What airline from NY would you recommend
to Bangkok? First class or business class?

I have heard good things about Cathay Pacific.

Any comments would be appreciated.

All the top airlines in the world offer great First or Business products on this route - Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, JAL, ANA, British Airways, etc.

If you just want the best seat and service, consider Emirates via Dubai. Their first class on the JFK-DXB route (using the A340-500) is probably the best in the world.

But if you want to fly non-stop, then take Thai. They only have business class (called Royal Silk) and no first class, but it should be pretty good, and you save up to 4-5 hours compared to flying across the Pacific.

Well Thai has the only direct flight (17 hours) but it has no first class. We are flying business class next week. The seats recline to 170 degrees and I have heard that they are quite comfortable once you get them adjusted. All other flights from NY go through Tokyo, or Taipai or Hong Kong or Singapore etc.

The business class seats on the Thai flight are excellent.

For First Class, I'd have to go with SQ but it would be a longer flight for sure.

Shade

Very pleased with the non-stop JFK-BKK flight I took the beginnning of January in business class---worth saving the time in not having to make any connections.

you can also fly through europe and the middle east to bkk.. i am flying on air france on my next trip...luftansa, eva, brithish air, emerites, to name a few...

If you want the very best first class service and price is not an issue then I would fly New York to Frankfurt on Singapore Airline and then connect to Bangkok on Lufthansa(Both are member of Star Alliance). Make use of the "First Class Terminal" in Frankfurt, it is the very best in luxury and catering.

I've flown the route on Cathay as well as ANA via Hong Kong and Japan and have found both very good with their first class. Beware that ANA no longer offer first class from Japan to Thailand and that Cathay has a limited number of flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok with first class services.

Emirates via Dubai will only fly the A340 on the New York to Dubai sector. The Dubai to Bangkok sector will be on other planes and the first class seats are not that nice - except for one flight on the 777-300ER.

As other have said the direct Thai flight will be the best but they don't have first class service.

I would definitely fly Thai from NY. It doesn't have 1st class but the business class is very good and it is about 7 hours shorter than if you fly Cathay.

I am hoping preium economy is close enough to business to warrant the cost savings. I sleep 6-7 hours anyway. We leave JFK so I plan to sleep from 7PM-2AM EST since eating and drinking much is not desirable for minimizing jet lag.
Am I kidding myself about premium economy? I paid $1375 in June when I purchased tickets for my wife and I. Now it is higher.

we flew nonstop jfk-bkk with THAI in Nov-Dec 2005 premium economy. Thai had a deal: 2 for 1. check possibilities directly with the Thai agent. flights were smooth, service was excellent. and of course, the shortest flight available.

If you join Ameniti you could get 2 for 1 business class seats on Singapore Airlines. ANA participates in the program too. www.ameniti.com

We're living in Taiwan now and will be doing a fair amount of traveling, back and forth to the States and within Asia. Does anyone have an opinion about Ameniti? I've never heard of it but I'd love to know if people think it is worthwhile. Do other airlines have similar programs?

We have miles on United and American.

As always, thanks to everyone for their help.

Ameniti generally does not work out to be cost effective.

Usually you are better off buying your own (restricted) tikets than buying the full fare tickets that qualify for the 2 for 1 special with Ameniti.

That's good to know, Femi. I haven't priced international business class tickets. Have seen special offers from time to time for reduced business class fares so I was under the impression that they were not generally available, not at >50% off a full fare.

I've also read that AmEx has a special card, for which you pay dearly (perhaps $400) that gives you a 2-for-1 when you buy a business class ticket.

Given Femi's comments, is it correct to assume that these offers are only good when you're buying a full fare ticket?

In other words, you can't use your AmEx card to charge a special fare and get the 2-for-1 deal?

Thanks for the clarification.

My understanding of the AmEx program is that it is like Ameniti, you only get a free ticket by buying a full-fare ticket.

PS I think that United's product, Ameniti, is not doing very well, as I receive emails every other week or so saying "last chance" to sign up. This has been going on for a year or more... They are apparently willing to give me lots of last chances!

Kathie
I get the same emails from United all the time. I haven't taken the time to really study the fine print, but up to now have not really wanted to invest in ameniti.

As for the AmEx program, we are right now traveling on free tickets (ORD to LAS) using accumulated points that I did not figure out how to use for a very long time, so we had many of them!!! With the platinum card you can use AmEx travel. Yes, you can buy your full fare ticket and get one free. We have not done this, as we most typically would be traveling at different dates and times, and would not qualify for the provision that you MUST be traveling together.

Carol

I did join Ameniti, but I did it for the bonus miles and not for any of the other offers.

They offered 50,000 miles for USD 500. This is more valuable to me, as I can use the miles to upgrade to business class, than anything else Ameniti has had to offer.

The Emirates option gives you their fantastic First Class on their Airbus 340-500's but that's non stop to Dubai, from Dubai to Bangkok ( about 5 hrs 45 ) it's their 'standard' First Class on 777 or 330, but they have 3 flights a day on that sector so connections should be easy.
Apart from the Thai option you have the likes of Air France but I think that's a pm departure from Paris which means a day there, otherwise westbound on Cathay perhaps.