matt817

hello everyone,

i haven't posted for awhile and found this forum of great help when i went to vietnam and laos in april / may of this year. i'm hoping you can help me once again.

i'm seriously contemplating a trip to luang prabang, leaving from ny city, the last week of december (12/21) returning the first week of january (1/5). i've done the expedia search, and they give me flights via bangkok with ticket prices in the $3,500.00 range. this, understandably, is giving me pause.

do any of you frequent flyers out there have any suggestions about sites with less costly tickets, or strategies for passing through other cities on the way to lp that will reduce the ticket cost? i have to believe there is something out there for less than $3500.00. i understand the constraints regarding time of year and how relatively close i am to the booking dates, but am hoping someone can recommend a site outside the american mainstream where i might find cheaper tickets to get from here to there?

any thoughts or tips would be much appreciated.

thanks!

Kathie

Bangkok is really the most convenient city to connect through. I'd start by checking to see what fares they give for your NYC to Bangkok, as I expect that is your problem. It's high season and you are (relatively) close to your departure date. I often find expedia's price to be higher than those I find on the airlines' own websites. Obviously, the easiest flight would be the Thai non-stop, but all the cheap fares may well be gone. If you can find a reasonable airfare RT to Bangkok, you can buy a separate ticket on Bangkok Air to/from LP. Check the price at their website.

Another problem will be finding accommodation in LP during that time. Last year, many people had difficulty getting accommodation during that busy time.

Good luck!

rhkkmk

you are getting xmas fares i should think....that is why it is so high...can you wait and go in janurary...i think you will find everything way less: airfares, hotels, etc and there will be hotel availability more than likely...

that price is at least 3 times what you should pay---well maybe 2.5 times...

rahulm

You might want to check comprehensive sites like www.kayak.com and sidestep.com (and maybe travelocity.com as well) for those dates for cheaper tickets to Bangkok.

matt817

all,

thanks for your thoughts. i know it's high season but even so i'm surprised to learn so many westerners spend the christmas holidays in s.e. asia.

i'll check the other sites you mentioned, but fear i'm going to have to bite the bullet on this one. fortunately i have friends in LP to help with accomodations.

thanks again for your help.

Kathie

I'm glad to hear you have someone to help with accommodations. Lots of people do spend the winter holidays in SE Asia. I used to do that every year. In the last 10 years I've been able to move my trip back to November, with does make it all easier in terms of reservations. Still, I get my flights in about February.

Good luck!

rkkwan

Do you mean $3,500 for one person or two?

For your dates, you can get to BKK from JFK for about $1,700-1,800 on BA, Emirates or others. It's not going get cheaper for those dates.

[You may find a <$1,300 Air China fare, but that seems unbookable on your dates.]

I am not familiar with BKK-LPQ airfare, but full fare is around $450. So, even without discount on that leg, you can still get to Luang Prabang for under $2,300.

Per person that is.