Booking Thai Airways - confused!

jnofrills

Hi
I have been obtaining quotes for a package holiday to Thailand for May 2013 and want to fly with Thai Airways.

Some booking agents and websites like Skyscanner, including Thai Airways themselves, are not showing flights released yet.

I phoned Thai and they said flights would not be released until towards end of July.

However, some agents are happily giving me, what I believe to be, a competitive quote using Thai Airways, others are saying they can't. Now Im confused at what to do.

Although Im really keen to book Im feeling a bit wary if Thai Airways havnt actually released flights and, therefore, their fares.

Im worried about:
losing any advantages of booking a package early
or conversely
booking without having a current fare with Thai - if I go ahead with one of the quotes, is this likely to change either way?

Is this usual practice?
Am I just being impatient .... should I just hold fire for now??

Thanks for any clarification anyone can offer.

Doshwaster

Scheduled airlines don't typically release detailed timetables until 10-11 months before departure. What the package operator is saying is that they will book you on a flight when they come available and they are just given you a quote on their best guestimate of the price plus a markup for them. What they won't be able to do is tell you exactly which flight you are on as the schedules don't exist yet.

As long as you are flying on the major routes (e.g. Phuket) then there should be nothing to worry about as there is no danger that Thai won't offer the route and fly there several times a day.

jnofrills

Ah ha ! Thanks Doshwaster for the explanation.

This is the first time I have sourced a few quotes for a holiday as its a biggie for us.

I suppose its the inconsistincies between these that have made me feel a bit uneasy.

I guess some agents are just putting a bigger mark up on (Ive got a 20% difference between lowest and highest) whilst some are waiting for the real fares before quoting.

I was always under the impression that book early as poss, but maybe I should just be a bit more patient and wait another month.

Grrr

Thanks

Doshwaster

jnofrills wrote: »

I was always under the impression that book early as poss, but maybe I should just be a bit more patient and wait another month.

Yeah, there's no real rush. Unless the package quote is very cheap then I'd just wait until the schedules come out. At the moment the agency is making a gamble on the prices and hoping to get your money.

In general earlier is better but if you book as soon as the seats become available you'll typically just pay their standard price. it's not until they have been on sale for a while and the airline sees how sales are going that they will start discounting.

Also don't forget to look at other airlines. BA has a long haul sale on at the moment. I was pricing up a trip to Bangkok for later in the year and it's currently 20% cheaper than it was last week.

jnofrills

Yeah, it all makes sense now... thanks. Although I have my heart set on Thai Airways .... call me silly, but just want the complete Thai experience lol, I will wait a while and also be more open to alternative airlines.
Again, thanks

Doshwaster

jnofrills wrote: »

Yeah, it all makes sense now... thanks. Although I have my heart set on Thai Airways .... call me silly, but just want the complete Thai experience lol, I will wait a while and also be more open to alternative airlines.
Again, thanks

If you want the "complete Thai experience" , there are some bars in Bangkok I could recommend...:):D

Voyager2002

Doshwaster wrote: »

If you want the "complete Thai experience" , there are some bars in Bangkok I could recommend...:):D

Go on then! Are these MSE places?

jnofrills

Doshwaster wrote: »

If you want the "complete Thai experience" , there are some bars in Bangkok I could recommend...:):D

lol lol good one ... but will decline your advice on this one !

Tho never say never

shaunskankdog

I have never flown Thai Airways but would love to...A bit out of my price range at the mo. I know however that I can get to Hong Kong from Barcelona or Madrid for £422 with BA next Feb/Mar.......but just booked tickets....Mad-Hkg and back from Mnl to Lhr for £375 with Air China.....2 Feb - " Apr and avoiding bank hols...Sometimes better to book form other European airports esp Madrid, Barcelona Rome or Milan...or the varying combinations....esp via Kayak.

*j*

If you contact www.westeasttravel.com, they can probably help you. In the past I have found they could give prices for flights when THAI Airways could not.

Their prices are usually a bit less than other sources too.

If this sounds a bit fishy, I've no connection with them other than as a happy customer!

THAI are often late in adding dates to their system.

*j*

budgetflyer

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Go on then! Are these MSE places?

Probably compared to UK prices