Again on Siem Reap - Luang Prabang
 

It is probably just me but I can't seem to find an airline that flies directly between Siem Reap and Luang Prabang. If plane transportation is not convenient, what other methods can I use?

Laos Air flies between the two on monday/thursday/saturday. For more details see their site.
www.laoairlines.com

Do note that you CANNOT buy Lao Air tickets online. There is a website that purports to sell Lao Air tickets, but it is a French travel agency and the tickets are not valid.

I bought a ticket from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap via Bangkok Airways (as a part of the discovery pass) for our trip in November, but I'm sure you can buy a ticket for the route separately as well.

I should also add that although the ticket was issued by Bangkok Airways, the flight is on a Lao Airlines plane.

rahulm, you are right that Bangkok Air partners with Lao Air on some routes. Maile, are you flying three legs that would qualify for the Discovery Pass from Bangkok Air? If so, it's a great deal!

I was thinking of flying from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang and then on to Bangkok. Would that qualify for the Discovery Pass? I'm also wondering about flying United to Japan, then ??? to Saigon and back to Japan from Bangkok. Can I work this in with Bangkok Airways? What are the advantages/disadvantages of straying from United?

On their website (www.bangkokair.com) they do not have this route (SR to LP). You might want to give them a call and see if they do have it.

Also, if you're willing to spend a bit more you could fly to Bangkok, from Siem Reap and then take a Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Luang Prabang. With the discovery pass, it'll count as two legs and so cost almost double.

I didn't find the Siem Reap to Luang Prabang route with Bangkok Air either. And, rahulm, why would I want to fly to Bangkok from Siem Reap and then to Luang Prabang?

Bangkok Air does not fly to/from Japan. You are going to need to do some research. United does have a flight into HCMC (Saigon), and I don't know where the stop is. So check the United website. It would likely be less expensive for you to fly on United all the way to Bangkok. You may be able to get an open-jaw that will take you into Bangkok and out of HCMC (or the reverse). The disadvantage of flying a different airline from Japan to Bangkok or HCMC would be that you wouldn't get the frequent flier miles, the transfer in Tokyo might be more complicated, etc.

You'll have to call Bangkok Air about the Siem Reap-LP flight. It has been available previously, but there was a period of time when it was not. The only airline that flies Bangkok to Siem Reap non-stop is Bangkok Air, and the only airline that flies Bangkok to Luang Prabang is Bangkok Air. Take a look at your whole itinerary and see if you can put together three legs with Bangkok Air.

Bangkok Air does fly to Japan. They have two routes...Bangkok - Hiroshima and Bangkok - Fukuoka.

The Japan routes are not eligible for the Discovery Airpass, but the REP-LPQ and the LPQ - BKK routes are. You have to call Bangkok Air about the Discovery Pass, you can't book it online. Same for the REP - LPQ route.

Kim, That's new! Too bad they don't allow it as part of the Discovery Pass!

maile,

The reason I said you can go from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang via Bangkok is because there is no direct flight from SR to LP. However, as Kathie mentioned above, Bangkokair flies from Siem Reap to Bangkok. They also have flights from Bangkok to Luang Prabang. So, that would be one way to get to LP from SR, since there are no direct flights with Bangkokair.

But you can fly Laos air between SR and LP. The Bangkok air pass covers all flights that Laos and Siem Reap airlines flies and with a few exceptions all Bangkok Air flights. So when you book the section SR to LP with the pass you will be flying on a Laos plane.

If you are not using the pass then you should be fine with booking the flight when you get to SR. If you are worried then contact them via Fax : ( 856 – 21 ) 212056 or Email : [email protected]

I was investigating the LP to SR flight on the Bangkok Air Discovery Pass and I did not see where it is not included in the package. It looks like Siem Reap Airways flies this route and they offer the flight on Tue, Thurs and Sat. Flight No. FT634, Departure at 12:30, Arrival at 14:55. Now I was looking at this for February.

Quite true but Siem Reap Air only flies from LP to SR. The have no flights as yet in the oposite direction. The original question was flights from SR to LP.

So, Siem Reap Air and Laos Air both fly beteen Seim Reap and Luang Prabang? At least Laos Air does on certain days. But it is still up for grabs on whether that would be covered by a Bangkok Pass? I was trying for the Siem Reap to Luang Prabang to Bangkok and then from Bangkok back to Saigon for my United flight back to the States.

As I said above the Bangkok air pass covers all flights that Laos and Siem Reap airlines flies. So this would include Laos flight from SR to LP.