Which flight from BKK to Chiang Mai should I take?
 

We have 4 nights in BKK (I know, not enough, but we'll get back there again, I'm sure) and then 4 nights in Chiang Mai. I'm considering taking a 3pm flight from BKK to CM, so that I may have a little extra time in BKK. Alternatively, I could take a noon flight or a 5pm flight, but my sense is that 3pm would be good -- not too late in the day, but with enough time to enjoy just a little bit more.

Does this make sense or is there a reason I should leave at another time? I'm not changing the itinerary, though.

By the way, I did post this on my other thread, so if you've answered this question there, thank you!

Again, all the help is much appreciated!

Paule

Taking the 3 pm flight means you'll have a morning in Bangkok. I think it's a reasonable plan.

Thanks, Kathie, that's my thought exactly. It's not a lot, but at least a little extra time.

Do note that there are 2 airports In Bangkok that have flights to Chiang Mai. If you are flying Thai Airways, Thai Smile or Bangkok Airways then it's BKK but if you are flying with a low cost airline then it's DMK.

Thanks, Hanuman. I hadn't even considered any other airline besides Bangkok Airways until I read your response. The price for Bangkok Airways was very reasonable, but how do the other airlines compare? Is one airport better/more convenient to fly out from? I see Nok Air has flights to CM, tho not quite as frequent as Bangkok Airways. A little less expensive, but not by a significant amount. Any recommendations here?

Found a really good price for flights on AirAsia - how is this airline compared to the others?

The low cost airlines should be a bit cheaper than Bangkok Airways. For Air Asia you should be aware that luggage will have to be paid extra at the time of booking but it should still be a good price.

I find that DMK a bit easier and less walking than BKK but apart from that from a tourist point of view they should be the same. Tourist point of view = no consideration or worries about parking etc.

Thanks, Hanuman,
The cost of this route is, fortunately, low enough that any flight is low enough that I'm really not too concerned, with costs per ticket ranging from @ $50 to $75-$80. I see that Air Asia sneaks in that "baggage fee" as if it's an extra, but it's not really an option! Even with that included, it's still the cheapest. There's a 14:45 flight that I'll probably book then, giving us a half day more in Bangkok.
Paule

When booking on Air Asia, be sure to note the "option" for their insurance. We somehow missed it and on one of our flights ended up paying the extra money for insurance. We had no luck contacting Air Asia to change it.

Thanks, yestravel, for giving me a heads up on another one of those sneaky fees!

Yes, once you look at all the fees - baggage, early seating, insurance, Air Asia will be about the same as the others.

Thanks again for the word of warning. I'll go by my preferred schedule, then, not by the cost, as it really isn't significant in the scheme of the overall trip!

I always fly Nok air. Several flights each day and very inexpensive. Assigned seats, food and 15 kg baggage no additional fee.

Now debating between Air Asia and Bangkok Air. The former flies out of DMK, and there is a flight at 15:45 . Bangkok Air has a flight at 15:10 and flies out of BKK. Now my concerns are more about negotiating getting to and getting through the airport. I lean toward the Bangkok Air flight because the timing seems slightly better and I find all these little extra fees that Air Asia has annoying and confusing to deal with. I wonder, tho,

1) what time do I need to get to each of the airports for a domestic flight? Is one easier/quicker to go through security?
2) which airport is easier to get to?
3) And which is quicker?
4) any difference in arriving in Chiang Mai at 16:30 vs 17:00?

The Air Asia flight is less expensive, but the cost difference isn't that great that it's worth saving the money if the Bangkok Air flight is easier. But would probably choose Air Asia if the getting to & through DMK is easier& faster. Almost there, but help here is appreciated!

Your answer is DMK will be the easiest. Arrive at least one hour before your departure time and you will be fine, although if you have lots of luggage then give yourself 1.5 hours.

Thanks, Hanuman, I appreciate the advice.

We won't have a lot of luggage - we generally travel with 22" roll-ons and one shoulder bag each, so we rarely check luggage. I'll be darned if I know how much they weigh, though, and these extra fees for luggage baffle me.

The other fees -- prepaying for reserved seats?! -- this is where I get brain freeze. I guess the truth is that the cost, even with the extra fees, is still low, so it doesn't hurt the pocket, though it is annoying trying to wade through them.

Thank you, though. I'll focus on the fact that DMK will be easier.

As previously mentioned other low cost airlines like Nok Air doe offer 15kg free check in luggage along with assigned seats which you can choose at the time of booking. Air Asia is more of the "pure" low cost airline that people still rush to board the plane to get the seats they want. Nok Air does have 5 or 6 flights per day to Chiang Mai and if one of the flight suit you then I recommend them as well.

PS. A typical 22" luggage will weigh more than 15kg so I would chose the option to pre-buy extra weight when booking.

Thanks, Nok Air's flight times don't work as well, but even including the extra fees with Air Asia, the flight cost is still lower than the others. The flight time works better for me with Air Asia.

We travel light pretty much as you describe. For our Air Asia flights we bought the first option for weight for 1 suitcase. They will combine both suitcases and the total allowable weight plus what we bought. That worked fine for us. We didn't know if we needed the extra or not, but it wasn't much if you bought it in advance. As far as assigned seats, we never buy them on any airline. It's a short flight and figured we'd be fine whatever seats we had, together or not. I think we got our seats on all our Air Asia flights when we checked in. The seats were together and just fine. There was not a rushing of people trying to get good seats on any of our flights.

You are right yestravel about rushing to get seats. I forgot that Air Asia now assign seats when you check in or when you booked on line. I was thinking about the time when they first started operation and people had to rush onboard to get good seats.