URGENT LAST MINUTE PROBLEM WITH AIR PASS_
 

Hi All!
Just when I believed everything was ready for our trip the worst happed. (I suspected it many times) I went to pick up my "AIR PASS" for our trip and the smart agent at the travel agency told me that there was a little problem... The pass could not be done because it was possible only for INSIDE Thailand. This means that we are going next tuesday to BKK and our plans to go from there to HKK on the 15AUG and then to BALI on the 28 are down to zero. The only option I am given is to pay more than a US$1,000 a piece.... to go to those two cities. I had my doubts so many times abiout this and I asked the agent if she was sure we could do it. A thousand times she said YES, no problem.

NOW...any tips to find cheap tickets for those segments. The Chang mai is not the big isuue but the this two.......

I am redaing once again Bob's report becasue I remeber he mentioned air tickets somewhere....anyone else....????

To make things wors is friday and everything is closed already ( I am in Paris.)

MANY THNKS,

DIANA

i have sent you e mails

bob

I'm having similiar problems but you can fly on Air Asia from BKK to Macau and then take a ferry into Hong Kong. Its only about $50USD for the flight. I don't remeber what the ferry cost but its cheap. As for Bali, I haven't a clue.

DIANAS- why not email [email protected] (mark email URGENT) and ask her to help you. olavi.com are travel agents in BKK we have used several times. They've saved me heaps on airfares and I cannot recommend them more! Check their website or check saveflights.com for prices. They are good also. Sorry for your problems!!! Best of luck.

I HAVE ALSO USED OLVAI FOR QUOTES

BOB

Darn.. I too had a feeling it was BS. that why I kept on asking you what pass you had. it just didn't relate too what was on thai airways web site.

you can definatly get a airfare too your destinations for far less then $1000

you can stil get the Asean pass. that gets you too chain mai and bali back too HK for $360 then pay less then $200 for round trip too HK on Finair swiss. gulf, emerates. kenyan.. excually their are many airlines the make that run for cheap..

don't fret if worse comes too worse you can easaly take care of all your airfaire while in bkk..

Diana,
You can fly w/ Air Asia from BKK to SIN for about 30 USD (1 way). From SIN to HKK I think the rates are on the order of 300-400 USD / person for RT.
To get to DPS (Bali) you can do the following:
Arrive in SIN, taxi about 45 minutes across the border {@ 40 UDS} to Malasia and go from JHB (Johor Baru) to KUL (Kuala Lumpur) {@ 20 USD/ one way}, Fly from KUL to DPS {@ 70 USD/ one way}, all with Air Asia.

On another tack... Looking at the Royal Brunei (www.bruneiair.com) site under the "blue skies" fares you can do a RT BWN (Brunei)-> HKK -> BWN for as little as 160 euros, with change of dates to 17th and 29th. You can get from BKK to Miri (MYY) via Air Asia for 100 USD (Miri, Malasia is across the border from BWN in Brunei and about 2.5 hours down the road, not sure of cost and type of transfer between the two). Also, there is a blue skies fare from BWN to DPS on the 30th for 50 euros one way. Not sure when you planned to leave Bali and where you would go to, but you can go back to BKK via KUL on Air Asia for short money.

It all seems kind of convoluted to me, but I think it can be planned out effectively. Not sure if the added time would be worth the price difference though.

Bon chance,
Craig

PS -- If you have to do an overnight in Brunei, stay at the Empire which is about 20 minutes from the airport. Worth a visit and the money (about 100 euros/night).

diana...what's happening i can't stand it!!!!????

Wow!!!
You guys are great.
LAte last night the travel agent sent an email to say that we could go and pick up the tickets...... again NO tickets. This time I was with my husband and the manager took care of us. Very nice person.... (we are trying to be calm to see if something can be done) the manager will call Thai Air to see if she can get a waiver or something!!! The good thing is that this agency sells millions so maybe they can get it.

Meanwhile I am doing all the research you all suggested. The fact that is weekend does not help You said it Bob)
Craig - Your options look good but we will be facing problems with Visa for Birmania and teh alike. I will still double check that.
Kati - I already emailed KAti to see what she says.
Orgy - yes it was too good... I re emailed the agent all teh email sin which I asked her if she was sure that we could do that :( Anyway.
YOur option is perfect. I am going to check the Asean Pass , do I buy this here? I will check the prices for BKK.

Bob, I also emailed seatours but have not headr from them. I will call them tomorrow night, morning in BKK to see what they have.

As some of you said and as we decided we will see if somethign can be done here if not we will do it in BKK. we are departing a day earlier so we will have 5 days before our ideally first fligh out of BKK.

I will let you all know what happens on Manday. Again, thanks a lot to all of you!!!

Diana

Ooopss.. I almost forgot to thank cf5657 . I just read again all the postings and saw that you wrote a rate of US50. Somehow I read 500 and did not paid attention. GREAT. THANK YOU.
I think it will work. This fare plus Orgy's suggestion of the ASEAN PASS.- Orgy how do I get this one? - I will do a search on thsi site.

cf567 Where did you get this fare. Air Asia web site??

Bob, I stop trying priceline for the Shangri-La for the first days in BKK. We will stay first at The Marriott Spa (using the points) to relax and then at the return....(if this problem with the air fares does not let us broke)will maybe follow you for the Peninsula!!!

Thanks TO ALL,

Diana

Its me again.
I just check all teh airpases suggested here and the ones Orgy suggested me in another posting. Results ZERO!
1. ASEAN HIP HOP - Have to a resident of a country in Asia....
2. All Asia Air pass with Cathay - Includes or have to include the international flight with Cathay also.
3.Silk Air Pass with Singapore Ailines - These great airline does not fly ANY of the cities we are going. Only Chang Rai which is not the problem now...
4. One World Asia Airpass - I forgot what that one said....
So back to the same point.

WIll check Air Asia...

Diana

on the second level of the marriott mall there is a new travel agent...maybe they can help you....i would just call eddie....he was great at sea tours.....as james points out, they are the american express company in bkk....no up charge for credit card usage either, which most bkk agencies charge...3 or 4%....

go for a nice walk along the seine on sunday and relax...oh it is probably hot as hell in paris---i forgot....at least everyone has left town now for the month...

bob

Just relax. There are tonnes of flights from BKK to anywhere, so just find a travel agent (like the ones that've been recommended to you) after you arrive.

Plane tickets in Asia are different from here. No need to book way in advance to get good fares.

...... Nothing new. We will leave tomorrow for BKK and we will see what we can do from there. My main concern is Bali because we have the prepaid week there and no changes can be made. Other that that.... we are ready to go.
Thanks for all your help. I will let everybody know how everything turns out!

True...Paris is hot and humid! Most frenchies are gone, parking in the streets is free ( Ilove it) but the city is full of tourists!!!! We had a great outdoors weekend reading about SE Asia!

Merci et á bientôt!

Diana

Dump your misinformed agent! I dumped most agents two decades ago when on an emergency trip to Europe, I was booked into a hotel that, upon arrival, didn't exist!Plus I had other bad mishaps...so from then on I basically do my own research and bookings and now that we have forums, it's great! We are all each other's agents. Happy Travels....remain calm through this crisis and things will work out!

Just enjoy your trip. bangkok is a fabulous city and the service there is wonderful. I am confident that you will be able to get inexpensive airfares there without too much fuss. Have a wonderful time and let us know what happens!

Thanks to all!
What is really anoying is that I did my research and I learned that with Thai I could not do that!!! But I was dealing with a mega internet travel company (I did it on the phone)- I assumed that since they sell so much they could do a few things that Thai itself could not do!
ANYWAY....... For good or for bad its like this now.
WE are happy and ready to go!!!

Diana

diana...what has hapened??/ they have arranged it all for you??

bob

Bob:
No nothing the travel agency did nothing!!!!!!! The manager blamed tha agent whom by the way has been laif off begining next month.......so nobody cares really!!!
But.....we are not going to let that ruin our vacation we are going to BKK tomorrow and we will see what can be done there.
I will keep you posted.
Thanks for all your support. I have read your report almost thre e times now... :)
Diana

you will need a vacation after reading that dull report---3 times???

hope you get some use out of it...have dim sum for me at the conrad in bkk--lunch....i can't seem to get it out of my mind this week...

HAVE A GREAT TRIP AND LET US HEAR ABOUT IT...

bob