Flights - Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang?
 

Thought I'd start a new thread for this question. My itinerary calls for us (me/daughter) to go from Mae Hong Song to Luang Prabang on a Wednesday (Feb 15). I had assumed we'd fly from MHS to Chiang Mai in the morning, transfer to Lao Air and fly to LP later in the day. BUT, from what I can tell from the website (a little unclear), it appears there are only flights from CM to LP on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Is that true? Am I missing something? And if not, do I need to change my schedule so I can make the Tuesday flight (doable at this point) or can we go from MHS to CM to BKK to LP in one day? And can we use Discovery Pass tickets for the CM/BBK and BBK/LP legs? And... hm... are we going to have the same problem going from LP to Siem Reap? Will we have to go through BKK or else make sure we're doing it on the right day?
Thanks,
Karen

ttt

Recommend using a travel agency in Bangkok to help you book internal airline flights in Southeast Asia.

For the past 3 years, I have used VSP Travel,
contact person “Mol”, e-mail address
[email protected]

VSP Travel is located at the Ambassador Hotel in the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok.

I e-mail VSP Travel with my itinerary wish and they e-mail me back with recommended travel flights and cost.
After I e-mail VSP Travel to confirm the bookings I want, they will e-mail you a form that you complete with the
amount of approved baht to be charged as well as your credit card number and you fax it back to VSP Travel. Then when I am in Bangkok, Igo to the VSP Travel agency to pick up the tickets.
I believe they are closed on Sundays.

Please do a search on this Board for travel agencies in Bangkok that were also recommended by people on this Board.

Last year we wanted flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang but were advised the Laos Airline flights are only on certain days of the week. We only wanted two days in Luang Prabang but it turned out to be 4 days due to Loas Airline flight schedules. Loas Airlines is a “small” plane and after we got to the Airport, we were all told there would be a flight delay for about 5 hours. But it did not bother us since we had 4 days in Luang Prabang and we just used the extra hours at the airport to go to the Chiang Mai airport mall, which was just a tuk tuk ride away. The only thing that bothered me was the flight on the small airplane at night but we got there safely. The owner of the restaurant 3 Nagas was also on the flight. He had boxes and boxes of supplies to bring back to Luang Prabang. So he uses Laos Airlines.

You could ask VSP Travel to give you flight information on the two different airline flights (Loas Airline and Discovery Pass)to Luang Prabang.

Also, I used VSP Travel to book tours in Chiang Mai and it was quite reasonable. I can’t exactly remember the cost. Other people on the Board have great tour recommendations for Chiang Mai and some just book a driver.

We then flew from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap but were there only two nights as it was very difficult to book flights out from Siem Reap to BKK due to the busy Christmas Holiday Season. So try to book as soon as you can.

Just like you on my first earlier trips to Southeast Asia,I was almost overwhelmed at first but really, it’s easy with the help from this Board and my friend who lived in Bangkok.

Other people do make their internal Southeast Asia airline bookings
through airline websites through the internet but I have not yet done so.

Yes Lao only flies on those days. You would catch the Thai 11.15 flight from MHS, arriving CM at 11.50 and the getting the Loa flight at 12.50. Close but it can possibly be done.
If you fly with Bangkok Air to BKK (15.20 or 17.50), you will have to stay overnight as the flight to LP is at 10.10 or 11.30. Thai Airlines up to just a while ago had flights on mon/thur/sat from CM/LP but seems to have now discontinued these.
From LP there are no direct flights to SR. With Lao you must fly to Vientiane, stay over night and then catch the early morning flight to SR via Paske. With Bangkok Air you can get the 13.50 flight to BKK and then connect with their 18.00 or 18.40 to SR.
The Bangkok Air Pass is good on all Bangkok or Lao airline flights. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the input. Gosh, it isn't easy, is it? This may require a little rethinking of my itinerary in order to get from place to place.