Finnair banks on 'White Lotus effect' with more flights to Thailand

Finnair is banking on the ‘The White Lotus Effect’ to drive demand for increased flights to the Thai holiday island of Phuket.

 

The third season of the popular series set in a fictional luxury resort began filming in the country in February ahead of being released in 2025, following locations in Hawaii and Sicily featured previously.

 

Finnair believes increasing frequency between Helsinki and Phuket from three flights a week to five time a week next month and a daily service from January will meet rising demand after travellers sought out the locations featured in the first two seasons.

 

Four Seasons confirmed last month that filming of the third series of The White Lotus had taken place at one of its resorts in Koh Samui (pictured) after its properties in Maui and Taormina were featured in the first two seasons.

 

Phuket and Bangkok are among locations for the third series which is due for release on Sky in 2025.

Finnair is offering return fares from London to Phuket via Helsinki starting at £791 as it marked a decade of operating the route which is now served by three-class Airbus A350 aircraft.

 

The airline said: “With one of the most successful TV shows in recent years, The White Lotus, currently filming its new season in Phuket, Finnair’s increased routes will further drive  ‘The White Lotus effect’, whereby customers have flocked to the filming locations featured in seasons one and two.”

 

Finnair is also offering a double-daily service to Bangkok this winter with connections from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.