Mumbai to Bangkok, India
• Lion Air flies between Thailand and Japan – SL300 to Tokyo, SL301 from Tokyo and SL304 from Osaka are in demand, too.
• Taipei is currently ranked high on the world travellers’ schedules and so is Thai Lion Air Bangkok to Taipei flight SL394.
• Thai Lion Air SL258 and SL259 is the only flight operated by the company to Balii and for return flight. Do book it ahead as tickets tend to sell out very quickly and are on a pricier side the closer you get to the departure date.

Note that according to the company's agreement, flights between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are served both by Thai Lion Air and Malindo Air, Lion Air’s fellow subsidiary.

Booking Thai Lion Air tickets online is a simple and quick process. It can be done both via the airline's website or through its affiliated sellers.
Your e-ticket will contain the full itinerary and flight information.
To manage your Thai Lion Air booking, you have first to register or, if already registered, to sign up to your account at the airline's official website with your email and password.
You will then be able to update your booking details, contacts, special service requests, APIS or apply for a refund, though this function is subject to restrictions.

The latest Thai Lion Air promotions are posted online – keep an eye on the airline’s SM accounts.
Promo codes up to 5 percent sometimes appear on specialised promo websites.
Also, there are seasonal and holiday sales and special deals – these require either booking much in advance or at the last minute.

1. Thai Lion Air almost always offers the most budget-friendly options compared to other regional carriers.
2. The biggest benefit of travelling with Thai Lion Air is that checked luggage up to 15 kg is included. This is a real money-saver!
3. The airline runs regular promotions, which can be great value.
4. Thai Lion Air also allows you to choose your seat for free, not something that many other budget airlines offer.

1. The airline does not offer complimentary food or drink on its flights. Snacks and drinks can be purchased on-board, though.
2. The aircrafts also do not have any in-flight entertainment. Whilst this probably won't be an issue for very short domestic flights lasting an hour or two, on longer flights this can be a pain.
3. There are no discounts for kids over 2 y.o. – they are charged full fare.

Positive reviews never fail to mention the included luggage, which is actually a pretty rare perk in Asia and unheard of in Europe where budget airlines will always charge for checked bags.
The constantly growing number of destinations served is yet another feature that pleases travellers.
Complaints about Thai Lion Air tend to focus on the size of the seats on their flights as they can feel a bit of a squeeze for foreign travellers.
Delays are not uncommon, so it is always worth leaving plenty of time if you have a connecting flight, just in case. This is especially true if you need to travel from Don Mueang International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport, as Bangkok is notoriously busy at the best of times!