I just booked my flights from Seattle to Bangkok for November.

Amazingly, the price for the upgradeable tickets on United have gone down by $150 from last year. They are having some sort of promotional fares, though the rules for the promotion aren't entirely clear to me.

As they say: take the money (tickets) and run...

My guess would be they are lowering airfare to bring in the drop in tourism due to the current political unrest in Thailand, and Bangkok in particular - just a thought.

Singapore airlines just sent an email with $599 RT special fares from the westcoast to BKK. Also $559 RT to SIN. Fares good until March 31.

Yes, I got emails from Malaysian Air with similar prices. Too bad I don't have time for a trip before the end of March!

Hi Kathie

I assume you're flying United. Next time I fly to BKK from SFO I'll take Thai Airways from LAX to BKK non-stop. Thai is a partner with United. This United connection thing in NRT is not convenient and smears the makeup. Leaving BKK at 6:40am is un-Godly. You can fly into LAX on SWA for $59 o/w when they have their sales. Coming back from BKK they arrive at about 7:30p in LAX. You then do a Priceline LAX hotel bid for about $60 (check Bidding for Travel.com) and stay the night. Next day you wake up relaxed and refreshed and fly SWA to Seattle. Makeup is then not smeared! Hope this helps!! I always appreciate your very helpful comments.

N2it, recent news has Thai cancelling the non-stops from LAX as of April 1st. Hope you're traveling before then.

Kathie,

Congrats on the tickets. Where are you going besides bkk in November?

Aloha!

now i am depressed....see you in LA

Is it confirmed or just still speculation that Thai Air is cancelling LAX to BKK non-stops?

I've seen a few posts on here talking about the reliability of Bangkok Post news items as well as some talk about how this news was announced as a ploy to sell more of the business class tickets they had on sale for that route.

Anyone know for sure? We're planning on booking that flight in the next few weeks (it's still available to book on their site) for our trip in November and would not book it if I was certain it was going to be changed to a connecting flight.

N2it, I had thought about the Thai non-stop, but with the recent news that it is cancelling the non-stops, it makes no sense. I do have to admit that I like flying into Seattle to clear customs and get home. Back in the old days, I used to fly to either SFO or LAX and catch the flights to Asia from there, but since there were no non-stops, it made it a two-stop trip. A mere one stop in Narita is a luxury in contrast. But I appreciate the thought!

HT, we don't know where else we are going in November! We have thought about Bhutan (very expensive) and we've considered Nepal. Friends in Bangkok are encouraging us to do a beach vacation in Langkawi (if we did that we'd pay a short visit to Penang - loved it last year!). I'm always watching for the politics in Burma to change - I'd go in a heartbeat. There are more parts of VN, Laos and Cambodia to see, and we have enjoyed everywhere in Malaysia we've been... I'm sure you see the problem.

Getting the Business Class tickets is the big thing. We know we want to fly in and out of Bangkok, our favorite gateway.

Bob, the perfect treatment for your depression is buying plane tickets!

Bill, call Thai Air and ask... they are your best source.

Kathie
I bought MY ticket today. But I'm not going to have to wait until November. I'm going on Feb 7th! It'll be a shop trip, however, but I've not been to BKK for a year so I will make do with any small amount of time I can have there.
Carol (mom of bradinbangkok)

|I have been tryig to get a price on flights on Thai Air from LA to BKK on their website-we are going their October 5-November 2nd. They always bounce back with too far a date out. I want to fly business. We live close to SFO & the only reason I'd fly out of LAX is the non stop. Please keep us posted thanks Chris
PS-I can get United miles from this flight can't I????

Kathie-

Congrats!! You now get to start planning a new trip!

Just wondering...did you buy tickets with the hopes of upgrading with miles? If so, do you have your business class seats confirmed or do you have to wait until right before the flight?
I ask because I've considered doing this more than once, but I always thought this was a big risk; you pay more for upgradable tickets with the chance you may not get an upgrade. What do you think?

I'm very fortunate this year. I'll be traveling with my mom again, using her United Miles. This time she had enough miles to get us 2 business class tickets with miles only (to Budapest and out of Prague).

I'm hoping to have enough AA miles next year for Hubbie and I to go to Vietnam in Business Class on Cathay Pacific.

Kristina, I always buy my tickets and upgrade with miles at the same time. If the upgrade is not available, I don't buy. On United, you can buy and upgrade at the same time. Some airlines require that you wait to upgrade. So I have my Business Class seats! Those Business Class upgrades go quickly, which is why I buy my tickets so early.

Carol, have a great trip!

Benicia, make sure you give your United Mileage Plus number to Thai to get your miles credited. I always get my intra-Asia flights and intra-Thailand flights on Thai (or another partner airline) so I get United miles.

Bisbee

I went to the Thai Air website just now and was able to book LAX departure non-stop to BKK on May 4th with a non-stop return from BKK to LAX on June 6th. So what they're doing and what you've read seem to conflict with each other.

Kathie-
In the past we could not confirm the upgraded seats at the time of purchase. Maybe because it was on a partner carrier? That's why we've not done it. Too risky.

Fabulous that you got your seats!

Kathie,
ah, so many choices,you are right about buying tickets to cure the depression.

N2it,

I have also read where Thai is canceling the non stop lax/bkk. Of course Thai wouldn't take it off their website schedule yet. They won't drop that bomb on the passengers until the day they decide to do it. Hope it's not the days you'll be flying them.

Aloha!

N2it, excellent job on doing your homework. Here's some more information that will make you happy.

http://www.thaiairwaysusa.com/EN/New...ion.aspx?Id=24