Thailand flight benchmarking

Doshwaster

Bodders11 wrote: »

Thanks for the helpful advice. I will price up the individual flights.

Bangkok Airways have lots of flights each day between BKK and Koh Samui (possibly the prettiest airport in the world). They are can expensive as the airline owns the airport and limits competition but flight prices do vary a lot. But playing around with your travel plans by a few hours each way you could save a lot of money.

I would also echo what PP said about the dangers of a short connection from a domestic flight at Bangkok. I've done it before but it is a huge risk of delays due to bad weather and knock-ons from earlier problems.

Voyager2002

EveryWhere wrote: »

Don't. You need them under a single PNR or you won't be able to check your luggage all the way through from USM(Samui). https://www.bangkokair.com/through-check-in

Well, maybe...


Firstly, even if both flights are on the same PNR and he misses his connection on the way home, he could suffer considerable inconvenience although the airlines would eventually get him home at their expense. And a number of OTAs are quite capable of selling him itineraries that look like one ticket but turn out to be on two (or more) PNRs: someone who is deciding to buy from eDreams or Opodo is unlikely to be able to tell that this is going on until it is too late.



Secondly, the total cost of buying two separate tickets could well be very much less than that of getting all the flights on one PNR. If he chooses to do this, an overnight stay in Bangkok before returning to London is essential.

stevie11

EveryWhere wrote: »

Don't. You need them under a single PNR or you won't be able to check your luggage all the way through from USM(Samui). https://www.bangkokair.com/through-check-in

Do join the Bangkok Airways FF program https://flyerbonus.bangkokair.com to get an extra 5kgs of baggage allowance...to 25kgs.

Disregard comments regarding no luggage allowance, since neither EVA nor Bangkok Airways sell flights with no checked baggage allowance.

I am in agreement with PP and Voyager here although you are correct all tix on one PNR gives the OP back up that the airline should look after them.

With no disrespect to the OP they have asked advice and therefore do not appear as savvy travellers, that comes with time and experience.

Many travellers to the far East will just get individual flights to their onwards destination separate from their international sectors. If that is the case they need to ensure there is sufficient time if there are any issues. A final night in Bangkok is not a bad way to end a holiday in Thailand.

EveryWhere

Doshwaster wrote: »

Bangkok Airways have lots of flights each day between BKK and Koh Samui (possibly the prettiest airport in the world). They are can expensive as the airline owns the airport and limits competition but flight prices do vary a lot. But playing around with your travel plans by a few hours each way you could save a lot of money.

I would also echo what PP said about the dangers of a short connection from a domestic flight at Bangkok. I've done it before but it is a huge risk of delays due to bad weather and knock-ons from earlier problems.

All nonsense....you didn't read my post.

EveryWhere

stevie11 wrote: »

I am in agreement with PP and Voyager here although you are correct all tix on one PNR gives the OP back up that the airline should look after them.

With no disrespect to the OP they have asked advice and therefore do not appear as savvy travellers, that comes with time and experience.

Many travellers to the far East will just get individual flights to their onwards destination separate from their international sectors. If that is the case they need to ensure there is sufficient time if there are any issues. A final night in Bangkok is not a bad way to end a holiday in Thailand.

The OP was savvy enough to look to book their ticket under a single PNR(albeit with eDreams/Opodo) but unfortunately people are countering with errant advice.
I certainly would not underestimate the OP, as you have appeared to do.

First of all, the OP is clearly beginning their holiday in Bangkok, so no need to waste another night on the way back.
Going on about spending a night in Bangkok because of flight issues is completely irrelevant in this case, as they are not booking individual flights.

Regardless of what others might do, the advice has to be relevant to the OP.

You don't appear to understand, that being on a single PNR does nothing to ensure that "the airline will look after them". If it isn't on a single PNR, Bangkok Airways will not check your luggage through.

The OP asked for advice, so give them the correct advice for their circumstances.

The OP told straight away that they wanted to fly direct, but you decided to write about other airports, indirect flights and the possibility of no checked luggage included. All completely off-topic and quite wrong.

EveryWhere

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Well, maybe...


Firstly, even if both flights are on the same PNR and he misses his connection on the way home, he could suffer considerable inconvenience although the airlines would eventually get him home at their expense. And a number of OTAs are quite capable of selling him itineraries that look like one ticket but turn out to be on two (or more) PNRs: someone who is deciding to buy from eDreams or Opodo is unlikely to be able to tell that this is going on until it is too late.



Secondly, the total cost of buying two separate tickets could well be very much less than that of getting all the flights on one PNR. If he chooses to do this, an overnight stay in Bangkok before returning to London is essential.

What is all of this....?

Two separate tickets? Are you not getting this? Two separate tickets and there will be no Interline agreements honoured. That means having to complete formalities at BKK both ways(completely stupid).

The OP wants to spend a few days in Bangkok outbound and then complete formalities in Samui, bypassing the need to complete formalities in BKK on the way back.

Why/how would/could they miss their connection flying in from Samui? It's a one hour flight.
Even if they did, without it being on a single PNR, he would have no protection against this.
PG have very many flights from Samui every day and often you can board a flight earlier than your own.

Buying two tickets will never be less, regardless of your assertion.

Expect a minimum of £200 for the Samui flights(take a look for yourself). That leaves £406 for the direct flight with EVA. You won't find such a price very often.
So paying for an extra night in Bangkok will be an added an a totally unnecessary expense and an added inconvenience.

So use an OTA and make sure that the booking is under a single PNR. Ignore all of the other irrelevant advice. Harsh, but has to be written in order to avoid any confusion to the OP.

stevie11

Everywhere, where has the OP stated they have actually booked a flight under 1 PNR. Plus they wanted to keep the costs down. The advice given to him was to either book all on the same PNR or give additional time if booking separate internal flights.

I have not discredited the OP, they have asked for advice, I have offered advice aong with others. You make some valid points but appear to rubbish everyone else's input.

Do uou do this on every thread where you dont agree with their opinion?

It will be interesting how the OP goes further with his plans..

Voyager2002

EveryWhere wrote: »

What is all of this....?

Two separate tickets? Are you not getting this? Two separate tickets and there will be no Interline agreements honoured. That means having to complete formalities at BKK both ways(completely stupid).

Formalities at Bangkok are a very minor inconvenience, and whether or not there is a single PNR there is no guarantee that through-checking will function. Not a big deal.

EveryWhere wrote: »

Why/how would/could they miss their connection flying in from Samui? It's a one hour flight.

And if the flight is delayed or cancelled, perhaps because of weather, staff issues, all the stuff that sometimes happens in Thailand and elsewhere?

EveryWhere wrote: »

Even if they did, without it being on a single PNR, he would have no protection against this.

Hence the importance of the final night in Bangkok.

EveryWhere wrote: »

Buying two tickets will never be less, regardless of your assertion.

Expect a minimum of £200 for the Samui flights(take a look for yourself). That leaves £406 for the direct flight with EVA. You won't find such a price very often.
So paying for an extra night in Bangkok will be an added an a totally unnecessary expense and an added inconvenience.

I don't think he is determined to fly on Eva: fares on Air China are dramatically less. So there is plenty of scope to save money if he is willing to mix and match, albeit at the cost of a final night in Bangkok. At least that would not be an extra expense since it would save one night's accommodation on the island.

EveryWhere wrote: »

So use an OTA and make sure that the booking is under a single PNR. Ignore all of the other irrelevant advice. Harsh, but has to be written in order to avoid any confusion to the OP.

There are generally good reasons to buy directly from the airline.


I have to say, people like you who have never travelled outside the UK and know very little about how air travel works should refrain from giving advice based on your partial theoretical knowledge. In many parts of the world things do not always happen the way they are supposed to happen.

EveryWhere

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Formalities at Bangkok are a very minor inconvenience, and whether or not there is a single PNR there is no guarantee that through-checking will function. Not a big deal.





And if the flight is delayed or cancelled, perhaps because of weather, staff issues, all the stuff that sometimes happens in Thailand and elsewhere?





Hence the importance of the final night in Bangkok.






I don't think he is determined to fly on Eva: fares on Air China are dramatically less. So there is plenty of scope to save money if he is willing to mix and match, albeit at the cost of a final night in Bangkok. At least that would not be an extra expense since it would save one night's accommodation on the island.








There are generally good reasons to buy directly from the airline.


I have to say, people like you who have never travelled outside the UK and know very little about how air travel works should refrain from giving advice based on your partial theoretical knowledge. In many parts of the world things do not always happen the way they are supposed to happen.

Wrong from the very beginning....until the end.

https://www.bangkokair.com/through-check-in

I have flown to and fro Internationally from Samui, a fair few times.

Bodders11

Now, now, everybody.

Stevie11, I have travelled the world so I would consider myself savvy thank you.

Rightly or wrongly, I have also used edreams before for several legs in America and that wasnt a problem. Maybe I got lucky.

The purpose of the post is purely about cost, hence the nature of this forum. I can assess the risks of missing my flight separately, although not sure that is a risk as EveryWhere suggests.

Are there any reputable OTAs then that people would suggest if they discredit those I have mentioned?

One option I could consider is dropping 1 of the 3 nights in Bangkok at the start and having it at the end, so total nights in each location are the same as would accommodation costs be. Then I could have two separate bookings: the direct return from London to Bangkok and then the direct return Bangkok to Samui. However, this will be considerably more expensive and keeping it affordable is a primary objective.