Business Class from East Coast to Bangkok
Mar 4th, 2011, 11:13 AM
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Business Class from East Coast to Bangkok
I will be attending my son's wedding in Bangkok. 12/19/11 - 01/-3/12 and will fly business class. I can leave from about anywhere on the east coast. When and where would you book tickets?
Mar 4th, 2011, 01:35 PM
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Go to www.kayak.com and type in your dates under flights.
Mar 4th, 2011, 01:45 PM
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Start comparing flight prices now, so you can see if they fluxuate any. You are travelling to BKK during peak season, so you will pay a heavy price regardless! Biz class is for sure the way to go.
If you can get to ORD, United flies the newly reconfigured 747s from ORD to NRT (Tokyo basically) to BKK. I've flown this route numerous times, and I always manage to get some good sleep in, if riding in biz on a lie-flat bed/seat. 881/882 (Ord-Bkk-Ord) originates in BOS, if you can fly from there. BOS to ORD is on an airbus or smaller Boeing plane.
My family will be in BKK for the 4th year in a row, at just about your same travel dates! A fantastic time to be in the city!
If you can get to ORD, United flies the newly reconfigured 747s from ORD to NRT (Tokyo basically) to BKK. I've flown this route numerous times, and I always manage to get some good sleep in, if riding in biz on a lie-flat bed/seat. 881/882 (Ord-Bkk-Ord) originates in BOS, if you can fly from there. BOS to ORD is on an airbus or smaller Boeing plane.
My family will be in BKK for the 4th year in a row, at just about your same travel dates! A fantastic time to be in the city!
Mar 4th, 2011, 02:01 PM
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Just about all airlines now offer discount business-class fares. Unfortunately, the discounts to Asia aren't as substantial as to Europe or Africa, but they are still a lot better than they were several years ago.
The discount fares typically require a 28- (or sometimes 50-) day advance purchase. You're obviously traveling at a time when there's a lot of non-business travel, so seats at the discounted fares could dry up. I'd say that it's fine to wait until July/August, but maybe not much longer than that if you're certain that you'll travel.
Next comes choice of airline. If a flat-bed seat is important to you, then British Airways, Singapore, Asiana, and United are the main players. In every other aspect -- telephone service, check-in, in-flight food/drink, in-flight service -- United stinks (and stinks badly) compared to the others, so I'd counsel strongly against United. If an angled seat is ok with you, then ANA and JAL are good options. All of these airlines offer fares from about $5500-5900, plus taxes/surcharges.
The discount fares typically require a 28- (or sometimes 50-) day advance purchase. You're obviously traveling at a time when there's a lot of non-business travel, so seats at the discounted fares could dry up. I'd say that it's fine to wait until July/August, but maybe not much longer than that if you're certain that you'll travel.
Next comes choice of airline. If a flat-bed seat is important to you, then British Airways, Singapore, Asiana, and United are the main players. In every other aspect -- telephone service, check-in, in-flight food/drink, in-flight service -- United stinks (and stinks badly) compared to the others, so I'd counsel strongly against United. If an angled seat is ok with you, then ANA and JAL are good options. All of these airlines offer fares from about $5500-5900, plus taxes/surcharges.
Mar 4th, 2011, 02:09 PM
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Oh, I forgot to mention, there also appears to be an <u>extremely</u> inexpensive rt business class fare of about $2800+tax/fee from JFK to Bangkok on Aerosvit Airlines, which is the Ukranian national carrier. They're a legitimate airline, and the seats in the booking class are readily available, but I have no clue about the quality of Aerosvit's business class.
In fact, this is such a good fare, I might start a new topic.
In fact, this is such a good fare, I might start a new topic.
Mar 5th, 2011, 04:46 AM
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To the OP, not everyone hates United as much as rizzuto does. There are a number of 'us' on the Asia forums who travel on United regularly.
Do you have any status or miles with any particular airline?
Do you have any status or miles with any particular airline?
Mar 5th, 2011, 05:40 AM
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www.cheapoair.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3118
Great business class screening sites rates with discounts
Finnair recently from $1200 business class all in
NYC BKK 1 stop so there are deals to be had might play
around there... also get great deals sometimes
www.airawards.com
Happy Hunting,
Great business class screening sites rates with discounts
Finnair recently from $1200 business class all in
NYC BKK 1 stop so there are deals to be had might play
around there... also get great deals sometimes
www.airawards.com
Happy Hunting,
Mar 5th, 2011, 08:01 AM
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I would caution the OP (and everyone else) to be <u>extremely</u> wary of using the airawards.com site that qwovadis suggests.
Airawards.com is an operation that buys airline miles from frequent fliers and then converts those miles into award tickets that they (airawards.com, that is) sell to people looking for discount business and first class tickets. This practice isn't illegal in the sense of violating a law, but it is against the rules of virtually all frequent flier programs.
If you buy one of these tickets, you stand a chance of being turned away when you check in -- the airline will, correctly, tell you that your ticket is invalid. If you want to fly that day, you'll have to pay for a new ticket. Your recourse to recover the money you've spent is to deal with airawards.com. Good luck.
If you sell your miles to airawards.com, you run the risk of losing all of the miles in your FF account, and possibly more.
(These scenarios aren't my imagination; there are multiple reports of both on FlyerTalk.)
Airawards.com is an operation that buys airline miles from frequent fliers and then converts those miles into award tickets that they (airawards.com, that is) sell to people looking for discount business and first class tickets. This practice isn't illegal in the sense of violating a law, but it is against the rules of virtually all frequent flier programs.
If you buy one of these tickets, you stand a chance of being turned away when you check in -- the airline will, correctly, tell you that your ticket is invalid. If you want to fly that day, you'll have to pay for a new ticket. Your recourse to recover the money you've spent is to deal with airawards.com. Good luck.
If you sell your miles to airawards.com, you run the risk of losing all of the miles in your FF account, and possibly more.
(These scenarios aren't my imagination; there are multiple reports of both on FlyerTalk.)
Mar 6th, 2011, 01:51 PM
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So Pulley, where on the East Coast are you? I flew to Bangkok on Korean Air 14 months ago during Christmas. They were four stars. Very clean toilets. Every time I walked out of the toilet, the flight attendant was coming in to clean. They had a toilet for women only. Do you have miles with a particular alliance, Star, Sky or One World?
Mar 7th, 2011, 08:02 AM
#12
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I'm SC and have been looking at the SAV-ORD-BKK-ORD-SAV or IAD instead but I do like that the ORD-BKK has they lie flat and the IAD-BKK is the angled.
We flew Korean Air the first time we went in business class and it was great. The second time we had miles and flew First with BA and that was amazing!!
I think I'll keep looking for the next two months before pulling the trigger unless something really good pops. I have no interest in Aerosvit or Finnair.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
We flew Korean Air the first time we went in business class and it was great. The second time we had miles and flew First with BA and that was amazing!!
I think I'll keep looking for the next two months before pulling the trigger unless something really good pops. I have no interest in Aerosvit or Finnair.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Mar 7th, 2011, 01:32 PM
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Pulley - United's flight from IAD (via NRT) has lie flat seats, not angled seats. I noticed that United's business class had vastly improved the last time I flew them to Bangkok (via IAD) last year.
Mar 7th, 2011, 03:56 PM
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Avoid any stops in SEA as UAs 777s from there are all 'old' style biz seats. Much easier to get upgrades going via SEA, but not nearly so comfortable as lie-flat!!
IAD-NRT-BKK would be comfort all the way! It's a very long flight, so might as well be as comfortable as is possible.
IAD-NRT-BKK would be comfort all the way! It's a very long flight, so might as well be as comfortable as is possible.
Mar 7th, 2011, 06:16 PM
#15
I looked a little earlier for your dates and found a sub-$5000 fare (all in) using Asiana via Chicago: (SAV-ORD-ICN-BKK and v.v.) The SAV-ORD flights would be on United (and in coach as they fly commuter planes on that route) however the flights to Seoul and Bangkok would be on Asiana. Asiana's business class is very highly rated.
I'd also point out that Singapore Airlines has a business-class round-the-world fare for $5300 plus tax, but that fare has routing rules that would be a bit awkward for you (no intra-US flights for example.)
I'd also point out that Singapore Airlines has a business-class round-the-world fare for $5300 plus tax, but that fare has routing rules that would be a bit awkward for you (no intra-US flights for example.)
Mar 10th, 2011, 01:23 PM
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"I'd also point out that Singapore Airlines has a business-class round-the-world fare for $5300 plus tax, but that fare has routing rules that would be a bit awkward for you (no intra-US flights for example."
Can you send a link? Now that I'm retired . . .
Can you send a link? Now that I'm retired . . .
Mar 10th, 2011, 01:43 PM
#17
Mar 11th, 2011, 11:17 AM
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I booked SAV-ORD-BKK on Umited for $4,064.47 all in. We're economy from SAV-ORD then business on a 747. I thought it was too good a deal to pass up. United's seat map is down so I can't choose my seats. ANy seat suggestions - up or down on the 747?
Thanks for all the responses!
Thanks for all the responses!
