Cathay Pacific terminates direct Singapore to Bangkok flights

One of the more interesting fifth freedom routes you can fly out of Singapore is Cathay Pacific’s service to Bangkok, a oneworld option on a busy route for holidaymakers and business travellers. 

This route was suspended during COVID-19, but eventually restored at the end of March 2024. It was especially popular for its good value award redemptions, as well as the opportunity to do a oneworld lounge safari across Terminals 1 and 4. 

Unfortunately, Cathay Pacific will soon be ending this route, with the last flight set to take place on 29 March 2025. 

Cathay Pacific ending Singapore- Bangkok flights

Cathay Pacific currently operates a daily flight between Singapore and Bangkok as CX630/619. 

This service departs from Singapore at 2.05 p.m, getting you into Bangkok at 3.55 p.m, while the return leg departs from 12.45 p.m, getting you into Singapore at 4.20 p.m. 

Yesterday, I got a heads up from David Flynn at Executive Traveller that Cathay Pacific had zeroed out availability for CX630/619 between Singapore and Bangkok, with the last flight available for sale on 29 March 2025. 

Zeroing out inventory is usually the first step an airline takes when it intends to terminate a route, or downgauge an aircraft, so this suggested something was afoot.

I reached out to Cathay Pacific, who confirmed through a spokesperson that the Singapore – Bangkok route will indeed be terminated from 30 March 2025 onwards.

Cathay Pacific’s non-stop flights between Singapore and Bangkok will be suspended from 30 March 2025. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. Cathay Pacific will continue to serve both cities with up to 56 return flights per week between Singapore and Hong Kong, and up to 56 return flights per week between Bangkok and Hong Kong.

-Cathay Pacific spokesperson

If you’re affected by the termination, I assume that Cathay Pacific would reach out with refund or rebooking options. 

Why this fifth freedom flight is so beloved by the miles community, apart from the novelty of flying Cathay Pacific within Southeast Asia, is that it represents great value for miles redemptions. 

✈️ One-way Award Costs
FFP	Business	Economy
	15,000	7,500
	28,000	10,000
	30,000	12,000
	16,500	9,000

You could book this route for as little as 9,000 Avios in Economy Class and 16,500 Avios in Business Class through Qatar Privilege Club. This represents a big saving on the 13,500 or 24,000 KrisFlyer miles that it would cost to fly with Singapore Airlines in Economy or Business Class respectively.

Moreover, flying in Business Class on Cathay Pacific would allow you to do a oneworld lounge safari at Changi Airport, visiting up to four high quality lounges (five if you’re a oneworld Emerald) across Terminals 1 and 4. This includes not just Cathay’s Lounge in Terminal 4, but the excellent Qatar Airways Lounge in Terminal 1, a must-visit for any passenger. 

For more on how to do a oneworld lounge safari, refer to the post below.

Guide: How to do a oneworld lounge safari at Changi Airport

Gulf Air axed this route too

You might remember that Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air used to operate a fifth freedom flight between Singapore and Bangkok too, as part of an intra-Asia hop to and from Bahrain. 

This service was terminated on 26 October 2024, with the airline opting to ramp up direct flights to and from Bahrain instead. 

This was an opportunity to try Gulf Air’s Apex Suites cabins without actually having to head to the Middle East (even if the flights suffered from horrible delays most of the time!), and I got to experience this back in 2022.

Review: Gulf Air B787-9 Business Class Bangkok to Bahrain (via Singapore)

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific will be terminating its fifth freedom flights between Singapore and Bangkok at the end of March 2025, just a year after reinstating them following COVID-19. 

That’s a real shame, since it represented a great sweet spot, but fortunately there’s plenty of other options still available, including on budget carriers (for those who find Business Class too much of an indulgence for a 2 hour hop!).